Used 2021 Toyota Highlander Consumer Reviews
Used Highlander for sale
Updated Highlander 2021
Mike, 03/15/2021
updated 09/19/2023
2021 Toyota Highlander XLE 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
Great SUV very comfortable great interior layout! Back window could be bigger. Comfortable ride and Toyota reliability!
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Good V6 + Smart Trans. Design = MPG SURPRISE!
Stan R., 01/26/2021
2021 Toyota Highlander XLE 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
33 of 46 people found this review helpful
Folks: 4 months ago when my 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe hit 165K mi.(but still running VERY strong) I said to myself,..."It's time ! After weeks of diligent research I was sure that I wanted a Kia Telluride or the Hyundai Palisade, end of story,...or so I THOUGHT! For someone who had become a dedicated Hyundai fan, I was BEYOND simple and unexpected dissapointment when I went, first to test drive the Palisade, and then the Kia Telluride! My reaction to the test drives? WOW,..Hyundai had hit THIS one,...out-of-the-Park! My reaction to BOTH Hyundai and Kia dealer salesmen whose BEST offers were between 500.00 and $2000 OVER MSRP! WHAT??? R U Kidding? No kidding,...Neither dealer would even offer me the eternally available Hyundai - Kia Customer Loyalty Cash! Are these VERY well designed mid-size 3-row SUVs? Absolutely. Are they PERFECT? Absolutely NOT. Some of the interior trim looks cheap and out-of-place. The fuel economy leaves something to be desired! (on a comparative basis within this class!) Sorry lover (Hyundai Motor Corp).,...Na Na Na Na, hey, hey-a,..GOODBYE! NOBODY,... gets a pass for ARROGANCE! (What a shame after a 14-yr love affair, and making Hyundai converts of multiple family members, work associates, and a future brother-in-law to boot,....you have your dealers actually thinking that they are now the Mercedes-Benz of the New Millenium! (and their 2021 W-2 form is damn well going to show it!) OK, YES, I DO feel BETTER now. MUCH better, in fact! But Time to Move ON ! Enter my Test DRIVE of the 2021 Toyota Highlander(2020 Highlander with NEW Projector headlights.) Full disclosure: My first test drive was the 2.5L 4-cyl. HYBRID with 266HP gets you class-leading interior space,..a well appointed mid-level XLE with 2nd row Capt. chairs, adequate power, and an encore of 30 - 31 MPG! Whats NOT to like?,..right? Let's make this easy; Smooth ride,...good comfort,...good driver technology with GREAT electronics safety package (adequate but not great audio system).but EXTREME amount of engine noise from a 4 cylinder engine in a 4500 lb SUV. STOP!, Do NOT pass GO, do NOT collect $200! NEXT, please. NEXT: Test drove the V6 291 HP 8-speed trans.version '21 Highlander XLE with same options packages as Hybrid and in summary,..Cool,...Confident,..Smooth,..(,listen),...Q U I E T but with POWER to spare!,..AND as an unexpected bonus, 25.5 - 26 MPG( GREAT transmission integration, Toyota engineers! See NOTE 1 below) on 500 mi., I-5 So. Cal. Irvine to No.Cal.Sierra foothills near Tahoe, avg speed 75mph +, and brand-new engine! Hey, at 4500 lbs. with AWD, I'm WAY happy if the mpg never gets better! So, in summary, the 2021 Toyota Highlander XLE(nicely appointed and gets you upgraded softex-leather) V6 w/AWD(or w/o AWD gets you +1more mpg!). * NOTE 1 - Noteworthy: I have experienced driving several rental vehicles with "ECO" and "SPORT" driving modes. Sport mode usually a little more assertive and fun, and ECO mode usually a little better fuel economy but at the price of 40% more down-shifts on bigger /longer hills and mountain passes. UNEXPECTED Surprise: "ECO" mode in the V6 Highlander did cause the vehicle (with 2 adult passengers and about 400 lbs of cargo) to initially lose some mph climbing 2000 - 3000 ft passes in the Sierra foothills, but much to my pleasant surprise, the well thought out gear drive ratios seemed to never allow the Highlander to lose more than about 5 - 6 mph max with either NO or absolute minimal down-shifting. NICELY done Toyota drivetrain engineers!!) I will update this review in 10to 15K miles and perhaps every 15K upward!)
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2021 Highlander compared to my 2014 Highlander XLE
Happy RC, 02/16/2021
2021 Toyota Highlander XLE 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
10 of 13 people found this review helpful
I've just test driven the 2021 gas version FWD and it still accelerates well (I have a 2014 Toyota Highlander V6) but it also still has a lot of torque steer. Tires have become narrower (235mm wide) compared to my 2014 Toyota Highlander (245mm wide) Turning radius is still too big to make u-turns without having to do a 3 point turn, and parking
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3rd row does not fold flat!!!!
Longtime Toyota owner, 01/08/2021
2021 Toyota Highlander Platinum 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
37 of 53 people found this review helpful
Traded a 2013 Highlander for the 2021. With the 3rd row folded down in the new one, the loading area is angled towards the hatch, so that if you some groceries in the back area, like a glass jar of spaghetti sauce, when you open the hatch, it can just fall out onto the ground as happened to me. The 2013 was totally flat with the 3rd row down. You also can't open the rear glass of the hatch (as you can in the 2013 model) if you simply want to reach inside and pick something up. You have to open the entire hatch. Very poor design and VERY disappointed in the angled rear cargo area.
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Worst vehicle
Disappointed 😿 , 05/07/2021
2021 Toyota Highlander LE 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
39 of 56 people found this review helpful
I just bought my Highlander le very disappointed it’s very loud inside. I took it to the dealer to get it fix they said it’s all the same as the other model. Worst suv it’s like I just bought a car from junkyard