2021 Toyota Highlander Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Few shoppers will look at the 2021 Toyota Highlander and accuse it of being boring. This is not an amorphous blob, devoid of creativity and impossible to differentiate from the hoard of midsize SUVs and crossovers waiting out front of schools to shuttle children to soccer practice. For better or worse, the Highlander stands out in a crowd.

While its front end is less dramatic than the bullet-train-inspired styling of the 2021 Sienna minivan, the Highlander still makes a statement with wide headlights, a long hood, and an assertive, trapezoidal grille. Along the side, Toyota has bestowed the three-row crossover with a character line not dissimilar from what accents the Supra sports car’s profile. At the back, the taillights look like they’ve come off a Lexus model, although they’re missing the vertical element. All told, the 2021 Toyota Highlander manages to look longer and lower than the previous-generation car, but it doesn’t sacrifice any of its size in doing so.

For 2021, Toyota adds the XSE trim level as a new Highlander grade. With a more aggressive, restyled front end, the XSE is designed to trick shoppers into thinking it’s some sort of Highlander Sport. In reality, the Toyota Highlander XSE adds a little bit of suspension tuning and an appearance package. The 20-inch alloy wheels with black accents look sharp, the unique front fascia and lower spoiler look mean, and the larger lower air intake is designed to better feed the engine… but this crossover won’t go toe to toe with a Ford Explorer ST.

Our test vehicle was decked out in Limited trim—which sits just below the Platinum trim level in the hierarchy. With chrome roof rails and accents, the Toyota Highlander Limited looks terrifically upscale from the outside, but it really shines on the inside

Although the existence of the Highlander XSE implies that Toyota wants this to straddle the line between practical and sporty, this car thrives when it leans toward luxury. Our Limited-trim Highlander’s interior features near-flawless fit and finish. The steering wheel feels good to hold. There are no squeaks, no rattles, and no unsightly gaps between panels and trim pieces. We enjoyed tan leather seats and accented by dark brown trim. The wood details look fabulous—even if they’re not real wood.

When you’re shopping for a new vehicle for a family, sportiness and performance are “nice-to-haves.” Comfort and convenience, however, are “must-haves.” The 2021 Toyota Highlander has the “must-haves” section covered.

All of this is to say that, if you want your family car to breathe fire, the 2021 Highlander likely isn’t for you. If smooth, predictable operation and a reputation for reliability are on your shopping list, however, keep reading.

The specs on the 3.5-litre V6 engine under every Highlander’s hood are a known commodity. It produces 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque. Toyota has it mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, powering either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Toyota also offers the Highlander Hybrid, which we have covered with a separate test drive review.

All told, the powertrain is fine. Drivers behind the wheel of a Highlander shouldn’t expect to win drag races from the stoplight, but they won’t feel nervous merging onto a highway, either. When compared with the meat of the competition, the Highlander measures up well. It offers roughly the same level of horsepower and torque as the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride. The Honda Pilot offers a bit more, the Chevrolet Traverse a bit less. The 2021 Mazda CX-9 falls short of the Highlander in regard to horsepower, but it bests it with an impressive 310 pound-feet of torque (on premium fuel). Yes, the Ford Explorer ST will make minced meat of a Highlander, but at a significant price premium. Non-ST Explorers sit right around the Highlander’s mark.

Being a three-row crossover, the Highlander tends to lumber a bit, particularly through corners. That sort of behavior is to be expected, and it is due in part to the soft and comfortable suspension equipped on most Highlander models.

The XSE trim does tighten up that suspension, adding higher-rated springs, retuned shock absorbers and power steering, and a rear stabilizer bar. While these additions aren’t going to turn the Highlander into a track beast, they’re attractive options for family-focused shoppers looking to retain some driving excitement.

Three-row crossovers are made and broken by their ability to keep driver and passengers comfy, haul luggage, and keep all the little things easily at hand.

In the 2021 Highlander, a set of shelves ahead of the front seats take centre stage. They’re large enough to house even the biggest cell phones, and a small pass-through allows a charging cord to snake down toward one of the Highlander’s USB ports. A wireless charging pad comes standard on XSE and above, but it lives within the centre console.

