wordplay: Greg Bloom

In January 1997, a recent college graduate/chef/New York City transplant wandered into Colorado’s Vail Valley with no job, car and or place to live. At first glance, being peak season in the ski town, chances at landing a job or finding digs was slim at best. First crack at an interview had him haul up a mountain to an ultra posh gourmet spot called Picasso. Although the man didn’t take the position he had been offered as Sous Chef (because he was mobility-challenged), he told himself he’d be back one day to enjoy the facility as a guest and continued down the road on which his dreams kept him.

Sure as the sun sets to the west (or so it seems), he was recently invited by Toyota to a retreat with a dozen other journalists from the region that was taking place in the same hotel he’s sworn years ago he’d get back to as a guest someday. The place? The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera. The man? You guessed it! Yours Truly!

The 2008 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, which claim to be raising the bar in the Mid-Size SUV segment… again, were the subjects of this educational pampering in Vail Valley’s most aristocratic neighborhood.  If you didn’t already know that I have a soft spot for Toyota/Lexus, you should have seen me shed a happy tear when I learned that the Highlander will be manufactured just outside of Tupelo, Mississippi, bringing 2,000 new jobs to the southern region. Good lookin’ out Toyota!

A half dozen mouthwatering crab cakes and some spicy tuna tartar on potato crisps practically eliminated me from the amazing four-course feast which lay ahead inside the Mirador Restaurant. An incredible gnocchi appetizer, mixed greens with crusted goat cheese, and beef tenderloin lead up to crème brûlée, sorbet and chocolate cake for the ending. I can’t breathe just reminiscing about it! Zzzzzzzz… Zzzzzzzz. Nighty night!

A nice breakfast buffet in the outside morning chill brought all of us writers to our spry, “at attention” states and ready to inhale thirty minutes or so of education on the new Highlander and Highlander Hybrid SUVs. Soon after breakfast, we were off for the first of only three drive routes in the most beautiful natural landscape in the entire world, an added bonus for this particular getaway. Because each characteristic of the 2008 Highlander is noticeably improved from last year’s model, everyone was reeling to drive all day.

The Highlander is labeled by Toyota as their “Crossover Vehicle”, raising the bar and setting the standard for car-based SUVs, particularly in the areas of safety, quality and environmental concerns. These, along with its user-friendly advanced technology and the roomier, more comfortable interior, help explain why Highlander anchors Toyota’s three-vehicle mid-size SUV lineup, which combined, sold 170,000 units last year; and, they expect to exceed 250,000 units with the 2008 model.

There have been advances made to pedestrian protection as well as the passenger safety, adding a bit more weight to the vehicle, but fear not! There was a 50 hp increase in the new motor now yielding up to 270, with 348 lbs of torque. The Highlander base model is still super competitive in the fuel category, getting 18 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway, not quite as pleasing as the hybrid which gets 27 in the city and 25 on the highway.
Toyota prides itself on listening to their customers with open ears better than any company out there; they must in order to maintain their position as the number one manufacturer of all products worldwide. The consumer wanted four things above all else to come from Toyota when designing the next Highlander… and Toyota delivered. They wanted more room, more power, more safety features and more comfort and convenience. For instance, while technically the smart interior and exterior aerodynamics make for a more interesting ride to the specifics-obsessed car junkie, Toyota’s moms and layperson consumers are going to love the addition of illustrated instructions posted near each new non-self-explanatory gadget in the Highlander.

I could go on and on about the technology of the hybrid system if I had more technical savvy or if I thought you’d be interested. All we as consumers really need to know is that it saves you a ton over time on your fuel spending and it is at the forefront of a great movement from the automobile industry at slowing global warming. Save the planet and still have your cake (SUV)!

Toyota.com