The Best 3-Year-Old Hybrid SUV For Value And Reliability

Hundreds of factors may flood in when you're trying to imagine or source the best vehicle. Like any purchase, you'll have desires, needs, and wishes, which are common when shopping for a car. In reality, one of the biggest concerns is affordability. Another top priority factor is reliability. When it comes to rest, such as luxury, packed with technology, or optimized fuel economy, it can sometimes seem like the cherry on top or added bonuses. It would likely be hard to find a specific model that hits all the marks, but in the hybrid market, countless models fit the bill in terms of value, reliability, and efficiency.

Every car platform offers new affordable models, but the hybrid world seems full of inexpensive new and used models. One beneficial aspect for shoppers is that when you buy a vehicle used, it will likely come with a discounted price tag due to depreciation. SUVs are highly sought-after vehicles, and the hybrid market offers plenty. While it may seem daunting to find the model that pulls in all the desires, one specific model does just that and comes with several "cherries" for the topping.

Grey 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Bronze

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The 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Offers The Best Value For Its Price

Grey 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Bronze

When talking about the hybrid industry, there is a good chance that Toyota or a Toyota model will be the focal point. This is the case here with just one prime example of a 3-year-old hybrid SUV that offers excellent value and reliability. For starters, when it comes to reliability, it shouldn't come as a surprise since Toyota sits in the top three car brands when it comes to both used and new cars' reliability. Secondly, Toyota is very generous regarding its price tags, with several new models sitting in the $20,000 range and low $30,000 range. It gets even better for used models, and one of its popular hybrid SUVs has plenty to offer, which is the 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Specifications

The 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine, delivering 243 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. For its drivetrain, Toyota offers the Highlander Hybrid in front- or all-wheel drive with an electronically continuously variable transmission (ECVT). Sometimes, when buying used, you may worry that the model has become outdated or left in the dust, but for this 3-year-old hybrid SUV, it's the opposite, with its fuel economy still being as competitive as ever. The 2022 Highlander provides a fuel economy of 35 to 36 MPG and an overall driving range of 598 to 616 miles.

This Used Hybrid Sits In The $30,000 Range

Toyota

While the 2022 Highlander Hybrid did lose some of its value over the last three years, it should be noted that Toyota won't always be the best steal due to the Japanese manufacturer having it downlocked when it comes to retaining values on its models. Overall, Toyota is the best car brand in terms of resale value, and if you dive even further, they're the best car brand to retain value on its vehicles over three years. Basically, this just means that Toyota vehicles depreciate slower overall compared to other brands.

2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Prices And Trims

The slow depreciation can be seen on some of the trims on the 2022 Highlander Hybrid. The base trim, the LE, came with an MSRP of $39,055 and now has a resale value of $33,454. As stated earlier, this hybrid SUV is offered in front- or all-wheel drive, and for the all-wheel drive system, Toyota charged an additional $1,600 for the upgrade across all trims. The Limited is a higher and elevated trim that actually retains its value the best, depreciating around $4,500 after three years. While it's not the most discounted used hybrid, it's still worth looking at due to its value, features, and reliability.

J.D. Power Gave It An 81 Out Of 100 Reliability Rating

Toyota

The 2022 Highlander Hybrid not only fetches an enticing price tag but also offers some hefty reliability. J.D. Power gave the 2022 Highlander Hybrid an 81 out of 100 reliability rating. This score covers the level of defects, malfunctions, and design flaws. Some of the other scores covered the resale value, which received an 87 out of 100, and the driving experience, which came in at 80 out of 100. When you put all the scores together, the 2022 Highlander Hybrid scored an overall rating of 81 out of 100.

A Plus In Safety Ratings

Reliability breaks down into several areas, and one of the significant ones is safety. This doesn't seem to be an issue for the 2022 Highlander Hybrid, with it receiving an overall safety rating of five out of five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA). When it came to its recalls, the 2022 Highlander Hybrid ran into three of them. These three recalls consisted of the front bumper possibly detaching, a mislabeled sticker, and stability control possibly deactivating upon startup.

2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Drivers Side Shot Driving

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What The Ownership Costs Look Like

Toyota

Another main area that can affect a vehicle's reliability or even value is ownership costs. Sometimes, it's a good idea to see the initial numbers and future projections on new and used vehicles to better understand what you're getting into. While many of these are estimates and will vary with every driver, the main ones to focus on are maintenance, repairs, depreciation, fuel, and overall ownership costs. The areas that will change the most based on the driver consist of insurance, taxes, and fees, with fuel possibly also being an outlier due to location and how one drives.

2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Ownership Costs

Note: Ownership Costs Taken From 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid LE FWD

Its Biggest Flaw Is Maintenance Costs

Toyota

Possibly one of the biggest downsides for the 2022 Highlander Hybrid is the maintenance costs. It's not overly terrible, but it isn't the greatest either. During the first three years, the Highlander Hybrid costs $3,880 in maintenance, and after the fifth year, you can expect to spend $7,279 altogether. The maintenance may be a bit high, but the repairs sat on the lower end, with this hybrid SUV only costing $1,691 in repairs after five years.

You Can Expect $40,209 In Five-Year Ownership Cost

When it comes to future depreciation, the 2022 Highlander Hybrid is expected to lose $12,697 after five years. Edmunds estimates the first year of fuel will cost $1,226, which seems accurate, as the EPA shows that the annual fuel cost of the 2022 Highlander Hybrid is $1,300. With all the added costs, the 2022 Highlander Hybrid is expected to cost $40,209 after five years.

A Dark Green 2024 Toyota Highlander Driving

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How It Stacks Up Against Other 2022 Hybrid SUVs

2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid Exterior Parked In Front Of Mountain Range

As stated from the beginning, the hybrid market doesn't have just one hybrid SUV that brings in value and reliability. Some of the Highlander Hybrid's rivals are other examples of models that will come with an affordable price tag along with tank-like reliability. All models listed below are known to carry several years that showcase their dependability, and while there's no winner, if you go home with any of the four, you'll be driving away with a smile on your face.

2022 Toyota Highlander Versus Rivals

2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid

The Honda CR-V Hybrid is a well-sought-after SUV for both the hybrid and the non-electric variants. Regarding its reliability on the 2022 CR-V Hybrid, J.D. Power hasn't covered the hybrid version, but the non-electric model scored 82 out of 100. This is something to note, but there have been plenty of examples of hybrid models that share the same chassis as their non-electric counterparts and do worse or better in reliability. It's up in the air as to where the CR-V Hybrid places when compared to the Highlander Hybrid, but it is one of the more affordable hybrid SUVs, with a used price tag of $26,926 to $29,813.

2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

The hybrid industry is quite competitive, even when it comes to the model's family. One of the largest competitions for the Highlander Hybrid is the RAV4 Hybrid. The 2022 RAV4 Hybrid matches the reliability rating of its larger sibling, scoring 81 out of 100. It also keeps its prices lower, with this hybrid SUV sitting in the $29,085 to $33,607 range. It comes down to personal preference, but there's a reason why it is America's best-selling SUV.

2022 Lexus NX Hybrid

The last model that's known to pack some reliability throughout its existence is the Lexus NX Hybrid. The distant cousin to the Highlander Hybrid didn't do amazing regarding reliability, with the 2022 NX Hybrid receiving a 67 out of 100 score. Due to it being a luxury vehicle, it's expected to sit higher in price, but the Lexus NX Hybrid does quite well, sharing similar prices to the 2022 Highlander Hybrid. This hybrid SUV ranges from $36,709 to $39,560.