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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  Happy new owner - 2010 Toyota Highlander
  By Don - August 29 - 2:40 pm

  Months of research and test drives came down to Flex vs. Highlander. Went with Highlander largely due to more conservative styling. Extremely quiet, comfortable car. Black after-market leather looks sharp with silver exterior. Great visibility, light steering, easy to drive. Factory tires seem questionable, prone to slipping under even light acceleration. Ride can be a bit bouncy, but overall a very refined, quality vehicle.

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  GREAT CAR! - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By Huey - August 29 - 1:13 am

  What a good investment this suv was. Gas mileage is unbelievable for an suv. The leather is so soft and comfortable. It handles impeciably, nice and tight on corners, super smooth over bumps, and little to no noise intrusion. The acceleration is what you would expect in a sports car, the Highlander is quick, and agile. Its an suv, but with out all the downsides of an suv ( like: gas gussler, big and hard to manuver, not comfortbale, etc) Has a great resale value,......well duh, its a Toyota! (american car companies need to get on the trolley, forgien cars are just outstanding)

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  A lot for your money - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By TNT - August 27 - 5:16 pm

  I did a lot of research and searching for an SUV that would meet my wallet size and travel style and I found the Highlander to exceed all my expectations. It is an SUV that drives like a car. We drove the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Saturn Vue because they were classed so closely and there was no comparison. The Highlander was bar none, the best deal and ride we found for the money. And it is so fuel efficient. I am extremely happy with the vehicle and the sales process we went through.

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  This is a great car! - 2007 Toyota Highlander
  By jemco93 - August 21 - 10:16 pm

  Wasnt the first choice for us but we like it a lot now. I was set on getting a Rav4 and then considered the Subaru Forester but though Id stick with Toyota. Because of limited choices here, we started looking for a Rav4 with 4WD and V6 which is hard to find without being over used. We found a Lexus RX330 and thought this might be it but then later going back we found out it was sold. I had researched the inventory they with had and saw they had a highlander that met our criteria. We looked at it and test drove it and found that we really liked it. So far it been driving well and we plan on using it for 200,000 miles

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  Excellent SUV - 2007 Toyota Highlander
  By T Fontana - August 21 - 1:23 pm

  I love my new Highlander. I loved my Dodge Durango V8, but gas was getting expensive. This is my first Toyota and so far, so good. Very comfortable to drive, Im 52 and hes 511, perfect for both. Nice amount of shopping space and visibility. My 7 yr old love all the cup holders. Only suggestion would be if the SUV came with window guards to protect more from the rain when opening the doors. I wish I had gotten the gray interior instead of the tan, just more vacuuming will be required. Over all very happy with my new car.

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  Best 3 row SUV in its class! - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By CB - August 21 - 6:54 am

  I cant stop raving about my new Highlander! I saw the Pilot and MDX at the dealers and read a lot about the other competitors, Explorer, Traverse, Acadia, etc. It has more standard features than the base level MDX or even a comparable Pilot - for example, to get the 2nd row Captains Chairs in the Pilot you have to go to the highest trim level or to get the Honda Sensing safety features you have to pay 1,000, also Navigation is extra (at least on the EX-L). I love all the standard safety features that are included in the Toyota (collision mitigation, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, etc.) and it comes with optional Captains Chairs (which are very comfortable) on the XLE. Yes, the 3rd row seating is smaller than the Pilot but we dont intend to use it that often and when we do it will be mainly for children so that was not a big issue for us. The rear seat cargo room when the 3rd row is up is smaller than the Pilot but again, we dont anticipate that being a big issue and I believe it is bigger than the other cars in this class. The fuel economy is what you would expect for a car of this size and weight. I did not get the AWD on purpose because we dont need it and it just adds expense, but having said that, finding a FWD was very hard - I call my car the "unicorn" because it was so hard to find. I look forward to driven this car every time I get into it!

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  Hope my love affair w/Toyota continues - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By tlr - August 20 - 9:26 pm

  This is my third Toyota. I started with the ever reliable Corolla that I had for 12 years and 120,000 miles until I passed it on to my niece. Then in 2001, I was one of the first to buy the newly introduced Highlander. It was an instant love affair. Ive had it for 6.5 years and it just hit 96,000 miles. It has had very minor problems or issues. I decided to upgrade to the 2008 even though the new design hasnt grown on me as quickly. I am also finding the "electronic" steering is taking some getting used to and I can really feel the changing of gears in this vehicle much more than my old highlander. I am not totally in love with my new highlander but I am hoping its just the transition.

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  Time to get rid of this thing - 2001 Toyota Highlander
  By Sludge - August 20 - 10:03 am

  I have owned my 01 Highlander for about 2 years. Overall it is an ok SUV, although my wife loves it. We bought it used with 45000 miles and it now has 113000 miles. We have had to replace the tires, brakes, and oxygen sensor ($200!). The heater broke and was stuck on hot for several months, the dealer told us it would cost about $1000 to replace the heater panel. After a long search I found where many others have had the same problem and fixed it. Turns out to be broken solder connections, I resoldered them and it now works for FREE! The rear axle is leaking fluid and was told by the dealer it was the axle seals...$350. Time to get rid of this thing!

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  Save Yourself the Pain - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Kim - August 18 - 12:33 pm

  I bought this car new and when I drove it off of the lot it had a rattle in the steering wheel area. I thought it was not a big deal that they could fix it. I was so wrong! Over a year later and many trips to the dealership the problem still exists. Toyota reps said live with it. The transmission is awful and Toyota is aware of this problem. This was the first year with the new transmission and they have problems; The transmission can sometimes "drag" when you are trying to move forward which makes driving on I-95a lot of fun or it may take it upon itself to move forward when sitting with your foot on the brake. My air conditioner likes to blow warm air in the summer.

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  Great SUV - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By bruce - August 18 - 5:30 am

  After looking at many cute utes and mid-size SUVs, my wife and I settled for the Highlander. After driving a 1992 Subaru Legacy we feel like we are driving a great handling and powerful SUV. I am very pleased with the overall appearance and driveablility. The only drawback is a slight hesitation when accelerating to merge into traffic. I found if I dont punch down on the accelerator, but give a more gradual throttle, the hesitation is minimal. Even though we bought this Highlander used, it comes highly recommended. Any vehicle that can stand the heavy usage that comes with a daily rental and still feel very solid is well designed and solidly put together.