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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  Highlander I4 base - 2012 Toyota Highlander
  By pady - October 13 - 8:23 am

  I bought new Highlander I4 for more than a week. Drive is smooth and quiet. I think it has enough power from start and good gas mileage. First trip average is 27.7mpg/gal highway. If you drive both I4 and V6, you can see the different in acceleration, but if you not plan to race, you will be fine. Overall I am happy with it.

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  Love It! - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By NHMountains - October 13 - 7:00 am

  We love our new 2008 Highlander. We were looking at the Honda Pilot but are very glad we went with the Highlander. Gas mileage is what you would expect for an SUV of this size but better than stated by Toyota. Living in the mountains I have used the downhill assist and it worked great. We also like the ability to switch to manual shift. It will come in handy this winter. Havent used the snow button yet but will probably use it quite frequently this winter. We went with the base because the price of the additional features wasnt worth the extra money for us.

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  2003 Highlander - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By RTregle - October 10 - 2:00 am

  The highlander is a wonderful mid size, car based SUV. It is a dream to drive with a wonderful ride/suspension. Praise Toyota for producing this model. Praise Lexus for leading the way with the RX300 from which so much was taken from.

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  satisfied - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By mary harrell - October 9 - 10:13 pm

  our highlander has been very dependable. weve driven it to atlantic city a few time. its a very smooth ride, and comfortable. we havent had any problems with it.we would reccomend this vehicle to any one.its very good on hills. we bought the toyota highlander,because we didnt like not being able to see. we owned the toyota camry,before the highlander.it was hard to see the traffic ahead,because of all the suv;s and trucks in front of us. we are completely satisfied sincerely mary harrell somerville,nj

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  Great improvement from previous model - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Greg - October 8 - 10:56 pm

  Having owned the 2005 Highlander, I find the redesigned model to be better handling, more powerful, smoother transmission, and vastly larger feeling inside. Being our family vehicle, I found the 2005 model to be basic transportation but nothing special to drive. The 2008 model I actually enjoy driving and find it has some level of excitement, as well as far more practical access to the third row seat. Mileage has been slightly better than advertised 24 vs 23 on a recent highway trip. Found very comfortable on a long distance trip.

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  Like this car.... - 2001 Toyota Highlander
  By rayvann - October 8 - 2:00 am

  Great car...lowsy cup holders.

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  HEAR ME NOW...NOW...HOW ABOUT NOW? - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By ralph barlow - October 7 - 5:26 pm

  The Voice Recognition is very poor. Tried to teach the system my voice many times. I have had other cars that learn my speech without any problem. NOT THIS CAR.... TOYOTA NEEDS TO FIX THIS!!! Also... nice to have a small storage compartment at the bottom left side of the steering wheel. But, remember to close it before exiting the car... or you will feel it....

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  Long Lasting! - 2007 Toyota Highlander
  By Peter Fenner - October 5 - 7:33 am

  I bought this car new in March, 2007 and have 163,000 miles on it. Ive done all the maintenance but my repair bill has been exactly $10 for a new gas cap! Its by far the most reliable car I have ever had and it still runs like new! The only negative is that even with the V6, its a little sluggish, but it rides smooth and has never let me down. As far as maintenance, the brakes are very strong, I can stop on a dime, and last a long time (around 75,000 miles). The tires do wear fairly quickly. Overall, how much more can I ask for and given how its running, even though I have the itch for a new car, why would I? It will be interesting to see how long it lasts - As I mentioned before, it sounds no different than when I drove it off the lot! Ok, its three weeks after I wrote the above review. The transmission died just short of 164,000 miles. Its a bit disappointing to say the least. Still a good car but I expected it to last beyond 200,000 miles. Donated it to Goodwill and bought a Honda CRV. Oh well

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  I love my Highlander - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By SusieF - October 2 - 10:00 am

  First trip 1500 miles thru the West Va mountains. It handled like a dream. Smooth, quiet and comfortable. Excellant pickup, Seats are great, Bose sound is wonderful. Auto climate control works well. What more can I say.

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  Just one Quirk - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Tiffin1 - October 2 - 2:59 am

  Great SUV, fantastic to drive, insulates you from the road and traffic noise. Just one concerning trait, heard this strange buzzing noise coming from underneath the rear end about 5 hours after it was turned off and parked in the garage. No idea what it was so Googled it; "This is the sound of a fuel evaporation leakage check and, it does not indicate a malfunction" was the answer in several searches. Sure enough it is in the Owners manual as well. Would have been nice if the dealership would have pointed this out when they were explaining the other features at time of purchase.