I’ve been driving Toyota Highlanders for six years and have had two three year leases. I know the first and second generation make and model very well, but having seen the photos and press, the 2014 Toyota Highlander was the one I wanted to test drive.
I decided that I would make my 48 hour long test drive of the 2014 Toyota Highlander a mission to find Oprah in the city of mission architecture and goodwill stores that resemble Bergdorf Goodman. The mission style buildings, developed after the earthquake of 1925, housed everything from dry cleaners, real estate offices and Starbucks making me want to become a barista just to stay in town.
I am neither a stalker nor paparazzi, but merely curious after finding a photo of her 85 million dollar home online. I thought how hard would it be to find a mansion of that size in a county that spans a thousand square miles and then just casually drive by? I assumed it would be on top of a mountain and so the drive began. And didn’t everyone in Santa Barbara know Oprah, served her at restaurants, did her dry cleaning or wrapped a gift or two for her TV guests?
The Toyota Highlander has plenty of pick up and go, as evidenced by our slowing down and speeding up while looking for Ms. Winfrey. The new Highlander should be driven not garaged, as you need to get outside and experience its many new and exciting features. Since I already own a Highlander the changes for 2014 were very obvious to me and they start with the exterior. Still a sharp looking SUV, the 2014 has a more athletic yet sleek look. The grille has been redesigned and the aerodynamic roof rails were quite obvious which added to more economical gas mileage.
The enhanced technology includes specialties such as Entune™ Audio, Entune™ App Suite, Bluetooth with streaming music and a backup camera. The screen is large and easy to set the destinations within the navigation application.
The features in the Star Safety System™ consist of six active safety features that include Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force and my favorite, Toyota’s Smart Stop Technology.
There are five models that have an almost $18,000 difference but each one is a perfect match for an active couple or family of eight. They include the LE-$29,215, LE Plus-$32,740, XLE-$36, 040, Limited-$39,640 and the Hybrid for $47,300, with an average of 22-24 MPG. The Hybrid by the way is perfect for the small town of Santa Barbara where everything seemed within walking distance… except Oprah.
I stayed at the Canary Hotel which is a boutique hotel and houses the Finch & Fork restaurant. The restaurant is well known within the area, so I asked the chef if he had ever met Oprah or prepared a meal for her. He looked at me strangely and said, “No, I’ve never prepared a meal for her, met her or know anyone who has.” I also asked the valet, staff at the hotel, bartenders and random shopkeepers the same question. The answer was no but they did tell me other celebrities had crossed their paths.
At the restaurant Toyota took us for lunch called S Y Kitchen, which is just outside of Santa Barbara, the restaurant owner, famous for her virgin olive oil, informed me that she has tried to get her olive oil to Oprah for years but with no success. It was at this point I realized that the Highlander was my trusty side kick, and that Ms. Winfrey and Stedman need not worry about me popping in or driving by.
The new 2014 Toyota Highlander performed like a trooper through my quest to find Oprah in Santa Barbara but now it was time to leave for the airport. I joked with fellow journalists about my journey to meet the philanthropic maven I so admired. While on the plane to Phoenix I kidded with a couple who were on their way to San Antonio for holiday, nice folks who look like they stepped out of Vogue and personified Santa Barbara. While waiting for our bags, a fellow journalist said goodbye to me and jokingly said, sorry you didn’t find Oprah. The woman next to me asked if I was looking for her and informed me that she was at her house before Christmas in Montecito to purchase some furniture. She told me that Oprah lives on East Valley Road either at number 1633 or 1644. I felt my heart swell and my face turn red as I said “Oh.. nice, when you get back to Montecito, please tell her I was searching for her in my 2014 Toyota Highlander and I’ll catch her next trip.”
For more reviews go to twofortheroadusa.com and here on SmartFem.com