Toyota Highlander's appeal lies in its functional and family-friendly nature, frugal gas mileage and good road manners.
Overall, the Highlander combines the practicality of an SUV with the refinement of a good sedan. Year after year, this fact has helped it rank among the top SUVs we've tested, as well asl in our owner satisfaction survey. We heartily recommend it.
Most Highlanders come with a refined and punchy 270-hp, 3.5-liter V6. Coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission, it returned 20 mpg overall.
The Hybrid version adds a battery pack and three electric motors, to increase horsepower to 280. In place of the conventional six-speed automatic transmission, the Hybrid uses a continuously variable transmission, which is well-matched to the powertrain. That's good for 25 mpg overall. This is 25 percent better than the regular Highlander's 20 mpg but one less than the previous Highlander Hybrid returned. The hybrid powertrain for this version of the Highlander was available only with the top-of-the-line Limited trim. This makes for an expensive proposition, even on the secondary market. A four-cylinder engine is available with front-wheel drive.
While not really sporty, Highlander corners soundly, with minimal body lean and prompt turn-in response. The steering is appropriately weighted, although it doesn't provide much feedback. When pushed to its handling limits, the Highlander proved predictable and stable.
The trade-off for improved handling is ride comfort that's somewhat less plush than in the previous model. The Highlander feels steadier and more tied down. It's also composed and controlled at highway speeds. But it's not as isolated at low speeds.
Inside, drivers will find plenty of space behind the steering wheel. The wide front seats are comfortable, well-padded, and supportive. At first glance, the cabin looks well finished, but a closer look reveals some evidence of cost cutting and a bit too much hard plastic. A three-person second-row bench seat lets the Highlander carry up to eight people. Comfortable captain's chairs, standard in Limited versions, give the interior an airier feel and easier access to the third row. But they limit the vehicle's seating capacity to seven people. There's plenty of head, foot, and leg room, but the seats are a bit low.
The three-person third-row seat is now wider, but it's still not a great place for adults. There's ample room behind the second-row seats for carrying gear, and if you need more space, you can easily fold the second- and third-row seats.
Controls are mostly simple, with large, well-labeled buttons. XLE and Limited models have a large and versatile eight-inch touch screen for the infotainment system. You can split the screen display to show more information or customize the on-screen buttons to show your most often accessed functions. There are some touch-sensitive buttons, which are large, widely spaced, and easy to use, but they're also easy to activate accidentally.
Connecting your phone via Bluetooth is simple and voice quality is good. Voice commands can be used to launch apps, make phone calls, play music, enter addresses and find points of interest. The highly effective system lets you speak naturally.
Overall, the Highlander is an appealing choice that does a lot of things well. A history of good reliability and good resale value makes it an easy choice for many people.