2022 Toyota Highlander

What kind of car is the 2022 Toyota Highlander? What does it compare to?

The 2022 Highlander sells families on its three rows of seating and its super-efficient Hybrid edition. It’s big but user-friendly, weirdly athletic-looking, flexible for people and cargo, and a good value in middle trims. Rivals include the VW Atlas, Honda Pilot, and 

Kia Telluride.

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Is the 2022 Toyota Highlander a good car?

Sold in a multitude of Hybrid and non-hybrid trims, the 2022 Highlander gets a TCC Rating of 7.0 out of 10 thanks to strong safety ratings; Hybrids would perform even better. (Read more about how we rate cars.)

What’s new for the 2022 Toyota Highlander?

Not much, save for a bronze trim package and a power passenger seat on XLE Highlanders and those priced higher.

The latest Highlander has zero time for boredom. Its supercharged style leans into big swollen fenders and lots of angular breaks around its hood, not to mention a rackful of ribs on the XSE’s grille. It’s big and it is not shy about it. The interior’s more poised and pared-back, even in versions with a big 12.3-inch touchscreen and jazzier trim.

Most Highlanders step off the line with smart response courtesy of a 295-horsepower V-6 and an 8-speed automatic powering the front or all four wheels. The Highlander has energetic responses and handling poise, with the firmest XSE tune probably not what most shoppers for this family hauler are after. The Hybrid’s our choice for its 36-mpg city EPA ratings, remarkable for an eight-person SUV.

Highlander drivers aren’t necessarily focused on the driving; we get that. We also get the functional superiority of minivans versus big three-row SUVs like this one, but the Highlander does all it can to steer you away from the related Sienna. It’s large and comfortable, and its third-row seat—while too small for tall people—can be easily accessed by sliding its middle seats forward. With more than 84 cubic feet of space behind the front seats, it’s ready for two-person cross-country camping or hours of sheer eight-passenger “joy” on family vacations. 

The Highlander receives the blessing of the NHTSA and the IIHS with top crash-test scores, and Toyota—in the vanguard of standard safety gear—fits each one with automatic emergency braking, active lane control, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitors. 

How much does the 2022 Toyota Highlander cost?

The $36,380 Highlander L covers plenty of bases with its feature set and includes a CarPlay/Android-friendly 8.0-inch touchscreen. We’d pick the $41,580 Highlander XLE  for its sunroof and power/heated seats—and stop well before we spent $52,135 for the Lexus-lite Highlander Platinum. 

Where is the 2022 Toyota Highlander made?

In Princeton, Indiana.