Sitting in the Driver's Seat
The Highlander Hybrid's cockpit differs little from other Highlanders, with two major exceptions: The tachometer is replaced by a power meter, which shows the combined output of the engine and electric motors in kilowatt-hours. And a central video screen includes a nifty color display that graphs your fuel economy and displays the power flow to and from the engine, motors and battery. (The same screen doubles as a display for the optional navigation system;) That aside, it's typical Highlander fare: Comfortable seats, great visibility and faultless ergonomics.The back seat got a thumbs up from both adults and kids. It boasts a flat floor and seats that slide fore-and-aft; they offer adequate legroom even when all the way forward. But watch what you put on the floor -- just below the seats are the vents for the hybrid's battery pack which must not be blocked.
The one pockmark on an otherwise flawless complexion is a third-row seat that supposedly allows the Highlander to seat seven. Seven what? The alleged "seat" eats up nearly all the luggage space and is uninhabitable by anything that weighs more than 25 lbs. and has a spine. Climbing back there requires nerves of steel and bones of Jell-O. Forget it -- the Highlander is a five-seater, period.