Second-row passengers, who can recline in available captain's chairs, are treated to plenty of legroom. The seats move forward and backward to either maximize space for the middle row or grant a little extra legroom to those stuck in the third row. With the second row forward, the rear seats will accommodate adults—but just barely, and only if the folks in the middle agree to be a little uncomfortable, too.

Arguably the most idiosyncratic critique we can level is Toyota’s placement of the rear-seat climate control air vents. There are none at leg level, just two positioned on the ceiling, blowing pretty much straight down on the tops of the middle-row passengers’ heads.

Behind the third row, you’re going to find only 453 litres of cargo space. It’s enough for a small trip to the store, but you’ll need more if you’re carrying the kids’ sports equipment. Fold down the third row to access 1,150 litres. That’s a more respectable number, and it’s slightly more than what Honda offers behind the second row of the Pilot. Fold down both the second- and third-row seats, and the Highlander will swallow 2,245 litres. That’s plenty for almost any occasion, even if it’s dwarfed by every minivan on the market.

Trim levels south of Platinum are equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen. Pay for a Platinum trim, and Toyota offers a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. Both systems are easy to use.

Navigation is another big-ticket item that is only equipped from the Limited grade, but whether or not it’s worth it may depend on how you use it. Ask for directions to a specific address, and you’re golden. Try as we might, however, the system repeatedly struggled to locate points of interest that Google Maps had no problem handling. Luckily, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard across the Highlander lineup, as is Bluetooth connectivity.

The 12.3-inch unit looks terrific. It’s bright and crisp and fast. A JBL audio system is equipped from the Limited grade up, which sounds good, if not overly impressive. You get a volume knob and a tuning knob. But it only shows certain apps on the full width. Things like navigation are limited to an 8-inch rectangle or real estate, making us wonder if the added expense of the big, beautiful screen is worth it.

Even prior to 2021, there were plenty of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) onboard the Highlander. For this model year, however, Toyota upgrades the Highlander’s suite of safety features to Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ (TSS 2.5+).

This suite includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and intersection support. The latter technology allows the Highlander to recognize when an oncoming vehicle at an intersection is about to make a left-hand turn, cutting in front of it. When necessary, intersection support can signal to engage the automatic emergency braking system. This, as they say, is some fancy stuff.

It’s not the only feature on board, either. Shoppers considering any grade of Highlander can expect adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-tracing assist, and automatic high beams. Blind spot monitoring is not part of TSS 2.5, but it's also standard. LED headlights are standard, and LED fog lights are available from the XLE grade up.

Although it likely doesn’t come as a surprise at this point, we’ll take the time to write it, anyway:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the 2021 Toyota Highlander five out of five stars, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named it a Top Safety Pick+.

Head to your local Toyota dealership, and you'll discover the Highlander starts at a Canadian MSRP of $40,450 before an additional destination charge of $1,860 for a front-wheel drive L model. For comparison, that’s below the Honda Pilot’s starting MSRP of $42,905 ($1,870 destination), though that includes standard all-wheel drive. Of course, the prices rise rapidly from there.

Moving to the Highlander LE adds AWD onto the Highlander and puts the starting price at $43,950. The Toyota Highlander XLE rings in at $46,450, XSE at $48,750, Limited $52,150, and the Highlander Platinum starts at $54,450. All-wheel drive is standard on all but the entry-level L grade.

The V6 powertrain drives the Highlander to a Natural Resources Canada estimated fuel use rating of 10.3 litres per 100 kilometres combined, regardless of whether front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive is selected. (FWD rates at 11.9 L/100 km city, 8.3 highway; AWD uses 11.8 city, 8.6 hwy.) Toyota Highlander Hybrid models come with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and hybrid drive system capable of much better figures—6.7 L/100 km combined with standard AWD—but that model is covered separately. Across more than 300 kilometres of driving, we observed a combined fuel economy rating of 11.5 L/100 km in our 2021 Highlander Limited AWD.

Pricing the Highlander at more than $50,000 makes it a seriously expensive Toyota—anyone can see that. But the Highlander offers significant value, particularly for shoppers who prioritize safety and comfort.

Note: Images show a US model.