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 Highlander is a Gas Guzzler - 2010 Toyota Highlander
By Chandara - January 22 - 6:46 pmI bought this car because I believed the stats as fact. I read that this SUV give you about 18 miles/gallon in the city. But my 2010 toyota highlander got me only 13 to 14 miles per gallon. I only got 750 miles on my SUV right now, but I had to fill up 4 times already. Each time cost me about $45.00. I am spending about $850.00 (car payment, insurance and gas)per month just to drive this car! Totally not worth it!
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best car I ever had - 2002 Toyota Highlander
By gtsai - January 21 - 11:10 pmToyota highlander is the best car / suv I had ever had; I had honda accord, vw, mazda, ford, acura integra and TL 3.2; but nothing like highlander; the quilty the drive, the look. Its the lexus make toyota; enjoyed this car very much. if you thinking of buying a car or suv, you owe to you self to check this one out, about 30k!
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A good buy - 2016 Toyota Highlander
By Ed Reilly - January 21 - 7:00 amBought the car 3 weeks ago. Paid 37,400 on a 40,840 sticker XLE white with leather.Car is comfortable AC is cold both front and rear . Have owned toyota before and played a big part in the purchase. Dependable and reliable. Turned off the ECO button feels the car is being pulled with it on. Gas mileage about 22 hwy 18 city could be better.touch screen has many features takes a few days to get used to. Side mirrors seems large and sometimes block view on turns.
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Great Car! - 2008 Toyota Highlander
By great car - January 19 - 6:16 pmI LOVE this car! We researched new cars for about 5 months before deciding on this one. The interior has more room than the 4runner and yet still has bigger tires and gets better gas mileage. Plus, the third row is standard and folds flat, the 4runner isnt a standard 7-passenger and the seats dont fold flat. The layout of the interior is superior to the pilot and every other car we had test riden. It just by far is the best reliable car that can be sporty, but yet still fit the whole family in. We are a family of 5, and fit very comfortably. I just love driving it!
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Nice Ride - 2002 Toyota Highlander
By Ellie R - January 16 - 2:00 amWe turned in our 2001 4Runner for our 2003 Highlander 4x4 V6. Its VERY roomy, love the power driver seat, location of controls, lack of noise and overall feel.
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Honest Review - 2003 Toyota Highlander
By Kelly in Texas - January 16 - 2:00 amHave just had the Highlander V6 for 1 day but am loving it already. Great ride. Very good gas milage for a SUV. Quality throughout. Test drove Ford and Chevy SUVs then the Highlander. You can just feel the higher level of quality.
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2016 Highlander LE Plus - 2016 Toyota Highlander
By Ken Francois - January 13 - 10:32 amConsider buying LE Plus AWD...especially if theres a chance of moving to snow country.
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2017 Toyota Highlander Limited is a great way to g - 2017 Toyota Highlander
By Jeff J - January 11 - 11:56 pmThe Toyota Highlander Limited is a fun car to drive and ride. It has all of the most modern safety features including Blind spot, Lane assist, Lane departure, brake assist, collision avoidance, and radar cruise control. It drives very nicely and the steering wheel feels good and is heated. This SUV drives more like a large four door sedan than a SUV. The front seats are very comfortable with heated and cooled options. The second row is heated but not cooled. The power lift gate is nice and you can open the back window without opening the gate. The only problem so far is matching the EPA gas mileage expectation.
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Satisfied Highlander Owner - 2010 Toyota Highlander
By DRAC - January 11 - 6:20 amWe purchased this vehicle as a second family hauler. We shopped the Chevy Transverse, Mazda CX-9, Ford Edge, and the Honda Pilot. The Mazda and Chevy had the looks but when fuel economy and reliability was factored in, we decided the Highlander fits our need. The ride comfort was also a deciding factor in this decision. Were averaging 19 to 20 city and 24 to 27 on the highway (75mph) with the Base V6 package. The higher numbers were achieve during moderate driving. (I dont baby anything I drive). Dont let the recent recalls scare you away from this vehicle, test drive one and you will see.
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Highly Recomend Highlander to families - 2003 Toyota Highlander
By MrMnico - January 6 - 10:00 amGreat vehicle for the money, esp if your looking to purchase instead of lease. We bought the 4cyl because it drove almost identical to the 6cyl and it was way better on gas. Ohh lets not forget that the 4cyl has a timing chain compared to the 6cyl which has a timing belt which means cost savings in the future. We did have leather and a towing package added to our model.
