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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  Great SUV - 2006 Toyota Highlander
  By CMS - July 18 - 12:36 pm

  I have had my car two weeks, already 400 miles, and love it. I have had 4 different SUVs, all from different manufactures and I think I have found what I have been looking for. The seats are comfortable and there is plenty of leg room. It is fun to drive, handling is great even in the snow and the engine is so quiet and there is no wind noise. Mine has manual adjust seats and I actually have the setting more comfortable than the 8 way power seats I have previously had. I always kept adjusting those and never found the right comfort zone. As the newer models come out they are very sleek but also have huge blind spots, this SUV has none.

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  Another Toyota - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By collinsdgc - July 17 - 12:33 pm

  I purchased a Toyota for one reason, I have to have a automobile that will run and not have mechanical problems. The biggest selling point for me is that the new Toyotas have timing chains (no more belts). This might seem strange to you but I have had three cars in the past die because of timing belt failure. The over-all quality of the highlander is A+, the exterior design is Ok, the comfort and performance is great and I would highly recomend this highlander to anyone who enjoys perfection.

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  Highlander - Comfort of a Cloud - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By Gracedpoet - July 17 - 10:00 am

  My Toyota Highlander is a Joy to drive, completely free of mechanical problems, and most importantly very comfortable, especially for those of us with bad backs.

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  Good buy - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Gordon O"Neil - July 17 - 10:00 am

  This car is an excellent buy. I bought it fully loaded forv $31,000. It has a great stero and the best ride.

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  4 Cylinder - Better Than You Think - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By CHM - July 14 - 2:00 am

  I think most people assume that you need the V-6 option with the Highlander, but if your driving is mostly suburban, the 4 cylinder is more than adequate. The 4 cylinder also does well in highway driving. I chose the 4 cylinder because I wanted to maximize my fuel economy, but still get into a somewhat larger SUV. (I used to drive one of the mini-SUVs)

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  Base V6 - 2009 Toyota Highlander
  By BMac - July 13 - 11:03 pm

  Base V6 is nice, have Value Pack 2, but for the money would have liked rearview to have auto dim and compass, read hatch to open glass, include fuel computer. Bottom line would like some more standard options included for the price, but looks nice and very functional.

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  I am soooo happy - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By MBurrill - July 9 - 2:00 am

  I just turned in my 97 Jeep/Sport and I was lucky enough to find the Highlander in my search for a car with an excellent reliability rating, with some driver height so I could see above alot of the traffic. I was amazed to find the sweet car-like cruise ride, the incrediable leg room for my rear passengers (which is sometimes me!) and noting a great resalability helped me feel assured in my decision

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  2018 Hylander XLE AWD - 2018 Toyota Highlander
  By Michael - July 6 - 4:49 pm

  Overall a really great vehicle, very comfortable. Interior could be a bit classier but it is still good. This is a family hauler and it does that incredibly well. This is a solid generally pleasing vehicle. I test drove countless competitors comparable models multiple times. It took me 3 months to make this decision. Overall ride quality and standard options combined with Toyota’s undeniable reputation of quality and dependability won me over. I have to admit though that every American made suv in this class was superior in comfort, quality of interior materials, ride comfort and amenities out shown every Asian vehicle we tested. However these tended to be priced higher and there is of course the questionable reliability. We tend to keep our vehicles for a decade or more so dependability was the ultimate deciding factor. There is one large problem with the Hylander, the outdated and outgunned engine infotainment system. This system is difficult to navigate and lacks basic things like smart phone mirroring. I am at a total loss on why Toyota would install such a poor system especially when just about every competitor has a much more advanced and intuitive infotainment product. I will say this though the navigation programming is excellent. It is easy to set, has nice graphics that make sense and are easily readable.

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  Nice SUV for the money, only two changes - 2006 Toyota Highlander
  By Mark - July 5 - 2:43 am

  Very good vehicle for the money. Ride is very comfortable. Fun to drive. 4 cyl. is not lacking in power. Im sure 6 cyl. is more powerful, but I chose better gas mileage. So far getting 25.3 MPG highway using air conditioning. Two things could be better. Front seats are too short. Doesnt support my legs as well as my old Explorer. Otherwise, seats are very comfortable. Steering wheel only tilts a little. Explorer steering wheel tilt had greater range of movement and I liked the lower position. Highlander steering wheel doesnt go low enough for me.

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  One of the best cars Ive ever owned - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By D. Quarrell - July 4 - 12:03 pm

  Bought this car new in 02 and have put over 260,000 miles on it and dont regret the purchase ever and would consider buying another 02 Highlander to replace it (with fewer miles, of course, maybe 150,000 if I could afford it). Has never let us down. Vehicles like this justify Toyotas "cant kill em" reputation, not to mention the loyalty of long-term Toyota owners (bought my first one in 71).