As three-row family vehicles go, Toyota's Highlander is among the most practical and easiest to drive. It's easy to see out of and comfortable for both city driving and long highway trips. High fuel economy for a conventionally powered SUV is another draw. And if you want a more efficient or bigger Highlander, there's always the gas/electric Hybrid or the supersized Grand Highlander to consider.
Credit for Highlander's above-average fuel economy goes to its turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which is an unconventional choice in this class. Most midsize three-row SUVs use bigger V6 engines, many of which are more powerful. The Highlander's four-cylinder is noisier and a bit rougher in operation than the many competitors' V6s, but overall we still like its powertrain. The Highlander's eight-speed automatic responds quickly and is a good pairing with the turbo-four's power delivery. The Highlander is available in front- or all-wheel drive.
We also like the Highlander's generous allocation of features across its many trims. Premium features like a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and a power liftgate are available in the midlevel trims. And wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration is standard across all trims.
On the downside, the Highlander's third-row seats are pretty cramped, and there's not much space behind that row for storage. Other rivals such as the Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride and Volkswagen Atlas provide more room. But overall, we think the 2023 Highlander is a likable enough SUV to warrant consideration.
Toyota hasn't released the information on the 2024 Highlander as of this writing. We'll update our recommendations if anything changes, but based on last year's Highlander we recommend the midrange XLE trim. For a reasonable premium over the supporting trims, you get several niceties such as heated front seats, synthetic leather upholstery, second-row sunshades and a wireless charging pad.
[Editor's note: The following unofficial information is based on last year's Highlander. We expect the 2024 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 six trim levels: L, LE, XLE, XSE, Limited and Platinum. Midgrade trims and above swap the second-row bench for captain's chairs, reducing seating capacity to seven. All models are powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter engine that produces 265 horsepower and 309 lb-ft of torque, and it's mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission that drives the front wheels. 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.
Note that some of the Highlander's extra features on the upper trims are offered on supporting trims as options.
L
The base L is well equipped and comes with:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights
- Heated mirrors
- 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
- 7-inch digital instrument panel display
- Wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Amazon Alexa smartphone integration
- Onboard Wi-Fi hotspot
- Four USB-C charging ports, one USB-A media port
- Emergency communications (Toyota's Safety Connect)
- Toyota's Safety Sense 2.5+ suite of advanced safety features:
- Frontal collision mitigation (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)
- Automatic high beams
- Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
- Traffic sign reader
LE
The LE trim adds a handful of convenience and safety features such as:
- LED foglights
- Height-adjustable power liftgate
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
- 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
The seven-passenger XLE upgrades the Highlander with:
- Roof rails
- Sunroof
- Hands-free liftgate
- Wireless charging pad
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
- Synthetic leather upholstery (SofTex)
- Heated front seats
- Power-adjustable passenger seat
- Second-row captain's chairs
- Second-row sunshades
There are a couple of options for the XLE:
- Second-row bench seat (no-cost option)
- Navigation system
XSE
The XSE trim represents the sporty choice in the lineup. It builds off the XLE model and adds:
- 20-inch wheels
- Unique sporty styling cues
- Sport suspension
- Chrome exterior trim
- Dual exhaust tips
- Interior ambient lighting
Leather upholstery and the larger 12.3-inch center touchscreen are optional.
Limited
Stepping up to the Limited trim adds plenty of luxury items that include:
- Upgraded foglights
- Power-folding mirrors
- Digital instrument panel
- Leather upholstery
- Ventilated front seats
- Driver's seat memory function
- Heated steering wheel
- Household power outlet
- 12.3-inch multimedia 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
At the top of the range, the Platinum includes everything above, plus:
- 20-inch alloy wheels
- Adaptive headlights (swivel as you turn the steering wheel for better illumination in curves)
- Automatic wipers
- 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
