2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited Platinum Interior Measurements (Or: will my windsurfing gear fit?)

Unlike windsurfers, I guess most folks don't buy Sports Utility Vehicles for their utility. Good luck finding measurements for the interior cargo-area of most SUVs. Yes, you can find the cargo area volume. But when's the last time you filled your car with a liquid? Did you even fill the whole thing up?

Thanks to this oversight, I had to visit car dealerships with a tape measure. Yeah, I was the dork measuring SUVs.

I personally made the following interior measurements with a tape measure. Beware: these measurements are rounded to the nearest half inch, and the geometry inside cars is complex. The Highlander is much more complex inside than the box-like Element.

Also, these measures come from a 2017 Highlander Hybrid Limited with the Platinum package. The batteries and electric motors go somewhere. Specifically, I believe the batteries live under the floor of the rear cabin.

These measurements will vary depending on where exactly you measure things. For instance, the diagonal measurements below start from a little cubby area under the rear window on the driver's side. A mast or a boom could probably fit in that cubby, but a bookshelf wouldn't. The bulkier an item, the less of that lengthy you will be able to take advantage of. Also, the cargo opening is curved in multiple dimensions. The distance from the back of a seat to the rear of the vehicle gets shorter as you move the measuring point to the outside of the Highlander.

Remember: if you're trying to fit something more bulky than a tape measure, assume you have a shorter distance to work with. Don't base the purchase of a vehicle only on my measurements -- try to fit your stuff first!

2017 Highlander Interior Cargo Measurements

1. Rear opening height 31"
2. Rear opening width 41.5" near the top, 47" near the bottom
3. Minimum rear width at floor 45.5"
4. Distance from the rear to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way back) 77.5
5. Distance  from the rear to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way forward, probably not comfortable) 90"
6. Distance from rear to the dashboard along the center 112"
7. Distance from the rear to the center console 81.5"
8. Height in rear cargo area 32.5" 
9. Distance to the back of the middle seats 43"
10. Distance along the ceiling from front to rear over passenger seats 98"
11. Ceiling width at the side doors 50"
12. Height behind front seats 46.5"
13. Height at front seats 43.5
14. Diagonal from the rear on the driver side to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way back)  95"
15. Diagonal from the rear on the driver side to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way forward, not comfortable) 102"  

The 2017 Toyota Highlander vs. The 2006 Honda Element

The Highlander is a significantly larger vehicle on the outside than the Honda Element, so my measurements had me double-taking. The shorter, narrower Element wins a few dimensions!

In Favor of the Element

• Rear opening height - a nine and a half inch advantage for the Element
• Cargo area height  - a nine and a half inch advantage
• The height from the floor to the ceiling in front of the driver's seat - a four and a half inch advantage

In Favor of the Highlander

• Distance from the rear to the back of the front passenger seat - an 11 to 15 inch advantage to the Highlander
• A 13 inch advantage to the diagonal cargo area with the passenger seat all the way back
• A 16 inch advantage from the rear to the back of the second row of seats

I also documented measurements of my 2006 Honda Element, along with a description of my my windsurfing gear fits in it.

Read how I battled 11 car dealerships to buy the 2017 Hybrid Highlander Limited Platinum here.

2006 Honda Element Interior Measurements (Or: will my windsurfing gear fit?)

Until very recently, my 2006 Honda Element has been my primary means of windsurfing transportation. One of the primary reasons I purchased the Element was to haul my windsurfing gear. The Element has the footprint of a compact car and the capacity of the Grand Canyon. Almost.

I physically made the following measurements with a tape measure. Beware: these measurements are rounded to the nearest half inch, and the geometry inside cars is complex. These measurements will vary depending on where exactly you measure things.

If you're trying to fit something more bulky than a tape measure, you might have difficulty. Don't base the purchase of a vehicle only on my measurements -- try to fit your stuff first!

