2020 Toyota Highlander

We would suggest most buyers move up to the LE Plus trim. It brings in the 3.5-liter V6 engine and a longer list of standard equipment. It offers features like a powered liftgate, an 8-inch touchscreen, upgraded upholstery, and a start-stop function. This trim has the maximum value for money appeal.

"As a fashionable high-quality family SUV, the 2020 Highlander excels." - Car And Driver

The Toyota Highlander is available in five trims: L, LE, XLE, Limited, and Platinum. The base Highlander L's price starts at an MSRP of $34,600, excluding the $1,120 destination charge. -$42,430. Every Highlander trim comes with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and a front-wheel-drive. The base L trim sees a major price increase over the last year's pricing but gains more standard features and V6. The 2020 Highlander also offers Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite of driver assistance features as standard. 

Next in line, LE is better equipped and priced at $36,800. The Highlander XLE raises the starting price to $39,60, the Limited to $43,650, and the top-spec Platinum begins at $46,850. All-wheel drive is available throughout the 2020 lineup and costs between $1,600-$1,950 depending on the trim you choose. 

The 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid (reviewed separately) starts with the LE at a base price of $38,200 and tops out at $48,250 for a Platinum hybrid. By comparison, the base Highlander’s price is high compared to its closest competitor, the Honda Pilot, and Subaru Ascent. This is because the 2020 Highlander has more standard safety and interior features, which are comparable to up-level trims in the rivals. However, the 2020 Ford Explorer is priced higher than the 2020 Toyota Highlander.

"The EPA estimates that the 2020 Highlander V-6 will deliver up to 29 mpg on the highway when equipped with front-wheel drive; all-wheel drive cuts that by 2 mpg. " - Car and Driver

The Highlander with FWD gets an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. These figures are impressive if we take into account that most rivals have standard four-cylinder engines, unlike Toyota's V6. The engine start-stop system works unobtrusively to increase fuel efficiency. The AWD models drop the gas mileage to 20/28 mpg city/highway (AWD L, LE, XLE, Limited trims) and 20/27 mpg (AWD Platinum model).

Looking at the competition, the newly introduced Subaru Ascent and Highlander deliver a segment-best of 21 mpg in the city. The Ford Explorer is rated at 17/24 mpg, which is below average in the midsize SUV class.

"Material quality is solid, though this SUV won't fool anyone into thinking it came from a luxury brand, especially from the second and third row seats."- TheCarConnection

The 2020 Toyota Highlander can seat eight people. The front and second-row offer good space. The third row is poorly equipped to seat adult passengers. This row is best left to smaller passengers. The cabin has lots of spaces to store items. Starting from the center console, it offers enormous space for miscellaneous items. You can easily keep your laptop there. It offers a power socket. The row between the glovebox and the upper part of the dashboard is a well-designed space to keep keys, wallets, and tickets.

The interior has a sturdy build and the higher trim levels have been decorated with wood grains and metal inserts. The upper part of the dashboard and the doors have been finished with nice soft-touch material. The top-spec Limited trim is offered with a massive panoramic roof that elevates the in-cabin ambiance.

Toyota's interiors are starting to show their age. Newly updated competitors offer better interior features and also offer more passenger volume. The newly introduced Subaru Ascent offers the maximum passenger volume in this segment - 153.5 cu-ft. We would suggest you wait until the 2021 Toyota Highlander release as it is bound to have an interior makeover and will then be the best offering in the segment overall.

The base trim level is equipped with a 6.1-inch touchscreen display and a 6-speaker setup. The higher trims come with an 8-inch touchscreen display. The Entune touchscreen system from Toyota doesn't support Apple Carplay and Android Auto. It has soft-touch buttons on either side of the screen. The system requires little time to get used to. Hopefully, Toyota will upgrade this system in the upcoming generation change. Some of the Interior Features offered are mentioned below:

• Power adjustable door mirrors
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Cargo area light
• 3 Climate control zones
• Adaptive cruise control
• Cargo Capacity

The Toyota Highlander offers the least cargo space behind the 3^rd row at 13.8 cu-ft. Fold the third row, and space increases to 42.3 cu-ft. Fold the second and third rows and the total cargo space available is 83.7 cu-ft. The cargo bay doesn't have a loading lip. It is easy to load/unload your luggage. The rear window can be opened for easy access to the boot. Ford Explorer offers the best rear cargo space behind the third row.

