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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  Tried Something New - Good and True - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By Grammar Girl - March 14 - 10:00 am

  Ride is smooth and secure. Tires are huge! Road noise is minimal on highway compared to Camry I had previously. Large storage compartments up front are handy.

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  Amazing gas mileage for suv - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By 04Hldrluvit - March 13 - 5:00 am

  When I first picked this up, I knew I would be paying a lot for gas, but little did I know how great this thing was on the highway, where 95%of my driving is. With the scan gauge tool, I was getting 28 mpg at 63 mph cruise. Interior is very car like and comfortable, buttons are all huge and simple. The awd is not even noticeable. Standard stability and traction control and abs is just why Toyota is dominating domestics.

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  Some Bugs - But Good - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Highlander Owner - March 10 - 3:56 am

  The check engine light kept coming on (Which does not mean much in current automobiles). After three trips to the dealer they finally changed out the entire computer mother board and fixed the problem. Other than that it is an excellent car with great looks and lots of power. After test driving the Highlander all the other SUVs seemed to drive like U-Haul trucks. Definitely get the color coded fender wells, chrome tube step rails, and spoiler, or the truck will look like a minivan.

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  Typical Toyota, awesome! - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By gunner - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Taught chasis, quiet engine with a nice v6 growl under full throttle, nimble handling, smooth powertrain youd never guess it was AWD. Flawless build quality, very nice cloth seating fabric and excellent color selections. The center console is oddly designed and frustrating to use its underside storage shelf while driving.

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  2005 Highlander - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Steve Bucher - March 8 - 1:20 am

  After one year and 16,000 miles, our Highlander has been everything we expected. Great ride, good fuel economy, and excellent utility. No mechanical problems whatsoever.

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  Satisfied At First - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By jlt - March 6 - 11:40 am

  I purchased a highlander after reading hundreds of reviews. I was looking for a reliable vehicle this time around. From the first day I bought it, the transmission skipped. The dealership continues to tell me that this is how Toyotas perform. Recently we took the vehicle on vacation and upon returning, we had to have the transmission seal replaced because of a transmission fluid leak. One tire is bad and when rotated, they placed it on the back of the vehicle, so not I need to have that replaced. I only have 25K miles on the car, so I am becoming a skeptic. I love the looks of the car and the interior. It may be time to trade-in, but not sure I would buy a Toyota again - just not sure.

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  Tires, Brakes, Oxygen Sensor Issues - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By 4redwings - March 5 - 12:49 am

  Tires were shot at 30,000 miles. Odd size makes replacement expensive. Rear brake pads shot at 30,000 miles (grinding heard on LR rotor). Lots of life left on the front pads, so whats up with that? Biggest disappointment was at 30,000 miles and 3.5 years both oxygen sensors on right exhaust went out at the same time. Bank 1 Sensor 1 and Bank 1 Sensor 2 to be exact. $700 repair. I like the car but the reliability is coming into question for us.

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  Good, but choose Sprt/Lim for goodies - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Jose - March 3 - 12:43 am

  Great everything in this vehicle. I wish we had gotten the sports or the limited, because they have the power-lift gate, rear view camera, fog lights, DVD system and power folding mirrors (on sport this is optional). Were looking into adding the some of these features now. But overall were happy with the purchase. Feels like a solid vehicle.

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  good but not perfact - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By eshao99 - March 1 - 2:00 am

  I have driven this car for three months, 3900 miles.The 3.3 engine is not powerful as I thought, compared with my 2.3 super charger V6 and 4.2 V8 engine(may be 4AW drive). 5-speed auto transmission is smooth but jump when climb hill in cruise control mode. And sometimes you can feel low gear change when you slowly stop. Its difficult to close the moonroof precisely (shouldnt put tilt and open devices together). There is no way to drive with window or moonroof open (too much noise bounce inside. may be box interior shape?) Car suspension system is good on rough road. Standard stereo system is bad with ugly antenna (you cannot go to auto wash garage).

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  Great SUV BUT Some Very Annoying Design Features - 2012 Toyota Highlander
  By srflifecoach - February 28 - 2:32 am

  Bought LTD AWD fully loaded except for tow package. Wonderful ride, fun to drive. Compared Honda Pilot but its ride was more truck-like and driver seat didnt raise up high enough for spouse to see over dash "hump" on Pilot. But wondering what Toyota engineers were thinking?? Rain/water drip down on passenger seats when doors open (no drip edge). Bumper step/protector strip doesnt thus you get scratches on edges. Cant program GPS system while moving (not even passenger). Sirius radio reception terrible and doesnt show as much of the song/title/info as my $30 cheapie add-on in my other car. Love 2-yr free routine maintenance & 8-year/100,000mile/$0 ded extended warranty I bought.