1. Rear opening height 40.5"
2. Rear opening width 43.5"
3. Minimum width at floor 38.5"
4. Minimum rear width 4" up from floor 42.5" *
5. Distance from the rear to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way back) 61"
6. Distance  from the rear to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way forward, collapsed,  not usable) 75"
7. Distance from rear to the front console (where the gear shift is) 94"
8. Height in rear cargo area 42"
9. Distance to back of the rear seats 27"
10. Length along ceiling from front to rear over the passenger seats 103"
11. Ceiling width at side doors 50.5"
12. Height behind front seats 46"
13. Height in front of front seats 48"
14. Diagonal to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way back) 82”
15. Diagonal to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way forward, not usable) 98”

Carrying Windsurfing Gear

When I go windsurfing, I usually remove both rear seats from the Element. You almost certainly will need to remove or fold one to get a board to fit.

The Mast

I run two NRS loop straps along the ceiling of the Element. One strap I run between the rear grab handles. The other strap I run between the metal loops the back door latches on to.

The two NRS straps let me suspend my mast just under the ceiling from the rear window of the cargo hatch all the way to my front window. This renders at least one of the sun shades unusable. Obviously I must disassemble the mast first.

The Sail and Boom

Both the sail and the boom run straight back from the area between the front seats to the rear of the Element.

The Board

My Fanatic Skate is about 91 inches long. It too fits inside my Element by sitting alongside my mast and boom. The nose of the Skate curves towards the passenger seat, making it pretty much unusable (unless you don't mind being incredibly uncomfortable). 

My JP Australia X-Cite Ride 145 is much larger, and would fit inside the Element in an emergency. However, if my roof straps haven't suffered a catastrophic failure, I prefer to put the large board on top. I mount the board to my roof using a set of Yakima crossbars and NRS Loop Straps. Unlike my previous straps, my new ones are rated for 1500 pounds.

I mount the X-Cite ride upside down with the front pointing to the front of the Element. The curve of the nose of the board almost matches the slope of my windshield.

I use one NRS Loop Strap pair per crossbar. One loop strap wraps around a tower, so it can't shift from side to side. The other strap loops  around the crossbar. A pad goes over the bar, the board goes on the pad, and the strap tightens over the board.

I'm extra cautious after my board surfed on Interstate 37, so a final loop strap connects to one of the foot-straps to a crossbar. This is probably overkill -- the board seems quite stable without it. However, I hope to never again watch my board cartwheel across 3 lanes of traffic as I yell like a maniac. Once is enough.

I also documented my interior cargo-area measurements of the 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited Platinum.

†Moving Average Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Buying items through this link is appreciated -- it helps sustain my windsurfing habit!

Windsurfing Shoes and Knives

This post is of a slightly commercial nature. Since it can be difficult to find reviews of windsurfing equipment, I hope you find this kind of content useful. I've purchased all of the items mentioned below with my own money. Excepts the socks, which I've never tried. You can find a full disclosure at the end of the post*.

Footwear

Last year I had the unpleasant experience of falling off my board and getting a nasty fish hook and a length of leader wrapped around my ankle. Luckily, the water wasn't rough. I was able to stand on one leg, hold my rig, and tediously unwrap the leader one-handed. I then sailed the hazard back to shore to dispose of it. Surprisingly, I managed the feat without tearing my skin.

This incident, along with sharp rocks, is why I suggest folks wear some kind of footwear when windsurfing on the Laguna Madre. There is a lot of stuff hidden in the mud.

Until recently I had been windsurfing in Vibram Five Fingers. These are form-fitting, glove-like shoes with a thin rubber sole, and separate "fingers" for each toe. I liked them because they are quite low to the ground and so present less of a risk for twisting your ankle like some modern water shoes. You can feel the board through the sole too.

The Five Fingers also do a good job of sticking to your feet so they don't slide as much inside the shoe. They got lots of comments for their strange cartoon-like appearance.

My first pair was a basic model with a velcro strap. Once I wore a hole in those, I purchased the KSO model (i.e. “Keep Stuff Out”). Each of these expensive shoes developed holes between the toes after about one season of windsurfing use.

Although the "board feel" was good, I didn't find them very comfortable for more than an hour or so of windsurfing. My small toes began to feel crushed by the shoes, especially if I was surfing in the straps. The shape toe area made it difficult to get into the straps on my board. Somehow it was always my poor pinky toe that wouldn't make it through the strap.

The Five Fingers could also get very uncomfortable if your toes were forced to share their pockets with sand, pebbles, and tiny shells. Even the “keep stuff out” model still ended the day with a random sampling of beach debris stuck to my feet. It was a relief to peel off the shoes at the end of the day. The KSOs were especially difficult to get on and off.

Since both pairs of Five Fingers had holes in them, I started researching other kinds of footwear for windsurfing. There weren't many thorough reviews, but I did discover some interesting products like kevlar socks.

Before my most recent trip, I purchased a pair of O'Neill Superfreak Tropical 2mm split toe boots to replace the Five Fingers. Sorry, Swiss Protection Socks!

I've only used them for two days, but so far I like them. Because only your big toe gets an individual pocket, the boots are much easier to get on than the Five Fingers. Like the Five Fingers, the boots have a velcro ankle strap to hold your foot in place. Unlike the KSO, there isn't a connecting strap behind the ankle. Because of this difference, I think my feet tend to slide more inside the boot when applying board pressure. The Vibrams seemed to really lock on to my feet.

My favorite feature of the boot is the elastic strap around the ankle opening. You can tighten it to create a snug seal. I didn't get any noticeable debris in either boot on either day, which is a lovely thing. After a day of surfing in the Five Fingers, my feet would be crusted in stuff like a holiday cheese log. Getting bits of shell ground into your feet isn't a pleasant thing.

Since I've only used the boots in light wind, I didn't try getting into board's straps. Considering the rounded design of the boots, I think they will be easier to slide in than the Vibrams.

The boots also seemed to have a grippier sole than the Vibrams, which tended to slip on the deck of my board. I won't know for sure until I have stronger winds to contend with.

Overall I think O'Neill boots are more comfortable for windsurfing, but not perfect. I did have pressure on the big toe when pushing the board forward. It became a little uncomfortable after a few hours. Next time I'll try tightening the ankle strap more to see if that reduces the pressure.

O'Neill also makes a version of this boot without the separated big toe. Those might help with the toe pressure, but maybe at the cost of less robust connection to the front of the feet. In principle, I like how the split toe gives you more to push against than just the side of the shoe. I don't know if it makes a practical difference or not.

I'm curious what these O'Neill boots will feel like in summer. Unlike the Five Fingers, they have very little ventilation, and cover more of the foot. The boot is made from a 2mm neoprene material which has some insulating and padding properties. This is good for preventing sand and rocks from bothering your feet, but it might get hot.

Neither the O'Neill nor the Vibrams feel very comfortable for walking on uneven surfaces. They're especially uncomfortable for walking over gravel and rocks. They have very thin soles. That’s nice for feeling the board and making a solid connection to it, but unlike sneakers, there isn't much of a padded barrier to rocks beating up your feet. It helps to walk with more weight on the toes, which requires some effort.

A Windsurfing Knife

After the fish hook incident, I've also begun to carry a two and a half inch Spyderco Ladybug3 H-1 serrated knife on a lanyard around my neck. I've carried it on several trips where it has been immersed in the hypersaline water of the Laguna Madre. It's unusual formulation of stainless steel shows no sign of rust, and seems to stay sharp.

The knife blade has round opening about 1 cm in diameter on it's back, just large enough to pry the blade open with my thumb. Even after spending time in the salty, muddy Laguna Madre, I can easily open the knife using one hand. This is a critical feature for a knife you might need to use while holding on your board for flotation. The blade locks open automatically.

The lock release mechanism requires two hands to close the knife safely. The release is located on the back. The natural way to press the release puts your fingers between the blade and its home in the handle. This lock arrangement is common, but will make it a little trickier to close the knife when you're on the water. In a knife that's less than 6.5 cm long when folded, there probably aren't many other options.

Hopefully I'll never get tangled in another nasty piece of fishing gear, but I'm quite happy to be prepared.

*Moving Average Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Buying items through these links indirectly helps sustain my Windsurfing addiction and is much appreciated! :)