Well it's that time again, new car shopping for the wife.

We want to get a Toyota and it is between, the Land Rover, the Crown Signia and the 4 Runner. All have the hybrid engine which I have no experience with.

Help with any thoughts / experiences would be great appreciated. She currently drives a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 and these 3 seem to be in the same size class at the Jeep. The sequoia is too much vehicle for her so want to keep it mid size.

Thanks for the input from the forum always appreciated.

L

I bought a Hybrid Highlander in May. The 4 cylinder engine has ample power and provides good acceleration despite what the self-proclaimed critics say. I can't tell any difference in power between the Highlander and the 2016 ForeRunner V-6 I traded for it. However, it probably wouldn't be my first choice for towing a big load.

No problems thusfar. The car is quiet and gets about 40 MPG or a little better in town and 36-37 on the highway.

My wife is on her 4th 4Runner. Pretty hard to go wrong there. I drive a Tacoma.
Scott

I was just looking at the Highlander and it said there were two engines available:

2024 Toyota Highlander

This midsize SUV has two powertrain options: a 2.4L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine or a 2.5L 4-cylinder hybrid engine. Both options are efficient and offer all-wheel-drive capability.

I think you would be happy with either engine. Keep in mind the hybrid has an internal combustion engine and an electric motor that powers a vehicle.

The turbocharged gets additional compressed air from an exhaust turbine to produce more power and enhanced efficiency.

I just bought a 2024 Ford Ranger with twin turbochargers.

My wife and I both have 4 Runner's. The ones we have do not have the hybrid engine. The hybrid 4 Runner won't be out till the new ones hit the lots anytime now.

It looks pretty luxurious inside. These guys like it, and I would ignore their comments about the performance. 0-60 in 7 seconds was V6 Firebird performance not long ago. One thing I don't like in many car tests these days is few comments on ride. Ignore the access denied message, the page will open.

Access to this page has been denied

I probably wouldn't have one in that spec. There are too many highways in the SW with potholes that will kill a 21" alloy.

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Release the Kraken

I'm not a fan of hybrids. Ask the dealership how much a replacement battery costs? It will stagger your mind.

Plus, when you're running the engine, the battery is nothing but dead weight, plus the electric motor is also dead weight. That doesn't strike me as efficient, IMO.

I also not a fan of turbos on a 4 cyl engine, never mind twin turbos. I believe it stresses the motor beyond what a naturally aspirated one would be. In short, it shortens the life of the motor, IMO. Nor are turbos cheap to have worked on.

My brother has a 2 year old 4Runner, V6 engine, 4WD. He loves it.

My .o2

"One thing I don't like in many car tests these days is few comments on ride."

Amen brother! One site I like for car tests is Car Talk, they don't do a lot of reviews, but they talk about the stuff you experience in everyday driving. And you can listen to old Car Talk radio shows while there, which I enjoy immensely.

I don't know about the Signia, but the Crown sedan I looked at two years ago didn't have Head Up Display, which I like. And the top level only came with a black interior, no thanks. I believe they've changed that last gripe this year.

Had to edit add where the test notes I like on the site are located, because it's not intuitive to me: Car Reviews - then Test Drive Notes at the bottom left side from the drop down menu. They recently tested a Crown SUV-ish.

Luv me some Toyota although the new Tundra did not live up to the hype. Had a 2007 Camry Hybrid and love it. Ended up giving it to a friend of a friend and still regret it. I keep on trying to talk my +1 into another one but she is still too concerned with the direction of the Nation.

One thing you need to keep an eye on with a Hybrid.

I’m on my 5th 4 Runner since 1994 - never seen the need to change to something else except during a brief period when I was towing a 30’ trailer. I use mine offroad more than many folks and I think the newer models are the best general purpose offroad vehicles available. I’ve had mine in a couple of places that would make your eyes water. I also like them on the highways as I travel a fair amount. If I had a complaint I would say I wish the mileage was better.

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Everybody could shoot

That's an excellent video on the hybrids @IAM Rand.

Something he mentioned was the starting & stopping being hard on a hybrid engine.

Most new cars have an auto engine stop when you stop at a light or stop sign. Then the engine restart when you take your foot off the brake. This will increase your MPG.

This does increase your MPG. I saw an episode of Mythbusters where they tested engine stops at lights & stop signs and they got between 2% to 5% better MPG

But I wonder if the extra MPG is worth how hard it is on a engine.

I had a 2016 Forerunner I bought new; I recently traded it for another Toyota. Mine got 22 MPG on the highway and about 17-18, mixed city and highway driving. For the size and weight, I though that was pretty good mileage, but maybe not. I don't keep up with comparisons, etc.

You must have flip flopped the mileage numbers...

I thought that strange, too, but no flip-flopping of numbers.

