<\/span><\/h3>\nRecently, 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.<\/p>\n
The model he tested was the gasoline engine version of the new Harrier, 2WD, Z grade.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/027BF24D-6E27-4B18-B306-3419F4DFA4BB-1280x960.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Rear](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/84D5432A-E542-463E-994F-DE48619B3BBB-1280x960.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
First, looking at the exterior, the rear resembles the current Cayenne, featuring the popular North American style of connected taillights.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe 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\u2019t require too much care on narrow roads.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s not a downsized turbo but a naturally aspirated engine, so I sat in the driver\u2019s seat with some skepticism.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Impressions of the Engine and Transmission<\/span><\/h3>\nOnce driving, it felt unlike a typical Toyota. The engine sound is intentionally audible inside the cabin. This isn\u2019t just due to less sound insulation or something like that; it\u2019s a deliberately tuned \u201cvroom\u201d sound that even feels sporty.<\/p>\n
Given Toyota\u2019s and the Harrier\u2019s usual image, I expected it to be quieter and not to give the driver unnecessary information, but this Harrier is completely different.<\/strong><\/p>\nMoreover, from the start, there\u2019s no sluggishness. The transmission control actively uses revs above 3000rpm, making sure the car runs within the engine\u2019s torque band.<\/p>\n
![\"Interior](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/7625B392-1461-4774-91CC-4E81C842F343-1280x960.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Rear](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/EF931536-BEE3-469D-88F2-83BF4FBF6023-1280x960.jpeg\")
Sitting in the rear seat with the front passenger seat set comfortably forward. Height: 177cm.<\/p><\/div>\n
Many domestic AT cars I\u2019ve 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\u2019ve thought, “This engine should rev to 6000rpm, but actually revving it and driving like that is difficult and pointless.”<\/strong><\/p>\nBut this Harrier is different.<\/p>\n
It revs the engine properly, and the transmission works hard to extract that power. There\u2019s no sense of the engine revving without the car accelerating (that disconnected feeling). The coordination between the transmission and engine feels very well done.<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Meter](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/689DBBAE-4283-4B6C-BCD3-AF9B069E4918-1280x960.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
That said, is it fast? Not really, but in most situations, you probably won\u2019t feel dissatisfied. If you push it, it will rev properly and run, so it\u2019s more than enough for daily use.<\/p>\n
<\/span>For Fathers Who\u2019ve Forgotten How to Enjoy Driving<\/span><\/h3>\nAs 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.<\/strong><\/p>\nHowever, when approaching a curve and turning the steering wheel, it showed a different character from the low-speed floatiness \u2014 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Wheels](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/1FD8C6F5-A777-44C3-A2CA-79C585B3EC7C-1280x960.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
This was a very positive point for me personally. When I told the owner riding along, “This is surprisingly sporty!<\/strong>” he replied, “Yes, it\u2019s surprisingly sporty, and I was surprised too.”<\/p>\nOf course, the tires probably don\u2019t have a very high limit, and this isn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
By the way, the ride comfort at low speeds should feel better when carrying five passengers and luggage.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Balance with a Premium Feel<\/span><\/h3>\nAt higher speeds, straight-line stability is no problem. It feels stable, but the wind noise was a bit noticeable.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\nThe imbalance between the premium look and the somewhat lower-quality sound was a slight concern.<\/p>\n
![\"Sports](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/C3209EDA-CDF8-4422-B931-C92529868343-1280x960.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Few domestic cars have an AT that lets you fully use the engine\u2019s power, but at least this Harrier lets you enjoy all 171ps, making driving fun. Revving through winding roads brings a smile to the driver\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
Next, I tried manual mode.<\/p>\n
Downshifts were fine, but upshift control caused quite a noticeable shift shock.<\/strong> It felt like shifting up without easing off the accelerator in a manual car, causing passengers\u2019 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.<\/p>\n<\/span>Overall Impression<\/span><\/h3>\nIt 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.<\/strong> For a daily driver, I have no complaints. It\u2019s so well done that I didn\u2019t realize it was a CVT until I was told afterward.<\/p>\n![\"Dimming](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/7D60C65D-DCB8-41D5-943C-783C52FC9357-1280x960.jpeg\")
Optional dimming panoramic roof<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Dimming](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/FA3B38CE-1EF8-418D-AEAC-1F469C4E6651-1280x960.jpeg\")
Instantly switches transparency with the push of a button<\/p><\/div>\n
Also, the engine\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
With this level of quality and a starting price just over 4 million yen, it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Therefore, while the driving feel still favors European cars, those who prioritize interior and exterior quality and packaging will definitely prefer this one.<\/strong><\/p>\nAlso, according to the owner, the resale value is very good. Although it costs over 4 million yen, considering resale, it\u2019s definitely cheaper to own than European cars in the same class. That\u2019s another attractive point of this car.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"My husband had the chance to test drive the new Toyota Harrier, so he wrote down his impressions. Please have a look if you\u2019re 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...","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":26728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=26684"},"categories":[72],"tags":[227,284,285],"yoast_head":"
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