Toyota Highlander Specs

Toyota Highlander Specs: Inconspicuous and also practical, the Highlander can haul up to 8 in quiet convenience. The base 185-hp 2.7-liter inline-four teams with a six-speed automated as well as front-wheel drive; the optional 295-hp 3.5-liter V-6 obtains an eight-speed automated. All-wheel drive is optional for V-6 designs and standard for the crossbreed, which sets the V-6 with 2 electric motors; we saw 24 mpg in our test. The Highlander gives an ample driving experience, however it's more concentrated on interior precisions as well as storage space.


Toyota Highlander Specs


Like the 1986 film Highlander, the Toyota SUV that shares its name is a crowd-pleaser that fails to inspire fervor among movie critics. After more than 190,000 Highlanders rolled off dealership great deals in 2014, Toyota's mid-size crossover SUV went into 2017 with a host of adjustments focused on satisfying the masses as well as pundits alike.

Notably, all Highlanders, from the base $31,590 LE to the state-of-the-art $48,840 Highlander Crossbreed Limited Platinum, now come common with a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian discovery and also automated emergency braking, plus lane-departure caution, lane-keeping assist, flexible cruise ship control, as well as automated high-beams. Our all-wheel-drive $43,184 Highlander XLE examination vehicle additionally loaded blind-spot monitoring, a feature inaccessible on the lower-level Highlander LE as well as LE Plus.

Going along with the 2017 Highlander's numerous safety systems is the most recent variant of Toyota's 3.5-liter V-6 engine. The six-cylinder is common on all but the base front-wheel-drive Highlander LE-- which remains to use a frail 185-hp inline-four-- and also integrates a host of contemporary innovations, consisting of a direct and also port fuel-injection system and also an upgraded valvetrain that enables the engine to run on the a lot more efficient Atkinson cycle. Rated at a healthy and balanced 295 horse power as well as 263 lb-ft of torque, the changed V-6 makes 25 more horses and also an extra 15 lb-ft compared to the previous device. Fuel economic situation is up, too, with the front-wheel-drive 2017 Highlander V-6 gaining an EPA-rated 23 mpg integrated; all-wheel-drive versions achieve 22 mpg. Both figures note a 2-mpg renovation over in 2014's Highlander as well as put the crossover within 1 mpg of the four-cylinder Mazda CX-9's combined fuel-economy numbers.

Toyota's 2GR-FKS 6 is a treasure of an engine that builds power almost all the means up to its 6800-rpm redline. At the track, this Highlander cut 0.3 2nd off of its predecessor's zero-to-60-mph as well as 30-to-50-mph times, hitting the marks in 7.0 and also 3.8 secs, specifically. However, the 2017 Highlander's 5.6-second 50-to-70-mph death time was both slow for the class and also virtually a 2nd behind that of its forbear. Criticize the brand-new eight-speed automatic transmission's hesitancy to downshift. Regardless, the revised Highlander's V-6 provides a lot of grunt in most real-world driving circumstances. Many thanks in part to our examination automobile's automatic stop-start system, we managed an affordable 21 mpg during our time with the crossover, 2 mpg far better compared to what we received from a Mazda CX-9.

The Element of Crossover

If the 2017 Highlander's V-6 powertrain is the equivalent of Highlander's charming Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez (played by Sean Connery), then the crossover's revamped exterior design is akin to the film's handsome but forgettable lead character, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert). New front as well as rear fascias, upgraded headlamps, and an eye-catching set of LED taillights offer the Highlander an extra cohesive, SUV-like appearance. But we still would not put it fairly on the very same level of attractiveness as the butch Dodge Durango or the hot CX-9.

Unlike the exterior, the Highlander's inside has actually been left largely untouched. Toyota did include 4 more USB ports, bringing the overall to five-- three in front and 2 in the rear. The cabin includes a number of convenient storage spaces, including a shelf that spans the lower dashboard and a large center-console bin that could accommodate nearly a cubic foot of miscellaneous products. Ergonomic mistakes include difficult-to-grip temperature knobs for the climate-control system and also a touchscreen that's as well far from the motorist.

While base-level LE and LE And also Highlanders feature a conventional second-row bench seat, the XLE, SE, Limited, and Restricted Platinum grades include captain's chairs in the middle. (The bench seat is a no-cost option on the XLE, Limited, and Minimal Platinum.) Area abounds in the 2nd row, yet we found that our seven-passenger examination auto's bucket seats were mounted also low for optimum convenience. Still, the Highlander's moving as well as reclining second-row chairs resembled a pair of La-Z-Boy recliners compared to the thin and flimsy 60/40 split-folding third-row bench. Legroom in the wayback is simply 27.7 inches, a full six inches less than exactly what the Volkswagen Atlas's rearmost row offers. If you consistently haul sufficient guests to benefit constant use the third row, consider the Atlas, a Honda Pilot, or a Ford Flex.

Shadow of an SUV

Even with the Highlander's carlike unibody building and reduced step-in height, this mid-size crossover's handling advises us of an antique body-on-frame SUV, as its softly sprung suspension permits excessive body roll in turns. On the bonus side, the suspension soaks up road irregularities with nary a shudder, as well as the electrically aided steering is fairly fast and normally well heavy.

At 4560 pounds, our all-wheel-drive Highlander test vehicle was no lightweight, as well as the excess mass made itself known when using the brakes, as the Toyota required 181 feet of tarmac to stop from 70 miles per hour-- 11 feet greater than a 161-pound-lighter all-wheel-drive GMC Acadia Denali.

With an as-tested cost of $43,184, our Toasted Walnut Pearl Highlander XLE sported $3704 in options. Of that tally, all-wheel drive adds $1460 and also brings vestigial mud flaps, hill-descent control, and a display screen setup within the 4.2-inch gauge-cluster display that shows torque distribution amongst the Highlander's four wheels. An $1810 rear-seat entertainment system was the most expensive alternative, while $434 gotten flooring mats and body-side moldings. Criterion items consisted of navigation, a distance secret with push-button start, as well as a sunroof, along with previously mentioned features such as a blind-spot surveillance system as well as leather-trimmed very first- as well as second-row seats (Toyota drapes the third row in plastic).

While the Highlander's lifeless handling and confined 3rd row continuously suppress our excitement for the Indiana-built crossover, the updated 2017 Highlander's long checklist of basic safety and security as well as benefit functions, extra effective as well as fuel-efficient V-6 engine, as well as boosted exterior styling will remain to attract heaps of shoppers looking for a comfortable and moderately priced mid-size crossover SUV.