Used 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Consumer Reviews
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Best MPG's of any full size SUV
Alfonzo, 06/14/2020
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid LE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
52 of 53 people found this review helpful
Vehicle: purchased new, 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid All Wheel Drive / Trim level "LE" (base model). Plenty of power to climb hills and comfortable as well to drive and for passenger comfort. I tried it in all wheel drive (trail mode) on the Oregon Coast where you are allowed to drive on the beach in certain areas. Even in all wheel drive MPG in the sand for about 12 miles was 22 MPG. So far with with 2 documented fill ups at Costco (regular 87 octane with 10% Ethanol) our vehicle had consumed 11.113 gals of gas for 445.7 miles for an average of 40.1 MPG. With myself and fishing gear this vehicle weighs 4,700 lbs on Oregon Dept. of Transportation certified truck scale. With my wife and all our camping and fishing gear well over 5,000 lbs. No other full size SUV can compare to this vehicle. Also you can tow a trailer up to 3,500 lbs as well, and the interior has the capacity for a total of 7 passengers and driver for a total of 8 people.
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A Great Upgrade From A Prius!
Mark from Orlando, 04/29/2020
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
49 of 51 people found this review helpful
After nearly a decade of owning 2 different Prius models, I am very happy to say that that our new 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE is a welcome addition to our family. Not only is it extremely comfortable, but the ride quality is an amazing experience. Quiet, comfortable and yet still great on gas mileage. We are approaching 40 miles per gallon on average and yet there is plenty of power when we want or need it. We chose the Moon Dust color and this with the redesigned body really swayed us to upgrade from another Prius to this model. We do not regret the decision at all. I will say this is a 5 star vehicle, especially if you want to save on gas, but need or want more room than a Prius can offer.
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid for sale near you
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Great car, love it
Stu, 07/30/2020
updated 02/01/2021
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
28 of 29 people found this review helpful
Just put the first thousand miles on my Highlander Hybrid Platinum and it is really something that the market is lacking, a bigger SUV with great gas mileage. First, I moved into this after driving a 2016 Outback for the last five year, another great car, but with both kids out of college I wanted something more upper end without spending 80 grand. The Platinum was just over $48,000 and includes all the nice features, heated and cooled leather seats, panoramic sunroof, and 12 inch screen, Android Auto, etc, etc. I have been getting about 36 mpg, which is impressive for all the room it has. I don't use the small 3rd row, I wanted it for extra storage (golf clubs, cart, shoes), so the size wasn't a problem for me. It drives smooth, but not sporty. The Outback was more fun to drive, the Highlander is more smooth, quiet, and luxurious, which is more important to me these days. The three driving modes are great and it has plenty of power going up mountain passes in Washington in sport mode, even normal, once around town and commuting on the freeway I keep it in eco, whish is more than enough power. Not a perfect vehicle, sunroof is huge, but only opens halfway, why? The lane assist can be annoying since it reads anything that might be a painted lane, so I just turn it off in cruise control, gas tank has to be nursed when filling for the last couple gallons, wants to turn off. Finally the 12 inch screen is great, but cannot be full screen, so it always has 2-3 things on it, that change could be coming with a simple software update, but it is not an efficient use of such a nice screen. JBL 11 speaker sound system is fantastic. Overall, I would recommend this car, really nice if you want luxury and smooth drive. ****9000 mile update I continue to really enjoy this car, since there has not been any snow in the lowlands this winter, I cannot say how it drives in the snow, but in the mountains a couple of times, with Bridgestone Blizzak tires, it gripped well and the AWD seems to work seamlessly. Gas mileage in the winter is down, getting mostly 32-34 MPG driving in Normal mode. Find the brakes to be a little funky, especially when it drops from gas to battery at the same time I am slowing down, almost feels like the brakes don't work for a moment, but once you get used to it, it is no big deal. Leather seats are very comfortable, third row down makes for tons of rear storage. The Platinum provides all the features I would need and they all work nicely. 37-38 MPG in the summer, 32-24 in the winter, I can live with that for such a large SUV. With COVID, I only go into the office three times a week, so I only fill my tank, which costs about $30, every couple of weeks, amazing.
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40,000 Update….. Still Great Ride and Happy
Highlander Hybrid enthusiast, 05/09/2020
updated 04/18/2025
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
47 of 51 people found this review helpful
We now have 18, 000 miles on vehicle and overall very happy with the Highlander Hybrid XLE AWD. We bought in 2020 as an upgrade from a 2016 Honda Odyssey and so far have been very happy with this purchase. Highlander doesn't get the advertised 34/35 MPG.... best we can obtain in driving Eco mode is about 32-33 Highway going about 65 mph and fairly flat hills. In city driving with some hills we get about 29-30 MPG and that's driving stop and go/ accelerating. So the MPG is not bad but hoped it would be better. If Toyota could make plug in Hybrid with like 50 mile EV range that would be great. I know Toyota is looking at all EV in 2025 (maybe). Not to keen on the looks of the Highlander to be honest. I like the older looking version more. It does look like a Subaru and doesn't have that SUV/Sporty look. However the ride is great. We have gone long distances (2,000 mile trips) and have been very comfortable. Seats are great and the pilot chairs in the second row are very comfortable as well. Third row bench seat for 3 is small but ok for kids and "small" adults for short trips. We also had installed a hitch for towing a 2500lb trailer which it did great. Pros: Smooth/comfortable ride Good space inside cabin for family of 4. Decent MPG for highway Apple Car Play CONS: -Looks -Third row bench seat is small but it does great for kids ** 40, 000 Mile Update** Just updated this review on a separate one until I saw our old review. We were overseas for 4 years so have low miles. We’ve been driving for about 4months now and thought I would add update. Ride is still smooth and enjoy overall comfort and drive of this vehicle. Now 5 years old so tech has aged but we were used to driving much older vehicles in Japan. No major updates other than one negative. The driver and passenger seats are uncomfortable with the lower back rest. Both my wife and I have made this comment. Not sure why Toyota put that there but probably for lower back support.
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Worth the upgrade to Highlander
GS Brooks, 07/03/2020
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
29 of 32 people found this review helpful
Looked at Rav4, needed more room and better highway ride. Highlander Hybrid XLE was the right car. Averaging 35 mpg. Toyota has a good reputation for service, reliability and resale. Probably should have gotten the LE, XLE has to many dials, buttons and electronic stuff we will never use. We were overwhelmed with the instructions on how to connect with Onstar and mobile APP. One thing I don't like, is many of the features on this model are on a trial basis, when the trial runs out you have to pay a monthly fee to use. Other car makers, these features are standard and are part of the total package. Look carefully at what you are getting, and ask questions.
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So far amazing!
Ryanado, 07/11/2020
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid LE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
15 of 17 people found this review helpful
Recently purchased and very happy with this vehicle. Getting 40mpg in a huge suv is awesome. Looks capable in mild off-road user as well from the YouTube reviews I've seen. Probably better options if comparing the non hybrid Highlander, but if you care about mileage and the planet, this is an amazing car!
Impressive
DWLIT, 03/26/2020
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
22 of 26 people found this review helpful
The platinum version has about every luxury item one would want in a car. Very comfortable, good ride and very impressive safety features in lane following, cruise control and awareness of what's around the car...especially birds eye video before driving.
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Outstanding Vehicle
Paul, 04/10/2020
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
22 of 26 people found this review helpful
This is our second Toyota Hybrid vehicle. We are extremely pleased with the ride and handling. This vehicle is equipment loaded and we are finding the electronics easy to learn and improved greatly over our other seven year old model. We highly recommend this vehicle
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365 day Highlander Review
James Parker, 11/16/2020
updated 11/22/2021
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid LE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
Love my Highlander.... But, I bought a 3 Row Prius.... For One Reason...... MPG, MPG, MPG. Don’t expect to get 34-35 MPG combined..... Unless you want to drive like an 80 year old There is no... No possible way to Drive like you have no gas And no Breaks to get 34-35 MPG Without Making the Drivers Behind you Very... Very Upset If you Park Outside the Driveway And you like your Highlander Warm before you go to work And run it for 10-15 mins to defrost the windshield Expect to get 20-26 MPG for that Day Real time MPG 29-30 on the Hwy At 65 Miles per hour Love The Highlander Still Questioning the MPG’s 2020 Hi Hy Update 1 year later…. It took my Highlander around 22,000 miles To start getting 34 MPGs Currently have 30,000 miles It’s November 21st, 2021 I’ve been warming up my car for about 10 mins in the Driveway For about 2 weeks in the mornings MPGs dropped Significantly to 30 MPG average
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Practical But Not Premium
William, 01/01/2022
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
This is my fourth Highlander and it does not measure up to previous experiences. Noisy cabin, loud engine and various rattles make one think that Toyota quality is missing on this one. Plastic-looking seat covers add to the feeling that this is an attempt to cut corners. The backs of the seats shake as one goes gently down the road. Even the fact that they took away the very convenient ability to open the back glass tells you that Toyota is looking for ways to shave costs which compromises quality. Of course, you can't overlook the fact that averaging 35mpg might make you settle for mediocrity. The ride is smooth and handling is alright. Sadly, this will be my last Highlander to purchase and I'm disappointed that Toyota thought they could put one over on a faithful purchaser.
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No Longer Premium
W, 01/15/2022
updated 01/18/2024
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
My fourth Highlander is very disappointing. Feels cheap. Noisy cabin. Loud engine. Seat backs rattle. Cost cutting details like fake leather and no more opening back window. Too bad. Will look otherwise next time. Excellent gas mileage. Dependable. 53k miles at this update..still efficient and dependable but disappointed otherwise.
