2025 Toyota Highlander

Name: 2025 Toyota Highlander Review
Brand: Toyota

Release Date: Fall 2024

Estimated Price: Starting around $40,000

The Toyota Highlander gets high marks for its fuel-efficient engine, plush ride quality, confident handling and many standard driver assist features. It has a much less accommodating third row than other top competitors, however, so take note if that's a main focus.

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2025 Toyota Highlander Review

byKeith Buglewicz^{Managing Editor, CarMax
Keith Buglewicz has worked in the automotive industry since 1994, writing thousands of car-related articles, and he's tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Keith is the managing editor of CarMax at Edmunds, and his byline can be found at KBB, MotorTrend, Autobytel and many others. Keith considers himself exceptionally lucky to be working the dream job he’s had since high school.},

rating written byJonathan Elfalan^{Director, Vehicle Testing
Jonathan Elfalan has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. As a director of vehicle testing at Edmunds, Jonathan has tested and reviewed thousands of cars and written thousands of car-related articles over the course of his career. Jonathan got his start testing cars for Road & Track magazine as a newly minted mechanical engineer grad from University of California, Irvine, and has also contributed to Motor Trend and the Associated Press. He likes to say he learned to drive a manual transmission in a rear-wheel-drive mid-engine vehicle but often omits it was his family's 1991 Toyota Previa minivan.}

Pros

Comfortable, quiet ride
Easy to see out of
Above-average fuel efficiency for a three-row SUV

Cons

Third row is kids-only
Not much cargo space behind the third row

What's new

A Highlander styling refresh is possible for 2025
Part of the fourth Highlander generation introduced for 2020

Overview

Toyota offers eight different SUVs, and the 2025 Highlander sits square in the middle in terms of size. With three rows of seats, the Highlander is better suited for growing families than the smaller RAV4, although families with bigger kids might want to consider the larger Grand Highlander that debuted last year. It's been five years since this latest Highlander generation debuted. For the 2025 model year, we're not expecting any big changes, but it's possible that Toyota could update the Highlander's styling or add a few new standard features.

Edmunds spotlight: Comfort and efficiency

Even though the Toyota Highlander's EPA-estimated max 25 mpg in combined city and highway driving is only slightly better than other SUVs in its class, it can save you quite a bit at the pump over time. In Edmunds' testing, we easily exceeded that estimate. If you want even better economy, take a look at the Highlander Hybrid, which is reviewed separately. The Highlander also gets high marks for overall comfort thanks to its generously cushioned seats, smooth ride quality and quiet interior. Combined with the strong fuel economy figures, that makes for a great road-trip vehicle or daily commuter.

Competitors to consider

Although the Highlander gets high marks for efficiency, it's outshone by the dominant Kia Telluride and related Hyundai Palisade. They're both more enjoyable to drive, deliver a few more features for the money, and are more spacious and refined inside. And with the introduction of the Grand Highlander last year, the standard Highlander isn't even the best midsize three-row SUV in Toyota's lineup. Be sure to check out our full rating of the Toyota Highlander below to see if it's the right SUV for your needs.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Our Verdict^{The Edmunds Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.}

Good

7.9

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

Rated for you by America's best test team.

Performance

8.0/10

How does the Highlander drive? The Highlander's four-cylinder makes plenty of torque at low rpm, and that helps make the Highlander pleasant to drive around town. At the Edmunds test track, our all-wheel-drive Highlander test vehicle accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds, which is a bit quicker than most V6-equipped three-row midsize SUVs.

The Highlander's ability to stop quickly and confidently as well as negotiate a twisty road is solid. Body roll is controlled as you go around turns, and the available torque-vectoring AWD system also helps by applying engine power to individual rear wheels to subtly enhance the SUV's handling balance. (It also has the usual benefit of extra traction in slick conditions.) All of this advanced technology helps the Highlander feel more nimble than the average midsize SUV. Overall, the Highlander makes daily driving a low-effort activity, which is most important.

