With new entries during the 2007 model year from GM, Mazda, and Hyundai, the three-row crossover (i.e. minivans styled like SUVs) segment is probably the hottest in the automotive market. The circa-2001 Toyota Highlander, small, plainly styled, and somewhat dated, wasn't competitive.

For 2008, Toyota has introduced a larger, more powerful second-generation Highlander. I test drove one in Sport AWD trim to see how it compares to the others. I also drove a Sienna XLE minivan to see how a crossover differs.

Styling

I was never a fan of the original Highlander's awkwardly proportioned and plainly styled exterior, though the 17-inch wheels offered in recent years helped. For the 2008, Toyota has troweled on some style, most notably a menacing front end, bulging fenders, and wide D-pillars. The proportions are better, and the look is certainly more dramatic than that of the old design. But beautiful it isn't. You'll get far more appreciative glances in one of the GM crossovers or in the relatively car-like (too car-like to my eyes) Mazda CX-9.

The interior, like that of the new Accord, is dominated by a black instrument panel top that extends halfway down the face of the dash. I find the resulting look mildly upscale, but some will probably be put off by all that low-gloss black vinyl.

In other ways, the interior is conservatively styled in the usual Toyota idiom, with a quirky detail or two tossed in to...well, I'm not sure of the reason. In this case that quirky detail is an instrument binnacle that, instead of encompassing all of the instruments, merely connects the separate nacelles occupied by the tach and speedometer. It looks odd in photos. In person, this stylish quirk is largely hidden by the steering wheel rim.

The Sport interior differs from that of the Limited in having fake aluminum instead of fake wood on the center console and door pulls. While this interior is much sportier than that of the Sienna minivan, that's not saying much. The interiors in the GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook are at least equal in this regard. If you truly want a sporty interior in your large crossover, Mazda does it best.

Materials and assembly quality are about equal with the Mazda and the old Highlander, and better than in the somewhat cheap and shoddy 2007 Camry interior. I noticed no rough edges or loosely attached trim bits.

Accommodations

The primary difference between Toyota's Highlander crossover and Sienna minivan is of course the latter's sliding doors. Sliding doors define a minivan. Take them away, and you've pretty much got a crossover.

But not quite. The driving position is also key. In the Sienna, the instrument panel is far below the line of vision, and the hood drops entirely out of sight. Anyone not used to driving a minivan will have to become acclimated to a sense that you're sitting in the nose of the vehicle. In the Highlander, in contrast, the instrument panel is much higher and the hood is clearly visible from the driver's seat. The depth of the instrument panel is also well-disguised. In some crossovers, most notably the Nissan Murano, the evident depth of the instrument panel lends a bit of minivan feel to the experience behind the wheel.

The old Highlander was tighter inside than its competitors. The new Highlander is nearly four inches longer, for a total of 188, and over three inches wider, for a total of 75. While the length remains a bit on the short side, the width is certainly competitive. These increases translate to a cabin that is a couple inches wider than before and 3.5 inches more total legroom.

The front seats feel too flat for my taste, at least when upholstered in taut leather. I'd like a more contoured upper seatback. This might be the Sport, but the side bolsters are too small and too widely-spaced to provide any lateral support. The seats feel larger than most these days, but taller drivers might still want to opt for the Limited, which adds a power adjustment for seat cushion length.

Crossover and minivan buyers get turned on by innovative seating features. Toyota's bid for their love with the new Highlander: a center section for the second row that removes and stows beneath the front center console. Install it, and you've got a bench with a narrow, uncomfortable center position. Remove it, and you've got captain's chairs with a narrow walk through between them.

Or you could install the also standard removable center console. Which I just don't get. Only one removable section can stow at a time. If you want a walk through to the third row, you'll have to store one of them somewhere at home. Also, when the center seat is installed, forming its seatback forms a console much like the separate one. The only significant difference between them is that the separate console contains a small storage compartment, which probably could have been engineered into the removable seat.

The outer seats of the second row are high enough off the floor to provide some thigh support to adults. They slide fore-and-aft and recline. All the way back legroom is sufficient for even tall adults. Like the front row seats, though, they could curve a bit to better fit the human body. But since this seat must also be minimally viable as a bench, this is to be expected.

With the second row all the way back, the third row will barely contain an adult of average height. Move the second row forward a couple inches, which still leaves a good amount of legroom up there, and adults up to about six-feet in height should do okay. Though the third row of the Sienna offers about ten more inches of legroom according to the official specs, a huge difference, the difference did not seem nearly this dramatic to me. The Sienna is roomier inside, but the difference is not night and day.

Unless you're talking cargo. The Highlander continues to offer very little cargo space behind the third row. A row of grocery bags will fit, but not much else. If you want to haul both a large family and all its luggage without resorting to a roof-top cargo carrier, the Sienna or one of the crossovers from GM or Mazda is the way to go.