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Love this car
Jc, 09/22/2020
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
6 of 8 people found this review helpful
Have had Toyotas for years, siennas, older model highlander, and the last one was a rav 4 hybrid. As the kids were getting older we thought we could transition to a smaller car but RAV4 was too small for our tastes. Just upgraded to the Highlander hybrid. Love the feel of the car, ride is very smooth and quiet, and gas mileage is amazing! Although this one is a four-cylinder, and the pep is not quite what a six cylinder used to be, it’s still fine and a small trade off considering the gas mileage. Definitely recommend
Fun and functional SUV!
RV, 06/25/2020
updated 01/04/2021
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid LE 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
16 of 25 people found this review helpful
This SUV has a premium, Mercedes-like, feel. The handling and general vibe is very good. I do mostly highway driving. The overall gas mileage is 38mpg right on the nose, as advertised. I was dismayed that the dealership would not install a Toyota tow hitch and when i went to Uhaul, I learned that Uhaul would only guarantee their tow hitch to 5000 lbs of tow weight. the vehicle is rated at 7500 lb. The guy at Uhaul said that as a practical matter the Uhaul hitch was pretty much identical to the Toyota hitch, so i went ahead and had the Uhaul hitch installed. The interior layout and roominess are good but I must admit i have not even looked at the third row of seats. The electronics are great because of Apple Carplay. The infotainment screen is easy to see and easy to read. I guess the only beef I have is that the LE model lacks heated seats, a good feature here in Washington state, but it has the silly rear gate power booster, which is a nuisance. I think the features should include heated seats and exclude the power rear gate, which causes more problems than it solves. I have now driven my HH for 7 months and it continues to be a solid rig with no real problems.
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Great car
Luis Murano, 02/26/2021
updated 02/27/2023
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
13k miles. Loving it so far. Performance while driving on highways could be better (I still miss the V6 from prior versions) as average speed of 80-90 decreases the MPG from regular 32MPG to 23MPG... so engine is getting stressed. Updated: 37k miles Still a great car, with all bells and whistles. I take it to multiple cross country road trips with no concern with reliability. I am not planning to get a new car, unless they release a PHEV version of either the Highlander, Grand Highlander or Lexus RX. But overall, what an amazing car!
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Stunningly Efficient
Hemy, 01/12/2021
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
The New Stunning body styling of the Highlander Limited along with its Hybrid Efficiency accompanying the comfortability of a car makes a Seven Passenger SUV at 36 miles to the gallon a Stunningly Efficient vehicle.
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Get mpg get 34.3 and going up use eco mode
Josh Foley, 09/07/2020
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
3 of 6 people found this review helpful
Eco mode saves gas lill slow to accelerate but im ok with. 😃
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Permanent Motion Sickness
MissDee, 09/11/2020
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
18 of 45 people found this review helpful
I upgraded to the Highlander Hybrid from the Prius because I wanted more space, I was tired of crouching soooo low to get into the Prius, as well as tired of bending over to get things in and out of the car. The 2020 Highlander Hybrid is indeed beautiful and well designed. It feels luxurious. I love the second row bucket seats and the surprisingly roomy third row seats. However, the ride for both the driver and passengers is nauseating. It feels like the wheels are in a weird place, offsetting the overall balance of the car. Have you been on a 747 with the wind blowing like crazy? That's what the driving experience of the Highlander feels like... you are gliding with only a little control. The body kind of sways while you're driving, especially at low speeds. It's discomforting. You feel zero connection to the road which some people like. I now realize that's what I did like about the Prius (and my previous non-Toyota vehicles) - you feel a direct connection from the steering wheel to your feet to the road. You don't get that with the Highlander. If you like the feeling of driving a marshmallow with mushy brakes and chronic nausea then this car is for you. I'm personally counting the days until my lease expires.
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Was hoping for something better
Mary T., 05/18/2020
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
14 of 43 people found this review helpful
As a lease-to-buy soon to be owner of a 2016 Highlander XLE 6-cylinder (gas) vehicle, I was excited to turn my 2016 in, and buy a 2020 Highlander Hybrid. Although happy with some improvements, i.e. the rear of the 2020 is more linear and less pinched as well as increased cargo space/increased length, I was unhappy with the following: 1. They have removed the rear window pop-up option. This was so convenient for putting items in the back cargo area without having to raise the rear gate. 2. Overall handling not as nice as the 2016. 3. Buttons and interior seem cheaper than the 2016. 4. It is not offered in jade metallic (green) - a no-no for a hybrid car! 5. Although a price of roughly $44K makes it fairly competitive when compared to other, costlier hybrid SUVs, Toyota is not offering 0% financing at this time - tough for people with financial insecurity due to COVID-19. Together with the fact that I was over the mileage allocation on my 2016 + other potential penalties, I had no choice but to buy my old 2016 instead of buying new. I will wait for a better sport utility vehicle to be produced. If it is the Highlander (in a few years), with all of these missing features, then I will be very happy.
