Used 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2017 Highlander Hybrid, so we've included reviews for other years of the Highlander Hybrid since its last redesign.
If you prefer a comfortable ride
mykecusa, 05/30/2017
updated 06/21/2021
2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited Platinum 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
29 of 29 people found this review helpful
The Toyota Highlander expert reviews are spot on. The car is quiet and comfortable. However I am and old grandpa and drive like one my kids say ... slow, steady and easy going. I drive 65 mph on the freeways and the posted speed limits in town. I do not, 'Jack rabbit start' only to race to the next stop sign/red light to slam on my brakes. I get an typical 25 mpg per tank full of gasoline. I do regular servicing. The 2017 caught my attention with increased hosepower, better fuel economy and better safety features (I really like the 360 dregree camera view). UPDATE: 12/8/2017 I really like this SUV. It is a quiet and comfortable ride. Plenty of cargo space for my service dog with 2nd row seats up for up to 3 passengers, with the dog. I have been getting 22-24 mpg with the A/C, or heater on, and 25-27 with both off. This is roughly 50-50 city-highway. The electric motor truly takes a gentle foot to stay engaged, and really is quite limited in being engaged ... maybe a mile if lucky. Learning to use it does add to the fuel economy. The ECO function is suppose to improve fuel economy in town with start ups. I used it the first 2500 miles and did not use it the last 2500 miles. I notice no difference in fuel economy and it is essentially the same type of mileage. I notice a little more acceleration with the 2017 over the 2016, but it might be more to the slight noise increase I can hear. The hybrid is spunky on acceleration if you need it. For me, a disabled veteran, the biggest plus has been the sensors and safety features. There are 4 levels to the robotic car industry, where level 4 is fully computer managed automobile. The 2017 Highlander is level 2. It has lane monitoring and automatic correction. I have only used the auto correction feature a few times. It does take having lane lines on both sides, but it has worked for me. I'm not sure I'm ready to close my eye though. The sensor alert when I drift over a lane line is useful to me though. Since I am blind in my left eye, the safety sensors really help. I get alerts not only if autos are on my left side, but at intersections if people are in the cross walk. The alert also works for people walking behind, or on the side of my SUV. A nice safety feature in parking lots for sure. Everything has worked nicely and I have no complaints about the Toyota Highlander Hybrid at the time. Update 6/2018 I'm liking this SUV more and more all the time. It takes time to learn and develop the muscle responses to best use the hybrid system. I can now effectively use the ECO and EV systems to improve my gasoline mpg. I can pretty much count on 25 mpg all around combined average (24 in Winter with heat/air, 26 in Summer with no heat/air). The camera views are a blessing for close spaces and parking. I now have 9200 miles on the vehicle, and consider it the best drive I ever bought. Update: 12/2018 I still give this SUV an A+. I get great fuel economy for a 5,000 pound SUV. I count on averaging 25 mpg, getting as low as 22 mpg with A/C, or heater on and lots of stop and go traffic,or 30 mpg with steady highway driving. (note: I am a moderate driver, driving the posted speed limit and no quick starts and sudden stops ... easy does it) The ride remains smooth, quiet and easy. The camera views are still A+, as well as the Dynamic Cruise Control. Absolutely no regrets buying this Toyota Hybrid SUV. Current mileage is 13,000, and I just had the 18 month maintenance service. Everything A+. The dealer has been great with the service. I still give this SUV A+ rating. I only have 17,000 miles on it, and reviews say I can expect 300,000 if I maintain the vehicle. There have been zero problems and the 25,000 service plane provided has been easy to use. Nothing shows serious wear, and the ride remains smooth and quiet. Update 6/13/2020 With the pandemic I have put only 260 miles on this SUV in the last 4 months. Current mileage is 19,410. Being retired has its pluses and minuses. No regrets on buying this SUV, as it is quiet, comfortable ride that is very economical (minimum servicing, fuel efficient). From what I read about Toyota reliability, my kids might be able to pass this SUV on to their kids. Update: 12/17/2020 I have learned a negative about this hybrid. With the pandemic 90% of my driving is local city driving. Lots of drive a block, stop ... drive a block, stop type driving. Very little highway driving. The result has been very low fuel economy ... like 8, 9 mpg. I did do one 100 mile trip and return. Once again I got great mpg on it, like 28 mpg. However for basically city/local driving the SUV hybrid for a big SUV does not seem to me to be the ticket. Update: 6/20/2021 23,000 miles Still no regrets buying this SUV. I have had no problwms needing service. All my problems have been resolved by reading the service manuals. I have followed the manual reccomendations for servicing, borh time and component. This hybrid canget 300,000 miles if cared for.
