Page 43 - MotorTrend (March 2020)

2020 Toyota Highlander
The 2020 Toyota Highlander’s interior
material quality is generally pretty good,
but materials can’t disguise the cramped
back row so common in three-row SUVs.
A little more thought to things like USB
placement would help, as well.
Already looking ahead, we hope the
refreshed 2023 Highlander can move the
two 2.1-amp second-row USB ports from
just off the floor to somewhere higher in
the interior—the Hyundai Palisade and
Kia Telluride, for example, have their
ports midway up the back of the front
seats. Finally, the reflection on the front
windshield of the silver trim atop the
available 12.3-inch screen may bother
some drivers.
Otherwise, the 2020 Highlander shoots
for middle-of-the-road performance.
With 18- or 20-inch wheels, the High-
lander cruises comfortably. (Anyone else
feeling déjà vu?) The steering has a little
life in it but feels too slow to respond
for our tastes—you’ll have to turn the
steering wheel considerably more to
make that next turn.
Also, interior quality varies from trim
to trim but is generally better than what
you’ll find in the Explorer. Lower 2020
Highlander trims announce themselves
with black—not chrome—door handles
and cheaper materials covering the
That big storage area exemplifies everything
we like about the 2020 Toyota Highlander. The
information display’s paucity of hybrid driving
data is an example of where it falls short.
Should I get
the hybrid? Yes.
Buying a Highlander in hybrid form is
a smarter choice than it used to be.
The new model starts with a 2.5-liter
naturally aspirated I-4, which facili-
tates incredible-for-the-segment fuel
economy and an impressive driving
range of about 600 miles, depending
on the trim. You’ll find the FWD and
AWD hybrid available on every trim
except the base L version, and no,
going hybrid doesn’t mean sacrificing
space for your crew or their stuff.
What it does mean is better fuel
economy at a relatively decent price.
The hybrid premium is just $1,400
across the model range. In other
words, doing the environment a solid
won’t cost you much more. And if this
is more about saving money over the
long term, the fuel savings should pay
back that hybrid premium before your
five-year loan is up if your real-world
mpg comes close to the SUV’s official
35–36/34–35 mpg EPA ratings.
We were pleasantly surprised
by how natural the brakes felt—not
always the case for hybrids. With 243
combined system hp, the Highlander
felt powerful and responsive enough
for quick bursts of acceleration
through the city.
As we found with the RAV4 hybrid,
we wish the Highlander’s 2.5-liter
engine was a little quieter, but it’s
tolerable. On a highway on-ramp, the
hybrid runs out of juice compared to
the regular V-6 model, but we’d still
take the hybrid if it fit the budget.
One curiosity: The FWD hybrid
seemed to have stronger regenera-
tive braking while coasting than the
AWD model. Either way, the hybrid
accomplishes more with less (power).
BASE PRICE $35,720-$51,320
Front-engine, FWD/
VEHICLE LAYOUT AWD, 7-8-pass,
4-door SUV
ENGINES 3.5L/295-hp/263-
lb-ft Atkinson-cycle
DOHC 24-valve V-6;
2.5L/186-hp/175-lb-ft
Atkinson-cycle DOHC
16-valve I-4 plus elec
motors, 243 hp comb
TRANSMISSIONS 8-speed automatic,
cont variable auto
CURB WEIGHT 4,150-4,600 lb (mfr)
WHEELBASE 112.2 in
LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT 194.9 x 76.0 x 68.1 in
0-60 MPH 7.2-7.7 sec (MT est)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB 20-36/27-35/23-36
FUEL ECON mpg (est)
ENERGY CONSUMPTION, 94-169/96-125 kW-
CITY/HWY hr/100 miles (est)
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.55-0.86 lb/mile (est)
ON SALE IN U.S. Currently
storage area on the dash. Soft-touch
surfaces cover parts of all Highlanders,
with a leatherlike material on a knee rest
on either side of the center console of
higher-end models.
One cool style note: Some Highlanders
use a dark brown for trim on the tops of
the door panels and most of the dash; it
contrasts well with tan or caramel seats,
even if it looks a little odd with the black
instrument cluster cover.
On the outside, blacked-out A-pillars
and punched-out fender flares enhance
a design that shows how far the High-
lander’s style has come since its boxy
beginnings nearly 20 years ago. The
2020 Highlander won’t challenge the Kia
Telluride for exterior charm, but it has
more personality than the Ascent and
thankfully stops short of the Hyundai
Palisade’s deal-breaking front styling.
In style and tech, the 2020 Highlander
has made serious progress. Peel away
the flash of a Platinum model in the
showroom, though, and you’re left with
what we can call “classic Highlander.”
Although we’d rather drive a Telluride
(except for its fuel economy), the High-
lander strives to make things easy or
comfortable, just like the three genera-
tions that came before it.
Little on the Highlander—except for
the hybrid’s exceptional 35–36/34–35
mpg city/highway—screams “must buy”
in a crowded segment. But consider Toyo-
ta’s reputation for reliability, the tighter
turning radius, the super-efficient hybrid
model, its more capacious cargo area, and
the tidy dimensions. There’s some good-
ness here. Greatness? Hmm. Q
MARCH 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 43