Despite a growth spurt in 2014, the Highlander was the smallest of our contestants - and that took a toll in many areas, earning it the lowest point totals in second- and third-row comfort, child-safety-seat accommodation and cargo space. Since our 2016 three-row Challenge, the Toyota Highlander has gained a new available V-6 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission, with which our test vehicle was equipped. Our Test VehicleĮstimated city/highway/combined mpg: 20/26/22 Here’s how these SUVs finished:Ĥ 2017 Toyota Highlander Limited, 559 points The verdict: If a two-row SUV is all you really need, the Highlander is a solid choice, but a family that needs three rows and cargo space can find more room and comfort among competitors. You can learn how we conducted testing below the results.
In-market shopper James Gorman, 50, a Chicago-based management consultant who is in the market to replace a 2013 Audi Q7 TDI.Fred Meier, Washington, D.C., bureau chief.Results | Cargo Space | Third Row | Mobile Devices | Videoįour judges individually awarded points in 12 categories: interior quality, front-seat comfort, second-row comfort, third-row comfort, cargo storage, in-cabin storage, powertrain, ride quality, noise, visibility, worth the money and multimedia - the latter a category that accounts for the touchscreen-based interfaces that are, more than ever, the means to activate and adjust fundamental features of the vehicle itself, not simply ways of controlling audio sources and navigation systems.Įach model was also awarded points for the advanced active safety features with which the test vehicle was equipped as well as for its grades in our Car Seat Check, which gauges the accommodation of various child-safety seats. Ford declined to participate with the 2017 Ford Explorer, which we invited because it’s the class sales leader. Competitors included the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, 2017 Honda Pilot, 2017 Toyota Highlander and 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. Our price requirement was a maximum of $46,000 including all options and destination charges, which yielded three all-wheel-drive SUVs and one with front-wheel drive. (The rest of the class has remained relatively unchanged since our last test.) The market has changed some since ’s last three-row Challenge, so we’re pitting last year’s winner, the Honda Pilot, against three significant competitors - one updated, one fully redesigned and one new to the market. It does not store any personal - With as many as eight seats, three-row SUVs are the vehicles of choice for families that prefer the styling and optional all-wheel drive of an SUV over a minivan. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly.