2023 Toyota Highlander: Climb in, Fellas!

13th July 2023 Sam Gomez

When Bears think of the Highlands, no doubt we think of burly men with beards in kilts who are ready to conquer the land and dirt below our boots and savagely say something brave as we (nicely) ask for another pint from the handsome bartender. Glitter abounds.

At least, that’s how I’ve seen it on some of the gay streaming services.

The 2023 Toyota Highlander (no relation to the Scottish Highlands) is a gentle beast that can conquer the dirt and road below it while softly and wonderfully getting its passengers from home to paradise and back – or from base camp to The Pillage (the local gay bar) and back to a new hotel – without any interruption in comfort or the need to stop for more supplies because you could not fit all the coolers and luggage in the vehicle.

Yes, Bears, the Toyota Highlander is a Bear-a-Van (it’s actually considered a midsized SUV) and for years it has been a highly rated one. And a very reliable one.

If you watch all those ‘family’ channels like CMT and Hallmark, you’ll see all these nuclear-family-types pile in and pile out of the Toyota Highlander with ease while traveling all over the terrain where concierges abound. Truth is, Bears need to conquer the terrain with the help of a concierge too, and as you know from reading Bear World, there are so many Bear events in your area that perhaps going by car and sharing a room is the smart way to make new friends and find a hus-bear.

The windows on the 2023 Highlander are designed so you can easily see out every angle and every porthole, and that truly helps on long drives. The cabin is nice and luxurious but not so over-the-top that you will feel uptight about passing around your box of tacos and chili cheese fries.

Toyota has some of the easiest, most user-friendly navigation/touchscreens in the car business. And they know that some people like me still like to have buttons and knobs on the dashboard instead of trying to say ‘Hey Siri’ or ‘Hey Alexa’ or every time you need to adjust the A/C or put on the latest bear/dance mix downloads.

Plenty of room inside, men, and so you know, there is a third row of seats, but this is only for your most petite otters. Or your overnight soft bags.

We have an article how to get to Key West Bear Weekend on the cheap, and one suggestion is to drive. Your friends can pile in the Toyota Highlander in style and comfort and truly make a Bear Week of it – and still have plenty of time to meet new friends along the way.