Highlander
With plenty of room, power and features, the Toyota Highla
nder is optimized for family use.
The Toyota Highlander is a midsize crossover SUV with seven-passenger capacity. Toyota sells it in three trim levels: Base, Sport and Limited, all are available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive (AWD).
The Highlander delivers an agreeable combination of comfort and control. Powerful yet fuel-efficient V6, easy to maneuver for its size, user-friendly cabin design with reconfigurable second-row seats and a fully usable third row.
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The Base version comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, privacy 
glass, a fold-flat third-row seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, air-conditioning, a CD stereo with an auxiliary input jack and full power accessories. Stepping up to the Sport provides 19-inch wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, automatic headlights, foglights, a flip-up rear hatch window, a 3.5-inch information display screen, a back-up camera, an in-dash CD changer (with MP3/WMA capability), upgraded seat fabric, a power driver seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and one-touch folding capability for the second-row seats.
The Highlander Limited wears 19-inch wheels but goes with softer suspension tuning and adds more luxury in the form of power-folding and heated outside mirrors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, leather upholstery, a power passenger seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless entry and ignition and wood-grain interior trim.
Powertrains and Performance
Every Toyota Highlander except the Base front-wheel-drive
version comes with a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 270 hp and 248 pound-feet of torque. Front wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional on all but the base four-cylinder model. At our test track, a Highlander Limited V6 AWD sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds, making it one of the quickest vehicles in its segment.
Properly equipped, the V6-powered Highlander can tow 5,000 pounds, a respectable figure for the SUV segment. With the V6, the front-drive Highlander’s fuel mileage stands at 18 mpg city/24 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined; an AWD V6 version rates 1 mpg less across the board.
Safety
The Toyota Highlander includes antilock disc brakes, stability control and hill-start assist All-wheel-drive models come with a downhill assist feature to enable slow, controlled descents down snow-covered driveways. Airbag coverage includes front-seat side airbags, three-row side curtain airbags and a driver-side knee airbag.
Interior Design and Special Features
Larger adults will find the Highlander’s interior more accom
modating than in the previous generation, as first- and second-row room have grown noticeably in all directions. At the same time, the control layout remains simple and easy to understand, and the quality of the interior materials is high.
Getting into the third row is much easier, thanks to the second-row seats’ improved fold-and-slide mechanisms. Folding the third row yields 42 cubes, though, and with the second row down, there’s a healthy 95.4 cubic feet.