2022 Toyota Highlander Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The Highlander has a modern, somewhat aggressive front-end design. The flared fender arches and the way the third-row window kicks up a bit help make the spacious Highlander appear a bit smaller to the eye. But make no mistake about it, when you climb inside, you have tons of cabin space and a clever storage solution for iPads and juice boxes.

We usually work our way up the trim lineup by price, but we have to start with our XSE test car. Do not adjust your eyes, that is not the interior of some racy Italian performance-luxury SUV. That bold red is the optional leather package available on this trim. It’s a fun combination to have a sedate navy blue exterior and this bold red cabin. The XSE also features unique exterior styling, ambient interior lighting, and a sport-tuned suspension.

Trims for the Highlander in Canada are LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum. The base Highlander LE comes with standard all-wheel drive (AWD) and is equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels, a Smart Key system with pushbutton start, proximity/remote keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, and heated front seats. The LE also comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Moving up to the XLE trim adds standard features such as LED fog lights, a synthetic leather-wrapped and heated steering wheel and shift knob, a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, an eight-way power-adjustable front-passenger seat, wireless device charging, a power sunroof, a power liftgate, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, silver roof rails, second-row sunshades, synthetic leather upholstery, and a 7-inch digital screen within the instrument panel.

As mentioned, the XSE features unique exterior styling elements, including revised front and rear bumpers. It also includes 20-inch alloy wheels, a large mesh grille design, second-row captain’s chairs, and dual exhaust tips. The aforementioned “Red Cockpit” leather upholstery is a no-cost option.

The XLE and XSE deliver plenty of comfort and tech features, but if you’re feeling upscale, look to the Limited and Platinum trims. The Highlander Limited trim comes with premium LED headlamps, heated and ventilated front seats, genuine leather upholstery, acoustic noise-reducing windows, a wall-style power outlet, a hands-free power liftgate, a panoramic moonroof, an 11-speaker, 1,200-watt JBL premium audio system, and the larger 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen.

The range-topping Highlander Platinum adds rain-sensing windshield wipers, a 360-degree parking camera, heated second-row seats, and a rearview camera mirror.

The Highlander comes equipped with a 3.5-litre V6 engine. It makes power specs of 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque. Power is routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission to standard all-wheel drive (AWD; a front-wheel drive (FWD) drivetrain is not offered in Canada). The transmission has a tap-shift function on the shifter. There’s also a drive-mode button in the centre console with Sport, Normal, and Eco modes. Finally, next to the drive-mode button is a dial for the AWD system with Mud/Sand, Rock, and Normal modes.

As noted above, the V6 has more horsepower than torque, and that translates into better pickup once the Highlander is moving. This engine is just fine off the line, but we’ve driven V6 SUVs that felt livelier from a standstill. This engine tends to shine more when already cruising or getting up to highway speeds. There’s plenty of pickup for an overtake and the engine makes a surprisingly throaty exhaust note in the process. If you’re looking for maximum fuel efficiency, check out the 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, including the new-for-2022 Bronze Edition, which is covered in a separate Test Drive Review.

No matter if you are around town or on the highway, the Highlander’s handling is very good in all scenarios. Our XSE trim came equipped with a sport-tuned suspension that reduced body roll but was nonetheless soft over bumps in the road. Even on on-ramps and off-ramps, the steering was well-weighted and it felt composed through the higher-speed turns.

When properly equipped, the Toyota Highlander can tow up to 2,268 kilograms (5,000 pounds). This figure is average for the class. Its max payload is 775 kilograms (1,709 pounds), achieved in the LE trim.

With the second- and third-row seats folded, the Toyota Highlander provides up to 2,387 litres of cargo space. With the second-row seats in use, there’s 1,370 litres of cargo space. With all seats deployed, the Highlander offers 453 litres of cargo space behind the third row. Lowering the seats is easy thanks to quick-release latches on the second and third rows. Lifting them again is aided by pull-straps on the back of the third-row seats. Every trim above the base LE comes with a power liftgate. Limited and Platinum trims come with a hands-free power liftgate.