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I am looking forward to years of enjoying driving
mike chinnock, 07/07/2016
updated 01/28/2021
2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited Platinum 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
27 of 27 people found this review helpful
You can read all the expert reviews, and I pretty much find no fault with most of what is said. To get the most out of the hybrid I think requires learning a different way of driving. I drive down the interstate at 55 mph and I am getting 40 mpg on the straight and level, 30 mpg on the gradual road elevation increase and 325+ mpg as the road elevation decreases. On acceleration I see 6 mpg, on deceleration I see 9999 mpg. The Highlander has normal, ECO and EV modes, with specific conditions under which they function best. I am still learning to use these modes to get the best mpg I can. I pretty much think I can expect 27 mpg combined with 1/3rd highway & 2/3rds city driving if I drive this hybrid the way it is ment to be driven ... no rapid starts (Use EV mode), long gradual slow downs to stop (gotta drive well ahead of the traffic) in ECO mode, and cruise the interstate 55-65 mph.Your mileage may vary, and will based upon your driving habits. This is no 'Magic cure' for poor gas mileage. However I must say I am am really pleased that this big, good looking and comfortable beast can achieve such respectable gas mileage. It does take effort though. Update: I have been driving this Highlander Hybrid 6 weeks now. I still find it a very comfortable and pleasant vehicle to drive. I bought the right vehicle for me. I have learned that unlike most hybrids, and my previous hybrid (2009 Ford Escape) I do not get better gasoline mileage in city driving where I am constantly slowing to a stop, then accelerating to operating speed, then repeating often. During these cycles I am seein 6 ... 9 .. 14 ...19 ... mpg fuel economy. It is with the steady 60 mph highway speed that yield the 30+ mpg fuel economy returns. I have noted that the more highway verse city miles I drive the better my combined fuel economy. I have also concluded I need to be very gentle with the accelerator pedal. If you like to start quick, zoom to the next red light, come to a quick stop and await the green light just to zoom to the next light, I do not think this is the vehicle for you. UPDATE 1/23/2019 I liked the 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid so much I traded it in for the 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. I considered the new dynamic cruise controls and multiple camera views to be 'the frosting on the cake', and very beneficial to this disabled veteran when driving. I still have the 2017 Toyota Highlander. I have 18,000 miles on it now, and still average 22-24 mpg Summer and Winter, and 24-26 mpg Spring and Fall. There are times when most, or all the tank full was freeway cruise mileage and I get 28-30 mpg. The comfort is still there, the technology still satisfies me, and I have had no problems with any aspect of this vehicle.
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Great SUV, but hybrid may not be worth it
Michael, 01/03/2017
updated 01/04/2018
2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
36 of 37 people found this review helpful
The Highlander Hybrid is comfortable and looks great inside and out. The "hybrid" part so far is a big disappointment in terms of performance and gas mileage. On long drives, we have simply decided to forego Eco Mode and avoid what feels like a battle between car and driver otherwise. Our gas mileage so far has been 25.5mpg at best and 19mpg at worst during a long trip between northern and southern California. Eco mode on the long trip only improved this by 2mpg. So, unless you need to cross the 6,000gvwr for business reasons, I don't see any advantage to the hybrid. UPDATE: After an ECU flash at the dealer, the hybrid part has been great. My best on a tank is just over 30mpg and I rarely get under 26mpg.
