2011 Toyota Highlander ‘Substance Meets Style’

Toyota’s Highlander provides an SUV with available seating up to seven, and available four-wheel drive that can be a thing of beauty. Highlander’s rugged capacity and roomy interior is wrapped in an outer core silhouetted in a shape that pleases everyone.

Standard features include power windows, power door locks, cruise control, and features an electronic power steering system.

The Highlander stands tall, and whispers confidence in a cabin of quiet. Leg room is abundant, while shoulder room (59.7/59.5/55.0) is more than adequate for your neighborly sumo wrestler.

In the 14th century, European knights enforced the King’s law. They wore armor and chain mail to cover themselves head to toe. Yet there was really little protection from most enemy weapons. The suit was hot and heavy, and the only view was through a small slit in the front of the head gear. If you ever landed on your back getting back up might be impossible, and you could lie there until the end of the battle, or maybe eternity.

That feeling of chivalry, the hope of damsel rescue, and blessings of Friar Tuck, would help develop a sense of loyalty to the Crown. That same essence of pride and superiority can also occur when you drive the Toyota Highlander.

Highlander has a front and rear CFC-free dual zone automatic digital AC system, and climate air filter with rear filter vents for second- and third-row seats. That helps solve the hot armor problem. And Sir Knight, when your lady gets into the luxurious cabin, stretches, sighs, smiles, and reaches to turn down the satellite radio positioned on a station that plays romantic songs, you may just realize you have rescued and captured the heart of a maiden that is too much to handle.

You will find Highlander roomy, wide, courageous, and safe. Seven air bags come standard as part of Highlanders passive restraint system and an advanced supplemental system that provides protection to driver and front-seat passenger in the event of a severe impact collision.

When driving the Highlander, you never have to fear an attack from a Viking hammer or Saxon sword. Highlander is surrounded by a strong steel frame dispatching pesky archers while a protective glass allows you to see well, whether it be an oncoming truck or black knight on a silver steed. The view is perfect and unencumbered and if the weather is just right in Texas, you could see all the way from Amarillo to Galveston Bay. Or as a knight would say, from Scotland to Dover.

Durhl Caussey writes a car column read around the world. He may be reached at this paper or dcaussey@sbcglobal.net.