I think you're right. Mine has a 2" lift and bigger offroad tires on it, along with the weight of a winch on the front and a bigger aftermarket roof rack. I get about 19-20 mph on the highway but I'm probably losing at least 2 mpg because of all that stuff, maybe a bit more.

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Everybody could shoot

That video gives me flashbacks to running 70s/80s cars in the UK. With runs less than 10 miles and the humidity your oil picked up water something terrible. Two cars I owned were renowned for developing mayonnaise (emulsified oil/water) in the rocker boxes to the point that some owners fitted an air deflector so cold air couldn't hit the front of the rocker box. Another car I owned had a transverse engine with a thin metal tube acting as the oil filler on the upwind side. Mayo a go-go.

Worse, the auto transmissions of the day were not sealed, so the moisture got in the fluid. Major no bueno.

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Release the Kraken

Lots of comments on hybrids, turbo's and start-stop... Do you buy or lease? That can make a huge difference on your decision!

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"I also cook."

We buy and then drive them for 8-10 years. Don't put a lot of miles on our vehicles. I really prefer a v-6 only with no stop start functionality, but I am not sure if that is an option at this point.

I will probably finance it then just pay it off since I might be able to get a little better deal by doing so. It will just depend.

The 2025 4 Runners as stated above are not on lots yet, but we might order one if that is the one she decides to go.

I just recently bought a Subaru Outback Wilderness (2024) and love it. This makes my fifth Subaru. Great cars and problem free and good in snow. The Eyesight feature can save your bacon.

We usually do the same.

A lot of manufactures have discontinued conventionally aspirated engines.

My new truck has a V8. My wife's Bronco has a twin turbo V6. That's what she wanted...

Start-Stop engines usually have an off switch, but you need to turn it off each time you start up. I bought an 8 year extended warranty on both vehicles.

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"I also cook."

The crown signia looks very much like a Subaru outback clone.
It's been a very good vehicle equation.
I'd certainly entertain the idea of one

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it just needs more voltage

Nah ... That's the hybrids party trick.
If you do a lot of stop and go city driving, your stop time goes into charging the battery where it's wasted energy in a conventional power train.
Straight country driving.... Hybrid presents conversion loss

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it just needs more voltage

We got a ‘24 RAV4 two weeks ago, traded our ‘13 Avalon w/100+K, and pretty happy so far. We’re both in our late 70s so this is probably the last car for us.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

How many starters will one of the cars go through in a lifetime? Starters + labor ain't cheap, IMO.

Start/stop technology has been around for several generations of vehicle now, and excessive starter wear hasn’t been an issue.

Many hybrids don’t have a conventional starter, either. The assist motor does double duty as propulsion and starter.

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- Post No Bills -

It's really not an issue. I haven't seen a starter failure on a vehicle of mine since the 1980s. I've had four vehicles now with the start stop feature. The only thing I'll say is MAYBE the batteries don't last quite as long as they do on other vehicles. It's hard to be certain because of the general variability in battery life.

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Or something like that . . .

IMO, I don't need to add one more thing to worry about nor have to repair on my vehicle(s). Doesn't matter if it's the battery, the starter or turbo. I prefer both simplicity and reliability in my vehicles. Which is why my motorcycle is a BMW...................

$$ spent on car repairs is $$ that can't be spent on ammo and/or new guns, IMO.

My .o2

I would certainly consider a Crown Signia. I like that it's more like a luxury station wagon than boxy SUV and the fact it is manufactured in Japan. Here's a pretty comprehensive review of it.

Either Toyota, no turbos, skip the hybrid
We went with a subaru forester premium (start stop has a button to disable)

My daily driver is an Toyota FJ Cruiser I bought new in 2008. It will turn over 275,000 miles in the next week or two. I has had zero technical issues. It shares the drive train of the older 4Runners.

If and when it dies I will try to find a pre 2025 4Runner to replace it. The old V6 is bullet proof but who knows how the new engine will do.

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Bill Bates

I'm on my 14th Toyota vehicle, including 4 pickups.

I must have a bias.

Had a 2019 Avalon Limited Hybrid, now drive a 2022 Highlander Limited Hybrid, very pleased with both of them and zero issues other than a recall.

Enough power, both very comfortable and practical. Toyota was kind of the pioneer on Hybrids, highly recommend them.

Same for my 2024 Highlander Hybrid; a very good vehicle.

My sister and her hubby have had several Toyotas, all Camrys IIRC. All of them have gone over 200K miles with no real problems. My best guess is that if you get a model that has been out for a year and debugged, you will do well.

We are on our 3rd and 4th Subarus. My wife's first one was before the fix to the head problems, and her use pattern was much harsher than mine. MY 2011 got an oil change monthly due to the miles I put on it commuting. Almost all were highway miles and it got to 187K before I traded, with only regular maintenance and a clutch replacement. With the 6 speed manual, I got way better mileage than my wife did.

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NHI, 10-8.