Yahoo Autos 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition Road Test | Cold but competent
I drove the 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition back in January, which was awkward timing, really. Bronze seems like an odd choice for an Olympic year. Sure, it’s thematically consistent, but it also seems a bit self-deprecating. While it wouldn’t make much sense to call something with bronze wheels a “Gold” or “Silver” edition, we’ve already seen the liberties Toyota is willing to take with its special edition model names. Surely something that didn’t suggest a third-place finish was available?
The Highlander was delivered in frigid conditions that persisted throughout the week. This immediately reminded me just how long it takes to heat the cabin of a three-row crossover in sub-freezing temperatures. The hybrid powertrain didn’t seem to make matters better. The Highlander frequently started up without the internal combustion engine, which seems problematic when you want to circulate coolant to run a heater, but I’m certain Toyota’s engineers thought of that. And the seat and steering wheel heaters — which couldn’t possibly rely on hot water from the engine — were just as sluggish.
But this warm-up time gave me the chance to familiarize myself with the Highlander’s cabin. The Bronze Edition is exclusive to the Hybrid. Based on the XLE, it’s available in one of three colors — Cement (which is exclusive to Bronze), Wind Chill Pearl (new for ’22) or Midnight Black Metallic (that’s black) — with a smattering of bronze accents outside and in.
In addition to the equipment that comes standard on the XLE, the Bronze Edition adds a hands-free power liftgate, rain-sensing wipers, a digital rearview mirror, upgraded power outlets, puddle lamps, in-dash ambient lighting and a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat with memory. It’s a popular equipment package with bronze accents, in other words.
This was the first time I’ve actually driven the new Highlander Hybrid, and apart from the aforementioned gripes with the cabin temperature, which I chalk up to a simple reality of living with a large car in the Midwest, my biggest gripe is with the infotainment, which is based on the 8-inch system that is standard all the way down to the LE model (Limited and Platinum have access to a much better 12.3-inch unit).
