2014 / 2015 Toyota Highlander First Drive Review and Road Test 

Does this man ever stumble or falter when he's giving a review? I can't say I've ever hear an um or an ah. Great stuff Alex and keep the reviews coming!

the last seating for "mother in law" and kids ...lol that cracked me up !!

BAHAJAHAJA - a mother-in-law seat! Very thorough and detailed review; I enjoyed it very much.

It's a first time seeing this guy's review, and I got to say I love it. He is paying attentions to details with tone of voice. Keep up the good work with more Toyota and Lexus!

This man is verbally gifted. Exceptional review.

Hey Alex, Really enjoy your detailed and nuanced reviews. First rate!

+Yassir Ahmed, It is a little louder than the Enclave but not a great deal louder. The Enclave is larger and quite a bit heavier making the Toyota the better performing and handling option. The Enclave's dimensions make seating 8 a more comfortable affair however. Build quality isn't very far off and I would probably take the highlander over the Enclave unless I needed the extra room.

Your reviews are very informative and detailed. Cool!

Once again an excellent review. Not sure how you can talk so much and still keep the vehicle on the road but keep up the great work!!

Probably the best review I've seen. And Ive seen a lot of car reviews.

Wow! You just wow me with such a thorough and extremely detailed review of the Car. Thank you very much.

praneth meas, some dealers will have the Highlander now and all should have it in a few weeks. The Hybrid model will be slightly later with a March arrival date.

I loved the virtual trip down Highway 1 during the review. I've been wanted to do that one day.

Great review Alex, thanks for bringing the new Toyota Highlander to your show. I had the chance to see it at the LA auto show and it definitely felt like a huge leap from the previous generation. Kudos to Toyota! Looking forward to see you testing the new Nissan Rogue.

I prefer to have a 6 comfortable captain chairs seating option than an 8 cramped seating capacity. I hope Toyota will come up with this in their 2015 model.

damn so professional and well spoken, good job!!!!

great review, i was really enjoying watching! love the new highlander and i was an owner of the 2012 model

i test drove the car and it's like what he explained. the car drove very good like a sport SUV with good acceleration. good job Alex!

Great presentations, I like all your videos.

Nice job Alex..look forward to your detailed review in Feb..and of course eargely waiting for the 2015 Honda Pilot.

Awesome review.. Good job Alex!

Thx for a very good review. As a 3-row car shopper, I was very interested in the second and third row seats and yours is the only one shows how a person fits in the back seats. Other reviews are just lame, reviewing a 3-row car without showing or actually sit in the back seats.

What part of highway 1 in california was that ?? I got distracted by the view, and as always , I love your reviews on cars, thanks a lot ....

Today I just got the 2014 Toyota Highlander XLE model (sunroof and leather). Awesome! This accelerates soo fast (3.5 L engine) and smoothly because it has 6 speeds that 80mph feels like 55mph. PROS: - Voice activated commands for dialing a phone, playing a song, etc. - Double wishbone rear suspension means better handling and 3 inch wider interior in 3rd row. We hardly felt speed bumps. - Shelf for cellphone, Bluetooth, hands-free - BIG 8inch GPS TOUCHSCREEN and backup camera and apps like Accuweather, etc. - side mirrors have turn light blinkers - Sexy styling (looks a little like Jeep Cherokee and BMW X5) with chrome accents on the roofline. Integrated rear spoiler. The door's body tapers in toward the glass window as opposed to the usual boring glass and body flushed against each other. - 11 airbags (includes driver's knee) - traction control, stability control, ABS - sliding 2nd row seat makes it easy to get to the 3rd row - 3 ac outlets and a 110V outlet - BIG 245/60/18 tires - Auto dimming rearview mirror - Easy Driver Speak to amplify driver's voice to the rear passengers - 3 zones a/c system and controllable by 2nd row passengers - Fog lights - Daytime running lights - Rear glass on the tailgate opens - 1 push window down for BOTH driver and passenger - Power tailgate and height adjustable for shorter people or garage doors. - Push button start - sunshades in the 2nd row - garage homelink - heated side mirrors - heated seats (I live where it's hot so I don't really care about this) - windshield wiper deicer (I live where it's hot so I don't really care about this) - 19mpg City, 25mpg Highway - 24 months free Toyota maintenance like oil changes and tire rotations. - Toyota has the highest resale value - Toyota reliability CONS: - Tailights are not LED. - White LED light in front is only in higher models like LIMITED. - Big turning radius so parking is difficult. CONCLUSION: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Hi Alex... Great review as always. Do you know when it will be available at toyota dealer?

