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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  Not what it used to be - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By aman12 - October 24 - 2:55 am

  You may have heard of Toyotas incredible longevity and build quality. True with the 1997 Camry. Not so for this car. Build quality is horrendous. I have to take constant trips to the dealership to get rattles fixed all over the car. The armrests on the doors kept constantly braking until I finally had them replaced with plyglass (payed for by Toyota). 80k miles- a loud whine developed in reverse. Had to get the transmission replaced. Latest problem? The trunk doesnt go up all the way. Back to Toyota to get the Hydraulic mechanism replaced. Should have payed 20k not 40

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  Nice car with a few glaring flaws - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Tom H. - September 26 - 9:36 pm

  Overall, the highlander is a good car. Soft ride with good acceleration...but you have very little feel of the road. Everything seems very well put together and of high quality. Basically, this seems like your typical Toyota vehicle. However, the instrument panel seems to have been designed by someone new to the technology. Most of the options wont save as default, the GPS is horrible, and trying to use the touch screen while driving is too distracting. The menus arent intuitive, and thingshe that should be prominent one click buttons require use of sub menus. These are things that you dont notice on a test drive, but really get on your nerves after having the car for a month.

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  Big Mistake - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By unhappy - July 9 - 2:43 am

  I have had my Highlander for about 2 weeks now and I can honestly say that I would never have leased this car if I had driven it for more than a few minutes. The steering wheel makes a clicking noise and I feel a click when I turn it. The third row has giant headrests that block your view out the back window. This is really not a 7 passenger vehicle unless the person sitting in the middle seat is tiny (and then they should probably be in a carseat!) I dislike driving the Highlander soooo much and dont know how I will keep it for the next 38 1/2 months. Was trying to save some $$ and didnt save very much and got a car that I hate. I keep hoping it will grow on me, but then I drive it!

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  Comfy, but lacks refinement - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By rkramer455 - May 9 - 3:06 am

  Overall its a comfortable vehicle with lots of leg room in the rear. However, using it for travel to cycling events has shown major problems. With a hitch rack on the back and gear inside, the rear end squats and the front raises up. This causes the front to wander dangerously, especially in the rain. The tire wear problem is well known and at 35k miles, expect to replace them. There have been numerous rattles in the doors and currently the rear seat vibrates loudly even at low speeds. The FWD just has poor traction and easily spins its wheels at the stop light.

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  Poor Transmission - 2007 Toyota Highlander
  By Chuck - April 26 - 11:20 am

  Have had rough downshift from day one. Took the car to local Colorado springs dealer and they say within specs, cant do anything. On slight uphill and SLOW advance of throttle the transmission (20-30% of time) SLAMS into a lower gear. Sometimes feels like it drops two gears. Just bought new Infinity and the shifting in all directions is silky smooth. Cant imagine buying another Toyota. Rest of the car is OK, not great but OK. Clumsy third rear seat.

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  So So SUV - 2006 Toyota Highlander
  By bobby04 - March 5 - 7:16 am

  Purchased this vehicle in 2006 for my wife. After about 2 months we realized that this vehicle is not for us. It has the V6 but is very underpowered. It will hardly get out of its own way. The seating is very uncomfortable. The most disappointing feature for us is the traction control feature. This cannot be turned off. While in light sand at the beach, the traction control locked up all wheels with the brakes as the wheels wanted to spin. This also happened in an icy condition last winter. Very disappointing. The quality of the vehicle is typical Toyota. It will probably outlast us all. If you are considering a Highlander, think about how you will use it and what your expectations are.

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  NO MORE TOYOTA - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Ap Singh - February 24 - 3:02 am

  We had 4 camrys before and we bought this 2017 highlander full of problems this is the last t

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  Just out of warranty, radio, Nav unit broke - Ugh - 2013 Toyota Highlander
  By osfans - January 27 - 12:29 am

  2013 Highlander LTD. We are just out of warranty and the radio and Nav unit started going crazy and would operate on its own. We brought it to the dealer to find out its going to cost $1500- $2000 to fix. The reason I bought a Toyota is so that we would not have these issues. Anyone else have these issues?

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  Major Disappointment - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By criticalbob - December 31 - 11:56 am

  Five speed transmission is rather rough. First gear is especially useless - you could push the car faster off the line. Handling is mediocre at best, as the car seems heavy and clumsy. Also, like a car equipped with an old fashioned carburetor, it often seems to hesitate and stumble. Gas mileage has been a major disappointment. As one other reviewer noted, the paint can be scratched with a fingernail. Of the three Toyotas I have owned, this is the first one that will be traded after only three years. Seems very overpriced for what you get, so it will be interesting to see what the trade-in value will be.

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  Cargo space? - 2010 Toyota Highlander
  By A. Vesparado - December 30 - 8:03 am

  Cant tell you how Toyota measures cargo space, but, they must not use the standard formula of W x L x H. The stated 95.4 cu in is grossly overstated: Measuring w/ back seats down, from the tailgate to back of front seats, from the roof to the floor (top of lowered seats), and, from the widest width, I come up with 70" x 34" x 42". Totaling 99,960 cu in. Divided by 1,728 cu. in. that make a cubic foot, I come up with 57.8 cu ft. If the driver and passenger are cargo, that might make the difference. Measuring the same area on the Honda Pilot, I come up with 74 cu ft plus about 1 1/2 feet under the back mat. And, the seats all lay flat. Unlike the Highlander.