Comfort

8.0/10

How comfortable is the Highlander? The Highlander's ride quality is pleasantly plush. Large and small road imperfections are smoothed over thanks to the compliant suspension, yet it avoids feeling floaty or vague at higher speeds. The front seats are comfortable even on long drives, and the available second-row captain's chairs (which our test Highlander had) provide nearly the same level of comfort. Alas, the third-row seats are one of the Highlander's greatest liabilities. Thin padding, a narrow space and a cushion mounted low to the floor make the third row ill-suited for adults.

The climate controls are easy to use, and the standard tri-zone system provides ample heating and cooling capacity, which helps make up for the mildly effective seat heat and ventilation. The only area we think the four-cylinder falls short of the V6 is sound. You don't really hear much of it when cruising along, but a request for substantial acceleration reveals the four-cylinder's less refined soundtrack. Otherwise, our complaints are few. There are no vibrations, squeaks or wind noise to speak of, even at higher highway speeds. Road noise is minimal.

Interior

8.0/10

How’s the interior? The first and second seating rows provide ample space, but the third row is one of the most confining in the midsize three-row SUV class. If you're planning on regularly using the full passenger capacity, you will be better served by the Kia Telluride or Volkswagen Atlas. Once you're seated, it's easy to find your preferred driving position, but taller drivers might wish for a bit more extension range from the telescoping steering wheel. It can be a bit of a reach.

We give the Highlander high marks for outward visibility. The front roof pillars are thin, helping you see around turns. Some of the Highlander's available technology features help too, such as the camera-based rearview mirror that allows you to see out of the back even if you've fully loaded up the cargo area. The available surround-view camera system is sharp and can be rotated to look around the vehicle. On the downside, some of the menus for the infotainment system and instrument cluster can be somewhat confusing.

Technology

8.0/10

How’s the tech? Toyota used to trail other manufacturers when it comes to tech but the current Highlander has made big strides in the right direction. The optional 12.3-inch touchscreen is huge (an 8-inch screen is standard) and it responds quickly to inputs, but occasionally the reflections on the surface make using it more difficult than it should be. The latest Toyota software looks more modern too. Our Highlander test vehicle had five USB charge ports for the first and second rows but none for the third row.

All Highlanders come standard with a comprehensive suite of advanced driver aids, which is something not all competitors offer. Among other things, we like the adaptive cruise control, but we found the lane departure warning slightly too sensitive in the standard mode and not sensitive enough in the low mode.

Storage

7.5/10

How’s the storage? Cargo space is a bit of a mixed bag with the Highlander. Behind the third row, there's only 16 cubic feet of space, which is small for the class. Behind the second row, it expands to a better-than-average 48.4 cubic feet. The liftover height is about average for a midsize SUV and both back rows can be folded for a flat load surface. As for cabin storage, there are good-size pockets and cupholders as well as two shelves built into the dash. (One has a clever phone cable keeper too.)

Got kids? A large rear-facing car seat will easily be accommodated in the second row thanks to the generous amount of fore/aft movement of the available captain's chairs. The car seat anchors are also easy to locate and access for all types of child safety seats, though there are no anchors in the third row.

Fuel Economy

8.5/10

How’s the fuel economy? The four-cylinder Highlander is pretty fuel-efficient. We tested an all-wheel-drive model, which the EPA estimates will get 24 mpg in combined city/highway driving. (Front-wheel-drive models are slightly better at 25 mpg combined.) A few mpg may not seem like a huge advantage over the competition, but it's significant for this class of vehicle. On our real-world evaluation route, we achieved 26.6 mpg, which is pretty stellar and indicates to us the EPA's estimates should be achievable. Of note, the Highlander Hybrid gets an estimated 36 mpg combined.

Value

8.0/10

Is the Highlander a good value? Though the Highlander isn't the most premium-feeling SUV in the class, the interior is solidly put together with soft, padded surfaces where they matter most. There's good value here, too, whether you're cross-shopping against a Kia Telluride (especially given the typical markups for those) or the popular Honda Pilot, which isn't quite as strong a value these days.

