re: Thoughts on a Highlander Hybrid AWD

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I don't think you understand how a hybrid works. You don't switch it to "electric stealth mode" when you want. It runs on EV power until the battery level drops to a certain point, or there is enough load that the IC engine is required. The vehicle control systems determine when the IC engine runs, not the driver.

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Under normal circumstances yes. I’ve gotten several rental Prius that you can command in to electric only mode as long as there’s battery power. Obviously if the battery is below a certain threshold it won’t do that.

ETA: this is what I want

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EV Mode EV (short for Electric Vehicle) mode is only available in hybrid vehicles and is much more particular in its uses than other driving modes. If a vehicle is running in EV mode, the vehicle is only pulling power from its battery. This results in the potential for very efficient driving, but it also means the vehicle in question doesn’t have access to as much power as it normally would. That’s why EV mode typically works for just up to one mile and is only applicable under certain conditions at very low driving speeds. Due to these restrictions, it’s best to reserve EV mode for driving extremely short distances that don’t require much speed such as moving a vehicle out of a garage or driving in a parking lot. Drivers need to be especially careful when utilizing EV mode because it can make vehicles practically silent. This means pedestrians, bikers, and other vehicles may not hear an approaching vehicle while it’s in EV mode. Therefore, it’s paramount that you pay close attention to your surroundings when using this feature.

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Eco and ev mode

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Because I want to be able to cruise around off-road in stealth mode and Toyota is the only manufacturer on the planet I trust to do it and make it reliable.

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My mom just traded in a 2006 Highlander Hybrid with 200k miles on it. Never had any extra costs for being a hybrid (such as replacing the hybrid battery). I can only assume that they've made them even more reliable by now.

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quote:
I don't think you understand how a hybrid works. You don't switch it to "electric stealth mode" when you want. It runs on EV power until the battery level drops to a certain point, or there is enough load that the IC engine is required. The vehicle control systems determine when the IC engine runs, not the driver.


Under normal circumstances yes. I’ve gotten several rental Prius that you can command in to electric only mode as long as there’s battery power. Obviously if the battery is below a certain threshold it won’t do that.

ETA: this is what I want
quote:
EV Mode EV (short for Electric Vehicle) mode is only available in hybrid vehicles and is much more particular in its uses than other driving modes. If a vehicle is running in EV mode, the vehicle is only pulling power from its battery. This results in the potential for very efficient driving, but it also means the vehicle in question doesn’t have access to as much power as it normally would. That’s why EV mode typically works for just up to one mile and is only applicable under certain conditions at very low driving speeds. Due to these restrictions, it’s best to reserve EV mode for driving extremely short distances that don’t require much speed such as moving a vehicle out of a garage or driving in a parking lot. Drivers need to be especially careful when utilizing EV mode because it can make vehicles practically silent. This means pedestrians, bikers, and other vehicles may not hear an approaching vehicle while it’s in EV mode. Therefore, it’s paramount that you pay close attention to your surroundings when using this feature.

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Can confirm that the Highlander Hybrid has EV mode

The new Highlanders are excellent vehicles. Not much third row space.

But they look good, have an excellent interior, and they last. Good buy IMO.

Do women not buy their own vehicles?

My company got one in 2009ish. Don’t remember if it was AWD or 4x4, I want to say the latter. I really liked it, drove great and very comfortable. Only thing was me and several others had told the folks picking the car that we had enough mom SUVs and needed a truck. They didn’t listen and so with about 75 miles on the odometer I drove it into the bottom of a recently drained reservoir near Colorado Springs, filled the back with buckets of dirt, and then just put it back in the garage Without cleaning it after I dropped the dirt off. Office wide email later that week declared that the hew highlander was not to go to job sites or leave Denver

And that’s how I learned that dodge nitros and Jeep libertys are both terrible