2026 Toyota Highlander

Volume XLE trim runs the T24A-FTS 2.4L turbo four rated 265 hp, which replaced the 3.5L V6 for the 2023 model year and carries through the XU70 generation; the 2.5L hybrid is rated 243 hp combined. Modest output for a mid-size three-row, well under V6 and turbo-six rivals.

The turbo four's 310 lb-ft arrives low and broad, a meaningful gain over the 263 lb-ft of the superseded V6 and the main reason the car feels adequate despite modest peak horsepower.

Instrumented testing of the 2.4T AWD has landed around 7.0 seconds — mid-pack for the mid-size three-row segment, quicker off the line than the outgoing V6 thanks to low-end boost but not class-leading.

Adequate but not polished: the 2.4T pulls well on its low-end torque yet is widely criticized as coarse and thrashy at high revs with noticeable off-the-line lag, a step back in smoothness from the V6 it replaced. The hybrid is markedly more refined around town but noisy under full throttle.

The 8-speed automatic is smooth and unobtrusive in normal driving but is reported to hesitate and hunt when asked for a quick downshift; the hybrid's eCVT is seamless in traffic but drones under hard acceleration. Solidly mid-band, neither a strength nor a flaw.

5,000 lbs properly equipped with the turbo four matches the Pilot and Explorer and is a genuine strength relative to compact crossovers, though it trails body-on-frame and turbo-six three-rows. The hybrid drops to 3,500 lbs.

AWD is optional across essentially the whole trim range rather than restricted to the top, and upper gas trims get Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD with a rear driveline disconnect while the hybrid uses electric E-Four. But there is no low range, and LE/XLE make do with a basic on-demand coupling — capable, not sophisticated.

Squarely pavement-oriented. Roughly 8 inches of ground clearance, unibody construction, no skid plates, no locking differentials and no dedicated off-road trim — the Nightshade package is cosmetic only. Rates well below the Pilot TrailSport or any TRD-equipped Toyota.

Two distinct powertrains — the 2.4L turbo gas four and the 2.5L hybrid — cover mainstream needs and include an electrified option available across most of the range. No PHEV, no EV variant and no performance engine keeps it out of the top band.

Volume config is the XLE AWD with the 2.4L turbo four and 8-speed automatic, EPA-rated 24 MPG combined; the optional 2.5L hybrid lifts that to 35-36 MPG combined but is not the volume powertrain.

City economy is the turbo four's weakest figure — no electric assist off the line in a ~4,300 lb three-row — and it trails the hybrid by roughly 15 MPG in exactly the driving where families spend most of their miles.

The turbo four's tall 8-speed top gears make highway its best case, and it closes most of the gap to the hybrid here (28 vs 34) — the hybrid's advantage is overwhelmingly a city-cycle advantage.

A 17.9-gallon tank at 24 MPG combined gives roughly 430 miles between fills — mid-pack for a mid-size three-row, ahead of the Pilot's ~390 but well short of what the same tank returns in hybrid form.

At EPA's standard 15,000 miles a year the gas Highlander burns about 625 gallons of regular, around $2,060 — roughly $645 a year more than the same vehicle in hybrid form, which is the number that decides whether the hybrid premium pays back.

Both powertrains run on 87-octane regular with no premium recommendation and no power or torque penalty for using it, and neither needs charging infrastructure — the least demanding energy setup available short of an EV with home charging.

NHTSA rates the fourth-generation (XU70) Highlander 5 stars overall, with the frontal-crash and rollover sub-scores at 4 stars; the 2026 car is a carryover of the 2024-refreshed structure so the rating carries forward.

The Highlander carries no IIHS Top Safety Pick award: it earns Good in the original small overlap (driver and passenger), roof strength and head restraints, but falls to Marginal in the updated moderate overlap front test on rear-passenger protection, which disqualifies it outright. Its own showroom sibling, the Grand Highlander, is a TSP+ — a direct in-family contrast that makes the gap hard to excuse.

Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard on every trim from the base LE up — pre-collision with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection-turn detection, full-speed-range adaptive cruise, lane departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing assist, road sign assist, automatic high beams and Proactive Driving Assist — and Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert is standard across the range too, so nothing in the core five is paywalled.

