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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  Toyota Highlander - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Leslie Vieau - November 24 - 2:00 am

  Vehicle has performed perfectly in all weather and including in deep mud. Skid control is excellent on wet surfaces. Power is good. Very quiet.

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  Great Car (I mean truck) : ) - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By Presto - November 24 - 2:00 am

  The Highlander is a great car. With the utility of an SUV, and the ride of a car it meets my every need for all 362 days of the year that Im not camping. I love this SUV!!! Good acceleration, nice ride. I have the Limited 4x4 v6. I love it!

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  Great SUV - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By bedeaton - November 24 - 2:00 am

  We bought the Highlander for my wife and she loves it! It has great visability and all options. It is a very comfortable ride with plenty of power with great fuel economy. I would highly recommend this for anyone who needs a little extra room and does not need an off road vehicle.

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  Has It All for 7 - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By momof2inla - November 20 - 9:33 am

  After careful research on midsize 7 passenger SUVs, I selected the Highlander. The captains chair option with stowaway middle seat is truly novel and well executed. I have two toddlers so the other vehicles in the category that would force you to take out one of the car seats from the second row to get access to the 3rd row just didnt work for me. It has all the bells and whistles I wanted like the rear camera, nav system and heated seats and is super well though out inside. It looks good outside too. I had a Lexus RX 300 before this that I loved, and this is comparable with the bonus of seating the parents and in-laws when they are in town.

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  Overall a very good car - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Sam Ng - November 20 - 4:50 am

  Everything is good with some rooms for improvement: 1. Dash design is nice but lack of flat area to mount other items such as phone holder or dash camera. Windshield seems is the only place to mount , which reduces the visibility. 2. Mpg is not as good as rated. I have 70% local 30% hwy and I get 18 mpg.

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  Happy with my Highlander - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By BrianF - November 19 - 10:00 am

  This SUV is Great. Lots of room, the 4cyl has pep and gets great milage. Handles great and can make a U turn in half the space of the MAXIMA I traded in.

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  Tire size for replacement HUGE problem - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Julie - November 14 - 3:20 am

  When considering this vehicle, dont overlook the cost of replacing the tires! The OEM tires do not hold up, even after proper rotation/balance care. At 33,000 I must replace the tires + there are only 3 tires that exist for this make/model! And two of those rated really low (poor handling, fast wear), which means the remaining choice is extremely hard to find + very expensive. Tires aside, my mileage is 17.5-22 (burbs vs. highway). ok, not great. Cabin noise is quiet, handle, fit + finish is a Toyota ... great! Next car purchase, I will always look at tire size + availability.

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  2nd Highlander, very disappointing - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By John C. - November 6 - 9:35 am

  Leased 2nd in May 2017, I wish I could keep 2014 XLE which was much better car with very minor issues. New 8 speed transmission is very slow, jerky and non responsive, GDI engine doesn’t help to get better mileage than the old one. The start- stop feature does effect nothing about efficiency, probably will create a mechanical issues. There is no improvement in driving experience; it is still comfortable but steering doesn’t give any feedback, suspension makes much more noise than previous one. There is no update on the Entune system, it looks and works like designed by amateur software team. Also material quality is far behind the new generation SUVs. There are still some good things about the car; good size, roomy interior, good snow traction, exterior design is better than other Toyotas, standard safety features works fine. Competition is getting hard in this segment, Toyota needs better chassis, transmission, electronics and material quality in and out. I had 4 Toyotas, this would be the last, the new Camry doesn’t give any hope for the new Highlander that always shares the same platform.

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  finally own a real car - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By tfk - October 31 - 7:16 pm

  Have only had vehicle 2 months but it has been great. Handling is excellent and, its great to know Im driving what other evaluators consider the best mid-size SUV on the road. It rides as well or better than any car Ive ever owned. I wish the engineers had lowered the gear lever a bit to afford clearer access to radio controls; and the sun roof should have a buzzer to alert the driver that its still open when leaving the vehicle. The cargo area is ample and the seats very comfortable. I have friends who also own this vehicle and they are very pleased as well.

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  Hightlander - 2001 Toyota Highlander
  By Alena - October 27 - 10:00 am

  Just note, love the vehicle!