2021 Toyota Highlander XSE AWD - $35,985. - $48,140. Staff Writer
PHOTO CREDIT: TOYOTA.COM
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he 2021 Toyota Highlander midsize 3-row SUV/crossover is capable of seating seven or eight, depending on whether there’s a bench in the second row or a pair of captain’s chairs. It also offers a hybrid drivetrain, which now comes as a more affordable front-wheel-drive variant. The Highlander is now in the second year of its fourth generation. This new Highlander is bigger and brings benefits in cabin space. The Highlander has 27.7 inches of third-row legroom. Cargo space measures 16 cu ft. behind the third row, expanding to 84.3 cu ft. with the second and third rows folded. The exterior design is suitably edgy for contemporary tastes, with an assertive front end enlivened by LED headlights, plus well-defined side panels. Inside, a stylized dashboard puts a neatly integrated touchscreen and supporting controls at its center. Not so visually arresting but still useful are the recessed cargo trays along the dashboard’s base. Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, and satellite radio are all standard across the range. So is Driver Easy Speak, a feature that broadcasts the driver’s voice through the rear speakers. Also standard throughout and perhaps one of the strongest arguments in the 2021 Highlander’s favor (along with solid reliability and robust resale values) is the set of driver aids known as Toyota Safety Sense 2.5. This includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane tracing assistance, lane departure warning with steering assistance, automatic high beams, and road sign recognition.
What’s New for 2021? The standard-issue Toyota Safety Sense array of driver aids upgrades to version 2.5. Improvements include left-turn intersection support and mistaken pedal application, partially autonomous emergency steering, plus enhancements to the adaptive cruise control, lane departure, and lane tracing functions. LED projector headlights are now standard in every 2021 Highlander. And a new XSE trim level is introduced, coming with trim-specific 20-inch alloy wheels, black roof rails/side mirror housings/window trim, ambient cabin lighting, optional torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, and a sport-tuned suspension.
Fuel Economy A 3.5-liter V6 engine propels the Highlander with 295 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque. It has a stop/restart function to help save some gasoline while idling. The next link is an 8-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheeldrive (FWD) is standard; all-wheel drive (AWD) is optional. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), fuel consumption estimates are 20 miles per gallon in the city, 28 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg in combined driving (FWD) or 20 mpg city/27 mpg hwy/23 mpg combined (AWD). The EPA puts fuel consumption at 36 mpg city/35 mpg highway/36 mpg combined (FWD) or 35 mpg city/35 mpg hwy/35 mpg combined (AWD). The exception here is the all-wheel-drive Limited Platinum trims, which are thirstier on the highway by one mile per gallon. Maximum towing for the V6-powered Highlander is 5,000 pounds.
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