The Toyota Highlander is a hot-selling 3-row crossover commonly sought out for Toyota’s strong brand reputation and high safety scores. The Highlander Hybrid uses a 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid engine, enhanced by two electric motors to generate 243 horsepower. Drivers get a 3,500 lbs. of towing capacity and standard AWD, with pricing on my tester clocking in at $53,000 Canadian dollars — just a little higher than the average new-car transaction price in Canada today.
Going for the four-cylinder hybrid instead of the non-hybrid model with the V6 engine means you’ll use about 3.6 fewer litres of fuel for every 100 kilometres you drive. The fuel savings are even more compelling if you do a lot of city driving or commuting in stop-and-go traffic, where the hybrid powertrain in the Highlander Hybrid is the most fuel efficient. If you do, the hybrid battery pack lives under the rear seat where it doesn’t take up any passenger or cargo space. So, this spacious 3-row saves gas every time you drive, and even more if you’re doing a lot of stop-and-go driving.
The Highlander is a top choice among Toyota’s hybrid crossovers, with a large volume of buyers being new to the brand, says Toyota Canada. The Highlander Hybrid is a popular pick, and it’s pulling plenty of shoppers into Toyota showrooms for the first time. Key purchase considerations include fuel economy, brand reputation, and overall value — attributes in demand amongst today’s family-minded crossover shopper. On that note, says Toyota, over 80 per cent of Highlander Hybrid buyers are married.
Factor in consumers’ rapidly growing interest in electrified vehicles and a likely drop in resale values of non-hybrid models as fuel prices remain unstable, and the Highlander Hybrid’s ability to save fuel is something families can appreciate both while they own it, and when it’s time to sell or trade in.
Second-row seats are generously roomy for adults: easy to board and exit, offering adequate headroom, and can be easily tilted and slid back and forth or out of the way for third-row seating access. I don’t recommend these rearmost seats for most adults, though smaller occupants will be just fine. With the rear row folded flat, you’ve got four spacious captains chairs and a big cargo hold with space galore for the family dog, and a bag or two apiece for each human occupant.
2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Photo by Justin Pritchard
2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition Photo by Justin Pritchard
The highway drive feels softly sturdy: the ride soaks up most dips and bumps, even at a good speed, without much drama. On the highway, I found the Highlander Hybrid felt strong and solid beneath me; it’s a comfortable and easygoing drive for highway touring, and if you’re commonly finding the SUV’s you test drive feel too sporty or harsh on the road, I think you’ll like this setup. It’s more ‘comfortable sofa’, less ‘sports car’.
Steering and handling are best-suited to a laid-back and leisurely driving style, the springs are soft, the steering is fairly numb, and there’s little here in the way of entertainment or feedback. Shoppers looking for their next SUV to excite them with its drive have better choices, but those primarily after a laid back, relaxing drive from a roomy 3-row that’s easy on fuel will likely find things just right.
I did wish for a little more weight to the steering, which would make it easier to keep the Highlander centred within its lane on windy days, and I also found highway wind noise to be significant. There are quieter riding options for the dollar, if that’s a priority for you.
In all, the highway drive is comfortable, relaxing, and laid back at the controls, though louder than some drivers will like. On your test drive, head out on the highway, get up to a good cruising speed, and set the cruise control. Next, talk to yourself (or your passengers) and listen closely to the noise coming in: do you have to raise your voice for a conversation? Are the ambient noise levels too loud for peace and quiet? I don’t find the noise levels to be anything near a deal breaker, though shoppers should still confirm that the Highlander Hybrid is quiet enough to meet their needs.
Few complaints surfaced on Sudbury’s potholed backroads. Here, broken pavement, frost heaves and the like do little to upset the drive. The long wheelbase and soft suspension keep things stable and sturdy, and while suspension and interior noise levels can creep up a bit higher than I like on rough surfaces like this, the driver and occupants are largely spared from the worst harshness hurled their way from the crumbling road beneath. As it is with the highway drive, comfort levels are highly appreciable, though noise levels aren’t quite as impressive.
The Highlander Hybrid (aka the HiHy) does its best work when you’re driving it to maximize the benefit of its hybrid engine’s ability to save fuel. The hybrid engine draws on both gasoline and electric power, blending a constantly-optimized mixture of the two together to drive you along. When you drive gently, keeping the power meter in the economical ‘green zone’, it’s easier for the hybrid engine to run on stored electricity more of the time, reducing the need for gasoline.
The battery is self-recharging, and there’s nothing to plug in. All power required by the system is self-generated automatically as you just drive around. That electricity is stored, where it acts as a secondary energy source the hybrid engine can call on in certain situations to reduce fuel usage. You get less power than non-hybrid models—243 horsepower here versus 295 for the V6-powered, non-hybrid Highlander. The Highlander Hybrid’s acceleration and CVT transmission aren’t likely to excite enthusiast drivers — remember, this one’s all about a comfortable ride and good fuel economy. There’s even an ECO drive mode which makes changes to the transmission, throttle, engine and other systems to make it easier to achieve the lowest possible fuel consumption.
2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition Photo by Justin Pritchard
On the plus side, this hybrid powertrain moves the HiHy along with adequate power for most situations, while using a very reasonable amount of fuel. On the downside, another familiar complaint: it’s not shy about letting you hear and feel when it’s working. Apply more than a little throttle, and you’ll hear and feel that engine grumbling away under the hood.
So, a wholesome choice when size, space, comfort and especially fuel economy matter, though the Highlander Hybrid is outgunned by some competitors when it comes to keeping engine, suspension and wind noise out of the cabin.
The interior hits most of the right marks. There’s a solid and dense feel to most of the materials and the way they’re assembled, and most of the dash is soft and feels upscale. Ditto the steering wheel, and special bronze-accented seats fitted to my tester. There’s a button or toggle for everything in here, so virtually no need to take your gloves off and dig through layers of a touch-screen menu system. This makes for more straightforward operation, especially in the dead of winter where you’d rather keep your gloves on. Controls are abundant, though most are logically placed and become very easy to find and use before long.
Storage is abundant too, with bins and slashes and cubbies and compartments all around making it easier to keep your smaller items sorted and secured on the go. There’s also no shortage of that tall and in-command driving position and visibility that crossover drivers tend to love, and all with an enhanced view out back thanks to the washer-equipped digital rearview mirror camera for a wider viewing angle with no blockages, and a big improvement in low-light visibility.
Add in the comfortable and fuel-efficient drive, and here’s a cabin with plenty of easily accessible features and tech that makes it easy to keep informed of the goings-on around you, and easy to keep your driving environment tidy and organized.
On functionality and storage, this one’s hard to beat. Still, tech-savvy drivers may wish for some more modern displays and graphics. The Highlander’s infotainment and digital instrument cluster screen both get the job done, but the interfaces and especially graphics are easily outgunned by competitors at this price point.
So how much could a Highlander Hybrid save you on gas?
The average HiHy driver covering 25,000 kilometres per year will save about 900 litres of fuel annually, versus the non-hybrid model. If we assume the average fuel cost to be about $1.80 per litre, that’s about $1,600 per year versus the non-hybrid model — enough for the roughly $2,000 investment in the hybrid engine to pay for itself in under two years, and start putting money back in your pocket.
Though quieter and sportier options exist in 3-row models for the money, the Highlander Hybrid’s combination of comfort, efficiency, and a compellingly functional cabin should make it a strong contender for most shoppers on the scene today.
Keyword: SUV Review: 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE