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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  I STILL LOVEIT - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By ATOY4ME - August 11 - 2:00 am

  I will have had my highlander for 2 years come January and I still love driving it. It drives just like a car and not a truck.

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  Love the ride - 2006 Toyota Highlander
  By Jas - August 10 - 1:23 am

  After driving a toyota pickup for many years, my last one being 04 four door prerunner, I decided I needed a vehicle that was like an suv but not that big and good on gas. Tada, the sport highlander caught my eye. After doing research and a test drive in the 3.3 6 cyl I was sold. The comfort, roominess and power are incredible. But the first thing I did was change out the factory goodyears 225/65r17 with michelin cross terrain 245s and the ride got even better. Highly recommend. Happy Highlander Owner.

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  Bruce Lees Opinion - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By bruce Lee - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Great Vehicle

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  Six Month Experience - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Ron - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Comfortable ride and driving experience. Really a car with SUV capabilites for bad weather and road conditions. Like the high ride with car feel. Would not reccommend for real off-road activites. has very nice cargo capacity for a SUV of its size. I really like the tight feel of the car and Toyota dependability.

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  An SUV I can live with - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By ChuckHawley - August 7 - 5:50 pm

  Please understand that I really hate SUVs, but my family needed a car that could hold 6-7. I have always thought that the Highlander was the best looking small SUV, but I didnt realize that it had a third seat that would allow it to hold our family. We sold our Eurovan and bought a dealer demo, and I think its the best car I have ever owned. At 25K miles, its tight, quiet, comfortable, and everything that I could ask for in a family car. We happened to buy the loaded model, although I would have been happy with any combination as long as it had the third row. We have had it off-road once in Tahoe, and it handled a very rutted, rocky climb with ease. Highly recommended.

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  Great car - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By jwilson778 - August 4 - 2:00 am

  After 18 mos one trip to dealer to fix rear axle seal. Smooth v-6, decent mileage very good storage for the size. 8 year warranty on engine (to address sludge fears). Traded Odyssey LX for this more reasoable sized car but still have the high ride height and got AWD

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  Expected Better - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Norlin - August 4 - 2:00 am

  Purchased in Southeast Toyota region. Southeast Toyota leather installation is poor with many wrinkles and little or no padding, recommend getting the factory installed leather. There is a drivetrain vibration feeding into the steering wheel. We drove 3 Highlanders and noticed the vibration to some extent in each.My 1994 Camry with 175,000 miles has less feedback into the steering.There is limited tire selection for the 17" wheels, either the Goodyear Infinity or Michelin LX4. Was forced to take the sunroof since Southeast Toyota delivers with all Limited Highlanders.Very disappointed with this Toyota especially in light of the high cost.

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  suggest improvements - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By gmp - August 4 - 2:00 am

  I have only had the vehicle for 2 weeks. I commute between Dallas and Houston. I like the comfortable seats and the great speaker system. Mileage has been about 21MPG on the interstate.

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  This SUV is awesome - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Galileo - July 31 - 10:00 am

  I have had the Highlander for almost a month and I can say it is a great vehicle. The ride and pickup are far superior to the Honda Pilot. The back seat is as big as anything on the market today. If you are looking for a vehicle that you only need the third back seat occasionally this is it. One major selling point, can negotiate the price on the Highlander where as it was take it or leave with the Pilot. The Pilot has the better third row seat, but the Highlander beats it hads down on passenger comfort and ride. I would highly recommend this vehicle.

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  very reliabel car - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By edneva - July 31 - 10:00 am

  Our new Highlander Limited 2004 is a very reliabel car what makes a good feeling while driving. This is the SUV we needed to go off-road for a little, as we use it for the most on paved road.