Toyota Highlander

The redesigned 2020 Highlander was a bit bigger than its predecessor and seated up to eight people across three rows. The SUV’s exterior design became more sculpted, but the overall look wasn’t a radical departure from before. The old base four-cylinder engine was dropped, leaving a 295-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 as the standard engine. Meanwhile, a new, more efficient hybrid drivetrain with a four-cylinder engine instead of the previous V-6 joined the lineup. Interior tech touches included an available 12.3-inch dashboard touchscreen and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 — a suite of active-safety and driver-assistance technology — is also standard. For 2023, Toyota eliminated the V-6 engine on non-hybrid Highlanders, replacing it with a new turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 265 hp.

More adventurous styling, improved cargo space and available seating for eight were highlights of the Highlander’s 2014 redesign. The front-drive four-cylinder model and a pricey all-wheel-drive gas-electric hybrid were still available, and the most popular V-6 versions could be had with front- or all-wheel drive. The 2017 Highlander received several updates, including a restyled front end and a more powerful V-6 that paired with a new eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Highlander was redesigned for 2008, based on the longer Toyota Avalon chassis; it still offered seating for up to seven. Early in the generation, only V-6 engines were available; the traditional gas model came with front- or all-wheel drive, and the gas-electric hybrid was AWD only. Toyota added a front-drive four-cylinder model in 2009 and updated the exterior styling for 2011. 

The 2001 Toyota Highlander started as a four-door, five-passenger SUV. For 2004, some versions offered three-row seating for seven. While most similarly sized SUVs of the time were built on truck frames, the Highlander was based on the Toyota Camry sedan chassis. Front- and all-wheel-drive versions were available with either four-cylinder or V-6 power, and a gas-electric hybrid version was added for 2006.