The seats are comfortable, the controls are logical, and—especially with the third row folded—it holds an amazing amount of stuff. On an over-enthusiastic shopping spree for spring annuals, the Highlander easily swallowed six flats of flowers, and four large hanging baskets. This is all great but in making the Highlander so competent, Toyota over-engineered it and when the flaws went, so did the personality. There is little feedback, from the steering to the suspension to the brakes. Because the engine shuts off while sitting at lights or in park, the hybrid model accentuates the feeling that the Highlander is more of an appliance than a car.