Thanks for the review. I wish that you give more info on how highlander handled on off road because some owners need to take that to off-road for various reasons but your review was more informative than most reviews i have found on highlander. Thanks

The Hilander is very stylish with a nice and roomy interior. Performance seems to be decent. Bravo Toyota!

Hi Alex, can you please do a video on what to look for when buying pre-owned vehicle? Thanks!

Great review! Subscribed!

Good and thorough review.

Great Reviews !

i love everything about it everyone has there own taste in what they like and i love this beautiful suv im inlove and im getting mines in december but im getting the 2016 xle in white with black and grey interior.... 😍😁😊❤️👌

Great detailed review. Thanks

Love your thorough reviews. Can you review the Santa Fe Sport?

Christian, it was between Big Sur and Monterey.

Very professional review

This is going to be my first car. I'm getting it later this week

I love my 2014 Highlander!

It Looks Awesome!

Alex, As usual I enjoy your detailed well thought out reviews. But I have a follow up question for Highlander. Is there any update on 2.7L fuel economy? It was previously asked as you mentioned you observed considerable difference if fuel economy between 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder. I was wondering if you got a chance to do extended test of fuel economy with 4 cylinder engine? Thanks

I'm straight, but I love you for reviewing this.

Have you tested the Hybrid version? If so, how did the acceleration compare to the V6? Have you heard anything about the 2016 model? Thanks

Great Review

What color is the Highlander tested? I don't see the color listed. Excellent review Alex

you are a gifted wordsmith. you said to come back in feb for another review but i dont see it on your awesome website. also, are there USB ports in the backseats for the kids games? thank you

Aloha can you do a review on the hybrid Limited Platinum package thank you very much and have a great day

did you have any footage of the cargo space? thanks for the video. Great first look

Canada is only getting 4 models.. and only the V6 engine. Different trim package in Canada compared to US. Looking forward to seeing this in real life. Would LOVE it it it was available in 5 person seating.. and a huge cargo area.

Well done review. So which is better between MDX and Highlander?

"Chrome clad" wheels have been happening for years, atleast in the US. A high percentage of the chrome wheels from the manufacturer are in fact the style you talked about with this Highlander. I have these on my vehicle, no issue what so ever (4 years old).

Good job Alex

Hi Alex, how would you compare its drive to Buick Enclave? We don't have this in Canada yet so I can't test drive. How is the road noise? I believe enclave is 68db and this is 71? Is it too bad? Did you hear more wind noise or engine noise? Thank you

A very good choice in this segment

very informative review my friend. One thing tho, the reason they put the 4cyl only on the based model is because Toyota believes only 10% of the customers will opt for that engine based on previous sells. that's why the only put that 4 on the base trim, which is smart to reduce cost on building more 4 bangers across the board. Same thing goes with the Sienna 4cyl. not many people are interested on that. Now even with a decent power it is not much impressive if you are looking to load your full sir SUV with either passengers or luggage and still pull your SUV with no sweat. What doesn't make sense if that Toyota removed the V6 on the Rav4. It only sucked 1MPH over the standard 4cyl. Anyways, amazing review :)

Very good review.

It will be interesting to see the new honda pilot next year and how it stacks up to this.

I like the new look

I've heard several people say that they see Jeep Grand Cherokee but i font see it as much as i see 2014 Acura MDX.

How does it ride in terms of soaking up bumps and undulations in the road, specifically in comparison to the current (2013) Toyota Highlander?

What road were you driving on around 15:10? It looks very nice.

very good quick look !!!!!!

I really do like the side profile and the bigger body. It's definitely more practical now. Also, not too sure about the front grille either. Toyota could've done a better job designing that.

awsome toyota highlander 2014

Alex, what are the differences between the xle and limited model? I know that the Ltd won't have the 8 passenger option and have cooled seats but what else?

Alex could you do a review on the 2014 Mazda cx9

Alex, loved your video , got one yesterday.I have been going crazy trying to find tire pressure reset on toyota highlander limited platinum, do you know where it is??

