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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  Very Poor Fuel Economy -- Average 18 MPG only! - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Sam L - September 12 - 9:42 pm

  The 2017 Highlander is advertising as 20/26 MPG, so far I only get 18 MPG! And I drive mostly on Highway! This is totally fraud advertisement. My 2014 Acura MDX has 22 MPG at least. And the Acceleration of the 2017 Highlander is just painful. Overall its just an average car, and its not worth if you pay over 40K! Im so regret that I didnt add 5K-7K more to upgrade to an Acura MDX, Lexus RX, or Infinite QX60.

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  Disappointed with Highlander - 2007 Toyota Highlander
  By kraley - September 4 - 4:06 am

  Purchased the Highlander about 2 weeks ago and ready to trade it in already. Vehicle makes a weird, rattling/vibrating noise when accelerating from a hard stop. Doesnt go away til you pass 40 mph. Interior visibilitily at night difficult. Cant see buttons etc. well. Worst of all, there are no A/C vents in second row. Passengers sitting in the back row are totally dependent on front seat passengers for A/C vent control. This means front row passengers freeze so that the back seat passengers are getting enough air. This is such a basic oversight I cant believe I spent over $31K for this vehicle.

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  Overrated - 2011 Toyota Highlander
  By Bradley Bean - September 2 - 10:30 am

  After years of owning domestic vehicles, I antied up and paid the big bucks for a Toyota. What a disappointment. The vehicle seemed great at first, but we didnt notice that it rode like a truck until our first road trip. The 3rd row seats are a joke - none of our kids will sit back there so long trips became a nightmare with 3 kids. The navigation feature was klunky and we battled leaks around the moonroof. We also noted that it lacked features like convenient charging ports for devices. MPG was less than reported, but that is typical. The vehicle starts / stops and ran reliably, but for $40K, you expect a lot more. We were so happy to trade out of it!

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  Value for Money - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By amithw - August 31 - 12:10 pm

  I have 169K miles on my toyota. Still rounds great. Only change oil and filters, belts. I get 21city and 24hwy MPG. Great car very reliable. Use good tires and the ride is even smoother. Only defect I see is some clanking noise coming from front suspension. No mechanic could fix it. So I drive with it,

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  Great all around car, but not for touring! - 2013 Toyota Highlander
  By Michael McRae - August 27 - 12:57 am

  I actually love my 2013 Toyota Highlander Limited, but I wish it had more comfortable and adaptable front seats. We have put just under 40K miles on ours and just recently took the first extended trip in it. Both my wife and I couldnt stand to stay in the seats for more than a couple hours. They literally were a pain in the ....

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  Love it! - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By tina - August 21 - 7:36 pm

  My husband and I traded in our 03 Accord to get the Highlander. Im so happy with the decision because it is so roomy but drives like a car. We spoiled ourselves and got the car fully loaded... love it! We live in San Diego but bought the car in Orange County, the one hour and half drive was worth it...the gas barely went down.

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  Quiet ride - 2010 Toyota Highlander
  By james - August 19 - 4:26 pm

  Just traded an 2007 Acura MDX with a 2010 base 2.7 base Highlander with 3rd row. At first , i regret it. The Acura is so much fun to drive while the Highlanders including the SEs and Limited are sleepers and drove like Minivans. Recently, I installed a much better looking leather than the factory ones called Classic soft and had DVD with live TV called Flo-TV and this van has been amazing. We could watch ESPN, MSNBC, Disney,Nick Jr. ,MTV., abc, nbc, etc. This 4 cyl is high on low range torque and just as powerful as a V6. Great MPG and zero percent deal

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  Great Car - 2006 Toyota Highlander
  By Matt - August 19 - 12:10 pm

  Smooth ride and surprisingly good acceleration with the 4 cyl. Averaging over 25 mpg in mixed highway / city driving. Very happy so far.

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  One Nice Ride - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By MAXAMILLION - August 15 - 2:50 pm

  Nice Suv, Perfect for my wife and 2 children and hauling the team where ever I need to when asked 6cl is great nice power

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  After 2 years of research - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By James Howells - August 13 - 4:20 pm

  Very happy with our choice, my wife and I love our new Highlander. It is very smooth and refined, very comfortable seats and great interior. We chose the Oh la la rouge red witch I have to say is kind of a cheesy name for this red color but whatever its great to look at. The V6 engine has lots of power in the high rpm range and it really gets up and goes when you put your foot in it. Im not having any of the problems other reviewers are having with the entune system, it does take some learning and getting used to but it works well when you know how to use it. I do find myself missing some options on my XLE AWD that come standard on the limited version like blind spot monitoring and automatic seat settings, those things should come standard on a suv that cost 37k+. At the end of the day I think the highlander is the best looking 3 row crossover on the market and I have faith in its reliability even though weve only put 2000 miles it to date. I will come back in the future and update this review.