The Swiss Army Knife is known the world over for its versatility. Need a saw? It has it. Want to open a wine bottle? There’s a corkscrew for that.
In many ways, the three-row crossover has become the Swiss Army Knife of the automotive world. Evolving from the same gene pool as the station wagon, minivan and SUV, the modern seven-seat crossover is asked to be the Jack of trades, handling everything from carpool duties to weekend camping trips.
With those requirements well in mind, Toyota set out to make its third-generation Highlander “as dynamic as the people who drive it.” But has it worked?
New duds
Created around the design philosophy of “Sleek on Strong,” the 2014 Highlander arrives with more aggressive sheet metal that Toyota hopes will lure in a larger proportion of male buyers.
Although not a radical departure from the outgoing model, the 2014 Highlander sports front end styling highlighted by a larger version of Toyota’s trapezoidal grille. Toyota has also incorporated wrap-around headlights and a sculpted hood into the design to give it a more distinctive look.
Pronounced character lines run down the length of the Highlander, with a rising belt line and slightly sloping roof giving the 2014 version of the utility vehicle a sportier appearance. Out back, the Highlander features pronounced taillights, a subtle spoiler and a license plate cutout intended to mimic the CUV’s trapezoidal front grille.
Highlander comes standard with 18-inch wheels, with up-level models rolling on 19-inch Chrometech rims. All Highlander wheel designs have been given a more three-dimensional look for 2014 to improve their fashion appeal.
Overall the styling changes make the 2014 Highlander a more attractive vehicle, but the design still isn’t quite bold enough to standout in the Whole Foods parking lot.
On the other hnad, Toyota has totally reinvented the Highlander’s interior for 2014, with nearly every square inch designed to make daily driving activities a little easier and a little more luxurious.
The Highlander’s dashboard design is reminiscent of the latest RAV4 crossover, but it features a unique storage tray that runs the length from the center stack to the passenger’s side door. The cubby is the perfect storage solutions for random odds and ends, but the area has been optimized for electronic devices thanks to an integrated cord management system. USB and 12v outlets are located conveniently underneath to keep batteries charged up, a well thought-out feature.
The overall dash design is quite handsome to our eyes, helped by stitching details and realistic wood accents, with infotainment and HVAC controls easy to reach and intuitively designed. Base Highlander models come equipped with Toyota’s Entune Audio system, while uplevel models add App Suite, which gives drivers on-the-go access to applications like Yelp, Pandora and Bing.
Highlander features a thick-rimmed steering wheel with the typical assortment of vehicle control buttons. An easy-to-read, two-dial gauge cluster is joined by a 3.5 inch black-and-white display screen on LE and LE Plus models and a 4.2-inch color screen on XLE and above trim grades.
Materials and overall fit and finish are top notch, which shouldn’t come as a surprise as Toyota is positioning the three-row crossover as a near-luxury vehicle. In fact, Toyota expects the vast majority of Highlander buyers – around 75 percent – to opt for uplevel XLE and Limited models.
However, Toyota has not abandoned the everyday needs of family life in the pursuit of a luxurious environment. Highlander is filled with family friendly touches, such as the aforementioned dash storage system and an oversized roll-top center console that can swallow a cavernous 24.5 liters (or roughly 58 juice boxes, in case you were interested) worth of stuff.
But our favorite family-friendly feature is easily the Highlander’s new Driver Easy Speak. Intended to help the driver focus more on the road and less on the youngins fighting in the rear seats, Driver Easy Speak uses an embedded microphone to feed whatever the driver is saying through the Highlander’s audio speakers. The system works incredibly well and can be adjusted for volume or totally shut off.
Although mom or dad can now be clearly heard even in the third row, Toyota can’t promise that the kids will actually listen.
Those screaming children should at least be more comfortable in the new Highlander, though, thanks to a boost in leg and hip room throughout. The front seating area of the 2014 Highlander is noticeably wider than the outgoing model, and we found the second row to be plenty spacious in either standard bench or optional captain’s chairs configurations.
Highlander’s third row has been widened by 3.3-inches, allowing Toyota to raise its stated capacity from just two people to three. However, even with that extended bench, the third row is realistically only suitable for two full-size humans.
Cargo room behind that third row is up 34 percent, but remains relatively small at 13.8 cubic feet. That space is at least a little easier to access thanks to a rear liftgate that includes a glass hatch on XLE and above trim levels.
Under the skin
Highlander can be equipped with three distinct powertrains for 2014 – a 2.7-liter four-cylinder, a 3.5-liter V6 and a gas-electric hybrid.
The 2.7, which develops 184 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, is relegated to front-wheel drive only LE models. Toyota doesn’t expect more than 3 percent of buyers to opt for the bottom grade Highlander; we wonder why they even bothered.
The volume 270 horsepower, 248 lb-ft of torque V6 is better suited for hauling the three-row crossover around. The Highlander’s waistline can swell to a portly 4,500 lbs. when loaded with options and all-wheel drive, but the V6 never seemed sluggish around the winding mountain roads of California’s Central Coast. However, the V6 is somewhat underpowered when compared to similar vehicle from Chevrolet, Ford and Hyundai.
Both the Highlander’s four- and six-cylinder engines come mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
The Highlander Hybrid returns for 2014 with a combined 280 horsepower from its 3.5L V6 and electric motors. Routing power through a CVT, acceleration in the Highlander Hybrid feels about on par with its V6 counterpart despite a curb weight of nearly 4,900 lbs. The Highlander Hybrid relies on Toyota’s tried-and-true nickel-metal hydride battery tech rather than more advanced lithium-ion packs.
The hybrid, which is available only in range-topping Limited form, comes standard with all-wheel drive. However, unlike the gas-powered AWD Highlander, which uses a mechanical four-wheel drive system, the hybrid relies exclusively on an electric motor to power its rear wheels.
Naturally the hybrid is the most efficient of the bunch, returning 27/28/28mpg city/highway/combined. The front-wheel drive V6 is rated at 19/25/21mpg city/highway/combined, with AWD dinging each figure by 1mpg. The four-cylinder Highlander is good for 20 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway, netting a combined rating of 22 mpg.
Driving dynamics aren’t exactly a big draw for three-row crossover segment, but we came away quite impressed with the way the Highlander handled itself on winding roads. The Highlander features a new double-wishbone rear suspension design that improves cornering while also providing a more compliant ride.
Highlander’s steering is direct and on the verge of sporty, with the big utility vehicle exhibiting better body control than the previous generation of the crossover.
Just in case you get a little too confident with the improved handling, the CUV comes with Toyota’ Star Safety System, which includes Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution, Smart Stop Technology and eight airbags.
Other optional safety features include Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Radar-based Cruise Control and Lane Departure Alert.
Most Highlanders will spend their lives on paved surfaces but, for the adventurous few, Toyota has equipped the CUV with a few off-road tools. AWD gas models feature a Downhill Assist Control system that uses the vehicle’s brakes to “creep” down sloped surfaces at a controlled speed between 2 and 4mph. Interestingly, Toyota says the system works in both forward and reverse.
Highlander also features an AWD lock mode that splits power even between the front and rear wheels at speeds up to 25 mph. Highlander’s power can be split 50/50 at speeds above 25 mph, but that distribution is left up to the computer, not the driver.
Leftlane’s bottom line
With a clear focus on family-friendliness and up-scale appointments, the 2014 Toyota Highlander has once again secured its position at the head of the three-row crossover class.
Now, if only it could be ordered in Swiss Army Knife red.
2014 Toyota Highlander base price range, $30,075 to $48,160.
Photos by Drew Johnson.
Leave a Reply