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2017 Toyota Highlander Overview

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The 2017 Toyota Highlander is a midsize SUV whose focus on safety, economy, and reliability makes it an ideal choice for families. Its no boring kid-hauler, though, with a stylish exterior that turns heads and a strong new V6 under the hood that makes driving fun even with all eight seats occupied. It’s not the best SUV for going off-road or for towing, but if resale value, comfort, and everything else we already mentioned are important to you, then you probably understand why the Toyota Highlander has been the best-selling SUV in the United States for many years.

The 2017 Toyota Highlander is available in eight trims: LE, LE Plus, XLE, SE, Limited, Hybrid LE, Hybrid XLE, and Hybrid Limited.

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What’s New for the 2017 Toyota Highlander?

As part of a mid-cycle update, there’s plenty to look forward to in the 2017 Toyota Highlander. New features include a new V6 engine, a new eight-speed transmission, automatic stop-start, standard Toyota Safety Sense active safety technologies, and a redesigned exterior.

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2017 Toyota Highlander Exterior

For the new model year, the designers at Toyota are putting more emphasis than ever on the Highlander’s grille, which as you can tell from the image above is quite large and very pronounced. That’s par for the course across the industry at the moment, as just about every SUV and even sedan on the market is doing its best to show who has the biggest, baddest grille of them all. Fortunately, Toyota hasn’t overdone it, and some of the other minor updates and tweaks only serve to make the 2017 Toyota Highlander more distinguished, especially the distinctive redesigned LED taillights.

The 2017 Toyota Highlander is available in the following exterior colors: Midnight Black Metallic, Blizzard Pearl, Celestial Silver Metallic, Predawn Gray Mica, Salsa Red Pearl, Ooh La La Rouge Mica, Toasted Walnut Pearl, Alumina Jade Metallic, and Shoreline Blue Pearl.

2017 Toyota Highlander Exterior Photos:

Exterior available on LE:

Projector-beam halogen smoke-chrome-accent headlights, Daytime Running Lights with on/off feature, Color-keyed heated power-folding outside mirrors with turn signal indicators, 18-inch machined alloy wheels, P245/60R18 105S tires, Washer-linked variable intermittent windshield wipers and intermittent rear wiper, Windshield wiper de-icer, UV reduction glass on all windows and High Solar Energy-Absorbing glass on front and rear side windows, Color-keyed rear spoiler with LED center high-mount stop light, LED taillights and stop lights, Color-keyed outside door handles

Exterior available on LE Plus (adds to or replaces features on LE):

Integrated fog lights, 18-inch machined alloy wheels with gunmetal gray finish, Flip-up rear hatch window, Height-adjustable power liftgate with jam protection

Exterior available on XLE (adds to or replaces features on LE):

Power tilt/slide moonroof with sunshade and jam protection, 18-inch turbine-look alloy wheels with painted finish, P245/55R19 105S tires, Chromtec® roof rails

Exterior available on SE (adds to or replaces features on XLE):

Projector-beam halogen dark-black-accent headlights, Color-keyed heated power-folding outside mirrors with turn signal and blind sport warning indicators, Headlight-integrated LED Daytime Running Lights with on/off feature, 19-inch machined alloy wheels with black finish, Dark painted roof rails

Exterior available on Limited (adds to or replaces features on SE):

Projector-beam smoke-chrome-accent headlights, Color-keyed heated power-folding outside mirrors with turn signal and blind spot warning indicators plus memory and puddle lights with Highlander projection, 19-inch Dark Chromtec® alloy wheels, Chromtec® roof rails, Rear bumper chrome garnish

Exterior available on Hybrid LE (adds to or replaces features on LE):

Hybrid Blue accent badges, Black front and rear mudguards, Flip-up rear hatch window, Height-adjustable power liftgate with jam protection

Exterior available on Hybrid XLE (adds to or replaces features on XLE):

Hybrid Blue accent badges, 19-inch Dark Chromtec® alloy wheels, P245/55R 19 105S tires, Black front and rear mudguards

Exterior available on Hybrid Limited (adds to or replaces features on Limited):

Hybrid Blue accent badge, Black front and rear mudguards

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2017 Toyota Highlander Performance

When shopping for a 2017 Toyota Highlander, buyers are faced with three powertrain choices. The first and most basic is the 2.7-liter four-cylinder that powers the base LE model. It makes 185 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic, which is just enough to get the Highlander up to highway speeds and not much more. Optional on the LE and standard on every other non-hybrid trim is a much more respectable 3.5-liter V6 that makes 295 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque, mated to a brand-new Direct Shift eight-speed automatic.

If you opt for the hybrid, you’ll get additional electric motors slapped onto the V6 that bring net horsepower up to 306. AWD is optional on all V6 models, including the hybrids.

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2017 Toyota Highlander Efficiency

The 2017 Toyota Highlander’s fuel economy numbers vary slightly depending on your choice of powertrain. Use the table below to determine each model’s MPG estimate according to the EPA.

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2017 Toyota Highlander Interior

The 2017 Toyota Highlander’s interior is mostly unchanged compared to last year, and that’s fine with us, as its interior is one of its fortes that set it apart from the competition. Both the front- and second-row seats are comfortable for long journeys, as is the third row though probably more for children than adults. The dash at the front is wide and full of nooks, crannies, and a gargantuan center console bin that make it easy to store just about everything you may wish to take along with you. There are a few notable and welcome additions since the 2016 model nonetheless, including even more USB ports and new seat upholstery.

