The 2021 Toyota Highlander Is a “Smart Choice” for Families

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2021 Toyota Highlander is a Consumer Reports-recommended SUV. The Highlander has an excellent road-test score, as well as an excellent reliability rating and a very good owner satisfaction score. It’s a decent choice if you have kids. In fact, Consumer Reports says “it’s a smart choice for families looking for a do-it-all vehicle—but it is not a standout.” So what’s great about the 2021 Toyota Highlander – and what’s not?

2021 Toyota Highlander | Toyota

The 2021 Toyota Highlander has a very good road test score

The 2021 Toyota Highlander gets an 86/100 for its road test score. Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Toyota Highlander a 4/5 for its acceleration. It takes 7.3 seconds to go from 0 to 60. Its transmission scores a 4/5. Routine and emergency handling get a 3/5. The Toyota Highlander’s max avoidance speed is 50 mph. Consumer Reports calls its ride “compliant and controlled.”

The Toyota Highlander gets a 4/5 for its braking. It can brake from 60 mph on dry pavement in 132 feet and 141 feet on wet pavement. The Highlander’s headlights score an okay 3/5.

As far as comfort, the Toyota Highlander gets a fantastic 4/5 for its ride, as well as for noise. Front-seat comfort is very good, at a 4/5. Consumer Reports says “the seat slides fore and aft, and also reclines in two independent sections, enabling plenty of passenger and cargo flexibility.” Rear seat comfort gets a fantastic 5/5. Third row comfort in the Highlander is only a 1/5.

Interior fit and finish get a very good 4/5. The trunk and cargo space also score a 3/5, with 41 cubic feet of storage space.

The Highlander has most of the important safety features

Consumer Reports recommends a variety of advanced safety features that car shoppers should consider. These include forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking at city and highway speeds, lane-keeping assistance, and lane departure warning. Consumer Reports also says that pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning are important to have. 

Rearview cameras are standard in all new cars. You should also look for anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, and daytime running lights.

The 2021 Toyota Highlander comes standard with everything that Consumer Reports recommends – except for blind spot warning and rear cross-traffic warning, which are optional. 

Both the IIHS and NHTSA have crash-tested the 2021 Toyota Highlander. The IIHS gives it all good ratings. The NHTSA gives it five stars for everything except for the overall frontal-crash, overall frontal-crash on the driver side as well as passenger side, and the rollover rating for both 2WD and 4WD. Each of these gets four stars. 

The Highlander’s reliability is very good

Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Toyota Highlander a very good 4/5 for its predicted reliability. Both the 2019 and 2020 have a 4/5 for reliability ratings. The in-car electronics in the 2020 get a 3/5. In the 2019 the fuel system and in-car electronics both get a 2/5.

The Highlander gets an excellent predicted owner satisfaction score, at a 4/5. The driving experience gets an 84, while comfort gets n 85. Styling gets a 79, and value is a 48. 78% of people would buy the 2021 Toyota Highlander again.

Ultimately, the 2021 Toyota Highlander is a solid choice for families, but it isn’t necessarily the highest rated. Still, the Highlander comes with a long reputation for being a solid SUV, and its ratings show that it’s still a good SUV. If you have your heart set on the 2021 Toyota Highlander, it’s still a good choice.

RELATED: This Consumer Reports-Recommended SUV Is Under $30,000

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Will On-Demand Portable EV Chargers Change the Game for Electric Vehicles?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Electric vehicles are the future but they are presently facing some major growing pains. The biggest argument against EVs is their lack of practicality due to battery capacity. Automakers are creating electric vehicles with more battery range but finding local chargers is still an issue for many EV owners. What if there was a service that brought the EV chargers to you?

Electric vehicle charging on-demand

Electric vehicle charging point | Michal Fludra/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Despite holding a very low percentage of the total new-vehicle market share, electric vehicles aren’t actually that new. Automakers like Tesla, Nissan, and Chevrolet have been consistently producing EVs for years. Electric vehicles have improved drastically but battery range on the average EV isn’t high enough to keep most drivers from experiencing major range anxiety.

