2024 Toyota Highlander

Is the 2024 Toyota Highlander a Good SUV?

Yes, the 2024 Highlander is a good SUV. It offers a comfortable ride, lots of useful standard features and seating for up to eight people. Its powertrain is potent enough for most driving scenarios, but it can be loud when pushed. Handling is comfortable, though not engaging. On the downside, the Highlander provides less cargo room and third-row space than many of its competitors.

Should I Buy the 2024 Toyota Highlander?

The Highlander isn't a bad choice if you’re shopping for a midsize SUV, but there are several other options that you might prefer. For example, you could opt for a class leader like the Kia Telluride, which costs less than the Highlander and offers much better performance and an interior that approaches luxury levels. If you want to stay within the Toyota family, the Grand Highlander improves upon the regular Highlander in nearly every way.

There's also the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, which we review separately.

Find a 2024 Toyota Highlander for sale near you »

2023 vs. 2024 Toyota Highlander: What's the Difference?

For the 2024 model year, Toyota retired the previous base L trim, shifting the LE trim into that role. Also, a hands-free power liftgate is now standard in higher trims.

Compare the 2023 and 2024 Toyota Highlander »

Here are the key changes for the Toyota Highlander over the last few years:

If you're considering an older model, be sure to read our 2021 Highlander, 2022 Highlander and 2023 Highlander reviews to help make your decision. Also, check out our Best New Car Deals and Best New Car Lease Deals pages to learn about savings and discounts you can find on new vehicles.

Pricing

How Much Is a 2024 Toyota Highlander?

The base LE trim starts at $39,120 and comes with features like wireless smartphone integration and a wealth of driver-assist tech. The XLE costs $42,270 and adds niceties such as a moonroof, a hands-free power liftgate and wireless device charging. For $43,865, the XSE trim's additional features include black roof rails and ambient interior lighting. Starting at $46,375, the Limited trim comes with amenities like genuine leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats and a 12.3-inch touch screen. Finally, the top-of-the-line Platinum trim ($49,575) gets a heated second row and a head-up display, among other features.

2024 Toyota Highlander Versus the Competition

Toyota Highlander vs. Toyota Highlander Hybrid

The Highlander Hybrid has a much more refined cabin than its nonhybrid sibling. Additionally, the Highlander Hybrid’s base price is only a little higher than the nonhybrid's. Considering the significant improvement in fuel economy, the Highlander Hybrid could ultimately cost less than its gas-powered counterpart. The only reason not to choose the Highlander Hybrid is that its powertrain is even less exciting than the Highlander’s.

Compare the Highlander and Highlander Hybrid »

Toyota Highlander vs. Kia Telluride

The Kia Telluride sits toward the top of our midsize SUV rankings for just as many reasons as the Highlander sits toward the bottom. The Telluride's cabin is downright cavernous, and all three rows are suitable for adults. The Kia also can pack in significantly more cargo than the Toyota. The Telluride's interior is extremely comfortable and tech-forward, as well. The infotainment system is one of the best around, and the overall fit and finish is nearly unmatched for a non-luxury SUV. The Telluride also costs less than the Highlander. Go with the Kia.

Compare the Highlander and Telluride »

Compare the Highlander, Highlander Hybrid and Telluride »

Highlander Interior: Old Reliable

2024 Highlander Interior Quality

The interior of the Highlander is a bit dull, but it's practical and well put-together with quality materials. Niceties improve in higher trims, with options like genuine leather upholstery and wood accents.

2024 Highlander Infotainment, Bluetooth and Navigation

The Highlander comes with Toyota’s newest infotainment system, and it shows. The graphics are crisp and clear, and the touch screen responds quickly to inputs. Menus are easy to navigate, and the system overall is intuitive. Notably, some controls disappear from the touch screen when Android Auto or Apple CarPlay are in use, which can be bothersome while driving.

For more information, read What Is Apple CarPlay?, What Is Android Auto? and What Is Amazon Alexa Auto?

2024 Highlander Cargo Space

The Highlander offers 16 cubic feet of storage space behind the third row, 48.4 cubic feet with the third row folded down and 84.3 cubic feet when both rear rows are folded. For a three-row SUV, these numbers are underwhelming.

How Many People Does the 2024 Highlander Seat?

The three-row Highlander seats seven or eight people, depending on configuration. The first and second rows are spacious and comfortable, but the third row is cramped, and even some children will long for more room back there. The eight-seat configuration features a second-row bench seat, while the seven-seat setup comes with second-row captain's chairs.

