Wheels COTY: Highlander topples over... literally

[derrado]

The latest issue of Wheels has an article amongst its Car of the Year feature detailing an accident that occurred during testing. They were testing the new Kluger (Highlander) along a gravel left-hand bend at 100km/h at the Lang Lang testing ground (a bend they use to test high-speed stability, and which they've used with countless other cars). They had two Klugers, both with ESP, one FWD and one AWD.

The FWD was regarded as having dodgy dynamics by all the testers, having "inconsistent steering and ESP all over the place, alternately over intervening, and at other times nowhere to be seen".

The AWD was taken out along this bend and it started drifting, but the ESP didn't intervene. At around 85-95km/h, the Kluger slid into a shallow drain, the driver's side tyres popped off and deflated and the wheel rims dug into the ground. The vehicle then flipped.

The driver was safe due to pre-tensioners and a strong cabin.

Toyota checked the wreck and chalked it up to driver's error, sending a letter (displayed in Wheels) saying as such and that the Wheels test was too subjective and they are welcome to observe a proper international standards lane change compliance test.

ALL the testers agreed the Kluger was more or less rubbish dynamically. Wheels has also noticed ESP difficulties in the Lexus LS, Toyota Aurion (Camry V6) and Lexus RX.

It was the first roll-over in 45 years of Wheels COTY.

[Duncan]

Is it too cheeky to say that Toyota's quality is really "on a roll" these days?

[Dsuupr]

I like how toyota is blaming everybody else but themselves now days. Remindes me of the GM that used to be. The one that built crap and blamed the rest of the world for their problems. I just hope the public figures out toyota builds crap quickly and stops drinking their koolaid.

[Drew Dowdell]

The AWD was taken out along this bend and it started drifting, but the ESP didn't intervene.

Probably similar to the Tundra where ESP doesn't work in 4wd mode.

[RBB]

Toyota - Moving Forward*

* - because it's too dangerous to move to the right or left...

-RBB

[Drew Dowdell]

Toyota: Moving Forward like an elephant on rollerskates

[76ChevyTrucker]

Hmm, so its the driver's fault....yeah, I don't really see that being true since they've used this particular bend countless times before and not had this problem. How about its jst your shoddy damned product.