"We generally like the Highlander's look. It's large but not imposing, muscular yet handsome. It has more a squared-off look vs. the rounded Honda Pilot." - KelleyBlueBook

Toyota has given the 2020 Highlander a bold redesign with bigger dimensions. The Highlander comes with a generous chrome application at the front. The front fascia tries to bring out the width of the car. This design comes off as aggressive, but you will feel a lack of driving dynamics once you are behind the wheel. The higher trims receive a fancy cladding beneath the grille that accentuates the width of the vehicle. The exhaust is hidden below the well and the reflectors are covered in chrome.

The new Highlander has grown in size as compared to the previous generation model. The wheelbase and overall length have increased by a couple of inches, rated at 112.2 and 194.9 inches, which brings more cabin space and even smoothens the ride quality. The Toyota Highlander offers modest dimensions. It has the smallest wheelbase in this comparison and has the least passenger volume in the segment. Highlander has a decent ground clearance of 8.0-inch and it can handle light off-roading jobs. But its engine isn't well suited for those endeavors. 

The competition has an edge over Toyota here, the Ascent offers a whopping 8.7-inches of ground clearance and also offers a larger wheelbase which translates to more passenger volume. When we compare the third-row dimensions, the Highlander offers the least space there. The Honda Pilot is the highest in the segment with a curb weight measuring just 4026 lbs. The lower three trims in the 2020 lineup come with 18-inch alloy wheels while for the bigger 20-inch alloys you will have to upgrade to the XSE, Limited, and Platinum.

"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)." - Car and Driver

The 2020 Toyota Highlander receives an overall 5-star rating from NHTSA. The IIHS named the Highlander a Top Safety Pick after it earned a Good safety score in all crash tests. The SUV also earned a "Superior" rating for its front-crash prevention while the headlights are a mixed bag. The top-spec Platinum model getting the top rating and the base received poor for the standard headlights. Toyota Highlander comes with standard Toyota Safety Sense.

It really takes the safety of the driver and passengers to a higher level, the 2020 Toyota Highlander does great work for its price range. This system comes with a Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert, and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. The Safety Features offered are:

• Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC)
• Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist (LDA W/ SA)
• Automatic High Beams (AHB)
• Pre-collision System with Pedestrian Detection (PCS W/ PD)
• 8 Airbags

2020 Toyota Highlander vs 2020 Honda Pilot

The 2020 Honda Pilot is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine that generates 280 horsepower. Pricing for the Honda Pilot starts at $31,450. The 2019 Honda Pilot comes off as a more contemporary vehicle due to the newly introduced updates. Honda has a very intuitive infotainment system on offer. It also offers standard Apple Carplay and Android Auto. The Pilot offers electrically operated second-row seats for convenient third-row access. When it comes to convenience, the Pilot takes the crown from the Highlander.

2020 Toyota Highlander vs 2020 Ford Explorer

The 2020 Explorer's 3.5-liter V6 engine belts out 288 horsepower. The Explorer is the heaviest three-row crossover in this segment. It has a lot of positives like a spacious cabin, mild off-roading capacity, and the option to choose from a lot of three engines. The Toyota has only two engines on offer - a 2.7-liter inline-four in the hybrids and a 3.5-Liter V6 in the other trims. Ford Explorer offers more features than the Toyota Highlander but it commands a bigger price tag.

2020 Toyota Highlander vs 2020 Subaru Ascent

The 2020 Subaru Ascent is powered by a four-cylinder boxer engine and comes mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission. Ascent is a better driving three-row SUV available in the market. The turbocharged engine produced more torque than the Highlander's V6. And when it comes to standard features, Ascent is equipped with standard AWD, Subaru's Eyesight safety system and offers a better cargo and passenger volume than the Highlander. Until Toyota updates the Highlander, the Subaru comes off as a better package.

Although the Toyota Highlander ranks in the middle, it is a good SUV. Apart from its tight third row, the Highlander has very few downsides. This Toyota's midsize SUV offers more standard active safety feaures than any rival. It can be credited for its comfortable ride and upscale interior. Some of the new rivals offer better interior quality and driving dynamics than the Highlander. However, the 2020 Toyota Highlander has top-rated predicted reliability and a high resale value.