Use jumper cables or wires from another battery connected to the battery cables of your car. You don't need much current to keep the electronics alive. (There is a gizmo you plug into a cigarette lighter just for this purpose.) as long as you are careful, or use plastic bags to make sure the +...
The 1.8T is an interference engine, five valves per cylinder ( just like a Ferrari) and you will bend lots of them if the belt breaks. VW recommends 60,000 mile or 90,000 km change interval.
Toyota fixed the floor mats and sticky gas pedals, all the black boxes analyzed so far indicated the people involved in crashes had their foot firmly planted on the gas pedal instead of a brake, few were hoaxes.
So far everywhere I visited in the world, from the deserts of N. Africa, Middle East to the jungles of S. America there is really only one vehicle I see in remote locations: Toyota Landcruiser, mostly with a old school non turbo diesel engine though. The Hummer is simply too large and heavy.
The Highlander will be a more trouble free vehicle. Do not ignore the importance of winter tires on an all wheel drive. AWD will give you more ground clearance, it will help you accelerate faster, but will do nothing to improve stopping and cornering traction (over any regular car). All season...
Own both, both with turbocharged engines. No problems other than a water pump in the Jetta at about 30K miles. The Volvo is a more solid feeling, higher content vehicle. The turbo engines in each need synthetic oil, otherwise you risk smudging the engine, especially the VW.