Base invoice price $24,297 - $30,393
EPA fuel economy 17-18 miles per gallon city / 23-24 highway
Engine 270-hp, 3.5-liter V-6
Transmission 5-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
What we like Gas mileage
Interior storage
Highway acceleration
Safety features
Versatile seating
What we don't
Some cheap cabin materials
Lackluster handling
Some confusing controls
The redesigned
The Highlander makes the grade on all counts, though it doesn't excel in any one area. Provided it can maintain its outstanding resale value and reliability, it should prove a smart - if not particularly captivating - choice for years to come.
Base, Sport, and Limited trim levels come with front- or four-wheel drive.
Toyota's California design studios sculpted the exterior, which is bigger in all major dimensions than the old Highlander. To my eyes, Toyota's smaller RAV4 SUV looks better-proportioned. With its creased headlights, flashy grille, and characterless bumper, the Highlander seems a bit too slick.
The rear bumper has dimpled reflectors, and most trim levels have a glass hatch that opens independent of the liftgate. Seventeen-inch alloy wheels are standard; the Sport and Limited have 19-inchers. At 188.4 inches long and 75.2 inches wide, the Highlander casts roughly the same shadow as a
Toyota has spent years building a reputation for quality, and absent any serious competition, this year's Highlander might have maintained that standard. SUVs like the CX-9 and Veracruz boast some impressively upscale interiors. In comparison, Toyota falls a bit short.
The Highlander shares underpinnings with the cur rent Camry, and the dashboard exhibits much of the sedan's flavor. The center controls are the natural focal point, with oversized knobs for major functions within easy reach. Sport and Limited models have a 3.5-inch screen on top of the stereo that displays gas mileage, outside temperature, and more. It also shows settings for the optional automatic climate control system, which can divide the cabin into as many as three temperature zones.
Cabin quality is average. The window switches, turn signals, and center controls could go straight into a Lexus. Most areas are trimmed in hard plastics, however, and the textures lack the appeal of the stuff in several competitors' vehicles. Worst of all is the ceiling's headliner, which is some of the cheapest mouse fur this side of an economy car.