The Toyota Highlander: A Decade-Old Innovation that Still Holds its Ground

Over a decade ago, Toyota pioneered the concept of basing a midsize SUV on the platform of a family sedan. The result was the Toyota Highlander, a vehicle that has been copied by numerous manufacturers in the industry. Despite the best efforts of its competitors, the Highlander remains a tough act to beat, boasting an impressive combination of durability, comfort, and economy.

The Highlander comes in three trim levels: Bass, SE, and Limited. When comparing shopping, it's essential to consider what's standard and what's optional, as it depends on the powertrain and trim level you choose. In contrast, the Chevy Traverse is a capable crossover with more space than the Highlander, while the Mazda CX-9 offers better handling but at the expense of ride comfort. The Kia Sorento, similar to the Highlander, comes with a third-row seat and a friendlier price.

One notable aspect of the Highlander's design is its dashboard, which can be described as a "wall of hard plastic." While the materials used are only average quality, the second and third row seats folded down and stowed offer an immense 94 cubic feet of cargo space. This impressive cargo capacity makes the Highlander a practical choice for those who need ample storage room without feeling too big on the road.

The driving experience of the Highlander can be likened to that of a Camry, with refined and composed handling on pavement or rough surfaces. The vehicle offers three powertrain options: a 2.7-liter inline-4, a 3.5-liter V6, and a 3.5-liter gas electric hybrid. Each engine comes with its unique transmission – the four-cylinder engine has a 6-speed automatic, while the traditional gasoline V6 has a 5-speed automatic, and the hybrid features a continuously variable or CVT transmission.

The available powertrains vary depending on the trim level. The four-cylinder Highlander is only available in front-wheel drive, whereas the gasoline V6 comes with either front-wheel or four-wheel drive, and the hybrid is limited to four-wheel drive. Towing capacity for the four-cylinder Highlander tops out at 3,500 pounds, while the V6 has a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds.

According to the EPA, the V6 engine isn't significantly more thirsty than the four-cylinder engine. However, the hybrid is undoubtedly the Highlander's most fuel-efficient model. Safety equipment in the Highlander includes a full complement of airbags, stability control, and active front headrests. Crash test results have been overwhelmingly positive, with good ratings in almost every category of IIHS evaluations.

Pricing for the Highlander varies depending on the powertrain and trim level. A four-cylinder based model can be had for just over $28,000, while the hybrid starts at around $38,500. All Highlander models come equipped with a five-year 60,000-mile powertrain warranty, providing peace of mind for buyers.

In conclusion, the Toyota Highlander has created a new standard in midsize SUV design that has only improved over the years. By combining the best features of both cars and trucks – namely, the comfort and reliability of a sedan and the practicality and versatility of an SUV – the Highlander has become one of our favorites in the segment. Its durability, comfort, and economy make it an excellent choice for families and individuals alike, helping to establish it as a true leader in its class.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enover a decade ago Toyota pioneered the concept of basing a midsize SUV on the platform of a family sedan the result was the Toyota Highlander and other manufacturers were quick to copy that recipe but despite the best efforts of the competition the Highlander is still a tough act to beat with its combination of durability comfort and economy there are three trim levels bass SE and limited what's standard and what's optional depends on the powertrain and trim level you choose when comparison shopping the Chevy Traverse is a capable crossover with more space than the Highlander the Mazda cx-9 is a better handling SUV but at the expense of ride comfort the Kia Sorento like the Highlander comes with a third row seat and a friendlier price the seats in the Highlander won't exactly wow you with comfort but they are mounted high giving you an excellent view of the road ahead one thing I don't like is that the dashboard is a wall of hard plastic the materials overall are only average quality but the second and third row seats folded down and stowed there's an immense 94 cubic feet of cargo space which is impressive for a midsize SUV that doesn't feel all that big from behind the wheel the driving experience of the Highlander can best be described as Camry light it doesn't handle quite as crisply as the Mazda cx-9 but it's refined and completely composed on pavement or rough surfaces there's a 2.7 liter inline-4 a 3.5 liter v6 and a 3.5 liter gas electric hybrid to choose from the four-cylinder engine comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission the traditional gasoline v6 comes with a 5-speed automatic and the hybrid features a continuously variable or CVT transmission the four-cylinder Highlander is available in front-wheel drive only the gasoline v6 comes with either front-wheel or four-wheel drive and the hybrid is four-wheel drive only towing capacity tops out at 3500 pounds for the four-cylinder Highlander and 5000 for the v6 it's the EPA found a v6 isn't much more thirsty than the four-cylinder engine while the hybrid as you'd imagine is the Highlanders most fuel-efficient model safety equipment in the highlander includes a full complement of airbags stability control and active front headrests crash test results were good overall in almost every category of IIHS evaluations just over $28,000 will get you into a four-cylinder based Highlander but if you got your eye on the hybrid pricing starts at around thirty eight thousand five hundred dollars all highlander models are protected by to notice five year 60,000 mile powertrain warranty the highlander created a new way of designing midsize SUVs ten years ago and it's only gotten better with age it's got all the goodness of the camry with all the benefits of a sport utility vehicle and that combination is why it's still one of our favorites in the segment it helps create youover a decade ago Toyota pioneered the concept of basing a midsize SUV on the platform of a family sedan the result was the Toyota Highlander and other manufacturers were quick to copy that recipe but despite the best efforts of the competition the Highlander is still a tough act to beat with its combination of durability comfort and economy there are three trim levels bass SE and limited what's standard and what's optional depends on the powertrain and trim level you choose when comparison shopping the Chevy Traverse is a capable crossover with more space than the Highlander the Mazda cx-9 is a better handling SUV but at the expense of ride comfort the Kia Sorento like the Highlander comes with a third row seat and a friendlier price the seats in the Highlander won't exactly wow you with comfort but they are mounted high giving you an excellent view of the road ahead one thing I don't like is that the dashboard is a wall of hard plastic the materials overall are only average quality but the second and third row seats folded down and stowed there's an immense 94 cubic feet of cargo space which is impressive for a midsize SUV that doesn't feel all that big from behind the wheel the driving experience of the Highlander can best be described as Camry light it doesn't handle quite as crisply as the Mazda cx-9 but it's refined and completely composed on pavement or rough surfaces there's a 2.7 liter inline-4 a 3.5 liter v6 and a 3.5 liter gas electric hybrid to choose from the four-cylinder engine comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission the traditional gasoline v6 comes with a 5-speed automatic and the hybrid features a continuously variable or CVT transmission the four-cylinder Highlander is available in front-wheel drive only the gasoline v6 comes with either front-wheel or four-wheel drive and the hybrid is four-wheel drive only towing capacity tops out at 3500 pounds for the four-cylinder Highlander and 5000 for the v6 it's the EPA found a v6 isn't much more thirsty than the four-cylinder engine while the hybrid as you'd imagine is the Highlanders most fuel-efficient model safety equipment in the highlander includes a full complement of airbags stability control and active front headrests crash test results were good overall in almost every category of IIHS evaluations just over $28,000 will get you into a four-cylinder based Highlander but if you got your eye on the hybrid pricing starts at around thirty eight thousand five hundred dollars all highlander models are protected by to notice five year 60,000 mile powertrain warranty the highlander created a new way of designing midsize SUVs ten years ago and it's only gotten better with age it's got all the goodness of the camry with all the benefits of a sport utility vehicle and that combination is why it's still one of our favorites in the segment it helps create you\n"