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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wifes favorite car ever - 2003 Toyota Highlander
By sajslade - February 13 - 2:00 amWe like the vehicle overall, but expect a little more in a top of the line vehicle (have a Limited awd 6 cyl)
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Best Vehicle - 2006 Toyota Highlander
By LaVerne Schenk - February 12 - 8:13 pmThis vehicle is great to drive..no problems at all. Wonderful perfomance, great get up an go vehicle.
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Good Car - 2009 Toyota Highlander
By Charles - February 10 - 7:36 amThis is my first SUV. Handles, accelerates, rides excellently. Was pleasantly surprised on the ease of which it was to park and maneuver. It allows excellent visibility for the driver. The cabin is quiet and external noise from other vehicles or engine noise is minimal. You can listen to the radio at the same volume on the city streets as on the Highway. Doors close solidly and the 2nd row seats are comfortable for full size adults. Third row seats are small, and should be used for smaller adults/older children. Note: Running the A/C will take off 3-4 miles per gallon.
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Usual Toyota Qaulity, BUT... - 2003 Toyota Highlander
By dehlerg - February 8 - 10:00 amThe Highlander is good-looking, peppy with the V6, nimble feeling, perfect height for us, roomy feeling, fun too drive. We really dislike the small unlit mirror in the sun visor of this $30,000 car. We dont understand why Toyota wasted time putting electronics in the rearview mirror, including a compass, but then excluded the outside temp gauge. Soundproofing left plenty of room for improvement, hear lots of road noise. Even though based on Camry chassis, Highlander has relatively bumpy ride.. Gas mileage is poor. On a 200-mile round trip averaging about 68 miles an hour, we got slightly over 20 mpg after 6 months of driving.
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Perfect! - 2011 Toyota Highlander
By methodistbill - February 7 - 3:37 pmI finally decided to give up on Honda. The road noise in my last Honda was just too pronounced! But my Highlander is one quiet ride! The V6 provides outstanding acceleration too. Though, it doesnt handle like a sports car and have great off-road manners, it does exactly what I want -- provide a stable, quiet ride. It also provides great flexibility with seating and the seats are quickly and easily folded in order to haul more cargo.
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First Toyota SUV - 2004 Toyota Highlander
By SalemHokie - February 7 - 12:00 pmMy wife and I purchased our Highlander about a month ago. So far, we have no complaints at all. We both really enjoy driving the Highlander. My wife likes the fact that it doesnt feel like she is driving some big vehicle, like a lot of the other midsize SUVs we test drove. One thing I would definetly suggest, is to get some quotes from dealerships online. I got a quote from the dealership for the Highlander we purchased, and the salesman at the dealership was asking about $2500.00 more than what I was quoted online. We had fun with him for a while, till we brought out the quote we had received online. Doing your research and getting some quotes definetly helps.
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Awesome vehicle - 2005 Toyota Highlander
By Jeff - February 6 - 9:26 amRides like a car and extremely comfortable on trips. Wife drives it to work daily and loves it. No comparison and test drove a lot before settling on this. Like it a lot better than the 2 4Runners I owned before. Plenty of power and good gas mileage. All in all a great vehicle that I plan on keeping for a long time.
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Love It! - 2004 Toyota Highlander
By RLH - February 5 - 7:30 pmThis is the second Highlander I have owned and my wife and I love It! We owned our first one in 2003 and it was great. Third row seating and a few other options were the reason we traded a year later. For those of you that are annoyed with the tire pressure light, keep your tires inflated above 29 psi and this should solve your problem. Ive towed a 24 foot boat to the beach and the handling was solid and precise. The 4 wheel disc brakes were amazing in stopping the 3000lbs. behind me. As with any vehicle you must have the proper maintenance performed at recommended intervals and dont wait until a problem arises then blame it on the vehicle. I also own a Toyota Tacoma pick-up for work!
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08 Toyota Highlander, first 500 miles. - 2008 Toyota Highlander
By hutch34 - February 4 - 5:40 pmI was very impressed with the 08 Highlander. The increase in size is just right for me. I was planning to buy a full size SUV but after driving the Highlander, I felt it was the better car for me. So far I have no complaints. The car runs flawlessly and rides very comfortably. I am particularly impressed with the mileage. I am getting between 19 and 21 mpg. I drive a combination of city and hwy. My trips usually exceed 10 miles. This car is especially quiet, I hate a noisy car!! This factor along with Toyota quality and reliability played heavily in my purchasing decision. I came out of an 05 Avalon and the Highlander seems to be quieter than the Avalon.
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So far, so good - 2006 Toyota Highlander
By fleetcaptain - February 2 - 4:33 pmI have the hybrid. I love this car. Very reliable, no problems at 40k miles. Ive towed several trailers over 900 miles each time, no problems.
