On Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:34:30 -0400, "C. E. White"
<cewhite3@mindspring.com> wrote:

>
>"Ashton Crusher" <demi@moore.net> wrote in message
>news:sm4nd5508255058r6g9uqtmqcpuulg2mb2@4ax.com.. .
>> On Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:38:26 -0400, "C. E. White"
>> <cewhite3@mindspring.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Earlier this month I asked for advice regarding a new car for my
>>>Mother to
>>>replace a Ford Freestyle that was totaled in an accident. I mostly
>>>was
>>>looking for advice regarding the Toyota Venza and Highlander. Well
>>>we
>>>finally went shopping and my Mother is getting a new Highlander
>>
>> I'm not disagreeing with your mom's choice but why does she need an
>> SUV?? What were her needs from a technical perspective?
>
>First of all, the Highlnader is not an SUV. You might get away with
>calling it a "Crossover" but in no way is it an SUV. In my opinion, it
>is nothing more than a Camry Station Wagon. Of the vehicles we looked
>at, the Edge was the closest thing to an SUV and it wasn't
>particularly close, although Ford tries to pitch it as one. The Venza
>is called a car, but the only substantial difference between it and
>the Highlander is the height of the roof and the level of standard
>equipment. The CR-V would like to pretend to be an SUV, but it misses
>the mark by hundreds of miles. It is just a Civic Station Wagon with
>an AWD option. Even the Pilot, although a nice vehicle, can't be
>considered a legitimate SUV. Anything that is primarily front wheel
>drive and has very limited towing capacity is just a station wagon (or
>I guess a "Crossover" which in my mind is the new name for "Station
>Wagon").
>
>My Mother never said she wanted an SUV. She just wanted something that
>she could sit up in and see out of. Until she got a Freestyle, my
>Mother always drove a full size vehicles (Galaxie, LTD, Grand Marquis,
>etc.). The Freestyle was the smallest car she had ever owned, and at
>least it gave her a decent view. Most cars that claim to be full size
>these days wouldn't have qaulified as an intermediate in the 60's and
>they all tend to place you very low and don't provide a very good view
>of the road in a world dominated by large trucks and SUVs (my Mom
>lives in a rural area and more than half the vehicles are large trucks
>or SUVs).
>
>Anyhow, if you think a front wheel drive, four cylinder Highlander is
>an SUV, I think you are using a different definition of an SUV than
>would be reasonable.
>
>Ed
>

I know nothing about Highlanders except that I've seen pictures of
them. Sounds like you got her what she needed.