2014 Toyota Highlander

2014 Toyota Highlander

Toyota’s Highlander sits in a convenient place in Toyota’s crossover/SUV range, offering a more car-like alternative to the true SUV of the 4Runner, and a larger alternative to the very car-like RAV4. Over its two generations, the Highlander has filled many roles for many people, from family wagon to hybrid halo car.

• Interior / Exterior »

The Highlander’s been reimagined before, from its spartan wagon roots into the current, girthy, second edition. For its third take, the big utility vehicle adopts a new look that owes some of its cues to a slew of competitive vehicles that occupy the grey area between crossovers and SUVs.

We see some Durango and X5 in the side view–and oddly enough, lots of Mitsubishi in the maw of its deep new grille and in the exaggerations around its wheel wells and at the sills. It’s a shift toward a 4Runner-ish, SUV-ish style that runs exactly opposite to the trend in most other big crossovers–Santa Fe, Flex, Traverse. That switchup works better than it did on the Honda Pilot, and the Highlander’s broader shoulders neatly avoid the more cartoonish aspects that the 4Runner rolls around in.

The cabin skips that ambiguity–it’s all car, and it’s directly inspired by the cockpit in the current RAV4. There’s some Teutonic-themed dash action, and a pleasing jumble of lines and textures. The lines may sweep away from driver to passenger, but the focus is clearly on the left side passenger–big gauges and big climate-control knobs are a welcome sight. A large touchscreen factors in on navigation-equipped models, but doesn’t upset the cockpit’s visual clarity, since most climate and auxiliary functions still have hard buttons, not virtual on-screen ones.

• Performance »

As was the case with the RAV4, the Highlander’s powertrains are carried over from the previous generation. One’s an overlap: the 2.7-liter four-cylinder in base models is the only engine found in the smaller RAV4. Coupled to a six-speed automatic and offered only with front-wheel drive, the engine turns in 185 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.

Toyota says only about five percent of you will be interested in this base version. It’s a price leader, mostly. While the four-cylinder Highlander accelerates reasonably and smoothly, it’s configured without many of the features and options found on the V-6 models–features like all-wheel drive. Gas mileage is barely better than the V-6, too.

Of those, the far more common version will be the standard 3.5-liter six, with 270 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque, also teamed up with a six-speed automatic and in this case, a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. It’s not the quickest alternative in the class–a turbocharged Ford Flex will blow all four doors off–but the Highlander’s V-6 a smooth, fairly quiet commodity, uncontroversial in every dimension, with gas mileage that’s no penalty versus the four-cylinder.

The Highlander we’d choose least often is the Hybrid. Compiled from a 231-hp version of the 3.5-liter V-6 and a pair of motors in front and one in back, the Hybrid nets 280 hp and pairs with an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (eCVT). All versions have through-the-road all-wheel drive, which means the gas power goes to the front wheels, while electric power passes only to the rear wheels. Adding 350 pounds of mechanical gear drags on the Hybrid’s acceleration, putting it in four-cylinder territory–while we’ve struggled to hit any of its estimated fuel-economy figures in previous-generation Highlanders.
The Highlander’s driving dynamics were long overdue for attention. The last edition had copious body roll and uncommunicative steering. Toyota has reworked the front-strut and independent-rear suspension for better handling, and much of the Highlander’s substantial body lean has been tuned out. Ride quality is no longer cushy, but it’s on the correct side of firm for a vehicle in this size class, though we’d avoid the optional 19-inch wheels to keep road ruts in check.
The Highlander’s firmer-feeling electric power steering can even be called pleasant. It’s as if all the invisible handling screws have been tightened a few complete turns, without ruining its family-wagon fundamentals.
The Highlander also can be rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds, so long as the non-Hybrid V-6 engine is installed; four-cylinder versions are rated at a puny 1,500 pounds.

This year, the 2014 Highlander renews its lease on that space with what Toyota promises is more refinement and strength–and what we sense is some subtle repositioning. For one, Toyota calls the car-based Highlander an SUV, and for two, from the outside, it’s made it look more like one than ever.

