My car was to have some bodywork done due to two separate negligent drivers and so a rental car it was! I spoke to a nice guy named Matt at the local Enterprise location whom I tentatively convinced to give me either an Impala SS or a Pontiac GXP for the week. Much to my dismay a rep from a different location picked me up and my choices were dismal. I could have gotten either a 4 cylinder Sebring, a Dodge Caravan, or a 2008 Highlander with 400 miles on it. Highlander it is.
Let me first say that I am not one for truck-ish vehicles. It irks me to no end to see a 5'2" woman driving a honking Escalade all by herself so I wasn't exactly thrilled with this behemoth. And a behemoth it is. It has three full rows of seats, zero rear visibility, the gas mileage of an Abrams A1, and the parallel parking ability of a coach bus.
My initial driving impressions weren't too great. I could NOT find a comfortable driving position (I'm 6'2"). I was either far too close to the wheel that my legs were crunched, or I was leaning back like I was in a Jay-Z video. Yes, there's a third row of seats with two tall headrests. I bet those headrests come in handy when you have someone back there but I simply could not see out the back. My car's somewhat quick and accelerating to highway speeds is effortless. I'm not saying I was expecting F1 like acceleration but the thing simply is not fast in any way, shape, or form. I will say that with some goading it will eventually hit 80+ mph and is VERY quiet while doing so, I was very impressed about that.
I had the opportunity to drive the thing with about 3 inches of snow on the ground and overall I was impressed. Acceleration in the snow and stability is stellar. I would go as far as to say that it was simply the best vehicle I've driven in the snow while moving. Stopping, on the other hand, was another matter entirely. The onset of ABS came way too soon to the point where I simply slid instead of slowed. There was no easy way of modulating the brake pedal in order to slow the thing down properly.
A glowing review? No. But, I was sad to see it go. The thing is just so damned easy to drive it's scary. There's zero driver involvement, no fuss, no issues, it just goes. For me, not my style, but I guess I could kind of see the appeal of such a vehicle if you and your significant other simply have not figured how to use contraceptives and have more kids than Joseph Smith.
Pros:
-Easy to drive
-Great in the snow while moving
-Crap tons of room
-The cargo room to hold roughly 22, 18 year old Depaul sorority girls if the seats have been removed
Cons:
-ZERO rear visibility
-Dismal gas mileage
-Not capable of stopping properly in the slippery stuff
-Uncomfortable driver seat position
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Let me first say that I am not one for truck-ish vehicles. It irks me to no end to see a 5'2" woman driving a honking Escalade all by herself so I wasn't exactly thrilled with this behemoth. And a behemoth it is. It has three full rows of seats, zero rear visibility, the gas mileage of an Abrams A1, and the parallel parking ability of a coach bus.
My initial driving impressions weren't too great. I could NOT find a comfortable driving position (I'm 6'2"). I was either far too close to the wheel that my legs were crunched, or I was leaning back like I was in a Jay-Z video. Yes, there's a third row of seats with two tall headrests. I bet those headrests come in handy when you have someone back there but I simply could not see out the back. My car's somewhat quick and accelerating to highway speeds is effortless. I'm not saying I was expecting F1 like acceleration but the thing simply is not fast in any way, shape, or form. I will say that with some goading it will eventually hit 80+ mph and is VERY quiet while doing so, I was very impressed about that.
I had the opportunity to drive the thing with about 3 inches of snow on the ground and overall I was impressed. Acceleration in the snow and stability is stellar. I would go as far as to say that it was simply the best vehicle I've driven in the snow while moving. Stopping, on the other hand, was another matter entirely. The onset of ABS came way too soon to the point where I simply slid instead of slowed. There was no easy way of modulating the brake pedal in order to slow the thing down properly.
A glowing review? No. But, I was sad to see it go. The thing is just so damned easy to drive it's scary. There's zero driver involvement, no fuss, no issues, it just goes. For me, not my style, but I guess I could kind of see the appeal of such a vehicle if you and your significant other simply have not figured how to use contraceptives and have more kids than Joseph Smith.
Pros:
-Easy to drive
-Great in the snow while moving
-Crap tons of room
-The cargo room to hold roughly 22, 18 year old Depaul sorority girls if the seats have been removed
Cons:
-ZERO rear visibility
-Dismal gas mileage
-Not capable of stopping properly in the slippery stuff
-Uncomfortable driver seat position
