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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  Great SUV! - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Great SUV! - June 25 - 12:40 pm

  I owned a Jeep grand Cherokee limited and now this SUV. Love the extra room and the 3rd row. Miss the leather seats...guess once you own a limited its hard to give up all those extra options. So easy to get the kids in and out and its not a mini van! Wish that you could down load a picture on the screen for the clock/back up camera.

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  Regret purchasing this vehicle - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Will B. - June 25 - 4:43 am

  Ive had Toyotas before and been very pleased. Ive had this Highlander for about five months and have serious misgivings about having purchased it. Im reminded of this everytime I have to use two hands to push down the back door.. its very hard to close. Its been many years since Ive driven a car with a noteciably poor transmission but when starting off going down hill (which is how our drive is situated) this transmission is rough. You can see the RPMs reving then hear and feel the transmission catch up. I took it into the dealership but they claim that is the way it is supposed to be. Ive never had a problem with a car until I bought this Highlander and really wouldnt recommend it

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  2008 Toyota Highlander Sport - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Richard - June 22 - 7:13 pm

  The 2008 highlander has been a huge upgrade over our 2003. Thank you Toyota. More room, less noise better braking more safety features and lots of bells and whistles. I know I wont have to worry about workmanship. For as fuel economy it all depends on the driver and the elements.

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  Take the HIGHLANDer - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Romo - June 17 - 11:43 pm

  What else would you expect from Toyota? The Highlander has the legendary quality and performance in a package that also has the SUV look without having to pay the price in ride or economy.

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  The best choice out there - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By glad all over - June 13 - 10:00 am

  We looked at several vehicles but kept coming back to the Highlander. The combination of style, comfort and performance is really the best out there right now for the money. We have been enjoying every minute in our new Highlander, it feels good, looks good and performs fantasticly. The Limited version has all of the features we wanted at a good price, none of the extremes of some other competitors such as Murano or even the Pacifica (yes, we did test drive one). I am looking forward to driving this car for a long time.

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  Very Happy! - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By blueflyyguy - June 13 - 10:00 am

  I am very happy with my purchase. I am able to pull a couple of waverunners up Parleys canyon well, and the Temp. gauge never leaves the middle. I wouldnt pull much more, but I am pleased. I used to drive a Ford Explorer, which gave me an SUV ride, now that I have the Highlander it is almost exactly like driving my Honda Accord. I bought the 2002 model used with 3k miles, so I got a good price break for a practacially new car.

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  Best mid-size SUV - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Dogg - June 10 - 9:15 pm

  Extremely comfortable. Good looking. Proven reliability. This SUV is great. Zero complaints. I did not like the Honda Pilot interior, nor the past reliability, nor the "new" engine, transmission of the Pilot.

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  Solid Crossover Vehicle - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By robert_ca - June 10 - 6:56 pm

  The HL has pretty well met my expectations; it has a clean classic styling, a powerful smooth V6, great handling/breaking and no noticeable body roll, almost car like ride. The interior is comfortable with high seating positions and good visibility. There is plenty of storage throughout the vehicle with easily foldable rear seats with good cargo space in return. Overall the term CSU (Crossover Sport Utility) applies more to the Highlander than SUV, which is fine by me.

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  wonderful suv - 2001 Toyota Highlander
  By tomshad - June 10 - 12:56 am

  First toyota,first vehicle that I bought new that did not have any defects. Great ride ,quiet and yet peppy. Rear seat could be higher off the floor for adult seating.

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  Really Happy - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Randy Cohrs - June 7 - 11:50 am

  We just bought our Highlander but we had looked at cars for a while and relized Toyota had the best car for our needs, good gas mileage, a good amount of room and the car runs very well.