Toyota's Highlander Gets Sporty

This spring Toyota is set to release a new "Highlander Sport" model. As reported by Toyota, the Sport gives you a color-keyed grille with chrome insert, chrome door handles, chrome rear license plate garnish, color-keyed mudguards, fog lamps, chrome exhaust tip, and 17-inch five-spoke aluminum alloy wheels with a high polish finish. Standard interior features include chrome door handles, tilt leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, leather-trimmed shift knob with chrome stalk, and eight-way power driver's seat and 3-in-1 AM/FM/Cassette/CD with six speakers and in-glass antenna.

2WD models will carry a base MSRP of $27,765, while 2WD models with third-row seating will start at $28,615. The 4WD models will start at $29,235 and begin at $30,085 for third-row models.

There is also mention of a new base V6 model.

Wow! a turd has been polished. Nothing says "sport" like a tape player.

Truth be told, this is the only Toyota I'd buy if someone poured gas all over me and lit a match. However, I can't help but wonder, is now a good time to mention that a $14K Cobalt comes standard with a CD Player?

How much is this versus an 'unsporty' Highlander with similar equipment? If most of the cost is for the appearance package, nah.

Now there's an Oxymoron!

I'm surprised anybody buys these anymore, other than the Hybrid version. The Highlander is getting pretty seriously long in the tooth. It's been around with only a couple of revisions (that you'd have to squint to see, save for the third row seat) since MY 2001. The GMC Envoy/Chevy TrailBlazer have been on the market since MY 2002, and it seems like they are constantly harped on about being old and out of date. Then again, the Highlander debuted as a great SUV and has gradually become an also-ran, whereas the GM twins started off as mediocre SUVs with a few bright spots, and have become hideously uncompetitive SUVs with a few kinda bright spots.

The Murano is the crossover of choice around here followed by the Pilot (not too many of the ugly Ridgeline-faced versions, though). The Highlander looks like the frump it is next to one of those.

How is that sporty? It looks no different, not even a ground effects kit. Of all the Toyota SUVs I think the Highlander is the ugliest and lamest. Remember how they insulted a Mustang with the hybrid in that commercial. Yeah, you put your most powerful Highlander against the GT500 and we'll see who smokes who's sorry ass.

But I digress...that's not sporty...Toyota just tosses the spory name in their for the hell of it, it's even lamer than the Maibu SS (which while not a speed demon at least had effort put into it) Want sporty? Get an SRT...of course that's not so much sporty so much as supercar.