2021 Toyota Highlander Reviews

The Toyota Highlander is a popular family SUV that has a strong engine, excellent fuel economy, and a spacious interior for your Chapin drives. Consistently ranking as a top pick among its competitors, the 2021 Toyota Highlander reviews show that this SUV continues to perform at the top of its class and is the SUV choice for many Lexington families. Read the Toyota Highlander reviews with Jim Hudson Toyota below, then learn more about the Toyota Highlander trim levels.

Toyota Highlander Review: Interior

As you drive through Columbia, you want to be comfortable and connected to the world around you while staying safe. The Toyota Highlander interior comes with a suite of amenities for your daily drives, offering smartphone connectivity, automatic climate control, and the latest Toyota Safety Sense™ (TSS) system— Toyota Safety Sense™ 2.5+ (TSS 2.5+) — standard on every trim level. Read what the experts had to say about the Toyota Highlander interior below:

Car and Driver: “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has given the Highlander a five-star safety rating; the Highlander was also named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). As is the Toyota way, the 2021 Highlander offers a standard suite of driver-assistance features. The package includes adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and automatic high-beam headlamps.”

Kelley Blue Book: “The 2021 Highlander is the epitome of user-friendliness. With the standard 8-inch touchscreen or the 12.3-inch alternative, no one needs a degree in software engineering to operate it. Controls for audio, climate, and other functions are similarly easy. The seats are comfortable, even the cloth-covered ones in the lower trims. And the stitched-leather interior of the Highlander Platinum could almost pass for a Lexus.”

Toyota Highlander Review: Performance

The Toyota Highlander can be outfitted with either a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine or a 3.5L V6 engine for your daily drives in Irmo. Both engines offer high fuel-economy ratings, excellent performance, and a strong towing capacity. Read the 2021 Toyota Highlander reviews for its engine below:

U.S. News: “The 2021 Highlander comes standard with a 295-horsepower V6 engine. While this isn’t the most muscular SUV in the class, it serves up sharp acceleration from a stop. You can also get up to higher speeds fairly easily, thanks to an eight-speed automatic transmission that works smoothly in the background.”

Car and Driver: “During a brief test drive, we found the V-6 could tackle short on-ramps without straining; at our test track, our all-wheel drive test vehicle made it to 60 mph in reasonably-quick 6.7 seconds. Handling is unexciting but stable, and the ride is perfectly suitable for family-chauffer duty.”

Toyota Highlander XLE Reviews

Sitting comfortably in the middle of the Toyota Highlander lineup, the Toyota Highlander XLE is the vehicle of choice for many Columbia drivers. This Highlander configuration comes with a suite of standard amenities and excellent performance for a low-starting MSRP. Read the Toyota Highlander XLE reviews below:

Car and Driver: “In our view, the mid-range XLE is the pick of the litter. It has heated front seats, a wireless smartphone-charging pad, and a power sunroof, among other niceties. We’d also spring for the Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation package, which brings in-dash navigation and an upgraded stereo system.”

Edmunds: “If you have more room in your budget, the XLE model looks and feels quite a bit nicer thanks to its added convenience features and simulated leather upholstery.”

Toyota Highlander Hybrid Reviews

Drivers who are serious about saving fuel on their commute will find that the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is a perfect fit without compromising performance or features. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid offers 36 mpg City/35 mpg Highway EPA-Estimated fuel economy along with AWD capability. Read the Toyota Highlander Hybrid reviews below:

Kelley Blue Book: “Toyota knows hybrids, perhaps better than any other car company. The creator of the Prius was among the first to make a hybrid SUV, starting with the 2006 Highlander. Building on that legacy, the 2021 Highlander Hybrid brings smooth power and great fuel economy.”

U.S. News: “The Highlander Hybrid gets an estimated 36 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway, compared to 21/29 mpg city/highway from the standard Highlander. Driving the hybrid will save you about $450 in fuel costs per year.”

Test Drive A Toyota Highlander at Jim Hudson Toyota

The best Toyota Highlander review is your own! Visit our Irmo showroom to take a test drive in your favorite Highlander model, then sit down with our finance team to find the right lease or loan plan for your budget. Save on your Toyota Highlander purchase when you shop at Jim Hudson Toyota!

*MSRP excludes the Delivery, Processing, and Handling Fee of $955 for Cars (Yaris HB, Yaris, Yaris iA, 86, Corolla, Corolla HB, Camry, Camry HV, Prius LB, Prius c, Prius Prime, Mirai, Avalon, Avalon HV, Supra), $1,120 for Small/Medium Trucks, SUVs and Van (C-HR, RAV4, RAV4 HV, Highlander, Highlander HV, 4Runner, Sienna, Tacoma), $1,325 for Large SUVs (Sequoia, Land Cruiser), and $1,595 for Large Truck (Tundra). (Historically, vehicle manufacturers and distributors have charged a separate fee for processing, handling and delivering vehicles to dealerships. Toyota’s charge for these services is called the “Delivery, Processing and Handling Fee” and is based on the value of the processing, handling and delivery services Toyota provides as well as Toyota’s overall pricing structure. Toyota may make a profit on the Delivery, Processing and Handling Fee.) Excludes taxes, license, title and available or regionally required equipment. The Delivery, Processing and Handling Fee in AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC and TX will be higher. The published prices do not apply to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Actual dealer price will vary.