2014 Toyota Highlander

Toyota’s Highlander sits in a adequate abode in Toyota’s crossover/SUV range, alms a added car-like another to the accurate SUV of the 4Runner used Japanese cars dealer, and a beyond another to the actual car-like RAV4. Over its two generations, the Highlander has abounding abounding roles for abounding people, from ancestors wagon to amalgam aura car.

This year, the 2014 Highlander renews its charter on that amplitude with what Toyota promises is added clarification and strength--and what we faculty is some attenuate repositioning. For one, Toyota calls the car-based Highlander an SUV, and for two, from the outside, it's fabricated it attending added like one than ever.

The Highlander's been reimagined before, from its spartan wagon roots into the current, girthy, added edition. For its third take, the big account car adopts a new attending that owes some of its cues to a bulk of aggressive cars that absorb the blah breadth amid crossovers and SUVs. We see some Durango and X5 in the ancillary view--and abnormally enough, lots of Mitsubishi in the maw of its abysmal new grille and in the exaggerations about its caster wells and at the sills. The berth skips that ambiguity--it's all car, and it's anon aggressive by the cockpit in the accepted RAV4. There's some Teutonic-themed birr action, and a adorable assortment of curve and textures.

Toyota Highlander performance 

As was the case with the RAV4, the Highlander's powertrains are agitated over from the antecedent generation. One's an overlap: the 2.7-liter four-cylinder in abject models is the alone engine begin in the abate RAV4. Coupled to a six-speed automated and offered alone with front-wheel drive, the engine turns in 185 application and adequate dispatch that gets artificial calmly accomplished acknowledged artery speeds and endless of added than two passengers.

Two V-6 models return. The accepted 270-hp six teams up with a six-speed automated and a best of front- or all-wheel drive for good, not great, acceleration. The Amalgam six pairs with an electronically controlled continuously capricious manual (eCVT) and through-the-road all-wheel drive for a net 280 hp that feels strained, acknowledgment to an added 350 pounds of barrier weight.

The Highlander's active dynamics were continued abaft for attention, and the front-strut and independent-rear abeyance are acquainted for beneath angular and added ride compactness that doesn't blooper into Euro caricature. Electric ability council is now standard, and the all-wheel-drive arrangement can address about torque from foreground to rear if the vehicle's yaw sensors ascertain a added affianced driver. Eighteen-inch and 19-inch auto will be on the adjustment sheet, for those added adventuresome types.

The Highlander aswell can be rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds, so continued as the V-6 engine is installed.
Toyota Highlander abundance and utility

At 191.1 inches long, on a 109.8-inch wheelbase, the Highlander's continued by three inches over the above-mentioned version, but none of it comes amid the wheels. There's a half-inch added width, in what was already a adequately ample vehicle--though one that's still acutely abate than competitors like the new Nissan Pathfinder.

The Highlander can bank up to eight passengers. Abaft the foreground buckets, afar by a tambour-covered console, the Highlander totes 5 or six. The added row's either a three-person split-bench bank with a recline feature, or a brace of captain's chairs. There's no "Center Stow" bank anymore, just a flip-up cupholder tray, but the second-row bank bank does now accelerate to aggrandize admission to the collapsed third-row seat, which has 4.3 inches added amplitude for bigger abundance but a absence of headroom. Toyota's aswell carved out added amplitude abaft the third-row bank for burden and slotted in a tray forth the birr that's absolutely useful--if you've already abounding the gym-bag-sized console.

The Highlander's berth is abundant quieter and calmer than before. Thicker acoustic bottle damps powertrain noise, and insulation in the attic blots out vibrations, abeyance chatter, and annoy squawk.

Toyota Highlander safety 

The 2014 Highlander will addition its accepted assurance accessories with a absolute of eight airbags and a anew accepted rearview camera. Hill-start abetment is aswell included. The IIHS already calls it a Top Assurance Pick+, and it's becoming a best all-embracing account in federal testing (albeit not with 5 stars in all categories).

Among the new assurance options are blind-spot monitors, a lane-departure admonishing system, and parking sensors. Visibility is better, acknowledgment to repositioned pillars and bigger rear-quarter windows.

Toyota Highlander appearance and pricing 

All 2014 Toyota Highlanders appear with an Entune connectivity kit, and Bluetooth to go with the accepted ability appearance and conveniences, all for a abject amount of just beneath $30,000 afore destination.
Higher trim levels amalgamation in appearance like automated high-beam headlights; acrimonious and aerial foreground seats; acrimonious second-row captain's chairs; a JBL audio system; a aeronautics system; a ability tailgate with a programmable lift height; and a rear-seat DVD ball arrangement with gaming inputs.
Highlander Limited crossovers access $45,000; the Amalgam Limited peaks abreast $50,000.