Overview & Reviews

A pioneering vehicle in many ways, the Toyota Highlander was one of the first midsize crossover SUVs to be sold in America when it debuted in 2001. With its car-based unibody design, the original Highlander provided many benefits over Toyota's more traditional SUVs, including better handling, higher fuel mileage, a quieter cabin, improved crashworthiness and easier entry and exit for passengers.

Since then, the Toyota Highlander has gone on to become one of the most popular crossovers available, appealing to shoppers who want a vehicle with SUV styling, plenty of versatility for hauling cargo and a third-row seat. The third-generation Highlander has the most seating capacity, while the second generation has the most rear cargo space. That said, a Highlander of any vintage is one of the better values out there for those seeking a comfortable, easy-to-drive vehicle that can carry a fair amount of cargo and passengers and handle snow and ice during the winter months while still delivering decent fuel economy.

Current Toyota Highlander
Redesigned for 2014, the current Toyota Highlander is a few inches longer than the previous-generation model and sports notably more aggressive styling. The cabin has also been modernized: Many of the cabin's previously hard plastic surfaces are now covered with softer materials, and the electronics are more up to date.

The Highlander is available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Base front-drive models come with a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine making 185 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. All other Highlanders have an impressively efficient 3.5-liter V6 good for 270 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard with either engine. There is also a Toyota Highlander Hybrid that delivers considerably better fuel economy. It is covered in a separate review.

Toyota Highlander shoppers can choose among four trim levels: LE, LE Plus, XLE and Limited. Highlights of the base LE include 18-inch wheels, a touchscreen display, a rearview camera, Bluetooth and an iPod/USB interface. Moving up to the LE Plus gets you a flip-up rear window, a power liftgate, a power driver seat and tri-zone climate control. The XLE's perks include keyless ignition and entry, a sunroof, leather upholstery, a navigation system and Toyota's Entune suite of smartphone app-based services. The top-dog Limited sports 19-inch wheels, upgraded leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, second-row captain's chairs, ambient interior lighting and an upgraded audio system. Additional safety features like blind-spot monitoring, frontal collision warning/mitigation and lane-departure warning systems are also available on the Limited.

On the road, the Highlander's near-silent V6 engine is complemented by a liquid-smooth six-speed automatic transmission with the refinement you might expect in a Lexus. Acceleration is among the best in this class. Unless your budget will only allow the four-cylinder engine, the V6 is the way to go. Maximum passenger capacity is eight -- more than most other crossovers. The third-row seat is still really only suitable for children, but the second row slides and reclines, maximizing comfort. The interior looks and feels upscale and there are plenty of storage areas for your personal items. Overall, we highly recommend the Highlander if you're shopping for a large, three-row crossover SUV.

Used Toyota Highlander Models
The second-generation Toyota Highlander was produced from 2008-'13. It was significantly larger than the previous model in nearly every way, adding shoulder room, hiproom and legroom all around as well as additional cargo capacity.

This generation Highlander felt spry on the road and was easy to drive, with especially brisk acceleration coming from the V6 engine. We liked the quiet, roomy cabin that seated up to seven passengers. While the Highlander's third row was less spacious than those of some rivals, it was easy to reach thanks to a nifty 40/20/40-split second row with a removable center seat that facilitated walk-through access. Cargo space was also down compared to larger crossovers, but this Highlander should still be roomy enough for almost any family.

For 2008, the only available engine was a 270-hp 3.5-liter V6. In 2009 it was joined by a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine that made 187 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive were standard, and all-wheel drive was available with the V6.

Available trim levels, depending on the year, were base, Sport, SE, Plus and Limited. Standard equipment on the base Highlander included air-conditioning, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and the 40/20/40-split second row bench seat. The Sport trim level (2008-'10) added a more firmly tuned suspension, a rearview camera, a flip-up rear window in the liftgate and a power-adjustable driver seat.

For 2011, Toyota discontinued the Sport trim level and made most of that trim level's equipment standard on the SE (2010-'13). The SE also had a sunroof, heated seats, leather upholstery and an upgraded audio system. The Plus (2013 only) had similar equipment to the Sport. For the Limited, Toyota added 19-inch wheels, tri-zone automatic climate control, upgraded upholstery and a front passenger seat. Major options for this Highlander included a navigation system and a rear-seat entertainment system.

