My husband had the chance to test drive the new Toyota Harrier, so he wrote down his impressions. Please have a look if you’re interested.

New Harrier Gasoline 2WD Z Grade

Recently, a friend bought the new Toyota Harrier, and my husband got to test drive it. As usual, instead of focusing on the interior and exterior details or usability, he wanted to report mainly on how it drives.

The model he tested was the gasoline engine version of the new Harrier, 2WD, Z grade.

It’s very popular, and due to the semiconductor shortage, it seems that even if you order one, it takes a while to be delivered. However, this friend found a brand-new, unregistered unit at a local used car dealer and decided to buy it.

First, looking at the exterior, the rear resembles the current Cayenne, featuring the popular North American style of connected taillights.

The front has an X-shaped face that gives a tight, sharp impression. Personally, I like the design. The width is 1850mm, which seems very practical and shouldn’t require too much care on narrow roads.

The engine is a 2-liter, inline 4-cylinder naturally aspirated engine producing 171ps at 6600rpm and 21.1kg-m of torque at 4800rpm. At first, hearing these specs, I thought it would feel weak at low revs since it’s not a downsized turbo but a naturally aspirated engine, so I sat in the driver’s seat with some skepticism.

Impressions of the Engine and Transmission

Once driving, it felt unlike a typical Toyota. The engine sound is intentionally audible inside the cabin. This isn’t just due to less sound insulation or something like that; it’s a deliberately tuned “vroom” sound that even feels sporty.

Given Toyota’s and the Harrier’s usual image, I expected it to be quieter and not to give the driver unnecessary information, but this Harrier is completely different.

Moreover, from the start, there’s no sluggishness. The transmission control actively uses revs above 3000rpm, making sure the car runs within the engine’s torque band.

Sitting in the rear seat with the front passenger seat set comfortably forward. Height: 177cm.

Many domestic AT cars I’ve experienced tend to focus too much on eco-driving, trying not to rev the engine, and often keep the engine around 2000rpm even on hills. Especially CVTs often feel sluggish even when you floor the accelerator. I’ve thought, “This engine should rev to 6000rpm, but actually revving it and driving like that is difficult and pointless.”

But this Harrier is different.

It revs the engine properly, and the transmission works hard to extract that power. There’s no sense of the engine revving without the car accelerating (that disconnected feeling). The coordination between the transmission and engine feels very well done.

After the test drive, I learned that the engine is a super high-efficiency one with a maximum thermal efficiency of 40%, and the transmission is a relatively new Direct Shift-CVT. No wonder the driving experience is so good.

That said, is it fast? Not really, but in most situations, you probably won’t feel dissatisfied. If you push it, it will rev properly and run, so it’s more than enough for daily use.

For Fathers Who’ve Forgotten How to Enjoy Driving

As I gradually increased speed, the body felt very solid, but the suspension seemed a bit soft and unreliable, with the rear bouncing a little and some slight side-to-side wiggle at low speeds.

However, when approaching a curve and turning the steering wheel, it showed a different character from the low-speed floatiness — it held firm and stuck well. The suspension could be described as having good resilience. The body roll stops sharply at a certain point, and it finishes the corner with a stable posture and lightness.

This was a very positive point for me personally. When I told the owner riding along, “This is surprisingly sporty!” he replied, “Yes, it’s surprisingly sporty, and I was surprised too.”

Of course, the tires probably don’t have a very high limit, and this isn’t a car to talk about cornering speeds, but for fathers who occasionally want to enjoy a spirited drive on mountain roads without the family, it should be safe and fun enough.

By the way, the ride comfort at low speeds should feel better when carrying five passengers and luggage.

Balance with a Premium Feel

At higher speeds, straight-line stability is no problem. It feels stable, but the wind noise was a bit noticeable. Maybe because of that, it felt a bit faster than it actually was. Considering the high-quality feel of the interior and exterior, I wish they had done a bit more to reduce this noise.

The imbalance between the premium look and the somewhat lower-quality sound was a slight concern.

Switching to sports mode and driving further, the transmission tries to keep the engine revs higher. This is the true way to use an engine.

Few domestic cars have an AT that lets you fully use the engine’s power, but at least this Harrier lets you enjoy all 171ps, making driving fun. Revving through winding roads brings a smile to the driver’s face.

Next, I tried manual mode.

Downshifts were fine, but upshift control caused quite a noticeable shift shock. It felt like shifting up without easing off the accelerator in a manual car, causing passengers’ heads to jerk backward with each gear change. So, it seems better to leave the control to the AT in sports mode rather than driving in manual mode.

Overall Impression

It had been a while since I drove a domestic car, but after driving this Harrier, I felt many of the negative aspects I had associated with domestic cars (excluding sports cars) have been improved. The evolution of AT (CVT) control is especially impressive. For a daily driver, I have no complaints. It’s so well done that I didn’t realize it was a CVT until I was told afterward.

Optional dimming panoramic roof

Instantly switches transparency with the push of a button

Also, the engine’s spiritedness and lively handling changed my image of the Harrier quite a bit. This car, at least this gasoline model, seems more suited for those who want to drive sportily sometimes rather than just ride comfortably.

With this level of quality and a starting price just over 4 million yen, it’s quite a bargain. European cars in the same price range tend to have more sterile interiors and exteriors but seem to invest more in suspension and drivetrain refinement.

Therefore, while the driving feel still favors European cars, those who prioritize interior and exterior quality and packaging will definitely prefer this one.

Also, according to the owner, the resale value is very good. Although it costs over 4 million yen, considering resale, it’s definitely cheaper to own than European cars in the same class. That’s another attractive point of this car.