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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  Toyota has done it again! - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Lucky 765 - July 31 - 2:00 am

  Highlander has an excellent ride and is also comfortable. Interior is well laid out and easy to use. It is full of safety features and fuel economy is good for this type of vehicle. Easy to get in and out of and as usual quality shows everywhere.

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  Smooth SUV - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By cal1951 - July 30 - 10:00 am

  Great first SUV. If you want security of 4WD, but not the rough ride or truck like feel of most of the SUVs on the market, this is the vehicle to test drive. Both my wife & I are comfortable driving and riding in it. Not as much interior storage as some of the other SUVs, but nicely laid out and finished.

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  Positive Experience - 2013 Toyota Highlander
  By C - July 29 - 7:14 pm

  Great vehicle overall. Toyota put cheap tires and battery on it and those were changed out at about 20k. The only repair was a window regulator at 35k. My next car purchase will almost certainly be a Highlander.

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  My 2016 Highlander - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Al Haynes - July 27 - 2:11 am

  This is a nicely designed vehicle, howver, the Ipod/MP3 device is visible when connected. It would be great if a device could remain in place and somehow be concealed or out of view. Platinum models should also have automatic folding mirrors when the vehicle is parked. I just love the panoramic moon roof and luxurious interior!

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  Beautiful SUV, with the drive of a car. - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Mary Allen - July 26 - 2:00 am

  The highlander is a beautiful SUV. It is stylish with all the features anyone could want. It rides like a car. Gas mileage is great. I cant wait until the hybrid is available then it would have really out did it self. Toyotas are great vehicles. And I love to drive the highlander.

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  A FINE CAR............ - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By ED GRECO - July 25 - 4:00 pm

  THIS CAR HAS ALL THE COMFORT & RELIABILITY THAT WE DESIRE. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE HYBRID VERSION. WE WILL COMPARE WITH THE ESCAPE HYBRID.

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  Best of the Bunch - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By ladydriver123 - July 24 - 9:03 am

  Just bought the Highlander Limited after a 4 month search of various SUVs. This car is awesome! Lots of space, optional captains chairs in the backseat as well as heat & a/c, backup camera, keyless ignition, and so many more extras. The powerful engine and 270hp helps make the ride very smooth, and fast. The Blizzard Pearl color w/gray interior was hard to find, but so worth it. Car has more features than the Lexus RX 350, and Toyota reliability is a given. I looked at both luxury and mid-range SUVs, and the Highlander was absolutely the best of the bunch.

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  Best Car Ever Owned - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By S-port U-tility - July 20 - 6:50 am

  I owned everything from rice-cookers, german sedans, 911s and F350s and this 2008 Highlander is the best blend of utility, speed and comfort in any car Ive driven. Needing 5000lb towing for smaller farm duties, grinding out daily one-hour commutes with speed and good gas mileage (18.8-21.0 depending on driving style) and great 2nd row passenger leg and head room (Im 6-2) no one in the family is complaining. Bought the Base AWD. Added leather and tow hitch. Still almost too nice for utility work. Toyotas should hold up quality-wise. If it does, this one will be with me until one of us take a rest!

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  Nice and comfortable SUV - 2009 Toyota Highlander
  By HighInSeattle - July 19 - 10:43 am

  I purchased the 4cyl model instead of V6 since all V6 models in Seattle area come with AWD. I didnt want to pay extra for AWD and the fuel economy of 4cyl is better than V6. I was a bit apprehensive that the 4cyl may lack the punch, but I was so wrong. The 4cyl engine packs a lot of punch and is very smooth - except when accelerating or going uphill when it does growl a bit. I get 22 MPG in normal city driving and there are a lot of hills in my neighborhood. The interior is very comfortable and has ample space for 4 persons. This SUV drives and handles pretty well and feels very safe and solid. Reliability is 5 for now - I will provide an update after 6 months.

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  Realy wanted to buy it - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Dennis Martin - July 17 - 11:08 am

  Passenger seat is only 4way and rear seats r so uncomfortable for passengers, as thats important to have r passengers be comfortable