Joined
·
26 Posts
I have now owned 2 different Ascents. I generally liked my 2019 Ascent Premium save for the fuel economy, but wanted a few more features, so I traded it for a 2020 Ascent Limited without really checking out the competition. I had recently been dissatisfied with very poor fuel economy on several recent fill-ups on the Ascent (about 15 mpgs) and decided to go test drive a Highlander Hybrid. I ended up trading in the Limited Ascent for a Highlander Hybrid Platinum. The Highlander provides a much smoother ride, almost equal power, tighter steering, WAY better sound system, nicer leather, more comfortable seats, and double the fuel economy (or better). One of the biggest things that stuck out was the suspension difference. Where I really felt a lot of bumps earlier with the Ascent, the Highlander rolls over them without much effect. The two cars have almost exactly the same size tire, so the difference is probably in the suspension components. It was really a no brainer to make the switch. I guess I was also swayed by recent revelations on this list of leaking engines and blown transmissions in the Ascent at low miles. I was able to get a 10 year bumper to bumper warranty on the Highlander for $4k extra, which is transferable to next owner.
This car will save me about 200 gallons of gas a year (5 barrels) even with my low miles of about 8,000/year. That's 2 tons of CO2 emissions or about equal to the vehicle's weight in greenhouse gases- pretty impressive for a vehicle that is of equal mass to the Ascent. There is also about 1.5 inches more legroom in the second row, which is a nice improvement with 2 car seats back there. My 1 year old's rear facing seat is no longer jammed against the back of my seat. Overall the Highlander just seems way more refined and predictable on the road. It is a real pleasure to drive this thing around town with the low end torque the electric motors provide (there are 2 of them, front and rear). No more jerky groany Subaru CVT (this vehicle also has a CVT). I owned a Prius for 5 years and to me this new Highlander Hybrid is the crescendo of 20+ years of hybrid tech development by Toyota. It is truly an engineering marvel. Would highly recommend to any Ascent owner. After a year a piece with my Ascents I have finally found a vehicle that I can hang onto for many years.
This car will save me about 200 gallons of gas a year (5 barrels) even with my low miles of about 8,000/year. That's 2 tons of CO2 emissions or about equal to the vehicle's weight in greenhouse gases- pretty impressive for a vehicle that is of equal mass to the Ascent. There is also about 1.5 inches more legroom in the second row, which is a nice improvement with 2 car seats back there. My 1 year old's rear facing seat is no longer jammed against the back of my seat. Overall the Highlander just seems way more refined and predictable on the road. It is a real pleasure to drive this thing around town with the low end torque the electric motors provide (there are 2 of them, front and rear). No more jerky groany Subaru CVT (this vehicle also has a CVT). I owned a Prius for 5 years and to me this new Highlander Hybrid is the crescendo of 20+ years of hybrid tech development by Toyota. It is truly an engineering marvel. Would highly recommend to any Ascent owner. After a year a piece with my Ascents I have finally found a vehicle that I can hang onto for many years.