The Highlander’s been reimagined before, from its spartan wagon roots into the current, girthy, second edition. For its third take, the big utility vehicle adopts a new look that owes some of its cues to a slew of competitive vehicles that occupy the grey area between crossovers and SUVs. We see some Durango and X5 in the side view–and oddly enough, lots of Mitsubishi in the maw of its deep new grille and in the exaggerations around its wheel wells and at the sills. The cabin skips that ambiguity–it’s all car, and it’s directly inspired by the cockpit in the current RAV4. There’s some Teutonic-themed dash action, and a pleasing jumble of lines and textures.
Toyota Highlander performance
As was the case with the RAV4, the Highlander’s powertrains are carried over from the previous generation. One’s an overlap: the 2.7-liter four-cylinder in base models is the only engine found in the smaller RAV4. Coupled to a six-speed automatic and offered only with front-wheel drive, the engine turns in 185 horsepower and acceptable acceleration that gets strained easily past legal highway speeds and loads of more than two passengers.
Two V-6 models return. The standard 270-hp six teams up with a six-speed automatic and a choice of front- or all-wheel drive for good, not great, acceleration. The Hybrid six pairs with an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (eCVT) and through-the-road all-wheel drive for a net 280 hp that feels strained, thanks to an additional 350 pounds of curb weight.
The Highlander’s driving dynamics were long overdue for attention, and the front-strut and independent-rear suspension are tuned for less lean and more ride firmness that doesn’t lapse into Euro caricature. Electric power steering is now standard, and the all-wheel-drive system can ship around torque from front to rear when the vehicle’s yaw sensors detect a more engaged driver. Eighteen-inch and 19-inch wheels will be on the order sheet, for those more adventurous types.

The Highlander also can be rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds, so long as the V-6 engine is installed.
Toyota Highlander comfort and utility
At 191.1 inches long, on a 109.8-inch wheelbase, the Highlander’s stretched by three inches over the prior version, but none of it comes between the wheels. There’s a half-inch more width, in what was already a fairly large vehicle–though one that’s still noticeably smaller than competitors like the new Nissan Pathfinder.The Highlander can seat up to eight passengers. Behind the front buckets, separated by a tambour-covered console, the Highlander totes five or six. The second row’s either a three-person split-bench seat with a recline feature, or a pair of captain’s chairs. There’s no “Center Stow” seat anymore, just a flip-up cupholder tray, but the second-row bench seat does now slide to expand access to the reclining third-row seat, which has 4.3 inches more width for better comfort but a dearth of headroom. Toyota’s also carved out more space behind the third-row bench for cargo and slotted in a tray along the dash that’s truly useful–if you’ve already filled the gym-bag-sized console.
The Highlander’s cabin is much quieter and calmer than before. Thicker acoustic glass damps powertrain noise, and insulation in the floor blots out vibrations, suspension chatter, and tire squawk.

Toyota Highlander safety
The 2014 Highlander will boost its standard safety equipment with a total of eight airbags and a newly standard rearview camera. Hill-start assist is also included. The IIHS already calls it a Top Safety Pick+, and it’s earned a five-star overall score in federal testing (albeit not with five stars in all categories).
Among the new safety options are blind-spot monitors, a lane-departure warning system, and parking sensors. Visibility is better, thanks to repositioned pillars and bigger rear-quarter windows.
Toyota Highlander features and pricing
All 2014 Toyota Highlanders come with an Entune connectivity kit, and Bluetooth to go with the usual power features and conveniences, all for a base price of just under $30,000 before destination.
Higher trim levels package in features like automatic high-beam headlights; heated and ventilated front seats; heated second-row captain’s chairs; a JBL audio system; a navigation system; a power tailgate with a programmable lift height; and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system with gaming inputs.
Highlander Limited crossovers approach $45,000; the Hybrid Limited peaks near $50,000.
Photo Gallery: Toyota USA

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