Toyota's warranty coverage is pretty common for the class with three years/36,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage and five years/60,000 miles for the powertrain. The first two years of scheduled maintenance are also free.

Wildcard

8.0/10

The styling up front gives the Highlander a sporty appearance, which looks cool but also maybe oversells athleticism. Still, the Highlander has better than average composure on a twisty road for a midsize three-row SUV, which may be all the fun someone shopping this category needs.

Which Highlander does Edmunds recommend?

Toyota hasn't released official information on the 2025 Highlander as of this writing. We'll update our recommendation if anything changes, but based on last year's Highlander, we still think that the midrange XLE trim gives you the best bang for your buck. It's reasonably priced and has most of the features you'll want from a family hauler.

Toyota Highlander models

[Editor's note: The following unofficial information is based on last year's Highlander. We expect the 2025 model will have a similar lineup and we'll update this section once we have complete information.] The Toyota Highlander is a midsize three-row SUV with seating for up to eight passengers, and it's offered in five trim levels: LE, XLE, XSE, Limited and Platinum. All are powered by a 265-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine that's connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is available on all trims as an option. There's also a Highlander Hybrid and Grand Highlander that are both reviewed separately on Edmunds. Keep reading for our breakdown of the significant features that come on each Highlander trim level.

LE
Starts the Highlander lineup with:

18-inch alloy wheels
LED headlights
Height-adjustable power liftgate
Keyless entry and ignition
Power-adjustable driver's seat
Tri-zone automatic climate control
Folding 60/40-split seats in second and third rows
8-inch infotainment touchscreen
Digital instrument panel display

Every Highlander also comes with:

Frontal collision warning with automatic braking (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and the car in front)
Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
Blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning (alerts you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while in reverse)

XLE
Comes with more convenience features than the LE, including:

Roof rails
Sunroof
Hands-free liftgate
Wireless smartphone charging pad
Auto-dimming rearview mirror
Synthetic leather upholstery (SofTex)
Heated front seats
Power-adjustable passenger seat
Second-row captain's chairs (reduces seating capacity to seven)
Second-row sunshades

There are a couple of options for the XLE:

Second-row bench seat (no-cost option)
Navigation system

XSE
Builds off the XLE trim and adds sporty elements such as:

20-inch wheels
Unique sporty styling cues
Sport suspension
Interior ambient lighting

Limited
Adds plenty of luxury items that include:

Power-folding mirrors
Leather upholstery
Ventilated front seats
Driver's seat memory function
Heated steering wheel
Household power outlet
Bigger digital instrument panel
12.3-inch center touchscreen
Intercom system that broadcasts the driver's voice through the speakers
11-speaker JBL audio system
Front and rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)

A second-row bench is also optional for the Limited as a no-cost option.

Platinum
Comes pretty much fully loaded thanks to:

20-inch alloy wheels
Adaptive headlights (swivel as you turn the steering wheel for better illumination in curves)
Panoramic sunroof
Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line onto the windshield)
Digital rearview mirror (allows you to see out the back even with a fully loaded cargo area)
Heated second-row seats
Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Highlander and its surroundings in tight parking situations)

2025 Toyota Highlander

2025 Toyota Highlander Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Edmunds spotlight: Comfort and efficiency

Competitors to consider

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which Highlander does Edmunds recommend?

Toyota Highlander models

Edmunds spotlight: Comfort and efficiency

Competitors to consider

Related 2025 Toyota Highlander info

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2025 Toyota Highlander

2025 Toyota Highlander Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Edmunds spotlight: Comfort and efficiency

Competitors to consider

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which Highlander does Edmunds recommend?

Toyota Highlander models

2025 Toyota Highlander First Impressions

Edmunds spotlight: Comfort and efficiency

Competitors to consider

Related 2025 Toyota Highlander info

Research more upcoming vehicles

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Vehicle rankings by type

Other models to consider

Research Similar Vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds