100% agree with Popstar (above). A lot of what you can do with a given car depends on the skill of the driver. I’ve gone seriously off road in 2WD/RWD civics/mustangs just to see beautiful scenery and to see the limitations of the respective models. Yes a ton of navigating around obstacles and some digging out and planking, but never got stuck.
Currently have a 2010 Highlander 2WD and 2011 LX, and just got rid of a ‘93 Rodeo (also 2WD) — and have been stuck once on each because of driver error/hubris, not because of rig capability. The “sticky situation” with the Highlander was an exit off a soft shoulder on a country road somewhere in New Mexico, and the overloaded family vacation rig just sunk into the gravel. No amount of digging or propping or maneuvering to speed could get me out. Ended up getting bailed out by a farmer in an F250, and even then, it took three attempts to get back on the road. Was literally 3 yards away from pavement, but because of the angle, remote location, limited drinking water and two babies, one of the more risky mistakes I’ve made. Lesson No. 1: have abundant drinking water on trips like this.
Mistake with Rodeo was hubris — the Rodeo has excellent ground clearance, awesome motor, manual transmission, and just inspires trust. It’s as capable a rig as any, in a 2WD or 4WD config. Totally the Cinderella of the off-road motoring crew. Anyway, my wife and I were on a cross-country honeymoon and couldn’t pass up the chance to drive Chrutsli (my wife’s name for her truck — the Rodeo) through the soft sands of Pismo Beach, in California. Without lowering tire pressure, just went for it (dumb, but it was a honeymoon moment and the whole point of honeymoon moments is to be dumb). “At speed” (between 20mph and 40mph) we were coasting — wet sand, no problem, dry sand, no problem, joking about hydroplaning and practically swimming in the truck in the Pacific. And then on the way back, dropped speed below 10mph, snagged a sand hill, decelerated further, and then, like quicksand — stuck, and every move, deeper and deeper. Lesson No. 2: ALWAYS ask locals about local conditions in unfamiliar terrain. Here it would have been a nice reminder to lower tire pressure. Something everyone knows, but is easy to forget when your head is elsewhere.
Sticky situation with the LX was on the first day of getting the truck. I was so excited to test Crawl and 4Lo and locking diffs, and AHC and the other goodies, that I went looking for an empty lot of land where I could just have my “bonding” moment. A total virgin to the truck, I didn’t appreciate just how heavy this beast is. So as I was maneuvering this through paths I was sure my Civic/Mustang/Highlander could handle, I got my brand new Michelin Latitude Tour HPs stuck in deep soft wet clay. I could have called my wife to bail me out in the Highlander but I didn’t want the embarrassment, so I spent the next two hours digging myself out of clay and learning about the LX’s capabilities the hard way. Mud at the worst point was at door sill level with the LX on its highest suspension setting (which in recovery modes is even higher than the “Hi” setting that one can manually select, BTW — what one learns from reading the owner’s manual). Ultimately, got free, with a a TON of respect for the rig that I had just bought. And a VERY healthy dose of humility. Lesson No. 3: you can make fatal/rookie mistakes even in the most capable vehicles on earth, which the LC/LX most certainly are.
Anyone who talks down the capability of the Highlander (or the Camry for that matter) in terms of off-road motoring has not spent sufficient time in a Highlander or Camry. If you want to see the Highlander’s actual capacity, take a look at what Aussies do with their Highlanders (called Kluger over Down Under). For my part, I’ve gone all over the US in our Highlander and trust it on any terrain (snow, off road, Baja) — and that’s on Michelin roadies. It’s just solidly planted. Suspension is expertly balanced. Feels Camry-like in its simplicity, but definitely packs a punch. The 3.6L V6 has a towing capacity of 5,000lbs — and it has enough low-end torque to twist out of challenging ruts, hop over curbs and smaller size fallen tree trunks/branches/etc. And it’s got a stock operational range of 250-300 miles (depending on conditions), as opposed to LC200s range of 200 or so miles. So your sister may well be towing you if you run out of gas on the trails.
All told, my view is to disregard the Highlander bashers. It’s a VERY capable SUV, and this is coming from someone with five years on just a 2WD Highlander. Again, just YouTube Kluger and take a look at Aussie conditions that folks run these machines through. The AWD will give a lot of confidence, and that’s ultimately the key to conquering the trails and hating on mud.
Yes, suspension/articulation/L4/etc. — all those are way different between Highlanders and LCs, but if it was all about articulation, then Subaru would be out of a market. AWD opens horizons beyond just going “bouldering” in a $50K “toy.” Subarus/Pilots/Highlanders/RAVs/CRVs — and as we heard, even Civics and Fits — these cars are primarily built for on-road passenger-carrying use. But let there be no mistake about this, they are all extremely well engineered vehicles that have extraordinary tolerances across a wide range of terrains/temp curves/operating conditions/etc. Given their sales success, these models are clearly giving value to owners, and there are a ton of these rigs that are being pushed to the limits as we speak. Just because someone doesn’t make “sliders” for a Highlander doesn’t mean a Highlander can’t be armored and beefed up to stand up to the best of them.
Unibody v. Body-on-Frame, AWD v. 4WD — important considerations — but please don’t let those engineering nuances occlude the more obvious point — your sister’s Highlander is being pulled by nearly 300 horses, to your 383. That means your sister has as much power at her disposal as a 2005-2009 Mustang GT V8. As much power as many 90s era sport cars and supercars. Which IS a LOT of power. It may pale in comparison to new gen supercharged Tundras, but that’s not the point. Your question was about the Highlanders’ capability vis-a-vis the LC, and the answer is, there’s a lot of capability, and a lot of horsies that will help you get to where you need to be. That means power to keep plowing through mud, when the mud is pulling you in, but you know that smooth momentum may be key to escape, not necessarily articulation. Long story short, in absolute terms, both machines are beasts. With enough fuel/outfitting/rubber, I’d take an AWD Highlander to the South Pole — it’s that trusted a platform. Again, yes, in relation to Sequoias/RAVs/Tacos/Cruisers, there are a lot of differences, but don’t let any “Camry” comparisons change your off-road plans.
In terms of outfitting/builds for the Highlander, I recommend the following:
(1) OEM Toyota Tow-Hitch receiver (~$500 bucks for parts) — if your AWD didn’t come with tow package. This part fits like a GLOVE — and keeps the departure angle as is, as opposed to aftermarket under-frame-bolted tow bars, that change departure geometry;
(2) King Springs (front and rear) that reportedly will give an extra 1 1/4" lift. The part numbers are: KTFR-132 and KTRR-133. I was going to do this on my Highlander but it’s low on the priority list now that the LX is going to be our family vacation/off-road rig.
(3) taller tires / meatier tires. The stock Toyo/Michelins in 245-65-17 (or equivalent) are VERY good tires. I went up a tiny bit in sidewall height 245-70-17, and it gave a noticeable lift, with a noticeable improvement in ride quality. I installed General Grabber STXs just a week ago (~$500). They are as quiet as the Michelins (which is saying a lot), and have performed very well so far. They are a little heavier, so I’ll probably note a 1mpg or so fuel economy reduction, and I also note very very slight gearing changes in the low gears, but so far, it’s been a noticeable improvement in driving. The “lift” if any is negligible — maybe a half inch — but that half-inch may be useful under load.
Happy travels for the sibling Toyota off-road adventure. I wish I could do this with my sisters.
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