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Great Fuel Ecenomy
Limmw, 04/15/2017
2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
27 of 28 people found this review helpful
We ordered a 2017 Highlander Hybrid XLE in November 2016 and received it in early December 2016. We immediately took off on a 1000 mi trip to Oregon. Overall we are very happy with the purchase. Dealership service was good, the SUV drives well and we got 26.5 MPG for the 2000 miles round trip through interstate 5 during winter blizzards going and coming back. Our previous SUV was an Acura MDX which on the same trip averaged only about 19 MPG so we are please with the gas mileage. Since then in overall Southern Cal driving in mixed city and freeway trips, we averaged over 30 MPG. During our trip through the California/Oregon mountains during winter blizzards we found out that the Safety Features stopped working when the sensors were covered by snows and mud. So at the time we needed them, they stopped working unless we cleaned the snows/mud off the sensors. Otherwise all the safety features worked as advertised. Only other problem is the Toyota lane assist worked but the design was stupid: It behaved like a "drunken sailer" bouncing from one side to the other if we did not correct the drifting off the center of the lane and relied on the lane assist. Overall we give it a 5 star SUV.
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Great MPG and Comfortable, but Overpriced
J. Buchman, 10/01/2017
2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited Platinum 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
24 of 25 people found this review helpful
Before purchasing my 2017 Highlander Hybrid Platinum, I owned the RAV4 Hybrid...so I am very familiar with Toyota's Hybrid SUVs. I moved up to the Highlander because I wanted/needed a larger vehicle to accommodate my family. In sum...while this is a very efficient and comfortable SUV, it falls short in some very important categories. First, the positives: Obviously, as you'd expect from a Toyota Hybrid, this SUV gets phenomenal gas mileage for a 5,000 pound automobile. If I drive slowly in "Eco" mode (Eco mode adjusts throttle mapping to give the driver more control over acceleration), I can achieve 34 mpg. If I drive "normally" (re: not slowly), I get around 31 mpg. Other positives: The seats, both front and rear, are very comfortable. Seat heaters and seat ventilation works well. The second row has heated captains chairs, separated by a cup holder. The climate control system works well, including the ability to adjust temperature in the rear of the vehicle. I was disappointed that the Highlander Hybrid does not come with LED headlights or fog lights, but nevertheless, the lights do a nice job of illuminating the road at night...and, having "auto-brights" is a nice feature (auto high beams will turn off automatically when it senses a car approaching in front of you). There is ample storage space in the rear of the vehicle (if you fold down the 3rd row). Cruise control works well...and the Nav system, while antiquated, is accurate and easy to use. Acceleration is pretty good for a hybrid, but, as is typical of all CVT transmissions, when you accelerate, the engine revs like it's about to explode. The AWD system (the rear wheels are driven by an independent electric motor that kicks in when the front wheels sense slippage) does a good job adding traction in light snow, but is not designed to handle off-road driving. OK, now the negatives: The car generally handles the road like it's sitting on bicycle wheels. There is noticeable roll when turning into corners, the electric steering has no feel for the road whatsoever, and the regenerative braking system is sloppy at higher speeds. To say this car is "not sporty" is an understatement. It is simply incapable of performing well if driven in any sort of spirited manner. The JBL sound system is astonishingly poor. After just a couple of months of owning the car, the subwoofer and one of the front tweeters blew out (and I do not push the volume when I listen to music). That's simply unacceptable for a car in this price range. Ultimately, I believe the Highlander's overall performance and refinement is simply below average for an SUV in its price range. In my opinion, there are other SUVs available, for the same price, which offer significantly better road performance, more sophisticated AWD systems, and higher quality/more modern interior design.
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