There’s enough leg- and headroom in the third row for smaller adults, but the three spots back there are best reserved for those who don’t mind the low seating position that puts taller riders’ knees up under their chins. Also, getting back there wasn’t as well thought out as it could’ve been: Toyota says sliding the second row forward creates a larger opening to the third row than in the previous-generation Highlander, but it was still a tight squeeze in my XLE tester, with its three-place middle-row bench. Several of Toyota’s mid-size crossover competitors allow easier access to the third row with more sophisticated flip/fold/slide second-row seat designs.
Toyota improved seat comfort in the second row, and gone is the removable centre section that allowed a pass-through to the third row. Now, a proper three-place bench is standard in all but the top-trim Limited model, which gets heated captain’s seats in the middle row.
Up front, I found my tester’s seats comfortable (though other reviewers I know have a much different opinion), and this $41,000 XLE model’s chairs included a driver’s seat cushion extender, a nice touch not often seen at this price point that allows drivers of all heights and proportions to find a good fit for their body type.
Design-wise, interior highlights include the centre stack, which incorporates a small shelf that stretches to the right-hand edge of the dash. It’s perfect for mobile phones and music players, and has a small pass-through for wired connections to the auxiliary and USB inputs located under that shelf, ahead of the shifter.
For the driver, slimmer A-pillars improve forward visibility, and a back-up camera is standard across the line.
What’s less well-executed is the touchscreen, not because it doesn’t work (it’s quite good, actually), but because it’s too far from the driver’s seat to be an easy reach. This being a family vehicle, it’s arguable that it is where it is to make it a simpler stretch for a front-seat passenger, but this demonstrates the upside to designs that use a console-mounted knob to eliminate the need to touch the screen itself at all.
Other user-friendliness complaints include the climate control’s temperature knobs, which don’t give you much to grip with gloved hands.
The Highlander also loses points in the value department: for around $40,000, both Kia and Hyundai (who else?) deliver their seven-seaters – the Sorento and Santa Fe XL, respectively – with more stuff.
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Warranty: 3 years/60,000 km; 5 years/100,000 km powertrain; 5 years/unlimited distance corrosion perforation Competitors: |
Roughly $40,000 gets you a Sorento EX+ that includes safety kit like blind spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert, heated steering wheel and four-way driver’s seat lumbar adjustability. In a Santa Fe XL, the $40,000 Luxury trim comes with heated steering wheel, blind spot detection, and a smart liftgate. Both of the Koreans also throw in a 115-volt power outlet, which isn’t available in the Highlander at all.
Toyota’s reputation for durability has always made its vehicles easy to appreciate, but the company’s effort to inject some personality into the Highlander finally makes it easier to like. It may not represent a total break from the brand’s function-over-fun philosophy, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Pricing: 2015 Toyota Highlander XLE AWD
Base Price: $40,995
Options: None.
A/C Tax: $100
Freight and PDI: $1,730
Price as Tested: $42,825
2014 Toyota Highlander LE AWD
August 25, 2014
