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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  Disappointed - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By rdibella - September 29 - 9:10 pm

  1) Significant, frequent and dangerous hesitation problem (reminiscent of an out-of-adjustment carburetor in the old days). 2) Rough shifting transmission; shifts at odd rpm levels. 3) Annoying rear hatch door rattle. 4) Rough starting at unpredictable times. 5) Difficult to moderate AC/heat with the standard controls. 6) Other trivial items that, in the past, would have never been associated with a Toyota product.

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  I love my new Highlander! - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By Andrew 0801 - September 28 - 2:00 am

  I absolutely love the new Highlander. As for reviewers who complain of wind noise on the freeway or cheap feeling materials, I have no idea what theyre talking about or what type of car they are used to driving. The car is quiet, well constructed, feels very solid, thoughtfully designed, and handles well. I know of several people who own the RX-300, and this car feels just as good for a lot less money. The sales/support from the dealership has been excellent, and they made purchasing the car a pleasant experience. We also looked at buying the MDX, but overall found the Highlander to be a better value and have absolutely no regrets.

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  2008 Toyota Highlander - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By NT - September 27 - 9:16 am

  I purchased this car three weeks. I loved the car so far. It came with nav, Bluetooth that connected my cell phone in 2 steps, 4 CD changers that can play MP3 and WMA so you could burn about 130 songs in each CD. It also came with full screen back up camera and a stereo input for iPod or MP3 player. The ride is very quiet compared to my 2001 4Runner. This is the car that has all the leading edge technology.

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  Toyota Base 10 - 2009 Toyota Highlander
  By jerry - September 25 - 12:26 am

  The newly built 4 cylinder engine is best in its class; its like having your own V6 but gas saving is excellently configured. The turns and handling behaves like a Camry and the comfort is leveled like a Lexus RX, I honestly agree, this Highlander is the best of its class.

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  Met Expectations - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Jim - September 24 - 3:46 pm

  This vehicle was purchased because of the towing package option - allowing for a 5,000 lb towing capacity which exceeded most other crossover vehicles of similar size. The vehicle has performed well in the first 9 months. However, initial electrical wiring problems required the vehicle to be returned to the dealer for repairs early on.

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  Roomy! - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Suspar - September 22 - 5:08 pm

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  Excellent Car - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By hellokitty - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Having own this vehicle for a short time has made me love it...really love it! Interior design is well built and exterior is up to date with present designs and looks like it will never be outdated. Acceleration is great, brake system is excellent, overall performance is just what I was looking for. The dealer was very helpful and able to give us what we wanted.

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  Excellent family SUV - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Wayne - September 20 - 11:20 am

  Purchased new Highlander Limited AWD about a month ago, primarily for my wife. Interior is comfortable and well designed. Lots of bells and whistles including a great nav system, and JBL sound. Plenty of power, and responsive steering and brakes. Fun to drive, and looking forward to our first long trip. No problems so far. Primarily in town driving so far, and averaging abou 18.4 mpg. Appears to be an excellent family SUV.

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  Could be perfect - 2011 Toyota Highlander
  By toyotalover4 - September 14 - 7:28 am

  We turned in our 07 Lexus 350ES and got this SUV. The feel and drive of the SUV is very nice inside and out as you expect such from Toyota. However, there are few things lacking to be perfect. I hope Toyota address them for the future production. 1. Memory Seat buttons for driver and passenger seats-It would be nice not to adjust the seat settings everytime you take turn for driving. 2. More sitting options for passenger seat-should be comparable to that of of drivers. 3. Wooden panel for window open/close button-overall, the car feels luxury, exept for this cheap plastic panel. If 1,2,3 are addressed, then this SUV can be called perfect in my opinion.

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  Love being off the ground! - 2010 Toyota Highlander
  By debik - September 9 - 10:00 am

  Went from a small Ford Focus that was about 7 inches off the ground to sitting up and visible! A little concerned about the light steering. Seems to want to steer itself. Still getting adjusted to size. I have leather and love the captains seats in the 2nd row. Have the third row seat down and liking the cargo space. Taking dealers word that there was and still is nothing wrong with Toyotas gas pedals.