Used 2016 Toyota Highlander Consumer Reviews
Used Highlander for sale
Beware of the wind noise
Wayne, 02/04/2017
2016 Toyota Highlander XLE 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
The car runs well. However, if you are sensitive to noise, you will hate this car. On my car, a 2017 model, there is a wind intrusion, whistling noise on the passenger side window above 45 MPH; None on the driver's side. Dealer acknowledged the problem but said that it's a "normal characteristic" of the car until Toyota issues a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) on how to fix it. You can google the internet and see how many other people are having the same problem. I would not have bought this car had I known about this. The noise is very annoying and persistent. None of my other Toyotas (2014 Avalon, 2006 Sienna, 2003 Sequoia) have this problem.
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I would consider other options before purchasing
Bill F., 01/02/2017
2016 Toyota Highlander XLE 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
This is our 5th Toyota and by far our least favorite. The large outside mirrors cause blind spots when turning. The auto climate control seems to overshoot the temperature causing discomfort until the cabin temp has stabilized. We do not experience this on our 2014 Rav4. The navigation system was not accurate the voice command often told us to turn in one direction when the map displayed the opposite. We found out that the map data was from 2015 on a 2016 vehicle purchased in October of 2016. The dealer wanted to charge us for the update that was released prior to the purchase date. The rear windshield wiper locks up at times after the rear window is opened and closed. (The wiper is driven from a mechanical linkage located in the lower portion of the hatch and often does not re-engage after the window is closed. The brakes are awful, pedal often goes almost to the floor and the dealer says this is normal. They would not even check to see if the brakes needed to be bled as they said this would be admitting there was a problem?????????) The drivers side window makes a loud noise every time it closes. In all the prior Toyota vehicles we have owned starting in 2009 we have never had a complaint until the Highlander. Our 2014 Rav4 is a much better vehicle than the Highlander. Based on the way Toyota and the dealer responded to the issues, we will likely never purchase another Toyota.
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Best SUV I've Ever Owned
Road Warrior, 10/06/2016
updated 04/06/2018
2016 Toyota Highlander XLE 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
I needed a 8 passenger SUV for my family with growing kids, their friends, sports, activities, etc... I narrowed it down to the redesigned Honda Pilot and the Toyota Highlander XLE AWD. I reviewed many customer, and on-line expert reviews, and for me there was no contest... the winner was the Toyota Highlander XLE. From looks and comfort to performance and safety/technology. All of my past five SUV's all drove like trucks, but not the Highlander, this one drove like a Lexus! It is definitely a head turner that I'm proud to drive. I got the Blizzard White which is not your standard white, it's a more luxurious color for sure. I'm 6'2' tall and I have plenty of room in the drive seat, which is not the case in a lot of SUV's. Just to be picky...I wish it had a few more USB ports, and blind side indicators for this model, which is the more popular middle of the road model. I now have 40,000 miles with no maintenance issues whatsoever. Great vehicle overall, good in snow, and so much fun to drive! You will not be disappointed with the Toyota Highlander which is rated number one for a reason!!!
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Great Value proposition with style.
Robert Sciba, 11/08/2016
updated 05/08/2020
2016 Toyota Highlander XLE 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
The Highlander is big, it has three rows of seats, however it does not feel like a large car when you are driving. The size does make it comfortable for adults, the 2nd row seats have plenty of room even for larger/taller people. I really enjoy the "shelf" located slightly below the dashboard. It makes a great place to put your phone, glasses, laundry ticket, etc, you get the picture. It also has a large center console for bigger items. The onboard tech is OK, the Toyota Entune system has a couple of OK features including notification of txt's and emails - although you cannot read them while driving but you can send a standardized response. You also have apps for Open Table, sports, stocks, movie tickets and a few others. The stereo, although listed as a premium system is not very powerful and the tone/quality is fair at best. The NAV is OK to use, the voice activation commands work best for making bluetooth phone calls but using it to NAV or perform other functions is mediocre. The motor sounds fine at most speeds but I do hear a "whine" or higher pitched tone from time to time that I do not care for. Also, the Homelink function is difficult to program. I have succeeded in getting button 1 programmed but the other buttons are not working. (I have not contacted Toyota yet on this issue) The pros are the nice size, overall styling and functionality, the cons are a couple of extra noises, avg stereo and mediocre grade leather on the seats. My net opinion, I would buy this car again and would recommend it to you! Updating the review after 6 months ownership; I was able to get the Homelink programmed. Interesting it worked when I tried it and was miles from my garage and used a handheld remote and for no apparent reason the programming took! The car still gets roughly 20 MPG and have had no "squeaks or rattles". I stick with my earlier recommendation and would buy the car again if given a choice. Updating after a year of ownership; I casually mentioned the rear hatch made a squeaking noise when opening and the dealer installed new gate "stantions", the pneumatic dampeners that help open and close the hatch - nice if them to do it and it was under warranty. No other issues at all with the vehicle! Would purchase the same car with the same features, with the possible exception of a better stereo system!
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Got what was paid for
Jay, 07/02/2016
updated 01/07/2019
2016 Toyota Highlander Limited Platinum 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
23 of 26 people found this review helpful
Have read many reviews about this SUV. Now I'm happy of being its owner. I was going to wait for 2017 new model, but changed my mind and bought 2016 one instead, because I've heard Toyota is going to put 8-speed on 2017 model. Don'd have confidence on >6 speed transmission. MSRP of my Platinum was $46333, paid $43112 (Edmund's special) + tax/license, not a bad deal. Among all the Japanese cars, I prefer Toyota & Lexus. It serves the purpose I want and well. Out from all the goodies, five things that did not get on my "like-list". (1) Gas mileage is average 18 mpg, lower than what Mr. Toyota said. (2) The two side mirrors are toooo bulky ! They block a lot of front & side views. Drivers don't need to see the whole world from these mirrors, Mr. Toyota! (3)When I step on gas paddle, even when slightly, the engine tends to make loud noise(shouting). Funny thing is, when driving on a fast-speed freeway, engine noise is the only one I could hear. Toyota forgot to keep its family quiet while having got its neighbors silent well. (4) After driving it on freeway & local streets, I could not get average mileage more than 16 MPG. This is not what Toyota claimed. (5) In my limited premium, side mirror adjustment is manual only, All head support for seat are also manual. This is absurd for the top line Highlander! Those things are automatic even in my 2008 Camry ! Everything else is working fine except the collision prevention, it simply just doesn't work. You are guaranteed to smash to the car in front if you depend on it. Updated 1/5/2018: (1) Gas mileage is always low at 16-17 MPG. (2) Collision prevention has never worked Updated 7/5/2018 : (1) Gas mileage is poor as usual (2) Toyota did not want to handle my complaint about the useless Collision Prevention feature. Not honest. Updated 1/5/2019 : (1) Toyota USA has been ignoring my complaint about the disfunctioning of the Collision Prevention feature. I figure Toyota wanted to wait and see till they would be facing a lawsuit. (2) So bizarre that the side view mirrors can NOT be automatically folded for parking purpose in all 2016 Highlander, even in my Limited Platinum model. (3) The head supporter can only go up & down, but can NOT be tilted which makes the driver and the passenger uncomfortable and unsafe. (4) I had a 2006 Camry that had the features described in (2) & (3). But those two features are not available in my 2016 Highlander Limited Platinum. What were you thinking Toyota ?!!!
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