The TSS 3.0 pre-collision system earns Superior in the legacy IIHS vehicle-to-vehicle and daytime pedestrian evaluations and detects pedestrians at night, but it is only mid-pack against the 2024-updated higher-speed front crash prevention test that raised closing speeds to 31-43 mph — solid rather than class-leading.

Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert are standard on every trim, which is better than several mainstream three-row rivals, but coverage is alert-only on the volume LE/XLE — rear cross-traffic braking and Safe Exit Assist appear only on Limited and Platinum.

Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist plus Lane Tracing Assist give real centering on the highway, and Proactive Driving Assist adds gentle corner and lead-car braking, but reviewers consistently describe Toyota's centering as reactive — it drifts toward a lane edge before correcting rather than holding the middle the way the best systems do.

Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control is standard on all trims and works down to a stop with automatic resume in traffic; it is one of the smoother mainstream systems for following distance and merge handling, held back only by lane tracing that is less confident than the cruise control itself.

There is no hands-free highway driving on the Highlander at any trim or price — Toyota Teammate Advanced Drive remains a Lexus-side offering — so a shopper cross-shopping a BlueCruise Explorer or a Super Cruise Traverse simply cannot get the feature here.

LED projector headlights with automatic high beams are standard across the line and rate at least Acceptable, with the better-performing units on Limited and Platinum — good enough not to block an award, but the volume LE/XLE trims do not get the strongest setup.

Forward and over-the-shoulder sightlines are respectable for a three-row, helped by a relatively low beltline, but the thick D-pillars and shallow rear glass create a real rearward blind zone with the third row up; the 360-degree Panoramic View Monitor that compensates for it is confined to Limited and Platinum, leaving volume trims with a plain backup camera.

Two full LATCH positions in the second row plus tether anchors including the third row, with wide rear door openings and available second-row captain's chairs that make loading easy — but the lower anchors sit deep in the seat bight and take some digging, and the Highlander's second row is narrower than the Grand Highlander's for three-across seats.

The 2026 Highlander carries the XU70 generation's three-row layout unchanged: an eight-passenger second-row bench on LE/XLE and seven passengers when the second-row captain's chairs are fitted (standard on XSE/Limited/Platinum). Replaces a placeholder that wrongly listed the Highlander as a five-seater.

Front headroom is generous for a mid-size three-row SUV, and the figure quoted is the non-moonroof measurement per the item's instruction; moonroof-equipped upper trims give up roughly 1.7 in.

Front legroom of 42.0 in is mid-pack for the segment — adequate but noticeably behind the Grand Highlander and the Palisade/Telluride pair, reflecting the Highlander's tighter overall packaging.

Second-row headroom of 39.4 in is near the top of the SUV normalization band and one of the Highlander's genuine packaging strengths — the boxy roofline pays off in the middle row.

At 41.0 in the sliding second row is class-competitive and comfortably adult-sized, though that measurement is taken with the bench rearward, which is precisely the position that leaves the third row unusable.

The Highlander's third row is the weakest part of the package: roughly 28 in of legroom and 36 in of headroom make it a children-only bench, and adults can only be seated by sliding the second row uncomfortably far forward. Access via the tilt-and-slide second row is easy enough, but Toyota effectively conceded the point by launching the Grand Highlander for buyers who need real third-row space.

With the third row folded the Highlander offers 48.4 cu ft — usable but well short of the Grand Highlander's 57.9 cu ft and the larger Korean rivals. The 16.0 cu ft available with all three rows up is enough for a modest grocery run but not a family's luggage.

Maximum cargo volume of 84.3 cu ft is solidly mid-pack for a mid-size three-row SUV, and both rear rows fold to a near-flat load floor.

Competitive everyday storage without a headline trick: the full-width dashboard shelf with a pass-through behind the center stack is genuinely useful, and the deep console, large door bins and five USB ports cover family duty. There is no underfloor cargo well, no fold-flat front passenger seat and nothing approaching a Pilot-style removable middle seat or a giga-console.

Front seats are well shaped and comfortable over long stints with power adjustment and lumbar on the volume XLE and above, and the second row is supportive whether bench or captain's chairs. The score is held out of the top band by a third row that is uncomfortable for anyone larger than a child and by second-row cushions that sit fairly low to the floor.

The Highlander rides in a composed, absorbent way that suits its family-hauler brief — body motions are well damped and broken pavement is soaked up without float. Limited and Platinum trims on 20-inch wheels pick up noticeably more sharp-edged impact harshness, which keeps it below the segment's plushest offerings.

