2008 Toyota Highlander
Base invoice price $24,297 - $30,393
EPA fuel economy 17-18 miles per gallon city / 23-24 highway
Engine 270-hp, 3.5-liter V-6
Transmission 5-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual
What we like Gas mileage
Interior storage
Highway acceleration
Safety features
Versatile seating
What we don't
Some cheap cabin materials
Lackluster handling
Some confusing controls
The redesigned
The Highlander makes the grade on all counts, though it doesn't excel in any one area. Provided it can maintain its outstanding resale value and reliability, it should prove a smart - if not particularly captivating - choice for years to come.
Base, Sport, and Limited trim levels come with front- or four-wheel drive.
Toyota's California design studios sculpted the exterior, which is bigger in all major dimensions than the old Highlander. To my eyes, Toyota's smaller RAV4 SUV looks better-proportioned. With its creased headlights, flashy grille, and characterless bumper, the Highlander seems a bit too slick.
The rear bumper has dimpled reflectors, and most trim levels have a glass hatch that opens independent of the liftgate. Seventeen-inch alloy wheels are standard; the Sport and Limited have 19-inchers. At 188.4 inches long and 75.2 inches wide, the Highlander casts roughly the same shadow as a
Toyota has spent years building a reputation for quality, and absent any serious competition, this year's Highlander might have maintained that standard. SUVs like the CX-9 and Veracruz boast some impressively upscale interiors. In comparison, Toyota falls a bit short.
The Highlander shares underpinnings with the cur rent Camry, and the dashboard exhibits much of the sedan's flavor. The center controls are the natural focal point, with oversized knobs for major functions within easy reach. Sport and Limited models have a 3.5-inch screen on top of the stereo that displays gas mileage, outside temperature, and more. It also shows settings for the optional automatic climate control system, which can divide the cabin into as many as three temperature zones.
Cabin quality is average. The window switches, turn signals, and center controls could go straight into a Lexus. Most areas are trimmed in hard plastics, however, and the textures lack the appeal of the stuff in several competitors' vehicles. Worst of all is the ceiling's headliner, which is some of the cheapest mouse fur this side of an economy car.
Parents will appreciate the storage options. The center console between the front seats has four cupholders and a wide storage bin. And never mind a laptop, the glove box could fit a small desktop computer.
Three standard rows of seats accommodate up to seven, though you can drop the third row to save cash, reducing seating capacity to five. The front seats offer plenty of room, with a trick extender in the Highlander Limited that extends the cushion under the driver's thighs. Nice touch.
The second row is equally commodious, with reclining backrests and seat cushions that adjust backward and forward. The center seat has Toyota's new Center Stow feature. It's basically a jump seat, which passengers can swap for a plastic center console, turning the second row into two captain's chairs. The unused portion stores in a floor compartment between the front seats. After a few practice runs, I was able to make the change in around 25 seconds.
All Highlanders get the 3.5-liter V-6 from the Camry, Sienna, and several other Toyotas. In the Highlander it generates 270 horsepower and 248 pounds-feet of torque. A five-speed automatic transmission is standard.
Acceleration is adequate off the line and stronger as the engine revs. The transmission helps things along, holding gears and rarely shifting prematurely. Hard acceleration can prompt some abrupt transitions among lower gears. The drivetrain feels best on the highway, where it downshifts with minimal gear hunting. Third gear is especially potent for 50-to-70 miles per hour passing.
The optional four-wheel drive is transparent to the driver. It incorporates a center differential to split power 50/50 between the front and rear wheels all of the time. All models come with electric power steering.
With all three rows installed and raised, cargo room in back is a meager 10.3 cubic feet. The third row folds flat into the floor, and the second row folds nearly flat. Highlanders without the third row instead include a fairly large storage area under the rear floor. With all seats folded, maximum cargo volume is 95.4 cubic feet. When properly equipped, the Highlander can tow up to 5,000 pounds.
Four-wheel-disc antilock brakes are standard. The pedal offers spongy response, but the brakes clamp down hard when needed. Seven airbags are also standard, including the required dual front airbags, a driver's knee airbag, and side-impact airbags for the front seats. There are also roll-sensing side curtain airbags for all three rows.
All seats have head restraints, and in Sport and Limited models, the front ones are forward-adjustable for better whiplash protection. The second row includes Latch child-seat anchors in the outboard seats, with easily accessible top-tether anchors midway down the seatback.
The base Highlander with two-wheel drive starts at $27,300 and comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, a CD stereo with an auxiliary MP3 jack, air conditioning, cruise control, and power windows, mirrors, and door locks. A Highlander Limited with a full bevy of options runs around $42,000. Four-wheel drive on any trim adds about $1,500. All trim levels come with three rows of seats, though a third-row delete option can save $740.
The new Highlander has lots of textbook sensibilities, like decent gas mileage, but there's nothing exceptional about it. If it proves as bulletproof as its predecessor, though, dependability will become its defining attribute.
