Last week was back to school.  It’s always a mix of emotions for parents and kids alike, anxious and happy all at the same time.

My kids and I wanted to have a last hoorah before going back to school and we had the 2018 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited Platinum to go along for the journey.

The zoo was calling our names since we hadn’t been all year and the is one only a little over an hour at that we’ve never visited. Check out my coverage on it here.

The hybrid is A-Mazing on gas mileage. Half electric and half gasoline engine this darn thing charges itself! Yes, you read right.. no plugging it it although I believe you technically could. Any time you go below 30mph, the engine switches to electric and doesn’t suck up any gas.

I had a full tank of gas when I started my week, and a full week later after driving to and from work, the zoo which is an hour+ away, and to and from school pick ups and drop offs, I still had just under a quarter tank of gas left.

Not to mention $10 put it back up over a half tank!

Not only is the hybrid awesome on gas, it boasts a fabulous interior if you can find the Limited Platinum edition. This photo has no filter, just amazing interior lighting and interior leather seats. My kids really enjoyed how big and open the it was with the captain’s chairs.  The center chairs move forward, backwards, recline and collapse forward foot extra space needs.

The rear row of seats fit 3 and also recline and collapse. Look at all this space.  Its almost like a minivan fell without the “mom-van” stigma.

The limited edition comes with these rims and open country tires.  The AWD feature makes for a smooth ride regardless of the weather.

Safety is a big concern for everyone but especially top of mind for parents.  All new vehicles now must have a backup camera but I’ve seen some that work poorly at night.

Night time is probably one of the most important times to have clear vision on your back out camera, especially in a larger SUV. Kids are always in and out, and even when you think they’re in, they’re back out. The light on the back of this camera comes in handy for illuminating the space behind you like in a dark parking lot.

Check out that trunk! HUGE space with the 3rd row folded down.  You can fold just one seat, or just the 2 on the right if you want.  Someone can still fit comfortably back there with one side down.

The Highlander fit easily into my daily routine. My mornings start of with an early bootcamp classes and the leather cooled seats help to not feel so sweaty! I car pool with a friend and she absolutely loved that little fact haha!

I’m already missing the huge spacious inside of the Toyota Highlander and especially the heated and cooled leather seats.

The only downside (aside from my oldest son getting car sick from the new car smell) is the lack of ability of the push to talk navigation feature.  I thought by now they’d figure it out for all vehicles.  My 2016 vehicle does the same thing, it rarely understands me and I just get frustrated.  Maybe it’s just me?

If you want a laugh, check out my fighting with the navigation push to talk system LOL! Even with the “teach your voice” feature I still couldn’t get it to work for me properly.

I hope everyone had a great first week back to school! My kids certainly did but they’re already counting down the days until Summer break and so am I!