The same man, Tsuneo Uchimoto, served as chief engineer for both vehicles. And he admitted that while developing the upscale RX 300, he was keenly aware that a similar vehicle ''with a bit less luxury for a lot less money'' could have wide appeal. Toyota dealers, who had been asking for an RX-like vehicle for years, began receiving Highlander shipments in January, the company said. But where the 4Runner is truckish in its ride with some bounce and vibration, the Highlander is more car-like. The only transmission is a four-speed automatic with gear shifter positioned at the bottom of the middle of the dashboard, like the shifter in the RX 300.
Fuel economy is decent.
It's a larger-displacement variant of the engine that's in Toyota's compact SUV, the RAV4, and it was developed for the Highlander. But Toyota officials expect nearly 90 percent of early production Highlanders will be fitted with the more powerful V6. The Highlander ride has a firmer feel than in the luxury-oriented RX 300, but it's definitely not truckish. There's some body lean when driving through corners. Both vehicles ride on 16-inch tires.