2024 Highlander and Child Car Seats

There are two complete sets of LATCH connectors for the second-row outboard seats. There are also tether anchors for the second- and third-row middle seats, and you can borrow lower anchors from the adjoining seats in the second row when they're not in use. This LATCH system is easy to use.

Read more about interior »

Highlander Performance: Good Enough

2024 Highlander Engine

The Highlander's turbo-four engine puts out 265 horsepower and an impressive 310 pound-feet of torque. It's not a powerhouse, but it lends the Highlander good fuel economy while providing enough oomph to pass and accelerate confidently. On the downside, the engine tends to drone loudly under hard acceleration. All Highlanders come standard with front-wheel drive and a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is available.

2024 Highlander Gas Mileage

According to Toyota, the standard front-wheel-drive 2024 Highlander should manage 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway with the standard drivetrain. With all-wheel drive, those estimates dip to 21/28 mpg city/highway.

2024 Highlander Ride and Handling

Nobody is going to call the 2024 Highlander sporty or fun to drive, but it's more than competent. Steering is accurate and well-weighted, and the SUV maneuvers well considering its size. Minimal body lean helps the Highlander feel controlled, and the ride is smooth.

2024 Highlander Towing Capacity

The Highlander can tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped.

Read more about performance »

Highlander Reliability

Is the 2024 Toyota Highlander Reliable?

The 2024 Toyota Highlander does not have a predicted reliability score at the time of writing.

2024 Toyota Highlander Warranty

Toyota covers the 2024 Highlander with a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Read more about reliability »

2024 Toyota Highlander Safety

2024 Highlander Crash Test Results

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2024 Highlander an overall safety rating of five out of five stars, with four stars in the frontal crash and rollover tests and five stars in the side crash test.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not crash tested the 2024 Highlander at the time of writing.

2024 Highlander Safety Features

Standard driver-assistance features:

Available driver-assistance features:

2024 Highlander Dimensions and Weight

The Highlander is between 16.2 and 16.5 feet long. Its curb weight ranges from 4,155 to 4,453 pounds, and its gross vehicle weight rating is between 5,870 and 5,970 pounds.

Where Is the 2024 Toyota Highlander Built?

Toyota builds the 2024 Highlander in Indiana.

2024 Toyota Highlander Model and Trims

The 2024 Toyota Highlander comes in five trims: LE, XLE, XSE, Limited and Platinum. Each trim comes with a 265-horsepower 2.4-liter turbo-four engine, front-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is available in all trims. The L trim seats eight people, while the XLE and Limited trims can seat seven or eight, depending on configuration. All other trims seat seven.

Toyota also makes the Highlander Hybrid, which we review separately.

Toyota Highlander LE

The Highlander LE starts at $39,120 and comes standard with cloth upholstery, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, an 8-inch touch screen, a six-speaker stereo, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, satellite radio, five USB ports, Bluetooth, a Wi-Fi hot spot, tri-zone automatic climate control, a power liftgate, push-button start and remote keyless entry.

Standard driver-assistance features include a rearview camera, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high-beam headlights and lane-trace assist.

There are no notable options for this trim.

Toyota Highlander XLE

Coming in at $42,270, the XLE adds a hands-free power liftgate, a moonroof, wireless device charging, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, synthetic leather upholstery, a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, an eight-way power-adjustable passenger seat and heated front seats.

A 12.3-inch touch screen is available.

Toyota Highlander XSE

The XSE goes for $43,865 and features unique interior and exterior styling, a twin-tip exhaust, 20-inch wheels and ambient interior lighting. A 12.3-inch touch screen and an 11-speaker JBL stereo are available.

Toyota Highlander Limited

The Limited trim ($46,375) adds genuine leather upholstery, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch touch screen, a 120-volt household-style power outlet, ventilated front seats and an 11-speaker JBL stereo. A surround-view camera system is available.

Toyota Highlander Platinum

The range-topping Platinum trim starts at $49,575 and gains heated second-row seats, a surround-view camera system, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a head-up display and a panoramic moonroof.

See 2024 Toyota Highlander specs and trims »

Why You Can Trust Our Reviews

U.S. News & World Report has been ranking the best cars, trucks and SUVs since 2007, and our staff has more than 75 years of combined experience in the auto industry.

This 2024 Highlander review combines multiple professional reviews with concrete data like performance specs, fuel economy estimates and safety ratings and incorporates applicable research for all models in this generation, which launched for 2020. Check out excerpts from some of the reviews that drive our rankings and analysis.