Few EVs on the market can combat range anxiety. Those that have amazing 300+ mile single-charge range aren’t affordable. But what if there is a way for electric car drivers to have chargers brought to them rather than frantically searching for chargers? What if there is a company that could alleviate all fears of being stranded after an EV’s battery is depleted?

According to InsidesEVs, a company called SparkCharge is now offering portable EV charging on-demand. EV drivers than need a charge can simply order it through an app called BoostEV. BoostEV operates in Los Angeles, New York City, Austin, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, and many other big cities.

Are on-demand portable chargers actually useful?

Electric vehicles charging station charger operated by the Jantarenergo company belonging to the PAO Rosseti.
Electric vehicles charging station | Michal Fludra/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Electric vehicle charging is too complicated for most drivers to wrap their heads around because of the scarcity of chargers. Is on-demand EV really a viable solution to battery range issues? It’s hard to see on-demand portable chargers as the future of EV charging but they do have some use in emergency situations.

Electric vehicles can and will lose power before reaching charging stations. This is one of the unfortunate growing pains of building a charging infrastructure in an industry that is still showing resistance to EVs. Automakers like Tesla have established charging networks but they are still too few and far between.

On-demand portable chargers can be great for when electric vehicle batteries start to deplete quickly. They can save drivers from getting stranded and also help relieve range anxiety. On-demand portable chargers may not have a place in the future when EV charging stations are abundant but they can be useful to many drivers today.

What is the future of EV charging?

Electric vehicle connected to the charger seen in Lindholmen Science Park in Gothenburg.
Electric vehicle connected to charger | Karol Serewis/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The future of electric vehicle charging is uncertain. Automakers like Tesla are establishing charging networks that can be compatible with all EVs. Other automakers are building charging stations specifically to suit their brands. Tesla’s Supercharger Network accounts for many of the electric vehicle chargers in America but still isn’t ubiquitous.

Portable on-demand EV chargers are a quick solution to a problem that automakers have been dealing with for over a decade. To truly overcome poor battery range, stronger batteries must be developed as well as more charging networks. On-demand EV chargers may have a place in the automotive industry but it’s time for charging networks to expand.

RELATED: The Best Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions for Your Home

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V8-Powered Jet Ski You Need Before Summer is Over

by Gabrielle DeSantis

You need this. If you’re into watercraft you definitely need this. Heck, we all need a V8-powered jet ski! Enter the Strand Craft V8 Daytona GT; a grand name for a crazy jet ski. Strand Craft calls it a “wet rod” but this is like a Ferrari F40 in a sea of Subarus, no pun intended.

You can buy one of these V8-powered jet skis

Strand Craft Daytona GT V8-powered jet ski | SC

Strand Craft is yacht builder Kurt Strand’s company, and this is his latest product. Yes, you can buy one of these brutes, though details are limited at the moment. Strand says this is the first V8-powered watercraft. Ever. Who are we to argue?

“Beautiful, powerful, and luxurious. These three adjectives inspired my design for a new watercraft concept,” Strand says in a statement. “I wanted to create a model that marries power and speed to the grace and elegance of Strand Craft’s design heritage.” Hey, we’re all in.

This is almost more like a “jet yacht” than a jet ski

Strand Craft Daytona GT V8-powered jet ski side view
Strand Craft Daytona GT V8-powered jet ski | SC

As you would expect, this is quite large for a jet ski. You could almost call it a “ski yacht.” It’s 17-feet long, five feet wide, and weighs 1,250 lbs. That’s a lot of heft to be slinging around the water. But with that much grunt, it should be able to power out of anything limited by its heft.

The wet rod’s V8 is a 6.2-liter supercharged aluminum engine of unknown origin at this time. Strand Craft is being quiet about its top speed. The same goes for the price, which we expect isn’t going to be within the realm of most watercraft. 

Of course the Daytona GT jet ski comes with a premium sound system

Strand Craft Daytona GT V8-powered jet ski on the beach
Strand Craft Daytona GT V8-powered jet ski | SC

Monitoring the engine functions is with a 15-inch touch screen. And what would the ultimate jet ski be without some great tunes? A premium sound system can blare your favorite action music to add extra drama to your water frolicking. 