The front doors have deep cargo pockets with room for multiple large water bottles. The entire front of the cabin is a veritable Swiss Army Knife, with extra little ledges in the centre of the dash and in front of the driver. The main centre dash tray has plenty of room, and the centre console compartment is even larger. Even the third row has two cupholders for either side of the vehicle.

Our XSE had second-row captain’s chairs, which are always helpful. They provide a centre aisle to the rear seats and put some space between second-row occupants. On a long road trip with two small children, that space can be extremely helpful. The second-row seats are plenty spacious for adults as well, but the same cannot be said for the third row, which adults will only find tolerable for short trips around the block.

The Highlander comes standard with Bluetooth connectivity, five USB ports, and an 8-inch touchscreen that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as SiriusXM satellite radio. This is the infotainment system that has been around for a few years and the Highlander is better for it. While it does not have wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, it does have a straightforward layout and is backed up with hard buttons on either side of the screen. As we march towards baking ever more features into screen menus, consumers may start to miss the effortless blend of screens and hard controls from the past five-or-so years of the automotive industry.

Beneath the climate controls in the centre tray, our XSE test model featured a wireless charging pad, as well as a combination of USB and USB-C ports. A larger 12.3-inch touchscreen is available, though it’s not as effortless as the base touchscreen. Other available features include a digital instrument panel screen and an 11-speaker JBL premium stereo system.

The 2022 Highlander comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense suite of driver-assistance features. It includes standard forward collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, dynamic radar cruise control, lane tracing assist, traffic-sign recognition, and automatic high beams.

All trims come equipped with standard blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and eight airbags. Other safety features that are optional or come equipped on upper-level trims include front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a surround-view parking monitor, and a digital rearview mirror.

The lane-departure alert with steering assist and lane-keeping assist systems are very active, almost too active. On certain highways, it feels like you’re playing “Operation“ where you’re triggering the lane-departure warning by getting even remotely close to one of the lane lines. The lane centreing system is good at times, but it still feels abrasive on back roads where it tends to fight back when you’re crossing over the centre line to get around a mail truck. It still wants to correct the driver.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates the 2022 Toyota Highlander as a Top Safety Pick+.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander returns Natural Resources Canada fuel consumption figures of 11.8 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 8.6 hwy, and 10.3 combined. In our week of driving the 2022 Highlander XSE, we observed fuel economy of 10.0 L/100 km. Toyota also offers the Highlander Hybrid, which delivers improved fuel economy, but it is slightly more expensive.

Base new-vehicle MSRP for the 2022 Toyota Highlander is $44,490 for the base LE trim with standard AWD, before destination and fees. The XLE starts at $47,390. The XSE trim starts at $49,690. At the top end of the lineup, the Limited starts at $52,950 and the range-topping Platinum starts at $55,250. The Toyota Highlander is backed by a five-year/100,000-kilometre powertrain warranty.

It is often said of the modern car market that there are “no bad cars.” That is to say, nearly every model from every automaker is a competent vehicle that is reliable and has modern tech and safety features. The job now becomes finding the right car for a particular consumer. Within the midsize, three-row SUV market, brands have started to try different things to stand out. The Nissan Pathfinder has pivoted back towards ruggedness (at least in image). The Honda Pilot is going for modern sophistication with a comfortable cabin and a video-game-like instrument panel.

The Toyota Highlander stands out by covering the basics and covering them well. But Toyota does not leave it there. Like the children’s book wedged under the back seat, the Highlander is a veritable choose-your-own-adventure. It runs the gamut from frugal, to sporty, to downright upscale. And through it all, it provides a standard V6 engine, an immensely versatile interior, and the high-tech safety features to make the Toyota Highlander a no-brainer when shopping for a family-hauling SUV.

Note: Images show a US model.