Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Due to a longer wheelbase and wider track, the 2008 Highlander Hybrid is now far more spacious than ever. The difference in leg room and shoulder room, in particular, will be noticed immediately by both front and backseat passengers. Interior style is well-refined and smart, granting a comfortable cabin with many convenient features. Interior materials, as before, remain high quality.

The Highlander Hybrid offers a 40/20/40-split second-row bench seat, which allows you to remove the center section altogether, and stow it away, leaving an open center aisle. This configuration also results in a pair of second row captain’s chairs, much like those found in many minivans. The optional third-row bench seat folds flat into the floor, and grants this SUV room for up to seven passengers—but don’t expect to comfortably seat large adults in the third-row. In terms of cargo, this SUV has just over 42 cubic feet of space behind the second row. With all seats folded down, the Highlander Hybrid allows for a voluminous 94 cubic feet of storage area.

The Highlander Hybrid is available in both base and Limited trim levels. Base models come well-equipped with five-passenger seating, air-conditioning, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, a CD stereo with MP3 capabilities, and a polished wood-grain trim for an upscale look. There’s also a center screen in the dash to display various bits of vehicle information as well as to provide the image captured by the car’s back-up camera. The Limited model adds a third-row bench which bumps up seating capacity to seven. It also includes a power driver’s seat and a six disc in-dash CD changer. Other options include seat heat, a rear DVD entertainment system, and navigation.

Safety is delivered by seven airbags including dual-front, front side, side curtain, and one at the driver's knee. In frontal crash testing, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Highlander five out of five stars for the driver, and four out of five stars for the front passenger. In side-impact tests, it won five stars for both front and rear occupants.