2017 Toyota Highlander Interior Photos:

Interior available on LE:

Features: Integrated backup camera with projected path, Fabric-trimmed front and second row seats, Six-way adjustable driver’s seat, Four-way adjustable front passenger seat, 60/40 split-sliding-reclining fold-flat second row seats, Fabric-trimmed 60/40 split fold-flat third row seat with sliding headrests and recline function, Soft-touch upper door trim with metallic accent, Remote keyless entry system with remote illuminated entry, Four cargo area tie-down cargo hooks
Radio and Technology: Entune™ Audio, 4.2-inch color LDC multi-information display, Five USB ports, 6.1-inch touchscreen display, AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA playback capability, Six-speaker audio system, Auxiliary audio jack, USB 2.0 port with iPod® connectivity, Bluetooth® audio streaming, Phone book access, Hands-free phone capability, Advanced voice recognition, Siri® Eyes Free, Intelligent Touch controls

Interior available on LE Plus (adds to or replaces features on LE):

Features: Three-zone automatic climate control, Fabric- and SofTex®-trimmed front and second row seats, Eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with power thigh and lumbar support, Fabric- and SofTex®-trimmed third row seat, Leather-trimmed shift knob, Leather-trimmed steering wheel, Leatherette-trimmed door armrest area
Radio and Technology: Entune® Audio Plus with Connected Navigation App, Eight-inch touchscreen display, Scout® GPS for Cars, SiriusXM® Satellite Radio with three-month trial subscription, HD Radio™ technology, HD Radio™ Traffic and Weather, Stop and Start Engine System

Interior available on XLE (adds to or replaces features on LE Plus):

Features: Leather-trimmed front and second row seats, Heated front seats, Second-row captain’s chairs with side table, SofTex®-trimmed third row seat, Satin chrome interior door handles, Smart Key System with Push Button Start, Auto-dimming rearview mirror, HomeLink® universal transceiver, Second-row retractable window sunshades
Radio and Technology: Entune™ Premium Audio with Integrated Navigation and App Suite, 120V auxiliary AC power outlet, Eight-inch touchscreen with split-screen display, Subscription-free Entune® App Suite, HD Radio™ Predictive Traffic and Doppler Weather overlay, AM/FM cache radio, Gracenote® album cover art, Anti-theft system with alarm, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert

Interior available on SE (adds to or replaces features on XLE):

Features: Soft-touch upper door trim with technical pattern accent, Blue LED interior ambient lighting, Rear cargo area tonneau cover
Radio and Technology: Same as XLE

Interior available on Limited (adds to or replaces features on SE):

Features: Perforated leather-trimmed heated and ventilated front row seats, Driver’s seat with memory function, Perforated leather-trimmed second-row captain’s chairs, Power windows with auto-up/down in all positions
Radio and Technology: Integrated backup camera with dynamic gridlines, 12 JBL® GreenEdge™ speakers, Rear parking assist sonar

Interior available on Hybrid LE (adds to or replaces features on LE):

Features: Hybrid system power meter on information display, Smart Key System with Push Button Start
Radio and Technology: Electronically Controlled Braking, Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management

Interior available on Hybrid XLE (adds to or replaces features on XLE):

Features: 60/40 split-sliding-reclining fold-flat second row seats, Hybrid system power meter on information display
Radio and Technology: Electronically Controlled Braking, Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management

Interior available on Hybrid Limited (adds to or replaces features on Limited):

Features: Hybrid system power meter on information display
Radio and Technology: Electronically Controlled Braking, Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management

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2017 Toyota Highlander Safety

Like all other models in the 2017 Toyota lineup, the 2017 Toyota Highlander gets the Toyota Safety Sense™ P suite of active safety technologies as standard equipment. It was named a 2017 Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), its highest honor, after acing all crash tests and receiving the highest possible score for front crash prevention and for child anchor ease-of-use. Additionally, the Highlander also received the highest possible five-star score for overall safety in government crash tests. Overall, the 2017 Toyota Highlander is among the very safest SUVs you can buy, making it an ideal family vehicle.

Standard Safety Features

Toyota Safety Sense™ P – includes Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beams, and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
Star Safety System™ – includes Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, Anti-lock Brake System, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Brake Assist, and Smart Stop Technology
Driver and front passenger Advanced Airbag System
Driver and front passenger seat-mounted side airbags, driver knee airbag, front passenger seat-cushion airbag, and all-row Roll-sensing Side Curtain Airbags
Driver and front passenger Whiplash-Injury-Lessening seats
Driver and front passenger seatbelt warning sensor
Three-point seatbelts for all seating positions with driver-side Emergency Locking Retractor and Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor on all passenger belts
Adjustable front seatbelt shoulder anchors and driver and front passenger seatbelt pretensioners with force limiters
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) includes lower anchors and tethers on outboard second-row seats and tether anchor on middle of second- and third-row seats
Child-protector rear door locks
Collapsible steering column
Front and rear energy-absorbing crumple zones and side-impact door beams
Energy-dissipating interior trim
Tire Pressure Monitor System
Hill Start Assist Control
Engine immobilizer
ToyotaCare no-cost maintenance plan with roadside assistance

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