The new third generation Toyota Highlander hit showrooms about a year ago. The previous version was very good and actually sold quite well but this new model is a big step forward. The Highlander is a midsize crossover SUV and has plenty of competition in this market segment.
Toyota has a reputation for building very reliable vehicles. That’s one of the main reasons that they’re so popular and have high resale value. With the new Highlander however, you not only get a vehicle that you “logically know” is good, you get one that is emotionally engaging and more attractive than its ancestors. The styling is both purposeful and pleasing.
This class of SUV is just large enough to offer three rows of seats—so easily accessing the third row becomes an engineering challenge not unlike landing a man on the moon. The Highlander actually does quite a good job in this regard. Still the third row is for the smallest and/or most pliable of passengers.
The new Highlander is a very nice vehicle to spend time in. The interior is quiet, spacious, comfortable and convenient. The controls are easy to access and there are plenty of spaces to stow things in. The interior décor is attractive and the controls are easy to figure out.
There is also entertaining and useful technology in the new Highlander. The navigation has been upgraded and you now access system features by clicking on apps. This is becoming more common in the automotive world today. Features like audio, navigation, phone, vehicle fuel economy are now accessed via the apps screen and passengers can now actually add apps and rearrange them on the screen.