On the Road

All non-hybrid versions of the 2008 Toyota Highlander are powered by the same strong and smooth 3.5-liter V6 as the Sienna, Camry, and RAV4. In this application it produces 270 horsepower, which is within ten of all major competitors save the soon to be redesigned Honda Pilot. Unlike in the GM, Hyundai, and Mazda vehicles, the automatic transmission in the Highlander is a five-speed. Given how troublesome the newer six-speed can be in the Camry, the use of the older transmission here isn't necessarily a bad thing.

At any rate, acceleration is plenty frisky for this sort of vehicle. It helps that the Sport AWD's curb weight is only 4,255 pounds, which is about 700 fewer than that of the GM crossovers (the Mazda splits the difference).

Relatively low curb weight or not, from behind the wheel the Highlander even in Sport trim doesn't feel any more agile than its primary competitors. It feels considerably bulkier than the old Highlander. No doubt the three inches of additional width are a major factor. But the chassis' responses aren't especially quick. Lean in hard turns is moderate for this sort of vehicle, and the ride generally feels composed. But understeer sets in early and the Highlander Sport lacks the relatively sharp responses (when pushed) of the Mazda CX-9. The GM crossovers are a closer match, though they offer better steering feel. The electric-assist steering of the Highlander has some heft to it, especially compared to the system in the Sienna minivan, but no feel to speak of.

Ride quality is a strength, with none of the bobbing about that tends to affect conventional SUVs. Sound levels are low, even when traversing bumpy pavement. But the same can be said of the GM and Mazda crossovers. The Hyundai Veracruz, on the other hand, suffers from a busier ride and loud reports whenever a tire smacks into a small bump or chuck hole.

All in all, performance, handling, and ride are all solid, but the driving experience isn't especially sporting. The sport suspension could easily be the standard suspension, with more aggressive tuning in the Sport.

Toyota Highlander Price Comparisons and Pricing

A loaded Sport AWD runs about $40,000. You'll find a similar price on a loaded 2007 Sienna AWD minivan, though the minivan includes additional features like power sliding doors and side window sunshades. For 2008, Toyota is offering "extra value packages" on the Sienna that should yield a price a grand or two below that of a comparable Highlander. The rebates on the minvan are further likely to be a grand or two larger.

Comparing the prices of the Highlander and CX-9 can be tricky, since a sunroof must be ordered if you want a rear seat entertainment system in the Toyota, but the two features cannot be ordered together in the latter. So I loaded the two up except for entertainment systems. The result: the Highlander Sport costs about $1,400 less at MSRP, and $2,800 less at invoice--Toyota dealers have especially wide margins. The Mazda does include about $700 in additional equipment, including xenon headlamps and keyless access and ignition.

The price difference between the Toyota Highlander and GMC Acadia is larger, about $3,800 at MSRP and $5,400 at invoice, again in the Toyota's favor. The Acadia does include about $1,900 in additional features, such as OnStar with turn-by-turn navigation, satellite radio, and a memory system for the driver's seat, but even adjusting for these the Toyota is considerably less expensive.

A similarly loaded Hyundai Veracruz is about $2,000 less sticker to sticker, but the Highlander again manages to be cheaper, but a few hundred dollars, when comparing invoices.

Toyota appears to have priced the new Highlander very aggressively.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my website, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Toyota Highlander:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/Highlander.php

Last Words

The Highlander Sport is a quick, refined package with styling that won't be mistaken for that of a minivan and enough room for a large family (if not also for their luggage). Even in Sport form, though, it isn't any more fun to drive than the typical large crossover, and less fun than a Mazda CX-9. I'd like to see more sport in the Sport. The powertrain is willing. It needs steering and suspension tuning to match.

Aside from the driving experience, which is hardly thrilling even in the Mazda, the new Toyota Highlander's main shortcoming is the amount of luggage space with the third row up. The Hyundai Veracruz offers even less, but the GM and Mazda crossvers offer considerably more.

Overall, the new 2008 Toyota Highlander is a big improvement over the 2007 and has no major shortcomings with the possible exception of cargo volume with all seats up. But this is a highly competitive segment, with others offering more style, more room, more sportiness, or even all three. So, as good as the new Highlander is, it's just average for the segment. The GM and Mazda crossovers have been generating much more excitement in the marketplace.

That said, the Toyota will far outsell the Mazda and might even outsell all three GM crossovers put together, because it's price is competitive and because it's a Toyota.

A Note on Toyota Highlander Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I'm collecting my own data. Results are being posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Highlander rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Toyota Highlander reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need reliability data on all cars--not just the Highlander--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Buick Enclave review
GMC Acadia review
Honda Pilot review
Hyundai Veracruz review
Mazda CX-9 review



Amount Paid (US$): 39000
Model Year: 2008
Model and Options: Sport AWD