I like Toyota hybrid vehicles, as they have been doing it in the Prius since the 1990's, and many other companies license their technology. I've been a tree hugger for years, seeing that I live in Europe, where the price of gas is 2-3 higher than in the States. You don't see many heavy vehicles, like pickups, on the road here, and few V8's.
The Toyota Highlander is a good choice. I test drove one about a year and a half ago when I got to choose a new lease car, but it was just outside my lease budget. I went with the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports (station wagon), which is a C-class car with the length for rockets. The Highlander is bigger, higher, and has a bigger engine, and 4WD, which is nice when skiing in Switzerland. We don't have the Grand Highlander here in Europe, but wish they did.
One thing that Toyota gets right is using a simulated Atkinson cycle engine with their mild hybrids. Atkinson cycle engines, when charging the batteries for the electric motor, operate at a lower rpm than they would while driving the wheels directly, and get more efficient power that way. They do it electronically (thus the simulated Atkinson) without the complicated valves of the original Atkinson design. They put a bigger engine in their vehicles that run at a lower rpm, thus being more efficient.
for a explanation why Toyota has the best hybrid system at the moment, which they've had years to improve. There was a good youtube film from a Toyota mechanic, where he points things out under the motor cap, and explains how the system works, and why Toyota is different from other latecomers to the hybrid game.
That said, anything Toyota has a reputation of not being especially sexy, but just lasting a long time, and cheap to operate. The old Toyota diesel pickups are probably the most reliable pickups used around the world, you see them running forever in third world countries. Just good engineering. If you want something more luxurious, choose the Lexus, which is a Toyota under the skin.
I wish I could have gotten the Toyota Highlander executive edition, which has the JBL sound system. I like music, and road trips aren't the same with a simple standard audio system