Cruising around southern Maine in this week’s test car, we couldn’t shake the feeling that we’d gone back to the future.

No, the test car wasn’t a DeLorean DMC-12, the winged wonder that Doc Brown turned into the most memorable time machine in Hollywood history. Unlike Marty McFly in the “Back to the Future” movie trilogy, we were unable to literally visit the past in our vehicle.

But the 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid definitely transported our thoughts back to 2001 as we considered the gas-electric hybrid drive system that is its most distinguishing feature.

Toyota introduced the first practical hybrid passenger vehicle to the U.S. in 2001 when it began selling the Prius. It had ample room for five passengers, and delivered groundbreaking fuel economy (52 city/45 highway mpg under the old EPA ratings system) by supplementing a small gasoline engine with an electric propulsion and charging system.

The Prius was a technological marvel at the time, but called for some compromises. Its tires were designed for low rolling resistance, so sporty handling wasn’t its forte. It required around 13 seconds to mope from zero to 60 mph. And although it had nearly enough passenger room to be classified a midsize, its 11.8 cubic-foot trunk was smaller than Toyota’s compact Corolla.

Such comparisons have always been hard to ignore when assessing a hybrid vehicle. That is particularly true when the vehicle being reviewed has a non-hybrid counterpart.

That has been the case with Highlander, Toyota’s midsize SUV, since a hybrid version debuted in 2006. In that case, Toyota’s “Hybrid Synergy Drive System” actually delivered more combined horsepower and faster acceleration than conventional V6-powered Highlanders.

Ten years later, that’s still the case. And power isn’t the only area in which the Highlander Hybrid compares favorably to its counterpart.

Our top-of-the-line Limited Platinum edition is every bit as luxurious, accommodating and comfortable as the V6-powered model. It even has the same cargo capacity, which isn’t a given with Hybrids, since they’ve got to make room somewhere for the battery packs that power their electric motors.

There are three of those on the Highlander Hybrid. One drives the front wheels, one drives the rear, and one serves as a starter, electricity generator and transmission ratio controller. The motor up front is rated at 167 hp, and 247 pound-feet of torque. The one that drives the rear is rated at 68 hp and 103 lb.-ft.

The motors work in conjunction with a 3.5-liter V6 engine that has been a Toyota staple for years. Versions of the smooth and robust engine are found in several of the automaker’s models. In this application, it generates up to 231 hp and 215 lb.-ft. of torque.

If all of that horsepower could be added together, the Highlander Hybrid could be a 650-hp dragster. But it doesn’t work that way, because the Hybrid Synergy System is judicious in its power delivery, providing only as much as needed to the wheels that need it. That’s how the Highlander Hybrid’s all-wheel drive system works too.

All told, Toyota says the Highlander Hybrid will produce a max of 280 hp. That’s 10 more horses than a conventionally powered V6 Highlander.

Toyota doesn’t even offer a maximum net torque rating for the Hybrid. Suffice it to say that it has plenty of thrust, and feels more responsive than the gasoline-powered Highlander. That’s no surprise, since electric motors are known for their ability to deliver maximum torque nearly instantaneously.

Although the Highlander Hybrid feels more responsive than the V6-only model, both accelerate from zero to 60 in around 7.5 seconds. That’s because it weighs about 353 pounds more than the gasoline-powered Highlander.

Most of that weight is for the sealed nickel metal hydride, or Ni-MH, battery pack, which requires no routine maintenance or charging. The Highlander uses its third electric motor and a regenerative braking system to replenish the battery.

That braking system was another element that transported us back to 2001. Although they’ve gotten marginally better over the years, the regenerative braking systems on Toyota’s hybrids have never been unable to deliver the feel and linear stopping power of the automaker’s conventional braking systems. That’s not to say the Highlander Hybrid lacks stopping power. But stopping it smoothly can be a challenge.

The only other drawback to the Highlander Hybrid is its premium price … or rather, the premium one has to pay to own this particular hybrid. Sticker price on our fully loaded test car was $51,385. The non-hybrid version has a suggested list price of $44,990. Same features, same equipment, but minus the Hybrid Synergy Drive system.

Shoppers shouldn’t expect to recoup that difference in fuel savings. Granted, the Highlander Hybrid’s 27 city/28 highway/28 combined EPA mileage rating is more appealing than the V6 Highlander’s 18/24/20 mpg rating.

But a V6 Highlander owner who drives 15,000 miles per year and pays $2.50 per gallon of gas would pay only $536 a year more than a Hybrid owner. Consider how many years it would take to make up the $6,400 price difference between the vehicles … even if gas soars back up to $4 a gallon.

Hybrid fans will no doubt argue that it isn’t only about saving money at the fuel pump. Hybrids are greener because they burn less fuel and therefore produce fewer emissions than their conventionally powered counterparts.

Fair enough. But if that’s really a priority, perhaps the Prius is a better choice than the Highlander, even in 2016.

NOTE: Although it hadn’t hit showrooms when this review was written, Toyota has announced that the 2017 Highlander will feature a redesigned 3.5-liter V6 on Hybrid and conventional models. Featuring direct injection, Toyota states the new high-tech engine will generate “significantly more horsepower, provide enhanced fuel efficiency, and deliver a more direct driving feel.”

— Scott Wasser is a professional writer and editor who has been reviewing autos for more than a decade. He lives in Scarborough.