2024 Toyota Highlander review

1. Comfortable and well-equipped cabin 

The 2024 Toyota Highlander has the kind of roomy and comfortable cabin that you and your friends and family will be delighted to travel in every day. Three-row seating provides space for eight passengers inside (seven on trims with second-row captain’s chairs) and legroom in the first two rows in particular is impressive: 42 inches in the front and 38.7 inches in the second row. For children with car seats, two complete sets of LATCH connectors are present on the outboard second-row seats, with tether anchors for the middle second and third-row seats.  

2. Robust turbocharged engine 

By balancing stout power output and minimal trips to the pumps, the 2024 Toyota Highlander’s standard powertrain is ideally suited to day-to-day trips and even lengthier journeys if required. Under the hood of every 2024 Highlander, you’ll find a 2.4L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This combination produces 265 horsepower, more than enough for zipping between traffic and highway cruising. Given it can also achieve an EPA-estimated 22 mpg combined (with FWD), it'll provide much-needed balance to your daily driving.

3. Available all-wheel-drive 

By default, the 2024 Highlander comes in front-wheel-drive configuration. However, should you want more zip away from the lights, and more grip in tricky conditions, all-wheel drive is available on every trim. Not only does this enhance the handling, but most importantly, this means that you can tackle slippery road surfaces and tough weather conditions with more confidence. Thanks to advanced torque vectoring, power output is optimized for each wheel to help avoid losing grip and sliding. And you still get frugal performance out of the engine as it'll achieve an EPA-estimated 21 mpg combined and 28 mpg on the highway.

4. Abundant storage space in both cabin and trunk 

For a practical family vehicle like this, storage space is just as important as space for passengers. Thankfully, the 2024 Highlander has you covered in that department too. You'll get 16 cu-ft of cargo volume behind the rear seats, which is enough for grocery shopping. For larger items like furniture, both rows of seats allow for 60/40 split-folding, increasing total cargo volume up to 48.4 cu-ft behind the second row and a whopping 84.3 cu-ft of total space. For that added touch of convenience, a height-adjustable power liftgate comes as standard, with a hands-free liftgate present on XLE trims upwards. 

5. Stacked feature list with lots of driver convenience tech 

A common theme for the 2024 Highlander is convenience, ease of use, and peace of mind. Staying on that theme, you'll get a full package of driver convenience technologies across the range to make every journey as easy and stress-free as possible. Standard on every 2024 Highlander is forward collision warning with automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert. Limited trims also include front and rear parking sensors, while the top-line Platinum trim adds adaptive headlights, a digital rearview mirror (for when the trunk is packed full of cargo), and a surround-view camera system to further assist with parking in tight spots.