Complimenting the hybrid unit was a 3.5-liter V-6 with 280 horsepower (I didn’t drive the lower end four-cylinder, which is reportedly pretty puny). The V-6 feels plenty powerful and boasts silky auditory tones. Mix that with a nicely weighted steering feel and a communicative rack, along with shocks that glide over bumps as if you’re riding a magic carpet, and the driving experience is quite nice — a chunk better than Toyota’s smallerRAV4, and it feels altogether solid and well put together (despite the materials within the cabin being of relatively low, utilitarian grade in lower trims).

Where it struggles, however, is in the luggage department. With the third row up (which is cramped but plenty usable for kids or small adults) the trunk space is limited; it doesn’t cut down under the rear seats like a Ford Flex or GMC Acadia, so bar a few bags of shopping, that’s about all you’ll get.

As a person with many mouths to transport, this to me was a problem. My wife, on the other hand, wasn’t as fussed — but it is lacking compared to some on the market. If it were my money, I’d probably buy the Dodge Durango R/T with its Hemi V-8, an SUV I tested a couple of weeks back; the Durango’s inherent edginess and vast power is perhaps more attune to my personal taste, and if anything, its roominess was greater.

But the Highlander surprised me. It’s one of the best in its class, and it is definitely worthy of a test drive. It may be beige, but like the carpets and wall colorings in a luxury mansion, under the right circumstances, beige doesn’t necessarily mean bad.