I am a Toyota girl at heart. My first car was a Corolla. Then I had a 2nd Corolla – a stickshift that I didn’t last very long in. I can drive a manual, but I’m not good at it. My mom drove a Camry for years. My Grandma has a Highlander. I had a Previa (minivan before Sienna) for a long while, and now I’ve had my Sienna for 9 years. I’ve also had a Volvo, Mercury, Chevy, Suzuki, and Buick. I’ve also been married to a Pontiac and a Hyundai.
So, the hubs and I took an afternoon and went to the Toyota dealership here in town and took a look at our options. Gah. It seems that I *may* be in my last Toyota! First of all, vehicles are getting bigger (wider, taller, longer) but somehow the interior space is getting smaller. **If you didn’t read Car -But I don’t want a car- Shopping Part 1: Tesla, then, let me tell ya, Hubs is tall. 6’10”. And I’m fat. And our kids are super tall. We may never find a new vehicle!** We can’t afford to lose any interior space.
Highlander -I really wanted a Highlander with a 3rd row, so that’s kind of where we started. We looked at a 2016. We fit good in it – ish. The only reason Hubs fit in the passenger seat was because it had a sunroof, so his head was up in the cutout. If he laid the seat back a little bit, it was better. My problem with the 3rd row, is there is no way anyone could make it to the 3rd row! If you’re in the seats, you have to sit criss-crossed Indian style, because there is no leg drop. The seat and the floor are level. So, of course that would rule out most adults. And because my kids (especially my daughter) are adult sized, that rules them out too. Since we are a glutton for punishment, we also took a look at the 2018 3rd row Highlanders. Somewhere between the ’16 & ’18, they lost another inch or inch and a half of headroom, because Hubs neck was at a 45 degree angle to be able to sit. So, no Highlander for us! Note: He looked up the specifications when we got home. They are the exact same. But, there is a difference. So…..
Prius V – I actually really liked the Prius. I think if I could get over the stereotype douche who drives a Prius, it could be great. It’s a hybrid, but doesn’t plug in so it uses gas all the time. I think. So, an eco? I understand battery electric, I understand battery/gas hybrids, but I don’t understand gas hybrids. There is no plugging in the Prius, so there isn’t that added expense of having a charging station installed at your house. Hubs *almost* fit in it good. But, not quite. He would be able to drive short distances, but he’d be hurting if we drove for long.
Sienna – The Sienna I have now is an 8 passenger 2008. We looked at a used 2016 while we were at the dealership. We wanted to look at the 2018, but there were none on the front lot, and I think the salesman we were working with was lazy, cause he made a couple of comments how we’d have to “go to the back lot” if that’s “really what we wanted”. Not really. Not with you, mother-fucker. ha… I liked the 2016 that we looked at. We all fit. Hubs has zero issues with headroom, there’s the 3rd row that I’m wanting (even though, we really don’t really need it. Maybe.). I got all the way in the back, and I could tell that it wasn’t as wide as my van. That it’s about 2 inches slimmer in the interior. The middle row had a middle seat jump seat that popped in and out. But, I don’t know why. That thing was the size of my thighs. I didn’t love this van like I love my van. Like I loved my van the first time I sat in it. It was okay and functional (which, may be our only criteria moving forward) but it didn’t wow me.
Sequoia – Hubs is 100% against big fat SUV’s. If I end up with one, it will be because we happened to find something that fit all of us that we agreed on. Read: I’m never gonna have an SUV. The Sequoia is my dream car. True Story! That and a Suburban (and recently added: The Model X). Hubs has always told me that it has no interior room. I really didn’t believe him. But, to humor me, he sat in a big honking take up 2 spaces Sequoia on the lot before we left. He didn’t fit. HE DIDN’T FUCKING FIT! He was all sorts of bent over in the neck. Like, his ears were almost touching his shoulders. I couldn’t believe it. Because of that, I didn’t even sit in it. I should have just to say I have. But, now I know I’ll never be having one. Ever. Bah.
Every one of the vehicles that we looked at would have worked out a lot better for us, if only the passenger seat was height adjustable. I mean, really. When you get in a vehicle, you raise and lower the driver seat when you push it front and back. None of the Toyota models we looked at had that option for the passenger seats. And, according to the car salesman dude, none do. So, we’re still on the hunt.
Reviewing Life 