2022 Toyota Highlander Road Test and Review

2020 Toyota Highlander XLE ・ Photo by Toyota

The Toyota Highlander has been a favorite of mid-size SUV buyers for years. Though it doesn’t boast many changes for the 2022 model year, it remains an excellent choice in the segment. The Toyota Highlander is offered in 8- and 7-passenger versions, and it can be equipped with a conventional gasoline engine or a gasoline-electric hybrid combination. Front-drive is the base configuration while all-wheel-drive is widely available. Challenged by popular newcomers like the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride, the Highlander has upped its game, especially inside. And for 2022, it is offered in a Hybrid Bronze Edition that combines the thrifty hybrid powertrain with a large number of bronze-colored exterior pieces. Beyond the Bronze Edition, though, not much has changed for 2022. Instead, the Toyota Highlander will ride on its reputation for excellent dependability and solid resale value. Here is our road test and review of the 2022 Toyota Highlander.

Exterior Style

The Toyota Highlander has gone several years without a major makeover, but it still looks fresh. It has an imposing front end with an attractive grille flanked by cats-eye headlights. The L, LE, and XLE grades have a black grille with silver-colored paint surround, while the Limited and Platinum trims exhibit chrome accents, LED fog lights, and 20-inch alloy wheels. The Platinum model also features a silver-painted front bumper and rear fascia, plus unique 20-inch wheels. For the 2021 model year, Toyota took a leap to unveil the sports-oriented XSE grade. Its most distinguishing features are the 20-inch machine-faced alloy wheels. It also has its own fascia, grille, and lower spoiler. The redone upper grille is accompanied by a more prominent lower air intake integrated into the new bumper. The XSE also has unique headlamps with black accents and light-strip daytime running lamps (DRLs). In total, the 2022 Toyota Highlander has increased its exterior eye appeal considerably.

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Powertrains

The 2022 Toyota Highlander gives its buyers the choice of several options — conventional V6, 4-cylinder with electric motor, front-drive, all-wheel-drive. The base powertrain combines a 295-horsepower 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 matched with an 8-speed automatic transmission. To aid fuel economy, the powertrain uses a stop/start system that is pleasantly unobtrusive. For buyers seeking even better fuel economy, a hybrid powertrain is available. It teams a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, electric motors, and continuously variable transmission for a total of 243 horsepower. Its variable cooling system utilizes an electric water pump and electric thermostat and a fully variable oil pump help to enhance fuel efficiency. The hybrid’s battery pack is hidden under the second-row seats. Like the conventional V6, the hybrid offers front-drive and all-wheel-drive versions.

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Driving Impressions

All-around drivability in both V6 and hybrid versions of the Highlander is praiseworthy. The conventional V6 engine and 8-speed conventional transmission make for a more spirited driving experience than the lower-horsepower hybrid. An additional 52 horsepower has that effect. But the Highlander Hybrid is remarkably competitive to the V6 in initial acceleration thanks largely to its instant electric-motor torque. The V6 will travel from zero to 60 miles per hour in about 6.8 seconds, only half a second faster than the hybrid. For most SUV users, the hybrid will do everything the V6 will do plus provide better fuel economy. The Highlander Hybrid also offers selectable Normal, Eco, Sport, and EV driving modes. Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD with Drive Mode Select and Driveline Disconnect is available for the Highlander XSE, Limited, and Platinum trims. It manages torque distribution between the front and rear wheels and the left and right rear wheels. Despite the technology, none of the Highlanders can be called sporty, but they provide a nice mix of comfort and quiet spiced with more agility than you might expect from a midsize SUV. Driver and the passengers in the two front rows have excellent seating. The third row is a bit tight. In either conventional or hybrid versions, the Highlander is a comfortable and quiet on-road cruiser.

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Interior Design

With a truly dazzling array of trim levels, the 2022 Toyota Highlander offers buyers the opportunity to specify a vehicle that matches up to their desires… and their checkbook. From the L to the top-of-line Platinum, the 2022 Highlander demonstrates the fact that Toyota designers are more serious than ever about offering world-class interiors. Details include padded surfaces and a more integrated look with stitching that continues from the door trim to the instrument panel. The dash incorporates the multimedia and climate controls in a functional manner. Differences in the trim levels are expressed with, among other things, the seat upholstery. The L and LE offer woven cloth seat surfaces; the XLE has leatherette seats in three colors, and the Limited offers those colors in perforated leather. The top-of-line Platinum takes the Highlander into luxury land with embossed, perforated leather. In an era in which interior style is improving by leaps and bounds, the Highlander has come a long way.

