Toyota Highlander to offer you a definitive opinion on this mid-size SUV. Two rows of seats are standard, but the 2008 Highlander Limited and Sport models drove by TheCarConnection.com team featured three rows of seats. Second-row room proved ample for American-sized men, especially when the standard rear bench seat was configured like individual buckets. Toyota's California design studios sculpted the exterior, which is bigger in all major dimensions than the old Highlander.
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| 2008 Toyota Highlander |
Seventeen-inch alloy wheels are standard; the Sport and Limited have 19-inchers that fill out the wheel wells nicely. At 188.4 inches long and 75.2 inches wide, the Toyota Highlander casts roughly the same shadow as a Honda Pilot, Subaru Tribeca or Hyundai Veracruz.
Toyota has spent years building a reputation for quality, and absent any serious competition, the new Toyota Highlander might have maintained that standard. In comparison, Toyota falls a bit short.
Sport and Limited models have a 3.5-inch screen atop the stereo. The center console between the front seats has four cupholders and a wide storage bin. Three standard rows of seats accommodate up to seven, though you can drop the third row in order to save a little cash, reducing seating capacity to five. The front seats offer plenty of room, with a trick extender in the Highlander Limited that extends the cushion under the driver's thighs. Nice touch.
The second row is equally commodious, with reclining backrests and seat cushions that adjust backward and forward. The center seat has Toyota's new Center Stow feature. The unused portion — either the middle seat or console — stores in a floor compartment between the front seats. The jump seat is light enough for easy installation.
Bigger Engine, Better Mileage
In the Toyota Highlander it makes 270 horsepower and 248 pounds-feet of torque.
Four-wheel-drive models have a downhill assist function. Using the EPA's more realistic 2008 rating system — which generally leads to lower numbers — gas mileage is rated at 18/24 mpg (city/highway) for two-wheel-drive models and 17/23 mpg for those with four-wheel drive.
Ride & Handling
The four-wheel-independent suspension is sport-tuned in the Toyota Highlander Sport, but I couldn't detect a difference in ride firmness among the base, Sport and Limited.
Expectedly, the Highlander steers with a light touch, never delivering much in the way of feedback or turning precision. Four-wheel-disc antilock brakes are standard.
Cargo & Towing
The third row folds flat into the floor, and the second row folds nearly flat. Toyota Highlanders without the third row instead include a fairly large storage area under the rear floor.