Behind the Wheel in the 2021 Toyota Highlander XSE
In celebration of Women's History Month, I was invited to attend a virtual panel discussion hosted by Toyota titled: Meet the Trailblazing Women Driving Change at Toyota.
It was insightful to hear directly from women connected to Toyota about their experiences and their roles and experiences. These are the distinguished women:
Marjorie Schussel, Vice President - Product and Mobility Communications, Toyota North America
Alana Nichols, Paralympian and Team Toyota athlete
Sandra Phillips Rogers, Group Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer and Chief Diversity Officer, Toyota North America
Kristen Tabar, Group Vice President, Vehicle Development and Engineering, Toyota North America
Karen Ideno, Toyota Financial Services, Group Vice President, Private Label Sales, Product & Marketing
Billie Jo Johnson, General Manager, Toyota Financial Services and Product
Briana Nelson, General Manager, Toyota New York Region
After the session, Toyota allowed me to get behind the wheel of a 2021 Highlander XSE for an adventure of my own. I decided to take a long weekend trip to visit the Washington, D.C. area to check out the cherry blossoms. I've never visited the city during this time of year and was excited about the journey. I got (over) packed for a weekend of springtime adventure and started my drive from New York City to the Washinton, D.C. area.
Cargo room is not an issue; there is plenty of space here. The Highlander has 16.0 cu. ft. with all seat rows using carrying space behind the third row. Folding the 60/40 split fold-flat third-row seatbacks opens the space to 48.4 cu. ft., and then folding the second row raises that to 84.3 cu. ft. The versatile cargo area makes the most of its additional length with side surfaces and pockets shaped for maximum space usage.
I made some stops along the way and maybe took a wrong turn or two, but I felt safe and confident that I would be back on track in the Highlander.
I was always fully connected, and the Highlander XSE comes ready to take on all devices with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. The cabin’s center console also offers available Qi wireless charging to plenty of storage spaces and five USB charging ports!
What's more, is all of the safety features. The safety features are just as important on short trips to the market as they are on long interstate drives searching for cherry blossoms. For 2021, the Highlander is upgraded with standard Toyota Safety Sense (TSS 2.5+), a comprehensive suite of active safety systems that includes:
Pre-collision System with Pedestrian Detection is enhanced with intersection support:
At intersections, the system may detect an oncoming vehicle or pedestrian when performing a left-hand turn and may provide audio/visual alerts and automatic braking in certain conditions.
Additional PCS function includes emergency steering assist, which is designed to stabilize the driver’s emergency steering maneuvers within their lane while avoiding a preceding pedestrian.
Road Sign Assist (RSA)
Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC)
Lane Keeping Technology: Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist (LDA w/ SA), Lane Tracing Assist (LTA), and Sway Warning System
Automatic High Beams (AHB)
I’ve trained in Japanese martial arts and for most of my life. It has been a daily practice since I was very small. I often think about the rituals and traditions, and there was a practice at my dojo that we did at least once a year (usually during the winter holiday season). It was walking meditation, and this was about acts of service and charity in your community. While I was planning for this trip, I mentioned to friends that I was looking for charities, organizations, and women in need that I could support. I try to do this on every trip, donate clothing or beauty products to a shelter or organization, but it has been more challenging during the pandemic.
As soon as I heard from a dear friend about a diaper drive (that is still going on) in West Annapolis: https://www.west-annapolis.com/how-to-help-covid-19-crisis/, which would be on my route, I decided to get some supplies to participate. I was happy to be able to do that on this trip with Toyota.
You can get a closer look at the all new 2021 Toyota Highlander XSE at Toyota.com.