Toyota Highlander 2015 Interior

toyota highlander 2015 interior: The 2014 Toyota Highlander's cavalcade of improvements make a previously dull, middle-of-the-road SUV stand out with vibrant designing and also enhanced family members kindness.

Toyota paid attention to consumers while revamping the seven/eight-seat 2014 Highlander and also replied to needs for more cabin as well as freight area, vibrant styling as well as costs facilities. Requests for a much more dynamic driving experience needs to have been pleasantly neglected, nonetheless, as the 2014's harsher trip is a tradeoff I do not think numerous midsize SUV customers should have to cope with in return for sportier handling.

Still, various other enhancements will undoubtedly appeal to customers who had damaged the previous Highlander off their listing or at least to those who do not take into consideration a comfortable ride a must-have. The 2014 Highlander's increased freight room behind the typical third-row seat is a much-needed renovation; plus, it's much easier to get right into the 3rd row, which currently sittings three and bumps standard seatsing capability to eight.


toyota highlander 2015 interior


With upgrades that span the lineup of LE, LE And Also, XLE, Limited and also Limited Platinum trim levels, the 2014 Highlander is currently in far better shape to tackle the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe, 2014 Ford Explorer as well as 2014 Honda Pilot.

I drove four-cylinder, six-cylinder as well as Hybrid 2014 Highlanders at a Toyota media event.

Exterior & Styling

Toyota went back to the drawing board to redesign its aging and stylistically empty Highlander. Fast-forward to 2014, and you cannot call the Highlander boring looking any kind of longer. The 2013's dull look transforms right into a hulking SUV with a beefier position, bulging fenders and also bold front designing. Its existence approved the 2013 New York City International Auto Show floor where it debuted, as well as it looks just as excellent rolling down the street.

Just how It Drives

The driving experience isn't the vehicle's most enticing attribute, despite a selection of promising new framework and also suspension adjustments, so it readies the new SUV does so many other things well.

Toyota chose curved canyon and seaside roads in California to show the Highlander's new handling chops. Driving a 2013 and 2014 back to back, the 2014 does exhibit greater levels of road grip and also a boosted steering response. It's even more athletic when excavating right into a corner, though I would not call the Highlander enjoyable to drive. The 270-horsepower V-6 doesn't have an instant punch of acceleration in the heavy Highlander. It's a far cry from the lighter, 290-hp Hyundai Santa Fe, which is a "little" round of enjoyment among other comparable three-row SUVs. A six-cylinder Highlander LE with front-wheel drive is 4,244 extra pounds, while a V-6, front-wheel-drive Santa Fe GLS is 3,933 pounds.

A negative effect of the Highlander's newfound dynamics is a choppier flight over harsh roads. After driving 2013 and also 2014 models, I might tell the 2014 transfers more road flaws via the chassis as well as into seats. Hey, Toyota: It's OK to have a hostile style and flight like a couch; see the 2014 Chevrolet Impala.

On the benefit, the 2014 Highlander has a more considerable sensation over rough roadways, with less rattles, squeals and framework flex. It's a matured experience with enhanced noise insulation, acoustic glass and also a stiffer framework aiding maintain outside sound minimal.

I briefly hung around in the four-cylinder Highlander with front-wheel drive, which Toyota anticipates to make up 5 to 10 percent of sales, and also in the brand new Highlander Hybrid. Both the front-wheel-drive-only four-cylinder (20/25/22 mpg city/highway/combined) as well as all-wheel-drive-only Hybrid V-6 (27/28/28 mpg) are a little rough around the edges regarding engine noise and also resonances. The Crossbreed's gas mileage is reasonably unchanged for 2014, down 1 mpg in city rankings to 27 mpg however keeps its 28 mpg combined ranking. The shift from electric to when the engine fires up is noticeable with raw sounds originating from under the hood, distinct from across a parking lot. Resonances from the change are marginal, yet the noises are loud enough to take notice.

An added 353 pounds contributed to the crossbreed from three electrical motors-- 2 in the front and one in the back-- as well as a nickel metal hydride battery is visible in how the Hybrid drives as compared to the Minimal V-6 with all-wheel drive. It's a kicked back experience much less ecstatic concerning increasing as well as taking care of despite 280-hp integrated, and also it likewise doesn't ride any type of smoother than the non-hybrid.

The Crossbreed's uncommonly loud engine sounds wouldn't be as much of an issue if the Highlander Crossbreed just weren't $48,160 with destination, $7,130 more than 2013-- a 2014 Lexus RX 450h is $47,320, though much smaller on the within. The Highlander Hybrid's high-end car price does not show deluxe refinement now that the feature-loaded Hybrid Limited is the only Crossbreed used; the less-expensive version obtained the axe for 2014.

The volume-seller V-6 is one of the most improved of the number, using smooth and also foreseeable acceleration along with the best handling with all-wheel drive. The V-6-powered Highlander's gas mileage of 19/25/21 mpg with front-wheel drive and 18/24/20 mpg with four-wheel drive is additionally more affordable compared to the outgoing 2013 thanks to a brand-new six-speed transmission changing a five-speed device on V-6 versions. The all-wheel-drive system, which is likewise new, aids include 2 mpg highway over the 2013 version. All-wheel-drive Highlanders send out torque to the rear wheels when slippage is identified, versus the previous system that always sent torque to four wheels.

Inside

Part of the 2014's transformation includes dialing up the indoor styling with many soft-touch and accent-stitched interior panels that boost the classiness. The top quality is Toyota-Avalon nice with a stitched dashboard, steering wheel and soft-touch, top quality materials in famous places. Plastic areas that aren't textured, stitched or covered are still on par for the course. Even the base LE Highlander exhibits the nearly luxurylike niceness of the higher-optioned Restricted trims.

