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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  Expected Much More - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By whale2 - December 12 - 2:00 am

  I probably shouldve test drove the car a couple more times and I probably would have realized that while driving the foot pedals are not in the most convenient location...maybe its just my height--6. Its just not as comfortable driving as I wanted. The most disapointing though has to be the gas mileage. We only get 20 city and 22 highway...(should be 22 and 27). Took it to the dealer and found out that is within their specifications somehow and basically have to deal with it. Quite unfortunate and very disapointing.

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  Overall great vehicle - 2010 Toyota Highlander
  By L.w.batchelder - December 10 - 12:13 pm

  This is second Highlander for us; the first (2002) is still going strong after 120,000 miles. Have 4500 miles on this one and other than the recall have no issues. Rides well, great visibility, great for towing a 3500 lb boat, and rides well on long trips.

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  First Toyota but may be my last - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Billy Day - December 9 - 1:43 pm

  I bought my Toyota Highlander in Jan 2016 New, but it is a 2015 model year. The Car has excellent performance and power , in fact, it almost has too much for a front wheel drive car. However, when getting in traffic I have pushed the accelerator slightly then let up and quickly push again but the engine computer seems to be confused and does not respond as it should. I have talked with Toyota, but they tell me it is all in my mind as they dont see anything wrong. This of course, annoys me but I guess it is typical of many service departments, since they are taught to say these things so they can avoid warranty issues. The steering is nice,firm, and stable. The interior is very roomy and informative with an attractive dash, etc. Seats are comfortable especially around town, but on long drives (300 mi) they tend to get hard and stiff. I have noticed too much wind noise above 60 mph, and this is a big disappointment to me because of Toyotas reputation. The Toyota infotainment is impressive at first, but it become difficult to use the Apps while driving and it seems to have way too many steps to go through just to get what you are looking for. The Navigation is not always accurate or easy to use, so I tend to use google on my I phone and I rarely use the Toyota Nav any longer. The infotainment voice command is difficult and slow, plus it is annoying to use as it makes you wait for a beep sound before you can speak and many times I will talk over the computer and it will not understand what I want. It would be great if they could fix the long delay in the voice command for sure. Overall, the Highlander is a roomy car inside, but the third row seats are really only for small children. I bought this car because of Toyotas reputation for quality but the above negatives have caused me to question all of the quality I was expecting. In fact, at this point I am not sure I will be buying another Toyota Highlander. I have recently driven the New Mazda CX-9 and it seems to really be nice and it offers much more value, interior quality, and it is a very good looking car as well. In fact, I have considered trading my 2 year old Highlander in on the CX-9.

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  This is a keeper! - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By bluesguitar - December 1 - 7:50 pm

  We bought the base model, which is where the value is. Its the same car as the much more expensive version without the overpriced dvd player, blue tooth and GPS (we have our own for that one time a month we need it). This car is clearly superior in features to the 2008 Honda Pilot which drives like a truck to both me and my wife. It replaced a Honda Odyssey but still has the ability to seat 7 people comfortably (and looks way cooler!). We love it!!

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  No Regrets - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By 123go - December 1 - 10:00 am

  end to end, this experience was great. Purchased my Highlander in Kingston - no hassles. I have approx 1100 miles and love it. Nice quiet ride and handles well.

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  Gas mileage fiasco. It will never get the MPG that - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By AAA - November 29 - 7:49 pm

  This SUV look like a really good buy from all the comparisons of SUV. The additional 3rd seating, the safety features. The start and stop technology and technology. This is where you go wrong. All the features mentioned above are not good. Additional seating is very hard to get in, be ready to put some muscle. The safety features is not all that good, it will not stop when actually it needs to stop, MPG is horrible more like 14 to 17 realistic. Technology its horrible you should be careful that it has no apple or android integration. That should tell you something.

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  Awesome - 2010 Toyota Highlander
  By Loren - November 29 - 6:16 pm

  This is a great buy. We looked for several months at several vehicles. This is the best choice. City mpg is 21 and hwy is 25.5. This vehicle has a smooth ride and plenty of room and power. It was definitely worth the wait.

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  Beware of the wind noise - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Wayne - November 28 - 9:27 am

  The car runs well. However, if you are sensitive to noise, you will hate this car. On my car, a 2017 model, there is a wind intrusion, whistling noise on the passenger side window above 45 MPH; None on the drivers side. Dealer acknowledged the problem but said that its a "normal characteristic" of the car until Toyota issues a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) on how to fix it. You can google the internet and see how many other people are having the same problem. I would not have bought this car had I known about this. The noise is very annoying and persistent. None of my other Toyotas (2014 Avalon, 2006 Sienna, 2003 Sequoia) have this problem.

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  Love my Highlander! - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Pat Hardin - November 28 - 3:26 am

  Extremely comfortable to drive. Easy to get in and out of (Im short). Lots of get up and go when you need it. I was really surprised the first time I passed someone on a 2 lane. Very quiet...you have to really listed to hear it running.

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  Disappointing unreliability - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Phoebe - November 24 - 11:40 am

  While the body is solid on the 2004 Highlander, the trim is shoddy. Wipers have scored both front and back windows; seat belt retractors leave belts dangling to get caught in doors; visors are floppy; broken filter rack fell out from under the dash. Yaw sensor went out as soon as the warranty did. Acceleration from a stop is sluggish; mileage is only average. Because it is built on a Tacoma platform, it handles like a truck.