The Toyota Highlander may be rugged and athletic on the outside, but on the inside, it is truly palatial and ostentatious. With the use of first-class materials and practical design, Toyota has been able to gain ascendancy over its competitors, when comfort is concerned. The use of wooden accents looks upmarket and plush, while the central console that runs in-between the driver and passenger seats adds a lot of practicality by granting additional storage space. The leather-wrapped steering wheel, available on all trims except the LE, feels good to hold.
The Toyota Highlander has a maximum seating capacity of 8 passengers; however, with the captain seat configuration for the middle row, the Highlander can be made to seat 7 passengers. Irrespective of its occupancy, the seats on offer bestow comfort of the highest accord. The seats feel well placed, which allows for great visibility and the cushioning in itself feels adequate. However, its cramped rear seats do feel like a letdown. By coupling the comfortable seats with a tranquil cabin and smooth ride quality, Toyota has found the key to succeed in a competitive segment. While its cargo capacity of 83.2 cubic feet is adequate to help you carry your bicycle around, it is less than what other competitors in the segment have to offer.
Model
|
Toyota Highlander
|
Honda Pilot
|
Ford Flex
|
Dodge Durango
|
Seating Capacity
|
8
|
8
|
7
|
7
|
Front Row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in)
|
39.5/59.3/44.2
|
39.3/61.5/41.4
|
41.8/58.4/40.8
|
39.9/58.5/40.3
|
Second Row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in)
|
39.6/59.6/38.4
|
39.8/62.2/38.5
|
40.5/58.1/44.3
|
39.8/58.3/38.6
|
Third Row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in)
|
35.9/55/27.7
|
38.2/58.9/31.2
|
38.7/50.8/33.3
|
37.8/50.4/31.5
|
Cargo Capacity to 3rd seat (cu.-ft)
|
13.8
|
18
|
20
|
17.2
|
Cargo Capacity to 2nd seat (cu.-ft)
|
42.3
|
47.7
|
43.2
|
47.7
|
Cargo Capacity to 1st seat (cu.-ft)
|
83.2
|
87
|
83.2
|
84.5
|
While the Honda Pilot also has a total seating capacity of eight passengers, the Ford Flex and Dodge Durango have a maximum occupancy of seven passengers only. The space on offer is highest with the Highlander for the front-seat passengers, while the middle and rear-seat passengers will have themselves enjoying the ride in the Ford Flex. In terms of cargo capacity, the Ford Flex has holding volume as the Toyota Highlander, while the Honda Pilot and Dodge Durango have larger trunks of 87 and 84.5 cubic feet respectively. Some salient interior features of the Toyota Highlander include:
- Steering Mounted Controls
- Tilt and Telescopic Steering Wheel
- Interior Air Filtration
- Heated Mirrors
- Cloth/Leather/Premium Synthetic Seats
- Keyless Entry
How intuitive is the Toyota Highlander’s infotainment system?
Even from its base variant, the Toyota Highlander’s infotainment system feels heavily equipped. The LE and LE Plus trims come standard with a 6.1-inch display screen, 6-speaker sound system, and an AM/FM stereo.
As one moves up the trim ladder, the standard screen makes way for an 8-inch unit that gets connected to Toyota’s Entune System and allows for smartphone integration. On all models, however, the infotainment is easy to use. A rearview camera is standard and is connected to the display screen. Some other salient infotainment features include:
- Auxiliary Audio Input
- USB Connection
- CD Player
- MP3 Player
- Satellite Radio (Available on all trims except LE)
- JBL Premium Sound System (available with the Limited and Limited Platinum trim)