Wind and road noise are well suppressed at cruise, but the powertrains are the problem: the 2.4-liter turbo four sounds coarse and thrashy under load and the hybrid's 2.5-liter drones under hard acceleration, both a step back from the smooth V6 this generation used to offer. Acoustic front glass on upper trims helps but does not fix the engine note.

Comfort equipment is strong and reaches down the range: tri-zone automatic climate control with second- and third-row vents and remote start are standard across the lineup, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel arrive on the volume XLE, and ventilated front seats plus heated second-row seats are available on Limited and Platinum. It falls short of the top band only because ventilation and heated rear seats stay locked to the two most expensive trims.

2026 Highlander carries over the facelifted XU70 with no redesign, so entry pricing tracks a normal year-over-year step from the 2025 LE FWD (~$40,010 + $1,450 destination) to roughly $40,800 + $1,495. Priced mid-pack for a mainstream three-row: above Pilot/Telluride entry points, below Grand Highlander.

XLE is the Highlander's volume trim and AWD is the dominant mix in this segment; the previous placeholder ($36,541) sat below any real Highlander trim, which accounts for most of this item's downward delta. Hybrid adds roughly $2,600 over the equivalent gas trim.

Toyota mid-size SUVs sit near the bottom of the segment's maintenance-and-repair curve: long service intervals, high parts availability, and few out-of-warranty repair events on the 2.4L turbo and the 2.5L hybrid. Well inside the cheap end of the SUV band (3,000–9,500).

The Highlander is one of the stronger residual performers among mainstream three-row SUVs — persistent used demand, Toyota reliability reputation, and hybrid availability all support values. Strong for the class but short of the body-on-frame Toyotas (4Runner, Land Cruiser) that top the retention charts.

Toyota's standard 36-month/36,000-mile basic coverage is the floor of the 3–5 year band, so it normalizes to 0 — materially behind Hyundai/Kia's 5 yr/60,000 mi. The prior placeholder assumed 3.9 years, which no Toyota offers.

The volume gas trim carries Toyota's 60-month/60,000-mile powertrain coverage — bottom of the 5–10 year band, hence a 0. Hybrid buyers get materially better protection (10 yr/150,000 mi on the battery), but that does not apply to the gas XLE scored as representative.

ToyotaCare covers 2 years/25,000 miles of factory-scheduled maintenance plus 2 years of unlimited-mileage roadside assistance, and connected services ship with trial periods. Solid and genuinely multi-year, but shorter than the 3 yr/36,000 mi plans from Hyundai/Genesis and thinner on perks than luxury rivals — upper-middle of the guidance band rather than top tier.

$46,800 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (55% retained, or about $25,740) leaves about $21,060 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,200 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $25,260 in total.

The Highlander is one of the most consistently dependable three-row mainstream SUVs, with Consumer Reports predicted reliability at or above average across the XU70 generation and strong J.D. Power quality standing; 2026 is a late, mature year of that generation with the early bugs worked out. Held below the 90s because the volume gas trim now uses the 2.4L turbo four adopted in 2023, which has a shorter record than the 3.5L V6 it replaced.

Toyota is the benchmark mass-market brand for dependability, placing top-two in Consumer Reports brand reliability rankings year after year (usually behind or alongside Lexus) and finishing above industry average in J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study.

The XU70 generation has carried typical-to-slightly-elevated recall activity over its run — the industry-wide Denso low-pressure fuel pump campaign, seat belt/third-row anchor and backup-camera software actions — but nothing systemic to the engine or transmission. Scored conservatively because the 2026-specific NHTSA campaign list could not be checked.

The hybrid's 2.5L A25A-FXS with THS II eCVT is one of the most proven high-mileage powertrains on sale, shared with Camry and RAV4 and hardened by fleet duty. The volume gas trim's 2.4L T24A-FTS turbo four with the 8-speed automatic has been in Highlander only since 2023 and lacks a comparable 150k-mile record, which caps this item well short of the V6 era's reputation.

The cabin is durable and sensibly laid out but is a repeated criticism in reviews: hard plastics across the lower dash and door cards on the volume XLE trim, and perceived richness behind Palisade, Telluride and Pilot at similar money. Platinum trim's leather and upgraded surfaces close the gap only partway.

