20th Jan 2007, 10:24

Why rely on data published five years ago that was gleaned from the previous decade? The September 2002 issue of Business Week? WHO CARES?! You really want to know what to tell your children? Tell them to drive defensively, obey the speed limit, and adjust driving speed to the road conditions. Ooh, but that sounds too much like people taking responsibility for their own actions. We can't have that, because where would the insurance company, the trial lawyers, and all the other "poor victims" be then?

20th Jan 2007, 13:14

My ex-husband lived in Denver for 13 years and drove a 1975 rearwheel drive Chevy Nova and later a rearwheel drive Ford Mustang and got to work, the gym, and the rest.

Funny how you are the only one in Colorado that seems to get anywhere.

20th Jan 2007, 13:18

Just to be clear now. Your theory is that 100% of SUV drivers live in Colorado and only drive during blizzards. Funny, since I see SUVs around here and I don't live in Colorado. Please explain.

Because, after all, that is YOUR defense for a gas-guzzling SUV that has little more capability than a 27 year old Toyota subcompact.

My Tercel never left me stuck EVER, whether in a New Hampshire blizzard or a western New York whiteout lake-effect snow.

21st Jan 2007, 08:32

Now a 4wd large SUV gets stuck on the roads and a low clearance sedan goes everywhere? Unbelievable... What if you cannot make it out of where you live? My Acura couldn't make it to the main road as they didn't plow in my neighborhood for almost 3 days... my boss came and got me in his Ford SUV with 4WD. I now own a new full size SUV as well.

21st Jan 2007, 11:53

I see, so 60% of new car buyers live in exactly the same circumstances as you? HMMMM, guess that explains high SUV sales in Los Angeles.

Once again, for 99% of SUV buyers a regular car or even an AWD car like a Subaru does everything if not more than an SUV.

21st Jan 2007, 12:06

"Funny how you are the only one in Colorado that seems to get anywhere."

The point that you so thoroughly and completely missed is that high clearance vehicles are more able than low clearance vehicles to negotiate deep snow. Sure, for the average snowstorm any vehicle, whether front or rear wheel drive, will make it around. I also had a large rear-wheel drive coupe in Denver for a time and as long as the snow was only less than 6 inches deep, it would make it anywhere. But when the snow gets deep and wet, only the high clearance 4-wheel drive vehicles will make it anywhere. And certainly no little Toyota Tercel that has four inches of ground clearance will move under those conditions. I have no doubt that the '78 Nova with snow tires would do better. But STILL not as well as a full size 4x4.

21st Jan 2007, 12:17

Did you ever stop to think that those SUV drivers, were better drivers than you, and were smart enough to pull off the road in bad driving conditions rather than risk getting into an accident? An accident with someone who was "blowing by" everybody else on dangerous roads in some old Tercel.

21st Jan 2007, 12:26

Totally agree! Some of these Toyota people are blinded to reality or have an obsessive-compulsive disorder. And to make such a big deal over a Tercel... for god's sake, these cars are nothing to get excited over!

21st Jan 2007, 14:50

No, the POINT the poster was making is that he MUST have a giant SUV because it is the ONLY way for him to get around.

I have proven that to be 100% incorrect, since even in Colorado (which now has taken on the mythic proportions of a Jupiter storm) blizzards are NOT a major part of the year, if even a week.

5th Apr 2007, 21:26

You proved what?? When, how, and where? Are you claiming it doesn't snow in Colorado? I guess you weren't sitting at the Eisenhower Tunnel for four hours.

5th Apr 2007, 21:30

Nowhere does anybody say that. But what if he did say he needed an SUV to get around? What business is it of yours? None!

6th Apr 2007, 09:29

Thank you all for conclusively proving my point that people buy gas guzzling SUVs and pickups to only salve their own egos, not because they need them as they continually claim.

I had a Toyota Tercel that made it through endless New Hampshire and western New York winters and blizzards no problem.

And, of course, if one NEEDS such a giant vehicle to "survive" in snow areas why don't they have them in Europe? I've been to Switzerland several times and didn't see a single giant SUV, yet the Alps have storms worse than Colorado.

25th May 2007, 08:15

I have a 2005 2.4L 4Cyl and this one performs very well, I hate the track control, but that was created for stupid learning drivers (your security) the car performs well and have enough power for a 2.4L, I love the gas mileage, I'm being driving very aggressive and I can't lower it under 22 miles per gal which is great with the gas prices.

I was making 15 mpg on a jeep wrangler 2.4L very well tuned. I do love my Highlander.

6th Jun 2007, 15:48

15:53 who would want a loaded GM SUV more features and a 100,000 mile warranty?...Trailblazer, Suburban if they could have this? I guess we would and bought GM in 2007.

16th May 2008, 23:28

After a test drive in a V-6 Highlander in 2003, we ran as fast as we could to a GM dealership. I've never seen a more outright scary vehicle than the Highlander. We were afraid we wouldn't make it back to the dealership alive. Interior trim was falling off (literally), the brakes caused the car to swerve wildly each time they were applied, and the car was slower than a 4-cylinder Ford Escape we drove. We love our GM, and it has never had a single problem in the 60,000+ miles we've driven it.

6th Sep 2014, 17:10

And yet Toyota, as voted by thousands of owners, have the best and most reliable cars in North America. See CR magazine. One or two experiences do not equal that of thousands of owners.

Good luck!

8th Sep 2014, 01:53

What decade of CR are you referring to? Any comment on the massive recalls, which to our family does not instill repeat purchases? I'd like to recommend a visit or two to Consumer Affairs complaints after entering Toyota on your query. Pretty telling to formulate your buying motivation next go around.

9th Sep 2014, 18:26

I drive an 2010 Edge SEL AWD and couldn't be happier. No oil issues with 116k highway miles.