Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

2003 Toyota High-lander on 2040-cars

Year:2003 Mileage:91000 Color: Despite styling differences between the Highlander and RX
Location:

Little Mountain, South Carolina, United States

Little Mountain, South Carolina, United States

 Introduced early in the 2001 model year, the car-based Highlander is the fifth — and newest — member of Toyota’s sport utility vehicle lineup. It is structurally related to the Lexus RX 300, but the Highlander is a little larger and has a different squared-off appearance. Fender creases are prominent on the Highlander, and fewer features are standard than on the RX 300, which is considerably more expensive. Both models are offered with front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), but the Highlander may be equipped with a four-cylinder engine or a V-6.

The Highlander is slightly longer and 5 inches wider than the truck-based 4Runner. It promises SUV versatility with carlike ride and handling. Like the RX 300, the Highlander uses an unconventional gear selector for the automatic transmission, which protrudes from the lower dashboard. Toyota expected to sell about 70,000 units annually, but Automotive News reports sales of 86,699 Highlanders during 2001 — that signifies quite an impressive debut season. Little is likely to change for 2003, but Toyota has not yet released details about the upcoming model year.

Exterior
Despite styling differences between the Highlander and RX 300, the two models share the same basic design. The Highlander rides a 106.9-inch wheelbase and stretches 184.4 inches long overall — that’s 4 inches longer in both dimensions than the RX 300. The four-door SUV is fitted with a rear liftgate and measures 71.9 inches wide and nearly 68 inches tall. In addition to prominent fender creases, the Highlander features squared-off styling instead of slanted roof pillars like those found on the RX 300.

Interior
Seating for five occupants includes two front bucket seats and a split, folding rear bench that holds three. The automatic-transmission lever mounts at an odd angle below the dashboard, which is actually a convenient location. The Highlander and RX 300 dashboards have similar layouts, but the Toyota design has different audio and climate controls.

Under the Hood
Both the 155-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and the 220-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 were borrowed from the Camry sedan and team with a four-speed-automatic transmission. The Highlander is available with FWD or permanently engaged AWD, which has no Low range. A limited-slip rear differential is optional.

Safety
Antilock brakes and Brake Assist are standard. Options include seat-mounted side-impact airbags and Vehicle Skid Control, Toyota’s electronic stability system.

Driving Impressions
An exceptionally smooth ride coupled with confident and capable handling are the high points of the Highlander picture. Seldom does this SUV lose its composure, even when the pavement gets somewhat rough. Body roll is minimal in fairly tight curves — within reason. The Highlander is extremely easy to drive, and it has just the right steering feel and a balanced sensation on the highway.

Acceleration is strong from a standstill, but an extra push on the pedal may be necessary at midrange speeds, which can produce some awkwardness or unpleasant noise at times. Similarities to the RX 300 are more evident on the Highlander’s interior, which is led by the distinctively positioned gearshift lever.

Toyota Highlander for Sale

Auto Services in South Carolina

Village Motors Inc ★★★★★

Used Car Dealers, Wholesale Used Car Dealers
Address: 4303 Dick Pond Rd, Bucksport
Phone: (843) 215-4449

Shell Rapid Lube & Service Center ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Detailing, Auto Oil & Lube
Address: 820 Tom Hall St, Indian-Land
Phone: (803) 547-7642

Santee Lake Service Center Inc ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Towing
Address: Eutawville
Phone: (803) 854-5506

S & S Tire Inc ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Tire Dealers, Wheels-Aligning & Balancing
Address: 14730 E Wade Hampton Blvd, Duncan
Phone: (864) 877-0765

Richbourg`s Auto Electric Service ★★★★★

Automobile Parts & Supplies, Starters Engine, Automotive Alternators & Generators
Address: 1320 E Palmetto St, Quinby
Phone: (843) 662-2573

Randy`s Automotive ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service
Address: 206 Yellow Jasmine Dr, Seneca
Phone: (864) 882-9096

Auto blog

Toyota plans biggest stock buyback in over a decade

Tue, 01 Apr 2014

At the end of December, 2013 Toyota had a cash stockpile of 1.8 trillion yen ($17.5B US). As of March 31, at the end of its current financial year, company coffers are expected to swallow another 1.9 trillion yen ($18.4B US) in net profit - said to be a record sum for the Japanese automaker. In a gesture signaling a turnaround from the horrors of the global recession, Bloomberg reports that Toyota will buy back 60 million shares of its stock, as much as 1.89 percent of the company, for something like 360 billion yen ($3.5B US). It's the first buyback since 2009 and the largest buyback since 2003, when it spent roughly 390 billion yen ($3.8B US) repurchasing shares.
Company president Akio Toyoda founded the Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF), a non-profit that will support international groups working on transportation issues in emerging markets. Half of the stock that Toyota buys, 30 million shares, will be sold to the foundation via the Japanese Trustee Services Bank for one yen per share, the dividend providing the foundation's initial funding. The other 30 million shares will be canceled, a company spokesman telling Reuters that the company wants to reward shareholders.
Industry analysts have been asking Toyota to either return money to shareholders or invest in new factories, but Toyota has ruled out the latter. After getting burned with excess capacity when the financial crisis came, the company is focused on extracting efficiencies from the plants it already has. Toyota has said it plans to complete the buyback by June of this year.

Unintended acceleration settlement hits Toyota's Q4 bottom line

Fri, 09 May 2014

Depending on how you want to look at things, the US Attorney's Office $1.2-billion dollar settlement with Toyota in March over its unintended acceleration recall was either a big blow to the company or completely inconsequential. From January to March, net income fell five percent to 297 billion yen ($2.89 billion), compared to 313.9 billion yen ($3.05 billion) a year ago. However, the automaker still posted record full-year profits worldwide.
Operating profit also fell in the US by 9 percent to $498.1 million for the quarter, but sales were up by 6 percent to 581,261 vehicles. According to Automotive News, global revenue was still up from January to March by about 13 percent and vehicle sales were up 6 percent to 2.58 million units.
However, the payment to the feds did little to hold the company back last year. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, Toyota had net income of 1.82 trillion yen ($17.7 billion), compared to 962.1 billion yen ($9.5 billion) in the last fiscal year. Total vehicle sales were also up.

A few pre-race notes and a lot of photos from the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Sat, 14 Jun 2014

The 82nd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is on.
Audi has won 12 of the last 15 events, the scion of Auto Union is trying to make it 13 this year. To do so, it will have to overcome a situation faced only three other times during its dominance of La Sarthe: underdog status. Toyota has won the first two races of the year and claimed pole for this race, the rumor being that this year it's Toyota's race to lose.
And then there's Porsche. It's been 16 years since the Stuttgart brand raced on the top rung at Le Mans, three years years since it announced its return, just a year since it acquired Mark Webber in a signing that wasn't subtle and a few months since we got eyes on the 919 Hybrid.