There’s room for storage, too. A cool box can be found under the seat. There is also extra storage room forward, for gear or whatever you take with you playing in the ocean blue. 

You want options?

Strand Craft Daytona GT V8-powered jet ski close up shot
Strand Craft Daytona GT V8-powered jet ski | SC

But that’s not all. On this plain, there need to be options for those special customers needing more than the ultimate. A carbon-fiber body is one such option. You can also order your Daytona GT with wood inlays. 

Everything from an underwater camera to shock-absorbing seats can be added to your own wet rod. And getting it to and from the water you’ll need the custom trailer you can also purchase from Strand Craft. 

Blasting around with this jet ski would be quite a unique experience whether you’re a seasoned rider or not. Maneuvering this hulk on top of the water wouldn’t be like skating around a traditional jet ski, but that’s not the point of a creation like this.

RELATED: Converting Your Old Jet-Skis Into Scooters Is The Next Big Thing

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The Most Reliable BMWs

by Gabrielle DeSantis

BMW offers some of the most refined driving experiences out of any other brand. Steering is tight, manual gearboxes are solid, and the engines climb revs with boisterous confidence. Like most high-end German cars, BMWs have overbuilt engines and drivetrains, which makes them robust machines. Some things break like air conditioning and electric seat adjusters, but the engines and drivetrains generally hold up well even to severe abuse. Here are some of the most reliable BMWs ever made.

E90/91/92/93 325i and 328i

BMW E90 325i | BMW

The BMW 325i and 328i from 2006-2011 are widely considered to be the most reliable BMW ever made. They used non-turbocharged engines called the N52, which was an inline-six that used electronic throttle control and variable valve timing. It used a block composed of magnesium and aluminum and redlined at 7,000 RPM. As the last naturally aspirated inline-six from BMW, the N52 made 228 horsepower in the 328i, and 215 horsepower in the 325i. 

These engines weren’t without fault. They faced cooling issues and starter problems, but because of their simplicity, they avoided more complex issues. Its successor, the N54, went through nine different iterations of its high-pressure fuel pump, before settling on a design that worked. Simplicity keeps a reliable BMW preserved.

E34 BMW: the nimble 5-series

bmws parked outside
BMWs Parked Outside | Yuriko Nakao/Getty Images

The E34 BMW was built like a tank. It took a lot of abuse and kept running. It used several engines, but the M30B35 stands out as a well-balanced inline-six with 208 horsepower, according to Motortrend. The M30B35 used an iron block with an aluminum head and spun its camshaft with a chain. Its rotating assembly operated with a forged steel crankshaft. The M30 was BMW’s longest-produced engine at 27 years.

The car was nimble, fun to drive, and used a bulletproof transmission as well. Horsepower scooted the car along at a reasonable rate, despite its hefty curb weight. The car romped around mountain passes with relative ease and cultivated grip. Its ride height meant it could handle some off-roading as well, provided the traction was there. The E34 was a prime example of a reliable BMW.

E46 or E90 diesel: powerful and reliable

BMW 335d parked outside
BMW 335d | BMW

The 335d stands out as having a terrifically powerful and reliable engine. It used the M57D30TU2, a turbocharged inline-six diesel engine producing 280 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. In earlier years, between 1999-2001 the 330d had 181 horsepower and 287 lb-ft of torque. The car weighs a bit more than its gasoline-powered variant, but the engine is solid. Its second iteration used an aluminum block.

The 320d is another diesel option, however, it has many problems. Aside from having only four cylinders, many owners report having to prematurely replace the timing chain. Nevertheless, the engine should last several lifetimes with proper maintenance, including clockwork oil changes and keeping an eye on the gear oil.

Even reliable BMWs have finicky electrical systems, however, their engines and transmissions offer an experience like no other. Despite making the list for least reliable cars, the engines stand the test of time, but the cars also offer superb handling and acceleration. Fixing things can be expensive on BMWs, but as long as routine maintenance is performed, they last forever.

RELATED: Which Used BMW Engines Are the Most Reliable?

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