I have been trying to get an accurate understanding of the likely price of a 2008 Highlander Hybrid. I have seen that the MSRP is approx. $33,000. However, when I go to the toyota web site to build and price the 2008 Highlander Hybrid, it requires that I check the option A box, which pushes the price all the way to the $37,000 level, which is out of my budget. Does anyone know if this option package is actually required? What do you expect the real world purchase price of the 2008 to be for the base model???

The web site attempts to match the availability of certain trims to your area. Whether or not the base trim will ever be available in your area can only be answered by a knowledgeable dealer.
For example, the 4X2 hybrid was never available in NY.

The Toyota website was recently updated. you can now build and price the highlander with the various options. It is no cheap vehicle.