Assembly quality is a strength — tight, consistent panel gaps and few rattle or squeak complaints from a mature production line, with Toyota around industry average on J.D. Power Initial Quality (a study that penalizes infotainment friction more than build defects).

Toyota runs one of the densest US dealer networks — roughly 1,200 franchised dealers, so service is reachable almost anywhere in the country — with service satisfaction that rates solidly, if not exceptionally, among mass-market brands.

Parts are abundant, inexpensive and widely stocked given Highlander's volume and long production run, with strong independent-shop familiarity and a large aftermarket. Estimated annual repair cost runs below the mid-size SUV average; the turbo four adds some complexity versus the old V6 but no unusual parts cost.

The volume XLE grade still ships the 8.0-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia head unit introduced with the 2023 XU70 facelift; the 12.3-inch display remains a Limited/Platinum item. Eight inches is at the bottom of the mid-size SUV band for 2026, where rivals standardize 12-inch-plus screens.

Toyota Audio Multimedia is quick, logically laid out, and keeps real volume/tuning knobs plus physical climate controls — a genuine strength against touch-only rivals. It loses points for the small 8-inch panel on volume trims, which leaves large dashboard bezels and cramped split-screen views.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto are standard on every Highlander grade, including the base LE — the top band of this item and one of the vehicle's clearest tech wins.

The 'Hey Toyota' Intelligent Assistant handles natural-language climate, audio and destination requests competently, but both it and cloud navigation sit behind the Drive Connect subscription once the trial lapses — so most volume-trim owners fall back to phone projection for maps.

The base six-speaker system is merely adequate, and the 11-speaker JBL Premium upgrade — available on Limited, standard on Platinum — is a solid but unremarkable branded system next to the Bose and Harman setups in Palisade and Telluride.

Volume grades get a part-analog cluster with a 7-inch multi-information display; the full 12.3-inch digital cluster is a top-trim item (standard Platinum, available Limited). That is squarely the 'partial digital / full digital on upper trims only' band.

Toyota Audio Multimedia accepts over-the-air updates for the infotainment software and map data, but the Highlander has no whole-vehicle OTA architecture that adds powertrain, chassis or driver-assist features after delivery.

The Toyota app covers the core set — remote start/climate, lock/unlock, vehicle locate and status — and Digital Key is offered, but Remote Connect reverts to a paid subscription after its trial, which is the main drag on an otherwise competent app.

USB-C data/charge ports are distributed across all three rows and Qi wireless charging is standard from XLE up, which covers a family SUV's needs. No household 120V AC outlet is offered, which caps it below the top band.

Smart Key proximity entry with push-button start and key-fob remote start are standard across the lineup, a hands-free power liftgate arrives on upper grades, and Digital Key phone-as-key is offered — strong convenience coverage, held just below the top band by the subscription tie and trim-gated hands-free liftgate.

Rear camera is standard and parking sensors with automatic braking are widely fitted, but the Panoramic View Monitor surround camera is reserved for Limited/Platinum, its resolution trails newer rivals, and no automated parking feature is offered on the Highlander.

A 10-inch color head-up display is offered only on the range-topping Platinum grade, so no volume-trim buyer can get one — the 'HUD limited to top trims' band.

Wide rear door openings, a tilt-and-slide second row that opens third-row access without uninstalling a seat, two full LATCH sets and available captain's chairs cover everyday kid duty well. Held mid-band because the lower anchors sit deep in the seat bight, the second row is too narrow for three car seats across, and only 16.0 cu ft behind the third row leaves no room for a stroller once the car is full.

Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 plus Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert are standard from the base LE up, and NHTSA gives the Highlander 5 stars overall — families get the real safety content on the trims they actually buy. It cannot reach the top band because IIHS rates it Marginal in the updated moderate overlap front test, so it carries no Top Safety Pick while its own showroom sibling the Grand Highlander is a TSP+, and Safe Exit Assist plus the 360-degree camera are locked to Limited/Platinum.

The second row is genuinely good for long hauls — 41.0 in of sliding legroom, 39.4 in of headroom, supportive cushions, and standard tri-zone automatic climate with second- and third-row vents plus USB-C ports in all three rows. It falls to the middle of the band because the third row is a children-only bench at 28.0 in of legroom, luggage space with all seven or eight aboard is just 16.0 cu ft, and there is no rear entertainment or 120V outlet anywhere in the lineup.

