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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  Better than expected - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Frank - January 3 - 7:13 pm

  Traded in 00 Sienna 130k mile, Comfortable ride handles great in the rain. Car grows on you the more you drive it. 3rd row is great for the kids. I wish they had split the sitting. 2nd row is spacious for adults. Cargo Mat and privacy screen are troublesome to put away with last minute seating.

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  Major Disappointment - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By criticalbob - December 31 - 11:56 am

  Five speed transmission is rather rough. First gear is especially useless - you could push the car faster off the line. Handling is mediocre at best, as the car seems heavy and clumsy. Also, like a car equipped with an old fashioned carburetor, it often seems to hesitate and stumble. Gas mileage has been a major disappointment. As one other reviewer noted, the paint can be scratched with a fingernail. Of the three Toyotas I have owned, this is the first one that will be traded after only three years. Seems very overpriced for what you get, so it will be interesting to see what the trade-in value will be.

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  Nice Ride - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Randy Cohrs - December 31 - 3:30 am

  The car has been really good, it drives like a car, has the power to get down the road with extra to go. It gets good Gas mileage, even at 80 and 90 M.P.H. on the hiway it will get 22 mpg. we have really enjoyed all the room it has and the power to pull it.

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  Wind noise baffles your ears... - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By MIDGIE - December 30 - 10:00 am

  I really love my 2003 Toyota Highlander. It is so easy to handle. Wet roads are a breeze. My only sour experience has been when you open the backseat windows. The air bounces around, creating a horrific baffling noise that batters your eardrums. You have to have one of the front seat windows open to prevent this. Hopefully it is a design issue and can be rectified. Im already wanting to get a 2004 with the 3rd row seat.

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  Cargo space? - 2010 Toyota Highlander
  By A. Vesparado - December 30 - 8:03 am

  Cant tell you how Toyota measures cargo space, but, they must not use the standard formula of W x L x H. The stated 95.4 cu in is grossly overstated: Measuring w/ back seats down, from the tailgate to back of front seats, from the roof to the floor (top of lowered seats), and, from the widest width, I come up with 70" x 34" x 42". Totaling 99,960 cu in. Divided by 1,728 cu. in. that make a cubic foot, I come up with 57.8 cu ft. If the driver and passenger are cargo, that might make the difference. Measuring the same area on the Honda Pilot, I come up with 74 cu ft plus about 1 1/2 feet under the back mat. And, the seats all lay flat. Unlike the Highlander.

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  160,000 miles - still going strong - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Alan - December 25 - 6:33 pm

  Our 2002 has 160,000 miles on it and has been a very reliable vehicle. I do all of my own routine maintenence work, and filers, plugs, etc., are easily accessible. The engine and auto trans still run like brand new - does not use any oil between changes, has never needed any internal engine or trans work - and never had any problems with any major components. We live on a rough gravel road, and the suspension was starting to feel a bit lose at 150,000 miles - I installed new struts, link rods, ball joints, bushings, etc. and it is back to feeling very "tight". The Idle Control Valve became dirty and caused stalling problems, but once I cleaned it problem went away.

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  Best SUV in market today - 2010 Toyota Highlander
  By Solid performance - December 23 - 9:56 am

  After trying many SUVs I found Highlander combines power, ride quality, interior room with descent fuel economy. Car rides very smoothly and engine has lots of power when needed. Great visibility and easy to park.

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  Mountain Monica - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Monica Geyer - December 22 - 3:38 pm

  I am loving it!

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  TIRE PROBLEM LIKE NEVER BEFORE ????? - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By White Highlander owner - December 20 - 9:42 pm

  This may be isolated to my vehicle but, at about 8500-9000 miles on the 2017 Limited AWD, the tires began to vibrate and make a mild grinding noise. The dealership rebalanced them and I suspect rotated the front to the rear. It was taken back to the dealership for a more through test. The problem was identified to be in the rear tires. Added weights were installed on those tires. I now have a new car that drives and sounds like I have off-road noisy grinding vibrating tires as low as 30 MPH on very smooth road surface.

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  Still love this car - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By ontrack - December 19 - 2:00 am

  After almost a year of driving my Highlander, I still love it. After driving vans for many years I wanted a smaller vehicle but just couldnt get comfortable in a regular sedan. The Highlander is perfect for me. It drives like a car but functions like a small van. The gas mileage is great. I will keep it for a long, long time.