If you're shopping for a second-generation model, take note that the 2008 through 2010 models had a less versatile third-row seat with a one-piece bench design rather than the 2010-'13 model's 50/50-split seat. For 2011, Toyota also mildly updated the Highlander's exterior styling.

The first-generation Toyota Highlander was produced from 2001-'07. It was powered by either a 155-hp four-cylinder engine or a 220-hp 3.0-liter V6. A four-speed automatic transmission was standard. In 2004 the V6 was bumped up to 3.3 liters and 230 hp, and models so equipped received a five-speed automatic transmission, while four-cylinder models soldiered on with the four-speed unit (and 5 extra hp). Available trim levels were base, Sport and Limited.

Base models came equipped with a respectable amount of equipment, including air-conditioning, power accessories, cruise control and a CD player. The Sport trim spiced things up with 17-inch alloys, a sport-tuned suspension, foglights, a power driver seat and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter. The Limited added heated outside mirrors, power front seats, a fold-flat third-row seat (as of 2004) and an upgraded JBL sound system. Popular options included leather seating, an in-dash CD changer, a towing package and -- on the Limited model only -- a navigation system.

Shoppers interested in a used Toyota Highlander might want to confine their search to 2004 models and newer, not just because of the power increase, but also because a third-row seat and rear DVD entertainment system were newly available, enabling the Highlander to remain competitive with the strengthening crop of midsize crossover SUVs. Other significant changes for '04 included the addition of stability control and a tire-pressure warning system as standard equipment, as well as newly optional side curtain airbags for the first and second rows (which became standard on '07 models).

User Reviews:

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  Big Mistake - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By morris - October 24 - 3:03 am

  The research described the Highlander as a very good vehicle. I am dissappointed and trying to cut my losses. I moved to WV a couple of years ago and got tired of bottoming out my 2001 Volvo V70 T5 (100,000 mi). The Hylander has difficulty excellerating on the hills, the brakes grab, the cruise control is jerky and shifts into overdrive frequently (dealer says its fine), the plastic components are light weight and fall off, poor ventilation to the back seat area, seat heaters are inadequate, road noise is excessive, a recent stone star to the windshield revealed a single piece of glass. I do not feel safe and I cant believe I spent the money. My Chevy 2500HD diesel is better.

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  The problem child in my driveway - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By keewee - February 13 - 4:21 am

  My 2008 Highlander started making a severe sparkknock noise upon cold start. A trip to the dealer and they could not find anything. At 61000 miles the noise is still there and the check engine light comes on code P0017. Trip to dealer and they replace the spool valves for the VVT. problem still there. Dealer pulls engine replaces 4 cams, timing gears, and cam holders. Get car back still making noise. 2 weeks later ck eng lamp on P0017, along with p0301,303,305, and 300. Dealer said it was old codes. I knew better. dealer clears codes. Lamp on again this time p0017 & p0018. I called Toyota customer service. Dealer tells ,e that they cleaned the top eng internal problem has not ret now 85k

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  Reliability Problems - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Jim - November 26 - 10:06 am

  Bought new; since then 3 windshields, 3 sets of rear and 2 sets of front brakes, 3 transmission transfer cases, and both sets of rear wheel bearings. Everything except the engine seems to be under specified. The Toyota dealer tells me to sell it as it was made on Monday! My 97 Avalon required only $40 worth of unscheduled maintenance at 130K miles. Whats happened to Toyota quality?

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  Very Disappointing At This Point! - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Greg - October 25 - 5:34 am

  Our new Toyota Highlander with the XLE package has been in the shop even before we received our license plates! We did have 5 1/2 weeks of "new car happiness". Then, while out of town, the tailgate would no longer close (automatically or manually). Then the automatic open/close completely ceased working as well. It is designed so you can manually move the tailgate up and down, but with the latch in locked position and refusing to open, we could no longer secure the door closed. I removed the access panel for the latch and tried to open it, unsuccessfully After calling and speaking with service departments at two dealerships and to a Toyota phone rep, we were still unable to resolve closing the tailgate. In fairness, the service departments did several steps of troubleshooting with me over the phone. But to no avail, - during our 140 mile trip back home, I secured the tailgate with a rope connected to the locked latch. I visited the dealership after returning home. They said the latch has malfunctioned. They also could not open it. The electronics for the auto opening & closing tailgate and the struts (lifters) may also need replacing. They ordered a new latch and said they would replace one thing at a time and troubleshoot until resolved. No time estimate was given since they couldnt tell how many components would need replacing. I asked about a loaner vehicle, while the work was to be done. The dealership said that they dont have loaners, but they do have rentals. They said they were unwilling to "loan" me a rental, because theyd have to bill Toyota for the rental fee. Hows that for taking care of your customers!!

