ernieD

Not to totally discourage you from your new purchase. But I just stopped from going to buy my new '15 HL LE V6 today after a issue I found. It was actually pointed out to me on the Kia Sorento site as I was cross shopping those vs the HL. A member there turned me onto a video and problem thread with many new Toytota owners complaining of a noisy AC servo motor in their new, weeks old HL's. I saw the video and read many replies in the thread and folks complain of intermittent, loud servo motors by using the climate control. Some say even without using the climate control the noisy motor is still an issue. They are very angry that Toyota Corp wont offer a fix in their brand new, noisy HL's. I was going to buy a LE V6 which I don't think will have the climate control option. But after reading these complaints and folks trying to fix it themselves with no luck, I canceled my new car test drive appointment. I may still go cause I'm hopeful the LE wont have this problem. But again, many say the problem has not surfaced until after they bought their new Highlanders. I hope this gets better for them soon. GOod luck with your purchase. I still want a HL, so we'll see.

Well, I was about to go pick up my new 15 Highlander LE V6 today. I was just checking back into the Kia Members site to see if they replied to my question I had posed earlier this week. A member saw where I had been thinking of buying either the '15 Highlander or the '15 or '16 Sorento. He attached a Utube video and a thread on the ToyNation site about a issue with AC servo motors. So many members had the same complaint of the very annoying noise this was making in their days/weeks old Highlanders. The video showed me how loud this constant sound would be and members all have said Toyota service has said this was normal operation and offer no fix for it. Others say the AC takes too long to start cooling off once the HL is started up. When I test drove a 15 HL last Friday, it was a very hot day. So we started up the HL and I walked around the HL with salesman to let the AC cool the car before we drove off. Several minutes passed and the AC was still throwing hot air from the front vents. We pushed some buttons, knobs and felt the cool air. Salesman said he thought it was blowing air into the very rear of the car and that's why it took so long. I'm not sure that was the case. Once going on our test drive I didn't notice any odd noise. But many say the noise was not there til after they bought their HL's and drove it a few miles. I canceled my apptmnt to go test drive the HL LE 6cyl for the first time. My test was with a 4cyl and I really feel this big car needs at least the 6 to drive well. I may go see how the 6cyl HL drives but I'll be listening for that AC noise or other. And it seems most with the problem have upgraded HL's with auto climate control AC. I don't think my LE has that. I was ready to go pick up my HL today. Many say other than this issue they love their new HLs but they jjust cant live with that noise. So I keep shopping again.

Just signed up here, although I already posted my first reply in a 2015 Highlander thread. From all the past threads I've seen opened in the Highlander threads, to back in June of 2014, I see a lot of zero replies. So maybe not a lot of activity here, or folks are just too busy out driving their Highlanders. :D Then again, while signing up here, there's no option for a 2015 HL, just 2014. They should update that. At least me and one other member are discussing the 2015 Highlander. I went to test drive a couple '16 Kia Sorento's this past Friday, nice little SUV's. On the way home bounced into my local Toyota dealer. I bought my new '03 Tocoma 4dr, SR5/TRD there years back. Great little truck. So I found a '15 HL-LE w/4cyl engine. Very nice vehicle, even with the 4cyl, I liked it abit better than the Sorento. Couldn't come to terms with the price. Dealer added on $1700 accessories I wouldn't have added. Running boards, chrome bumper protector strip. ($129.00 for a strip of chrome metal?) I wouldn't have added those on myself. It was only one of two, sky silver LE's. Salesman said he just found out the other one w/o added on accessories was already sold. So I said fine, lets run the numbers on the one I drove. They were sticking to MSRP of $30K plus the $1700 dealer add ons. I told him NAH, I would consider it but not at that price. So I left, I'm very OK still driving my '08 Honda Pilot w/89000 miles, runs great. So maybe I'll go back in spring or summer of '16 to get a better look at the HL's. And I'm thinking from all I've read last nite researching HL prices/features, the 6cyl is the better way to go. Its a big SUV. See y'all in the 2015 HL threads now and again, hope to gain more knowledge from actual owners, but ya gotta post some replies folks. Maybe I'll be first to start a '16 Highlander thread. Peace, e.

Sure hope so, as I'm considering a HL-LE/LE Plus, 2wd. Hi all, first post here as I just joined up since I'm in the market for a Toyota now. Just went to test drive a '16 Kia Sorento on Friday, nice mid-sized SUV. I drove the 4 cyl and the 6 cyl to compare. I could live with the 4cyl OK, although I'm in a '08 Honda Pilot now. Just so used to driving 6 cyl autos for past few years. Was just test driving so didn't fight hard for any purchase terms on the Sorento's. And as usual, I had to school the young sales-dude on the Sorento features. He didn't know what DRL meant when I asked him about that. Really? And you sell these things? So on the way home I dropped into my local Toyota dealer. I've been wanting to re-test drive a 4Runner. THey had no 4runners on lot. As I walked about I notice a silver, HL-LE. Looked way bigger than the Sorento I just tested. Got a salesman to let me test her out. Very nice. And again, I surprised the sales-dude when I told him this HL has a 4 cyl engine. This is a big auto for a 4cyl but once you got going, it was pretty capable. I don't ever tow anything so maybe the 4 cyl could work for me. Last Toyota I owned was my '03 Tacoma 4dr, SR5/TRD, 6cyl. Great little truck, had 99K miles when I traded it for my new '12 Honda Ridgeline. After the dealer add ons of running boards, chrome bumper protector strip. $129 for that little strip of metal? Hmm? Anyway the price was about $31K, I offered em $28,700, they said no and didn't counter with another price. That was the MSRP+add ons price I saw on sticker, so no way. I left. I'm seeing better prices online for this same auto with the 6 cyl engine, that's a better deal. All I've read online so far says the 6cyl is the way to go with this big SUV. I'm not in a hurry for a new auto, Pilot is serving me well and it's paid off. But I'll go back in Spring or Summer to take another look at the Highlander. I was that impressed. Peace y'all. e.