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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  Neat truck - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By jake65 - January 15 - 6:56 am

  The truck was purchased brand new in 2003. So far it has 97,000 miles and runs like its brand new. Some of the problems I can think of is the paint scratches very easily. And the tires wear out a little sooner than expected. Other than that it is very comfortable and pretty quiet inside. Its also quite powerful for its size and gas mileage. Its a great truck and I plan to drive it for a long time.

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  My first new car - 2006 Toyota Highlander
  By cougar92 - January 13 - 5:03 am

  Just purchased a 2006, V6, 4wd, 3rd Row. Bought it to augment my 1991 Toyota Corolla sedan (200k, few problems). This is my first new car and love it. Great power, smooth ride, and more room than I will probably use. Bought mostly because of brand loyalty. Looked at competitors. Bought the Highlander.

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  What is Missing - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Stuart Goldfine - January 12 - 3:30 am

  Wish the car had a temperature gauge for outside temp. Also another cup holder on left side of steering wheel. Also with the cloth seats on the V-6, you do not get a CD player holding 6 discs.

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  Never thought I would switch from Honda! - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By bsmith - January 11 - 1:13 am

  Took me 4 months to decide on a new SUV (which drove my husband crazy). Thought for sure I would stick with the Honda Pilot bc I loved my 2007 so much but wasnt thrilled with the reviews for the new Pilot and did not care as much for the interior design. Drove a few other makes but fell in love with the Highlander as soon as I drove it. LOVED the interior design and the quiet, smooth ride from the get go. The radio is so much better than my old car as well. Most of the new SUVs I test drove had limited visibility towards the rear of the vehicle. I found that learning how to correctly position my mirrors helped drastically. What I would improve on would be the USB ports. There are none in the 3rd row and the ones up front I feel do not have a lot of power. It takes forever to charge my phone compared to my old car and that is annoying. It takes a while to get use to the navigation system but I played with it to destinations I was familiar with and am getting use to it. After a lot of research and test drives, every vehicle will have positive and negatives and you need to find what is most important to you. So far my family loves the Highlander and I am very happy with our decision.

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  Transmission SUCKS!! Youve been warned - 2006 Toyota Highlander
  By rydergirl - January 9 - 3:06 pm

  This car has shuddered while accellerating since we bought it and on our road trip has us stranded now in Virginia because the transmission is messing up. The car surges forward and tries to drop gears while accelerating. The car jerks very hard and comes to a complete stop in the highway! Ive seen many reviews saying they have the same problem!! Im missing college and work and cant afford this fix and according to reviews it is a widespread problem with this particular vehicle.

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  Built to Last - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By SJ Dave - January 9 - 1:36 pm

  I had bought the Highlander brand new for my wife back in 2004. It is one of the best of all the vehicles we had ever owned. Back then we paid for an extra extended 7 yr. warranty which paid for it self in two visits. Two yrs. ago the stereo system stopped working since it was covered, they repl. the whole unit for free. Then in this past Dec. we took it in for service, they noticed it leaking around the water pump, it was covered so it was repl. for free. Other than that we only have done regular service, brakes & the tires were repl. Ive driven it to Virginia from NJ and its still a pleasure to drive. We still get great gas mileage from this SUV.

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  GREAT S.U.V. - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By robert henry - January 8 - 11:50 pm

  We bought this suv brand new in 2002, I just replaced timing belt, did not need too, belts, hoses, fluids, sparkplugs at 90,000, replaced brake pads at 70,000 overall this is the best s. U. V. We bought. My wife will not give this one up.

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  All is well except the paint! - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By roset1 - January 2 - 6:55 pm

  We own a 2005 Highlander Limited which has become the family pony. Overall, we have been very happy with it except: Since day one, there was a pencil eraser size bubble spot on both side mirrors. The bubble grew like a blister and eventually it popped. Come to find out, the mirrors were NEVER primed prior to painting. I brought it up to the dealers attention while still a dime size blister and still under warranty, they did nothing about it. Now, 6 years later, my mirrors have peeled. Toyota assumes no responsibility. Word of caution: inspect your vehicle and look for even the smallest flaw in the paint. Point it out and have them fix it prior to buying. It will save you $$ and grief.

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  Fun to drive carlike ride suv - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Simp - December 31 - 2:00 am

  My 2004 Toyota Highlander 4cyl fwd is excellent, an suv with a car like ride, smooth transmission and an exceptional pick up and it can stop on a dime.Very economical and reliable transportation. However, it is not as comfortable and luxurious as a Grand Cherokee, Id recomend the V6 engine with 4 wd and you wont be disappointed.

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  I am VERY pleased with my 03 - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By dan - December 30 - 8:06 pm

  We did a lot of SUV shopping. We are used to driving older Explorers and lost a little bit of power, but the sacrifice of power for the SUPER increase in mileage is well worth it. Overall I have never been happier with an auto purchase.