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Great car
Ami, 04/25/2021
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I’ve had my car (XLE hybrid) for about 3 months now and I still love it. It’s probably my best major purchase in the past decade. Pluses: * It gets good mileage (34.4 and climbing with mostly city/suburban drives). * It drives smoothly and very quietly, which is a noticeable contrast from my previous Subaru Outback. * It’s roomy- we’ve used the third row a few times now successfully, and when folding the third row you get huge trunk space. * I also like the easy switching from Eco mode, which I use most of the time, to sports mode when merging into a highway. Minuses: * At least the XLE doesn’t come with a hitch, which I was surprised by given its size. Installing one would cost about $1000 including labor. * No seat memory in the XLE and below, but wasn’t worth the steep price difference to get the Limited * We’ve had a few glitches with AirPlay and Bluetooth, though mostly they work just fine. That said, those are relatively minor things for me at least.
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Needs Rebadging as a Yaris
W. Chapuis, 12/05/2020
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
7 of 22 people found this review helpful
This 2020 is my fourth Highlander and it ain’t the same car. Toyota pulled a fast one and downgraded with cheap interior plastics, intrusive road noise and extremely loud 4cyl engine. Softex seats just another way of saying cheap. Radio has almost no bass. Pop up back window is gone too. If it was a Yaris at least I would have been warned. These money saving techniques are a bad move for Toyota.
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Getting better
Pam Ferrell, 04/20/2021
updated 04/22/2024
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
4 of 13 people found this review helpful
My 2020 is such a disappointment. Finally got up to 35 mpg. Horrible in the winter. Shocks sounded like car was falling apart. Took a 1500 mile trip and went from 28.4 mpg to 28.2. Used cruise control. Clock didn’t change time zone when driving through a different zone. Speed limit on the dash doesn’t match the road signs. Heating and cooling not easy to control. I’m getting more used to it but still have issues.
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So far so good...
Person with car, 05/24/2020
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
7 of 43 people found this review helpful
I do have to say that also having a Tesla Model 3, I can't get over having so many useless buttons everywhere. PLEASE get rid of at least half of the buttons. 80% of them are only used in rare circumstances, and are made redundant by the screen. There is more luxury in simplicity and clarity. The vehicle is replacing a much roomier 2007 Honda Pilot. I which Honda would make an BEV SUV so that I can ditch gas and complexity all together. Also, I look forward to the day that dealerships dry up and float away. So little value added for so much extra cost. It's just a whole lot of overhead to support an outdated sales model.
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Highlander & RAV4 HYBRID 2020
Russ, 09/04/2021
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Great Vehicle No passengerc power seat. Blind spot indicator should be on inside location of the mirror. Closer to drivers field of vision. Switch with heated mirror indicator position. Makes sense Millage Range shown is ridiculous. Toyota states no issue.. 17.1 gal highlander MAX RANGE 615 MILES. Never show over 450. 1/3 tank range 65 miles. Rav 4 same issue. Again Toyota will not address ! Programing is a great thing if willing, TOYOTA is not.
Outstanding
Roy Arafa, 12/26/2022
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Best Hybrid SUV in the market. Perfect size , comfortable ride and great fuel efficient
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Hybrid thouoghbread.
John L, 01/29/2023
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Gas mileage 38mpg, high end electronics, spectacular interior, 3rd row seats are a joke.
Best of breed
toyota, 09/14/2024
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I purchased this 2020 year model car in 2023, I’ve driven it a year in the PNW and have averaged 36MPG in that time. The 3rd row is fine for trips to the airport or driving to client lunches with 8 people for 30-45 minutes, of course it’s not going to work for a trip cross-country. Ride is incredibly comfortable and quiet, the faux-leather interior is way easier to keep clean vs real leather, love the infotainment and the sunroof. Feels like a luxury car, people get in and can’t believe how luxurious a Toyota can be. The Hybrid fuel economy is just icing on the cake. Ok, yes it’s loud when you floor it, but I’m willing to suffer a little loudness for 6-seconds while I do the 30-70MPH on-ramp to the highway if I finish the trip at 36MPG. Perfectly reasonable trade-off, especially considering this is your only reliable option for a big affordable AWD hybrid SUV! I looked at the Kia and Hyundai hybrids but my recent experiences with Korean cars steered me back to a nice reliable Japanese car that won’t leave me stranded.
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Very Cool car
Lasha, 12/20/2020
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
0 of 3 people found this review helpful
XLE is a sweet spot,
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