[Henry]

Now that Toyota has officially announced a Highlander hybrid for late 2004, there will be an affordable (I hope!) option for those of us who can't justify the expense of a Lexus SUV.

 

[Henry]

Hopefully the Highlander hybrid will have AWD (I believe the standard version does), as I also plan to tow a small 14-ft.boat + trailer, but where I'm towing it I wouldn't want to drive a Lexus! One mile down an unpaved bumpy road through the woods to a lake shore with a nice soft sandy beach to launch from. Right now my '91 Exploder handles this task easily, but looking to its ultimate demise I need a plan B!

 

[Henry]

Yep, with 201,000 miles and counting, it should be a *big* one!

 

[Henry]

No contraceptives! I'm providing optimum conditions for my Prius to mate with my Explorer---adjacent positions front-to-rear in the driveway---and expect to announce a happy event in the very near future.

 

[Henry]

Yeah, and the sad thing is that the recent Explorers get much worse mpg than my first-year '91 (basically the Ranger pickup with a large cabin). Steady 65 mph in cruise averages c. 23 mpg for me, and that's with 201K+ miles on the mill.

Of course, around town in the winter is a different story---more like 15-16 mpg.

Henry