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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  Excellent Highway Mileage - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By chitown1075 - October 27 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle gets excellent mileage on highways. The design is functional and great for long trips. Good leg-room.

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  Highlander AWD Limited - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Patches007 - October 27 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Highlander 3 months and LOVE it!

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  Better than my 2004 Highlander - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Zak - October 25 - 1:23 am

  Bigger than my 2004 Highlander, & more room. Engine is more powerful but have noticed worse fuel economy than my 2004. Very quiet easy driving, but view out the back is much worse than my 2004. See comment below about the miserable head rests.

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  05 Highlander Limited - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Jack - October 23 - 4:06 pm

  Roomy, full of pep on Interstates, many of the same conveniences as a Lexus, allows much better vision of highway and surrounding area than the sedan, and excellent six member family SUV. Best buy of a SUV of six researched and test driven!

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  2017 Toyota Highlander All Star Crossover - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Toyota TB - October 21 - 4:57 am

  This is a great Crossover with few compromises. We cross shopped the typical competitors; Honda, Mazda, Hyundai, GM, etc. Given we have/had a Mazda CX-5 and 6, thought it was natural we would end up in the CX-9. The CX-9 had too many compromises in practicality and options that didnt over come the driving fun part - this is a family commuter. The Honda is a good cross over but we needed 2nd row captain chairs and the transmission / weird UI was not worth the money stepping up to the Elite trim on the Honda. The Highlander has safety options like adaptive cruise, blind spot monitoring, lane departure, pedestrian collision avoid, rear cross traffic alert, and adaptive high beams. There are even more goodies that add up in terms of practicality and comfort. Items like 2nd row shades, heated front seats, heated mirrors, large 8"UI screen, 5 USB outlets, tri-climate control, leather seating in front rows, full function moon roof, a intercom system, solid V6 / 8spd auto, auto start/stop, ample small storage-notably the mid-shelf in the dash, power liftgate, reclining seats in the 2nd and 3rd row too, and a window hatch that opens independent of the rear gate! For us the Captains / bucket seats in the 2nd row was a must because of having supervision for multiple car seat riders that can be tended to without crazy gymanastics. All the above without having to step up to the top expensive trims; like in other brands. The higher trims on the Highlander have nice options but not worth the money for our lifestyle. Worth test driving the competition but currently there is no comparison in our minds in terms of the options, safety, reliability, and over all package performance. Keep the factory add ons to a minimum and you can get a good out the door price; keeping in mind you are in the market for a 3 row cross over. Online price comparisons dont always talk about the dealer fees and sales tax but it adds up. We were out the door for no more than $40K (2017 HL XLE AWD - Silver - Cptn Chairs OPTs - All weather mats, rear bumper protector) Good luck and safe driving.

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  My Second Highlander and Love it! - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Leslie Wheeler - October 20 - 4:33 pm

  I only have 1000 miles on it as I have had it less then a month, but love it so far! My last highlander was a 2008 Limited and had 130,000. The only repairs it ever had were new tires and brakes. I am hoping this one is the same. I love the automatic high beams, cruise control that adjusts to traffic, and the bluetooth. The touch screen is easily navigated and home screen keeps all the important and most used apps at your finger tips. My sons love the heated back seats and the headrest mounted DVD players (dealer installed but not made by Toyota). I was hoping for more interior room, the MPG is also not great at 19-20 average (and most of my driving is on country roads, not stop and go traffic). I thought after 8 years Toyota would have done a little better. But overall, I LOVE my new Highlander!

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  New ride 13 Highlander - 2013 Toyota Highlander
  By JOHN SHEERAN - October 18 - 8:43 am

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  Higlander, AWSOME SUV!!!!!!!!! - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By i am - October 18 - 2:00 am

  I got my Highlander 2 months ago,and I have not had any problems yet. (what am I saying,of course I havent had any problems! Im driving a Toyota!) I previously leased a 1999 4-runner and had no problems.It was never in the shop,(exept when I got in that wreck) and it never broke down.I absolutely love the interior design,and the exterior is almost as nice.The drive and ride are just excellent!! It is so comfortable even going from Glendale to Palm Springs.Its performance is great,and it is pretty fun to drive. I highly recommend it.

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  The once mighty Toyota - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Junk John - October 16 - 10:00 am

  We were loyal to Toyota since 1989; the purchase of a Highlander has led us to BMW. We had two problems: when you opened a window or the sunroof the air pressure change was drastic; and the bass in the "premium" stereo varied from engine off and engine on. The feeling in our ears and sound from the air pressure changes was analogous to what it must feel like in a helicopter. The stereo was still very unpleasant when the bass was set at minus 5. Toyota did nothing to accomodate us. In Toyotas view, even though service tech acknowledged two problems, performance was "within specification". We never thought we would get response like this from Toyota. We no longer believe in Toyota product.

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  Awesome - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Hurst - October 16 - 10:00 am

  What more can I say " I Love my Toyota".