This is the Highlander's home ground: the hybrid's eCVT is seamless in stop-and-go, the ride is compliant, controls are light, and TSS 3.0 puts full-speed-range adaptive cruise, Lane Tracing Assist and Proactive Driving Assist on every trim including the base LE. It stops short of the top band because the 2.4L turbo four is coarse and boomy under load and rearward sightlines are poor with the third row up.

The hybrid returns 35 MPG combined AWD (36 FWD) for roughly $1,415 a year in regular unleaded, near the top of anything with three rows, and Toyota's running costs are class-leading — annual repair around $490 against a roughly $570 segment average, plus 2 years/25,000 miles of ToyotaCare. It misses the top band because the volume gas XLE runs the 2.4T at only 24 MPG combined AWD (~$2,060/yr), which is merely average for the class.

A 36.3 ft turning circle is good for a three-row and the Highlander's footprint is the smallest among mainstream mid-size three-rows, so it threads city streets and garages more easily than a Telluride or Grand Highlander. It stays mid-band because thick D-pillars and shallow rear glass create a real blind zone, the 360-degree Panoramic View Monitor is confined to Limited and Platinum, and no automated parking assist is offered at all.

Properly equipped with the 2.4L turbo the Highlander tows 5,000 lbs — enough for a small utility trailer, a pair of jet skis or a modest boat, and level with the Pilot and Explorer — but the hybrid most efficiency buyers choose drops to 3,500 lbs. It sits at the bottom of the light-duty band because there is no bed, the unibody platform offers modest payload, and the 265 hp turbo four is working hard anywhere near its rating.

Toyota's dependability record is the strongest in the mass market — top-two in Consumer Reports brand reliability, above average in J.D. Power's dependability study, cheap and universally stocked parts — and the cloth interiors on LE and XLE shrug off abuse better than the leather-lined rivals. It stays out of the fleet-proven band because the Highlander is a family unibody crossover with no commercial or work-fleet history in this role, and the T24A-FTS turbo four is a newer, less-proven unit than the 3.5L V6 it replaced in 2023.

Work-oriented provisions are thin: cargo-area tie-down hooks, roof rails from XLE up and a dealer-accessory tow hitch are essentially the whole list. It lands in the low band because no 120V household outlet is offered anywhere in the lineup, there are no washable or rubberized cargo surfaces from the factory (the all-weather liner is an accessory), and there is no commercial upfit ecosystem behind the vehicle.

The hybrid's roughly 625-mile range on a 17.9-gallon tank is a genuine touring advantage, and comfortable front seats, a compliant ride and TSS 3.0's full-speed radar cruise plus Lane Tracing Assist keep fatigue low over a long day. It stays in the upper-middle of the band because cabin quietness is only mid-pack for the class, the gas 2.4T manages about 430 miles a tank, and no hands-free highway assist is available.

AWD is available across essentially the whole range — electric E-Four on the hybrid, Dynamic Torque Vectoring with a rear driveline disconnect on upper gas trims — and roof rails plus a 5,000 lb tow rating handle bikes, a cargo box or a small camper. It sits mid-band because roughly 8.0 in of ground clearance, unibody construction, no low range, no skid plates, no locking differential, no off-road trim (Nightshade is cosmetic only) and no 120V camp power keep it to gravel roads and trailheads rather than trails.

Both rear rows fold 60/40 to a near-flat floor for 84.3 cu ft, and roof rails plus an accessory hitch cover bikes, boxes and a small trailer. It stays in the middle of the band because 84.3 cu ft is no better than mid-pack for a three-row, the 16.0 cu ft behind the third row is genuinely restrictive when the car is full, and there is no underfloor cargo well and no fold-flat front passenger seat for long items.

The XU70 Highlander is the most compact of the mainstream three-rows (roughly 195 in long on a 112.2-in wheelbase), and the TNGA-K platform gives it tidy, secure body control that makes it feel a size smaller than a Pilot or Traverse. Grip and turn-in are unremarkable on the comfort-biased all-seasons and there is clear body roll when pushed, so it lands solidly mid-band: easy and confidence-inspiring rather than engaging.

