We are driving the large, seven-seater Toyota Highlander in Stuttgart's rush hour traffic.

For the next destination we absolutely need the navigation system.

Good traffic data is required, in Swabia everything is jammed again.

Apple Carplay is supposed to calculate the route, but while we are struggling meter by meter out of the city, the cell phone goes on strike.

A look at the display shows: Only the slow Edge is available, and that in the best Telekom network.

Without mobile communications, there is neither route calculation nor navigation.

So that's not the way to go.

Michael Spehr

Editor in the “Technology and Engine” section.

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Fortunately, the model variant called "Luxury" of the Highlander has a built-in navigation device.

You can now enter your destination with voice control and calculate the route in just a few seconds.

The example shows: As beautiful as Apple Carplay or Google Android Auto may be, the dependency on the cellular network is a minus point, at least in Germany with its poor expansion.

Anyone who takes a seat in the Luxury Highlander for the first time will be amazed at the huge screen on the center console with a diagonal of 12.3 inches.

You feel reminded of Mercedes and your MBUX, there is something about it.

In the smaller "Business Edition" and "Executive" models, the display measures just eight inches, and the Business Edition also lacks navigation.

As in a Mercedes, there are many different ways to get to your destination. The monitor is touch-sensitive, you can tap the menu buttons or trigger some functions directly with physical buttons below the display. There is even a separate row of buttons for operating the air conditioning and seat heating and cooling. The screen content can be divided into two in split view mode, so that one side shows information about music playback or fuel consumption, for example, and the navigation map on the other.

In contrast to MBUX from Mercedes, however, the equipment and functionality is only middle class and not upper class. This is particularly noticeable with voice control, which neither knows general commands and commands nor understands the simplest requirements such as "end route guidance". However, when it comes to entering the street and location of the navigation destination, it works perfectly.

The smartphone app from Toyota also plays in the middle class and allows route planning in advance and the transfer of the route to the navigation system.

It also provides pedestrian navigation and shows driving data.

We liked the lavishly large charging cradle for refueling the smartphone battery and the digital rearview mirror, which with a camera mounted on the rear window allows an unrestricted view to the rear even when the trunk is fully loaded.

Here too, however, you have to drive the Luxury to enjoy this beautiful luxury.