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  Dont Buy. Unsafe and Irritating - 2007 Toyota Highlander
  By garywi - August 3 - 3:03 pm

  Problems: 1. Excessive engine vibration transmitted through steering column. 2. Excessive front braking, front brakes grab, seem out of proportion with back. Braking consistency varies. 3. Cold idle too high, 1950 RPM, transmission slams into gear. 4. Engine idle, loud resonance or “boominess”, growl in first gear. 5. Transmission erratic with inappropriate shifting. Transmission always shifting up to 5th gear at slow speeds, pushing car forward faster when not desired. Car will not downshift when appropriate. Car will drive for a mile without gas pedal input, stuck in 5th gear at 900 RPM. Car is easier to stop if put in neutral. Excessive braking to keep car from surging forward.

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  Paint chiping off - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Mike - May 19 - 5:56 pm

  The paint on the drivers side mirror is not only chipping away but you can actually see it bubbling. The car has less than 50K miles on it but the dealer will not repair or replace the mirror. I also have a 2000 Honda Accord 6 cyc. I looks and drives like its brand new. And is has 111K miles on it with no major work whatsoever. Bottom line, stay away from Toyota. You will never go wrong with a Honda.

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  Save Yourself the Pain - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Kim - August 18 - 12:33 pm

  I bought this car new and when I drove it off of the lot it had a rattle in the steering wheel area. I thought it was not a big deal that they could fix it. I was so wrong! Over a year later and many trips to the dealership the problem still exists. Toyota reps said live with it. The transmission is awful and Toyota is aware of this problem. This was the first year with the new transmission and they have problems; The transmission can sometimes "drag" when you are trying to move forward which makes driving on I-95a lot of fun or it may take it upon itself to move forward when sitting with your foot on the brake. My air conditioner likes to blow warm air in the summer.

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  Cabin Noise is terrible - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By pjd - June 30 - 12:00 pm

  We set a decibel meter in the the cabin and at 70 mph the 93 db reading requires hearing protection by the federal government. You get engine noise at low speed and tire noise along with wind noise at speeds higher than 45 mph. The engine always seems to act as if it is working to keep up at the 55 - 65 mph and the fuel mileage on two long trips of Interstate in excess of 300 miles has not been above 19.7 miles per gallon, currently only have 4100 miles on auto. JBL radio speakers are poor and there is not a setting that will pair volume with increased sound so in town at 40 mph your radio volume is set at 12 for volume and on the highway at 70 mph you need to turn the radio up to a setting of 28. This is my forth Toyota and it will be my last.

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  So sorry I bought it!! - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Not a fan - June 26 - 5:26 pm

  Gas mileage not as advertised. Most uncomfortable front seat!! Too short for people with longer legs. Arm rests do not fall in the proper place for people with wide shoulders. For all its bells and whistles, doesnt have automatic locks (when engaging transmission) which I had on my prior 10 year old car and I consider a big personal safety factor. Poor design on console. Wasted space underneath cup holders. Cover on console opens with weight of pocketbook... very annoying. Doors do not close easily... must be slammed to engage lock. Gas cap release in awkward position. Must open door and unlock seat belt to reach. Doesnt have "Miles to Go" on its Info button, which was very handy.

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  Not for wind - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Jim Fresh - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Not a bad vehicle but should come better equipped. For 28K, you only get cloth seats, power driver seat, and a moonroof. I was able to prive a Lexus RX w/ similar features at 33.5K, should have gone for that but the car was for my mom and she didnt want to pay the price difference. For little more, she would have had the leather and a 4 year warranty, oh and wood instead of that fake aluminum looking stuff on the dash.