Toyota's electric rack is accurate, consistent, and light enough to make parking-lot work effortless, which suits the mission, but it is heavily isolated with essentially no road feedback and little build-up in weight off-center. Precise enough but numb — textbook mid-band.

Stopping power is class-typical for a ~4,300-4,600 lb three-row and no fade complaints attach to this generation. The gas 2.4T has a firm, predictable pedal; the hybrid's regen blending is well-sorted by Toyota's long-running HSD calibration but gives the pedal a slightly soft, numb initial travel. Adequate and untroubling rather than a strength.

Split result across the two powertrains. The 2.4L turbo four (265 hp / 310 lb-ft) with the 8-speed automatic is genuinely quick for the class at roughly seven seconds to 60 mph, but it trades away the outgoing V6's linearity — there is noticeable off-idle lag at tip-in and the transmission can be slow to commit to a downshift. The 2.5L hybrid's eCVT is the smoother of the two, with seamless engine start/stop and no shift shock. Averaged across the volume gas and hybrid trims, this sits mid-band.

The clearest dynamic weak point. The 2.4L turbo four is audibly coarser and less pleasant under load than the V6 it replaced — a criticism that followed this engine across Toyota's lineup — and the hybrid drones under hard acceleration as the eCVT holds revs. Both are well-isolated at a steady cruise, and there is no objectionable vibration through the controls, which keeps it out of the bottom band.

Toyota's published curb-to-curb turning diameter for the XU70 Highlander is 37.6 ft on the 18-inch wheels fitted to the volume LE/XLE trims, rising to 38.4 ft on the 20-inch wheels of Limited and Platinum. That is mid-pack in the SUV band (34-42 ft) and better than larger three-rows like the Pilot, consistent with the Highlander's shorter wheelbase.

One of the Highlander's genuine strengths: a tall, commanding seating position with a low cowl and good forward sightlines, easy step-in height for a three-row, generous seat and wheel adjustment on the volume XLE, and — unlike several rivals — retained physical HVAC and volume controls alongside the touchscreen. Rearward visibility past the thick D-pillars is the main compromise.

The Highlander is the segment's archetypal appliance and is engineered to be exactly that. It is quick enough in 2.4T form and pleasant to cover ground in, but the numb steering, muted chassis responses, and coarse engine note give it no character to enjoy; no trim in the range is aimed at a driver, and enthusiasts do not recommend it on dynamics.

Base LE covers the essentials — Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, tri-zone climate, LED headlights, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and three rows standard — but Toyota keeps the larger 12.3-inch screen, power passenger seat, leatherette and heated seats for XLE and above, so a comparably equipped Highlander lands higher up the range than a Telluride or Palisade does.

Fair rather than standout: the Highlander asks mid-size-3-row money (roughly $41K–$56K across LE to Platinum) while giving up meaningful third-row and cargo space to Telluride, Palisade, Pilot and Toyota's own Grand Highlander, and the modest hybrid premium plus class-leading resale are what pull the equation back to par.

A genuinely wide ladder — LE, XLE, XSE, Limited and Platinum plus Nightshade appearance treatment — with FWD or AWD and a choice of 2.4L turbo gas or hybrid across most of the range, so buyers can enter cheaply or load it up without gaps.

Still one of the highest-volume three-row SUVs in the US and comfortably ahead of most individual rivals, but the trajectory is downward for the nameplate itself as the larger Grand Highlander pulls buyers out of the same showroom.

Toyota is about as strong as mainstream brand equity gets — the reliability and resale halo is a real purchase driver for family-SUV shoppers, and the Highlander is one of the nameplates that halo was built on.

Scored on buyer benefit: Toyota is disciplined on incentives and the Highlander — hybrids especially — tends to transact close to sticker, so occasional subvented financing on gas models is about the extent of the leverage a shopper gets.

The XU70 generation dates to model year 2020, making 2026 its seventh year on sale; the 2023 swap from the 3.5L V6 to the 2.4L turbo four plus the Toyota Audio Multimedia interior update bought it time, but this is now the oldest design in the class with a replacement due and the Grand Highlander already carrying the newer hardware.

Textbook 'well-reviewed, rarely the pick of the class' — reviewers reliably praise the hybrid's efficiency, ride refinement and resale while docking it for the smallest third row and cargo hold in the segment, so it collects safety and resale awards but loses comparison tests to Telluride, Palisade and Pilot.