2026 Toyota Highlander

Name: 2026 Toyota Highlander
Brand: Toyota

Release Date: Fall 2025

Estimated Price: Starting around $42,000

The 2026 Toyota Highlander is a practical three-row SUV that's easy to drive and returns good fuel economy. It's loaded with helpful driver assistance features, too. However, other midsize SUVs like the Kia Telluride and Volkswagen Atlas offer more spacious, easier-to-access third-row seats.Read full review

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2026 Toyota Highlander Review

Pros

Comfortable, quiet ride
Easy to see out of
Above-average fuel efficiency for a three-row SUV

Cons

Third row is kids-only
Not much cargo space behind the third row

Overview

Written by automotive expert Mark Takahashi

8/27/2025

The Toyota Highlander practically serves as the default midsize three-row SUV for folks who just want a family hauler that's easy to live with. The current generation debuted for the 2020 model year, and in that time it has served its purpose: This is a spacious, comfortable crossover that delivers everything you'd expect, from a smooth, quiet ride to an intuitively laid-out interior. And if you need a little extra room, Toyota sells the Grand Highlander. If you don't want to spend time sorting through the thick field of competitors in this class, it's hard to ignore just how well the Highlander does its job.

Edmunds spotlight: A new Highlander could be coming

Based on Toyota's typical vehicle lifespan, we believe the current Highlander's tenure is nearly up. The 2026 Highlander could even be the final model year of this generation, and any enhancements are likely to be minor as Toyota preps the next iteration of this megapopular SUV. Expect the new Highlander to sport exterior and cabin designs that line up with newer vehicles in Toyota's lineup. New powertrains are also likely — for example, the current Grand Highlander offers a potent turbocharged hybrid that doesn't appear on the standard Highlander. As for when a redesigned Highlander might appear, we aren't sure at the moment. If Toyota introduces it for the 2027 model year, the automaker will likely announce it at the end of 2025 or in early 2026.

Competitors to consider

This is a segment jam-packed with worthy competition. The Kia Telluride offers more space and a more tech-forward cabin, the Hyundai Palisade provides a more luxurious space to sit in, the Mazda CX-90 is sportier and better to drive, and the Honda Pilot is a touch more rugged. There's also the aforementioned Grand Highlander, in case you find the standard model's third row isn't spacious enough. In fact, you might have too many well-regarded options in this space.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

Driven, tested, rated by automotive expert Jonathan Elfalan

Good

6.7

out of 10

We drove the Toyota Highlander on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Driving experience

8.1/10

How does the Toyota Highlander drive? At Edmunds' test track, our four-cylinder all-wheel-drive Highlander test vehicle accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds, which is quicker than most V6-equipped three-row midsize SUVs.

The Highlander's ride quality is pleasantly plush. Large and small road imperfections are smoothed over thanks to the compliant suspension, yet it avoids feeling floaty or vague at high speeds.

The Highlander can stop quickly and confidently as well as negotiate a twisty road. Body roll is controlled through turns, and the available torque-vectoring AWD system helps to subtly enhance handling balance by applying engine power to individual rear wheels. (It also has the usual benefit of extra traction in slick conditions.)

We give the Highlander high marks for outward visibility. Thin front roof pillars help you see around turns. Advanced technology also helps the Highlander feel more nimble than the average midsize SUV and makes daily driving a low-effort activity. All Highlanders come with a comprehensive suite of advanced driver aids. We like the adaptive cruise control, but we found the lane departure warning slightly too sensitive in the standard mode and not sensitive enough in the low mode.

Comfort

7.4/10

How comfortable is the Toyota Highlander? It's easy to find your preferred seating position, but taller drivers might wish for more extension range from the telescoping steering wheel. The Highlander's front seats are comfortable even on long drives, and the available second-row captain's chairs (which our test vehicle had) provide nearly the same level of comfort. Alas, the third-row seats are one of the Highlander's greatest liabilities. Thin padding, a narrow space, and a cushion mounted low to the floor make the third row ill-suited for adults, although that's addressed by the larger Grand Highlander, which is reviewed separately.

The climate controls are easy to use, and the standard tri-zone system provides ample heating and cooling capacity, which helps make up for the mildly effective seat heat and ventilation. Otherwise, our complaints are few. There are no vibrations, squeaks or wind noise to speak of, even at highway speeds. Road noise is minimal.

A large rear-facing car seat is easily accommodated in the second row thanks to the generous fore-and-aft movement of the available captain's chairs. Anchors are easy to locate and access for all types of child safety seats, though there are no anchors in the third row.

In-cabin tech

7.6/10

How’s the tech? Toyota used to trail other manufacturers when it comes to tech but the current Highlander has made big strides in the right direction. The optional 12.3-inch touchscreen is huge (an 8-inch screen is standard) and it responds quickly to inputs, but occasionally reflections on the surface make using it more difficult than it should be. The latest Toyota software looks more modern too. Our Highlander test vehicle had five USB charge ports for the first and second rows but none for the third.

Storage & cargo

5.7/10

How’s storage and cargo? Cargo space is a bit of a mixed bag with the Highlander. Behind the third row, there's only 16 cubic feet of space, which is small for the class. Behind the second row, it expands to a better-than-average 48.4 cubic feet. The liftover height is about average for a midsize SUV, and both back rows can be folded for a flat load surface. As for cabin storage, there are good-size pockets and cupholders as well as two shelves built into the dash. (One has a clever phone cable keeper too.)

Value

6.4/10

Is the Toyota Highlander a good value? Though the Highlander isn't the most premium-feeling SUV in the class, the interior is solidly put together with soft, padded surfaces where they matter most. There's good value here, too, whether you're cross-shopping against a Kia Telluride (especially given the typical markups for those) or the popular Honda Pilot, which isn't quite as strong a value these days.

Toyota's warranty coverage is pretty common for the class with three years/36,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage and five years/60,000 miles for the powertrain. The first two years of scheduled maintenance are also free.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

MPG

5/10

How’s the fuel economy? The four-cylinder Highlander is pretty fuel-efficient. We tested an all-wheel-drive model, which the EPA estimates will get 24 mpg in combined city/highway driving. (Front-wheel-drive models are slightly better at 25 mpg combined.) A few mpg may not seem like a huge advantage over the competition, but it's significant for this class of vehicle. On our real-world evaluation route, we achieved 26.6 mpg, which is pretty stellar and indicates to us the EPA's estimates should be achievable. Of note, the Highlander Hybrid gets up to 36 mpg combined.

X factor

7/10

The styling up front gives the Highlander a sporty appearance, which looks cool but also maybe oversells athleticism. Still, the Highlander has better than average composure on a twisty road for a midsize three-row SUV, which might be all the fun someone shopping this category needs.

2026 Toyota Highlander trim level differences

[Editor's note: The following unofficial information is based on last year's Highlander. We expect the 2026 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 five trim levels: LE, XLE, XSE, Limited and Platinum. All are powered by a 265-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine that's connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is available on all trims as an option. There's also a Highlander Hybrid, Grand Highlander and Grand Highlander Hybrid that are reviewed separately on Edmunds.

Which Highlander trim does Edmunds recommend?

Toyota hasn't released official information on the 2026 Highlander as of this writing. We'll update our recommendation if anything changes, but based on last year's Highlander, we suggest checking out the XLE trim. For a reasonable price increase over the base model, it adds several convenience features that should appeal to family-minded shoppers.