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Infotainment & Technology

Toyota has also picked up the pace in infotainment and connectivity. While not state-of-the art, the systems are very serviceable and reasonably easy to use. Most Highlander trims have an 8-inch display. A 12.3-inch display is standard in the Platinum trim and available on the Limited. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility are standard across the entire lineup. SiriusXM and Wi-Fi connectivity are included on a trial basis. While the standard audio system will suit most buyers just fine, a JBL premium audio system is available on the XSE and is standard on Limited and Platinum trims. All Highlander models come with a one-year trial subscription to Toyota Safety Connect. All but the base L trim offer Service and Remote Connectivity. Qi wireless charging is available in the center console, and for 2022, USB ports have been updated for both front and rear passengers. Front-seat passengers get two Type-C USB ports and a single Type A port located at the bottom of the center stack. Back seat passengers can easily access two Type-C USB ports located on the rear of the center console.

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Safety & Driver Aids

The 2022 Highlander offers a variety of electronic active safety and driver-assist features. Toyota Safety Sense (TSS 2.5+), standard across the lineup, is a comprehensive suite of active safety systems. It includes pre-collision system with pedestrian detection enhanced with intersection support, road sign assist, full-speed range adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, sway warning system, and automatic high-beam headlights. Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert is standard on all trims but the L. Rear cross-traffic braking is available with clearance sonar on Limited and higher trims. Hybrid models have Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management. It provides coordinated control of the antilock brakes, brake assist, traction control, hill-start assist, and electric power steering to enhance stability on slippery surfaces. The standard backup camera features projected path, while the Limited’s backup camera adds dynamic gridlines. A Bird’s Eye View Camera with Perimeter Scan is available on the Limited and standard on the Platinum trim.

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Fuel Economy

Fuel economy in the Toyota Highlander ranges from about average for the conventional V6 to top-of-class in the hybrid versions. The front-drive Highlander Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient in the lineup. It is rated at 36 mpg city/35 mph highway/36 mpg combined by the Environmental Protection Agency. An all-wheel-drive hybrid is nearly identical in its ratings — 35 mpg city/35 mpg highway/35 mpg combined. Toyota Highlanders with the V6 engine don’t fare nearly as well. According to the EPA, a front-drive 2022 Highlander with the 3.5-liter V6 engine will deliver an estimated 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway for a 24 mpg overall figure. With all-wheel drive that drops slightly to 20 mpg city/25 mpg highway/24 mpg combined. For comparison a front-drive 2022 Honda Pilot has EPA fuel economy ratings of 20 mpg city/27 mpg highway/23 mpg combined. The Kia Telluride has very similar ratings at 23 mpg combined.

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Cargo Capacity & Towing

The 2022 Toyota Highlander has 141.3 cubic feet of passenger volume, very ample but a tad less than some key competitors. Both the 2022 Honda Pilot and 2022 Kia Telluride have more passenger space. The Pilot has slightly less total cargo room than the Highlander, and the Telluride has about 3 cubic feet more. Most Highlander owners are unlikely to notice a marked difference in cargo-carrying capacity versus their rivals. The Highlander has 16 cubic feet of luggage area behind the third-row seats. With the third-row seats folded, the cargo room in the Highlander grows to 48.4 cubic feet, and with all the seats folded, it will accommodate 84.3 cubic feet of stuff. Equipped properly the gasoline-powered Toyota Highlander is rated to tow 5,000 pounds. The Highlander Hybrid is rated to tow 3,500 pounds.

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Trim Levels

The 2022 Toyota Highlander has a mind-blowing number of available configurations. The pricing sheet for the 2022 Highlander lists 22 separate grades and prices. To simplify all that a bit, the vehicle is offered in six basic trims: L, LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum. Each trim is available with front drive or all-wheel drive. The Highlander Hybrid is offered in five trims: LE, XLE, Bronze Edition, Limited, and Platinum. All hybrid trims can be front drive or all-wheel drive, too. The least expensive Toyota Highlander L has an MSRP of $35,205 plus a destination fee. The all-wheel-drive Platinum V6-powered Highlander has a suggested list of $49,510. The least expensive Highlander Hybrid, an LE trim, has an MSRP of $38,855. A Platinum Hybrid with all-wheel drive is list priced at $50,960.

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Competitive Value

With a base price of around $35,000 plus the destination fee, the 2022 Toyota Highlander has a lower entry price than the Honda Pilot and a price very similar to the least expensive Kia Telluride. Looking at the most expensive versions of the conventional Highlander versus the competitors, the Highlander’s Platinum trim is about $1,500 less expensive than the Honda Pilot Black Edition. But it is almost $5,000 more expensive than the top-of-the-line Kia Telluride. The Highlander is also offered in a wide array of hybrid versions that offer significant savings in fuel costs. The current Highlanders also have interiors that are very competitive with the best of the competition. Add to that a great record for high resale and dependability, and the 2022 Toyota Highlander becomes an excellent choice.

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