Seating is comfortable in the first and second rows with soft, large pole positions and also an extremely flexible 2nd row that glides as well as reclines with two captain's chairs or the common three-seat bench configuration-- captain's chairs are offered on the XLE and conventional on the Limited. The remainder of the Highlander could have been redone with dynamism in mind, but the seats talk to its comfort-focused origins. Lots of people on our staff will miss out on the 2013's detachable second-row center seat. I won't, as it was uneasy and also cumbersome to remove and change with the facility table that saved under the facility console.

In the third row, Toyota raised width and also included an additional seat for a maximum capacity of eight residents in standard setup. A new, a lot more small back suspension freed the additional space. The 3rd row still does not fit adults with as much comfort as the bigger Chevrolet Traverse, but it excels in a pinch. There are likewise brand-new one-touch folding second-row seats on both sides. Previously, just the curbside seat folded up and slid onward by means of the one-touch lever. Third-row bikers additionally benefit from the second row's boosted seat travel, which permits simple entrance as well as leave.

Comfort design & Electronic devices

Innovation is a substantial emphasis in the 2014 Highlander and done quite possibly. Toyota's Entune multimedia system functions better than ever compared to various other Toyota vehicles in which I have actually used the system. Functioning the Entune system's voice commands is impressive. The designs I examined noticed the numerous voice commands I spoke.

Those with bulky phones or who frequently have their phone attached to the SUV will appreciate a gadget storage ledge listed below the environment controls that supplies a pass-through for USB cords. There should disappear Medusa-like dangling of cable televisions entangling the gear selector.

The typical Entune on base LE models includes a 6.1-inch touch-screen with backup electronic camera, USB port with iPod connection, auxiliary input, voice acknowledgment, Bluetooth phone connectivity and Bluetooth streaming audio. LE Plus trims have Entune Audio And also with a higher-resolution 6.1-inch display, HD Radio and also 90-day satellite radio membership. The next step up is Entune Costs Sound with Navigating and also App Collection on XLE versions with an 8-inch touch-screen and also application collection with Pandora, Yelp and Facebook combination with a smart device and accompanying Entune downloadable application. A JBL sound system is conventional on Limited trim levels.

The substantial center storage container between the front seats can feed on anything plus-sized, like a purse, iPad or Blu-ray collection for the offered rear-seat Blu-ray player. When you neglect that Blu-ray at home, a fascinating brand-new function called Easy Speak transmits the booming voice of a mad mother or papa through the rear stereo audio speakers using the Bluetooth microphone to maintain wild children in check. How much a lot more family members concentrated can you get compared to offering a function that permits moms and dads to yell at kids?

Freight, Towing & Storage space

Freight room behind the 3rd row enhances over the previous Highlander's revealing ledge, which battled carrying grocery stores, let alone a stroller or golf bag. The cargo quantity is now rated at 13.8 cubic feet, up from 10.3 cubic feet. It's not a huge renovation, however at least it makes the location functional. It's still small compared to others in the sector: The Traveler has 21 cubic feet as well as the Pilot has 18 cubic feet behind the third row. Toyota's trickery to boost freight room entailed moving all three rows of seats ahead, including size behind the rear wheels and using a more portable rear suspension.

The power liftgate is an outstanding attribute to be standard on LE And also trim levels as well as above, and also has a dress up its sleeve: It gets used to numerous heights, not just 1 or 2 predetermined elevation setups. With the liftgate in motion, customers could stop the liftgate and program it to available to that established elevation the following time. The attribute will make much shorter vehicle drivers as well as proprietors of low garages really delighted. (If the gate goes expensive, shorter people could struggle to get to the power-close button on its bottom edge.) An additional one-of-a-kind feature on the back is an oldie but a reward: On LE And also designs as well as above, the rear window opens up for simple gain access to independent of the cargo entrance.

A 5,000-pound tow score on XLE as well as Limited trim degrees features a conventional towing plan that includes engine/transmission coolers and also upgraded radiator and also alternator. Crossbreeds can tow 3,500 extra pounds, V-6 LE/LE And also could tow 2,000 extra pounds and also a four-cylinder LE is ranked at 1,500 pounds.

Safety

The 2014 Highlander hadn't been crash-tested at the time of this writing.

The 2014 Highlander offers reduced supports and tethers on outboard second-row seats for child-safety seats, but just a tether support on the center third-row seat.

Advanced safety and security functions are offered, though only on the expensive Restricted trim degree where an unseen area surveillance system as well as rear vehicle parking assist are basic, and pre-collision, flexible cruise control and lane departure caution are optional. Limited trim levels are additionally the only models with a backup camera that makes use of predictive guidelines to show the automobile's path-- a backup video camera with fixed lines is common on all various other trim levels.

Value in Its Course

Toyota states rates is up around $1,500 on average across the 2014 trim levels, which include extra attributes over the 2013. Base pricing starts at $30,075 for a base four-cylinder LE with location, while volume-seller XLE models with all-wheel drive are $38,360 and also consist of leather seatsing with heated pole positions, navigating, three-zone climate control, wise keyless access, second-row sunshades as well as more. Prices for the XLE is really affordable to three-row midsize SUVs like the Honda Pilot, Ford Traveler as well as the Hyundai Santa Fe.

The 2013 Highlander was absolutely a midpack three-row SUV, lagging behind in vital areas like interior high quality, cargo area and innovation. Feel confident, if you're a Highlander proprietor seeking to upgrade-- as long as you're unconcerned about ride high quality-- the 2014 is not just an engaging upgrade, however also worthy of cross-shopping the section's best.