It was a process. The dealer where we scheduled a time with their Costco person passed us to another guy that did all the usual games, the first car they tried to have us test drive was severely broken (I was like, “it’s giving me a check engine and warning”, which he told me to dismiss, but it was definitely not running properly), then we came back and picked up a used one that ran great for a test drive. I had yet to drive one and it was surprisingly decent and easy to maneuver for being so massive. It felt big, but nowhere near as big as it is.
When we got to the showroom again, we found that their showroom vehicle, which was 13 months old, showing a lot of wear, and with a completely dead battery, was the car that matched our requirements online. They started lower due to the program, but I thought it was shockingly high based on the fact it’s late in the model year, the car was in rough condition, etc, so they went back and forth doing the dealer game (which I’m sure they aren’t supposed to do). The trade value they gave us was borderline insulting. Eventually I just decided to leave because I was hungry and it was getting late. They did the attempt to save the sale thing, but I was legitimately done. I wasn’t sure I wanted the one they had, they hadn’t even made a cursory effort to get it charged or out of the showroom, and who knows what sitting dead for so long does to a hybrid with an expensive battery pack. On the way home, I bounced the numbers off the first dealer we talked to and they were like, come on in, we’ll beat it! Our original person wasn’t there because she was sick, but she passed me on to someone else that was even less skilled than she was with computers (I was impressed by her hunt and peck speed). The usual game, again, but I think we got a fair deal in the end. They forced me to provide my information for a credit pull, which I didn’t plan to do, but whatever.
So here’s my wife’s new steed, a 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited Platinum AWD (Could they have just cut that name down a bit?):
This model with the Hybrid drivetrain had the best specs in everything that mattered for practicality, with numerous small and large reasons that we preferred it overall. It’s just a great package, from size to features. I see why it’s so popular, considering it’s as good as (if not better than) even the newer cars developed to compete with it. I’m sure it’ll last us 10+ years, like all cars do for us (mine is just shy of 5 years now, and it doesn’t even seem old), so it might very well end up being our boy’s first car if the whole autonomous car thing doesn’t pan out before then.
Any questions?