2014 Toyota Highlander

The 2014 Toyota Highlander is offered with 6 different trim levels and each trim level is different from one another by the engine and features it offers. The base engine uses a fuel-efficient engine which is a 2.7 liter inline-4 cylinder engine. The base trim is priced at $29,215 and goes all the way up to $43,590 for the top of its line. As standard, it includes features like Cloth Door Trim Insert, Remote Keyless Entry, Fabric Seat Material, Front Bucket Seats, and Cruise Control with Steering Wheel Controls. Let's see some of its standout features in the table below.

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We recommend the LE Plus V6 engine for its extensive list of modern features with leather treatment all over the cabin. It also houses a V6 engine for better performance. The seats equipped in this trim are 8-way power-adjustable and let you set the perfect seating position for you. It has some convenient features like Upgraded upholstery with synthetic leather accents, Tri-zone automatic climate control, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The engine of the Toyota Highlander comes with only two choices of engines which is a 2.7-liter inline-four engine that is capable of punching out 185 hp and 184 lb.-ft. of torque which is not adequate. The 3.5-liter engine is the most popular among buyers for its incredible power delivery which puts out 270 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque. As standard, All the trims except for LE come equipped as either front-wheel-drive version or all-wheel drive, and all the power is distributed to the wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission for improved gear ratios.

In comparison, the 2014 Toyota Highlander is the car with the lowest power output. While Jeep Grand Cherokee produces the highest power output of 290 hp and 252 lb-ft of torque respectively. All these compact sedans come with all-wheel drive as well regardless of their trims. However, the Toyota Highlander comes as a surprise when it comes to 0 to 60 mph acceleration and clocks a time of 7.1 seconds and also continues its winning streak with a top speed of 130 mph. On the other hand, Jeep’s performance is not really up to the mark despite being the most powerful car of the lot.

The 2014 Toyota Highlander returns 19 mpg in the city while it gives 25 mpg on the highway. This car returns a combined MPG of 21 which is one of the highest in the competition. The Highlander will cover around 364.8 miles in the city and 480 miles on the highway with the help of a 19.2-gallon fuel tank. The car consumes even less fuel with the inline-4 engine thereby, improving the fuel economy by quite a bit.

The Jeep Cherokee surprisingly is the most economical car among the competition. The Chevrolet Traverse however offers dismal fuel economy figures. On the other hand, the Jeep offers the maximum driving range in the competition, as it gets the largest fuel tank of 24.6 gallons. The Chevrolet Traverse returns a very minimal city/highway range of 330/484 miles.

The interior of the 2014 Toyota Highlander looks simple and elegant with a tastefully designed dashboard and buttons in the center console that is well appointed. The base trim offers cloth fabric seat trim. Nevertheless, even the mid-trim gets leather bolstered upholstery for seats. The Steering wheel is chunky and very grippy to hold. It also flaunts metal-look interior accents.

In terms of interior dimensions, the Toyota offers one of the generous and spacious cabins out there. It also can accommodate 7 passengers with ease and comfort. Moreover, it measures a front headroom of 40.7 inches and rear headroom of 39.9 inches which is the segment highest.

All these SUVs come with a seating capacity of 7 except for the Jeep. The Kia Sorento offers the least amount of space in the front but the rear-seat legroom is a bit generous. All the cars offer considerably good cargo space, except Kia and Toyota which measure 13.8 inches. The Jeep on the other hand offers 36.3 cargo capacity which is tremendous and also segment-leading. Some of the Standout interior features include

• Leather seats with heating and cooling function
• Power mirrors with heating function
• Variable speed intermittent wipers
• Electrochromic rearview mirror
• Mirror memory function
• Tri-zone climate control

How intuitive is the 2014 Toyota Highlander’s infotainment system?

The 2014 Toyota Highlander features a 6.1-inch touchscreen display infotainment system in the center of the dashboard. The infotainment system is equipped with Navigation and Voice recognition functionality. The vehicle also comes with six speakers and Bluetooth connectivity as standard. Also, it offers some other standout features which are listed down.

• An 8-inch touch screen 
• 12-speaker audio system(optional)
• A 4.2-inch driver information display
• HD Radio
• Satellite radio
• USB port 

The 2014 Toyota Highlander is hands down the best-looking car among its rivals. It looks big, brawny, and boasts a great road presence. The headlights look angry and it incorporates adaptive xenon lights in the higher trims. The front grille looks well proportioned and the chrome touch enhances the front fascia of the car.

The side crease lines and the bulging wheel arches are other factors that accentuate the overall look of the car. The taillights are bold and well-designed to blend in with the shape of the car. When it comes to exterior dimensions, the Toyota Highlander is one of the longest cars in its segment measuring 191.1 inches, a width of 75.8 inches, and 68.1 inches tall. Furthermore, it sports a wheelbase of 8 inches above the ground.

In comparison, The Chevrolet Traverse is the longest, widest and tallest car amongst the competition. However, it is the Highlander that commands a great amount of attention and has an exceptional road presence. The Jeep Grand Cherokee gets a stellar ground clearance of 8.6 inches which means that the vehicle can handle off-roading quite well. In this aspect, the Kia Sorento offers the least with just 7.3 inches of ground clearance, which is not respectable for a crossover SUV. Some of the highlight features include

• Body-Colored Front Bumper
• Front Fog Lamps (optional)
• 19" Chromtec wheels
• Lip Spoiler
• Deep Tinted Glass

As with every other Toyotas, the Highlander does pretty well on the safety front as well. It offers a very rigid chassis to withstand high impacts. Moreover, it procures a score of 5 stars from NHTSA and an overall ‘Good’ rating from the IIHS and bags the 2014 Top Safety Pick+ award which further makes it a very robust car. It also comes with a handful of modern safety features on tap. Some of the highlight safety features include

• Optional Blind spot monitoring
• Low tire pressure warning
• Back up camera
• Rear collision warning
• Electronic stability control

On the whole, the Toyota highlander is an amazing package of advanced features and it is brimmed with potential. It has great exterior styling, elegant interior design and the engine performs enthusiastically. Moreover, it gets stellar ratings for safety which sums up how well the car is built.

In a nutshell, It is a perfect family SUV packed with some ingenious features, class-defining performance, and greets with a thriving cabin to keep you comfortable right from the moment you get inside the car, If you are looking for a Family SUV topped with a plethora of features, this could be the right pick for you.