Docking With The 'Lander

Over a year ago, we decided it was time to move on from our beloved Ford Flex, the sturdy steed that has carried our family over a quarter-million kilometres (330K on the odometer) since 2012. Wanting something of a similar size for camping, towing a light trailer, but maybe getting better mileage, we settled on the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid. It was too popular a vehicle to wait for a leaseback or rental to get on the lot, so breaking with tradition, we ordered one in 'Storm Cloud (Grey)' in January of 2024.

The 6-8 month timeline we were initially given got extended over the summer by a recall and stop-sell tied to a side-curtain airbag, and when I inquired in December, the backlog had been exacerbated by supply chain issues for some of the hybrid elements. 

After a literal year of waiting, I was torn between holding out for a vehicle whose reviews were consistently good or getting a different vehicle, even for a year or two, and then circling back to the Grand Highlander. 

But if you know me, you know I despise making large purchases - like, with a passion, which is why there is a good chance I will die in this house rather than move. Having already researched a quality vehicle that suited our needs, I was also unwilling to return to square one.

So when I texted my sales rep at the dealership in mid-April, I asked if they had actually had any of their orders delivered yet, and was relieved to hear that they had. In fact, Adeline had sold some her own self. She was very understanding and sympathetic about my uncertainty and impatience, and reassured me that I was, in fact making my way up the list. My Toyota was being built, and when it was up for delivery, I should have about 30 days notice.

So I was pretty surprised to get a call on the afternoon of Easter Sunday (Apr 20) telling me ourGrand Highland Hybrid had actually arrived.

It turns out I was not the only one having a crisis of faith, and someone ahead of me on the list had opted for a different vehicle in the interim. We popped into the dealership the next morning, arranged all the extras and extended warranty (hoping to drive this one at least as long as the Flex!), and picked it up on Thursday after work.

It's a dandy of a ride, let me tell you, and I am hoping the new cell phone arriving tomorrow lets me take full advantage of all the connectivity features it offers. But it has an immense display screen showing power going from the gasoline engine to the wheels and from the wheels to the electric batteries, and there are cameras all over it so it can simulate a 360 degree view from above or 3/4 perspective so you can make sure you are parked within the lines at the grocery store.

But there are shortcomings too - small ones, but still. For one thing, I have never owned such a covetable vehicle and have been advised that overnight parking on the street instead of inside a garage is a terrible idea due to its popularity among thieves. Since Toyota is a global brand with mechanics on every continent save Antarctica, extended street parking is apparently a great way to have your vehicle packed into a seacan and shipped overseas. 

So now, in addition to fearing a scratch on the immaculate paint (I honestly was dismayed today that I could perceive a layer of dust on my formerly pristine ride - I never, ever wanted to be this guy I SWEAR), I am now so terrified of the Fast & Furious crew boosting it while I am at the movies it takes a real effort not to check in on the phone app every 20 minutes.

In addition, the console itself is a new level of intimidation. I am the kind of guy who actually reads his owners manual when waiting for someone at the airport or whatever, but even the diagrams have me thinking there has been some sort of mistake and I am actually trying to qualify as co-pilot on a 707.

But it looks nice, rides nice and I am pretty sure six adults could ride in relative comfort with the third row seating deployed. And it doesn't just have a 12v lighter outlet in the back for the electric cooler, it has a straight up plug in -crazy! 

It is big enough to fit a16 cubic-foot car top carrier in the back even though we cdouldn't figure out how to fold the second row seats all the way down. More cargo space than the Flex, believe it or not...

The cruise control can tell when I am nearing the car ahead and will slow me down without switching off the cruise, and will even bring the car to a complete stop in my lane if I seize a piston or whatever and let go of the wheel. I mean, not a feature I ever hope to use but it does proivide a strange, if chilling, sense of serenity.

But most importantly, it holds all the groceries I got from Costco for the long weekend and the bumper sticker made it way easier to find in the crowded parking lot.

When I was showing Fenya all the features on it, she joked that, "you guys bought a spaceship,", and since we nicknamed it The 'Lander, the NASA theme certainly seemed appropriate.