Alex, what are the main differences between the Limited and the Limited Platinum model?

Hi Alex. I just purchased a brand new 2014 Highlander XLE FWD 2 weeks ago but it just arrived at the dealer few days ago so this is not the car I test drove. My concern is the engine on my car seem a little louder when I accelerated than the one I test drive. I had someone look at it and he said it sounds normal. I don't think there is something wrong with the car but why is it louder than the one I test drive? Is that normal?

Hate the extended profusion of the head and tail lights. It just looks as if the light fittings didn't fit in to the panel correctly. In Australia a lot of the Toyota products (we don't get the Highlander) have protruding light modules. A neat smooth body panel fit of the lights would do wonders.

I just went to the dealership and truly frustrated that only Limited highlander offers memory seats but it comes with captain chair. I do not want captain chair but memory seat. Why, not make the memory seat available for the XLE model!!! why not. So frustrating

Basically it's a minivan without being a minivan, and I commend toyota on that. This is a very nice car.

Alex, thank you for the excellent review. . .as usual. Quick question; will the Highlander finally be available with a memory driver seat? This is a strike issue for my wife, as she is about 12" shorter than I. Thanks.

I forgot to ask, how does the AWD works on the Highlander. Is it as high end like for example Acuras AWD system?

QUESTION: I called Toyota dealership here in Toronto, Canada. you mentioned in your video that it comes in 2.7L 4 C, but the dealership told me that the 2014 does not come in 4C anymore. 3.5 is standard going forward. Do you know if the information given to me by the dealership in correct? Could it be that Highlanders in US only come in 2.7L and 4C. Could you kindly respond. thanks

If you want 3rd row comfort and AWD.... Toyota has a solution. The Sienna AWD, but you get the older Toyota Active Torque Control system (similar to the old RAV4 minus the "lock", similar to the Matrix & Venza).

Love your reviews but need driving shots

Hi Alex, Would you buy the highlander or the pathfinder?

Alex do you know approx how much a fully loaded XLE trim would be? Minus the rear TV?

it has locking def and i want know how is that works on off-road? pls let us know.

I like how u talk about the decibel level of a car. Do u have a list showing the all decibel of all cars u reviewed? Also, can u do one on the 2014 forester?

Wonderful and detailed review Alex. Very relevant for normal car buyers than many websites. Appreciate if you can cover these in your review or add a another review with these additional points. Most important to my family is comparison of 3rd row comforts and access compared to Pilot. Is 2.7liter engine really adequate when filled with 8 people(4 adults and 4 kids).? Rea lworld Fuel Economy: As per Toyota there is only 1 mpg difference between 2.7L engine and V6. But you stated it almost 10 miles. Is it fluke/calculation error or is there that much dramatic difference(we are talking 50%+ fuel economy difference). I know too many questions, but I am seriously considering 8 seater, and have been debating between this and Pilot. Also Appreciate if you can provide some info/video about luggage capacity with 3rd in place vs with 2 rows.

Great SUV!

After almost 22 minutes it would have been nice to see the cargo area with the seats folded, any storage bins. You know, that sort of thing.

I don't like the front end, it looks like the Subaru Tribeca. and I don't like the lights sticking out, it gives a tumor look. but the side profile is nice. good job Alex.

Please vw touareg review

Would you recommend this though? I'm in need of a bigger car for the wife! We have 2 girls. We have a 07 limited highlander! First generation! It's not big enough! And exactly how much more room do I get? Trunk space? Leg room? And overall cabin?

U should of test the limited

Does any of the trims have memory seats/steering?

Does this car consume much fuel

I think Toyota did a good job on the Highlander . And people should just deal with it

+ alex on autos: honestly: highlander or Durango?

Did I forget the trunk space?

This vehicle is exactly like my car and it has everything the same including the packages Edit: Never mind I was wrong

how much it is

20/14toyota highlander first drive review and tes muy comodos tapisado de lujo castel

Darn, 26mpg in the 2.7 liter?...I'm assuming that's mostly highway driving considering you got the same mpg in the Malibu

7:34 - bro, never have your Lav Mic wire showing like that..

how much ?

i think is cool

Rear-end kind of looks like Chevy Equinox,no?