The Toyota Highlander is available in base or Limited trim, each with front-wheel drive or full-time all-wheel drive. A choice of three powertrains is now available: A 2.4-liter inline-4, rated at 160 horsepower, comes standard. A 3.3-liter V6 that produces 230 horsepower is optional on the base Highlander and standard on the Limited. The new Hybrid combines a 3.3-liter V6 with a high-torque electric drive motor-generator, a system called Hybrid Synergy Drive. Four-cylinder models come with a four-speed automatic transmission; V6 models get a five-speed automatic. The hybrid uses an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission, or CVT.
The base four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive Highlander ($24,530) comes with air conditioning, power windows and door locks, cruise control, cloth upholstery, and seating for five. The all-wheel-drive four-cylinder Highlander ($25,930) is similarly equipped as is the base front-wheel-drive Highlander V6 ($25,590). Same deal with the all-wheel-drive V6 Highlander ($27,840) except it comes standard with the third row.
Limited 2WD ($30,460) and Limited 4WD ($31,860) models come standard with the V6 and third row. The Limited also gets automatic climate control, an eight-speaker JBL sound system, eight-way power driver's seat with adjustable lumbar support, four-way power passenger seat, 17-inch aluminum wheels, roof rack, fog lights, rear privacy glass, heated mirrors, remote keyless entry with security system and engine immobilizer, wood-grain interior trim, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and other amenities.
The Highlander Hybrid is available with 2WD ($33,030) or 4WD ($34,430). The Hybrid is also available as a Limited 2WD ($37,890) or Limited 4WD ($39,290).
Leather-trimmed seating (Ivory or Ash Gray) is available for the Limited ($670) or base model ($2,255). Other options: tilt-and-slide glass sunroof ($900), in-dash six-CD changer ($595). The optional rear-seat DVD system ($1,770) includes two wireless headphones, RCA input jacks for video games, and a household-style 115-volt AC power outlet. GPS navigation ($2,200) is offered on Limited only. A Towing Package ($160) includes trailer wiring plus an upgraded radiator, transmission oil cooler, and 130-amp alternator.
Safety features start with the three-point seatbelts and headrests for all seating positions. The front seatbelts include pretensioners and force limiters. Seatbelts are your first line of defense in a crash. Wear them. The driver and passenger front airbags inflate according to collision severity, and the front-seat passenger sensor is designed to determine if there is a person in the seat as well as the person's weight category to determine whether the airbag should inflate and the correct inflation power.
Optional side-impact airbags mounted in the front seats are designed to provide torso protection, while side curtain airbags are designed to protect the heads of first- and second-row passengers in a side impact or rollover ($680). Be sure to order them. Head injuries are the primary cause of death in side impacts. The second-row seat is equipped with the LATCH system with top tether anchors for all three seating positions and lower anchors for outboard seating positions. A new low-tire-pressure warning system is standard.
The Star Safety System, standard on all models, includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and traction control, anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.