Toyota Highlander (2024) Review

The Highlander has always sold on trust rather than talent and it continues to do so. The driving position is good, the ride is settled, noise suppression is decent and the cabin is laid out for people who want to find things without reading a manual. The hybrid version is superb, returning mid thirties economy in a car this size, which is remarkable. In the non hybrid the 2.4 litre turbo four now does the work the 3.5 V6 used to, and while it makes more torque lower down and drinks less, it is coarser under load and the eight speed transmission hunts when you push.

The real limitation is space. Toyota sells the Grand Highlander alongside it precisely because the third row here is a children only proposition and the boot behind it barely holds a weekly shop. Interior materials are plain even on upper trims. What you get in exchange is the Toyota ownership curve, with low repair frequency, cheap parts, servicing that never surprises you, and resale values among the strongest in the segment. Buy it for what it does not do.