Rank
Pros
Cons
What's New for 2025?
The Highlander is essentially unchanged, but note that all Highlander Hybrids now come standard with all-wheel drive, while last year's base LE Hybrid trim has been discontinued. The result is that the 2025 Highlander Hybrid starts about $3,500 higher than last year's lineup; in fact, it's now more expensive to get into a Highlander Hybrid than a Grand Highlander Hybrid. There's also a Limited 25th Edition of the Highlander Hybrid to celebrate 25 years of hybrid-powered Highlanders.
2025 Highlander Selector
2025 Toyota Highlander
FAST FACTS
"The Highlander suffers from the existence of its newer, more spacious and just generally superior sibling, the Grand Highlander. We already found the regular Highlander's third-row seat and cargo area to be relatively cramped by segment standards, which is why Toyota felt the need to bring out the Grand Highlander. But now that it's here, the regular Highlander's purpose is hard to make out. It costs about the same as the Grand, its interior is relatively dated, and it's not really better at anything. You might consider one at a significant discount, but otherwise we'd advise skipping this aged model and heading straight for its grander stablemate."—Ranked #11 out of 15 Midsize 3-Row SUVs
MotorDonkey's proprietary vehicle data identifies every significant version of each model so that you can compare and decide. Ordered by price from low to high, here are the versions of the 2025 Toyota Highlander that you need to be aware of, along with our expert analysis and recommendations.
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Featuring a torque-rich turbocharged engine and a tidy exterior that's about 5 inches shorter than the Honda Pilot, for example, the standard front-drive Highlander packs a lot of value. You'll notice that tidiness in the third row, however, which is about the tightest you'll find in this segment. Note that the XSE gains 2.5 inches of length due to its, er, sporty add-ons.
Adding all-wheel drive bumps up the turbo Highlander's curb weight by nearly 180 pounds, but you can still expect reasonably swift acceleration that feels swifter due to the ample low-range torque.
Standard on all Highlander Hybrids for 2025, the all-wheel-drive system puts a third electric motor on the rear axle to help out when traction at the front wheels is compromised. You don't get a measurable power boost from the extra motor, unfortunately, but the Highlander Hybrid AWD still gets you to 60 mph in the low-7-second range. That'll be quick enough for many shoppers in this segment, especially considering the Hybrid's major mpg advantage.
What are the different versions of the 2025 Highlander, and how much do they cost? Select a version below or just hit the button to see our full 2025 Highlander specs and model data.
| Version | Price | Fuel | MPG | Power | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Toyota Highlander 2.4T Front-Wheel Drive | $39,520 | Gas | 25 | 265 hp | 310 lb-ft |
| 2025 Toyota Highlander 2.4T All-Wheel Drive | $41,120 | Gas | 21 | 265 hp | 310 lb-ft |
| 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid All-Wheel Drive | $46,020 | Hybrid | 35 | 243 hp | N/A |
Publisher and Donkey-in-Chief
Josh has been reviewing cars professionally since joining Edmunds.com fresh out of grad school in 2008. Prior to founding MotorDonkey, he spent 15 years shaping Edmunds' expert automotive content in various capacities, starting as an associate editor and ultimately serving as a senior editor before wrapping up with a five-year term as the company's first-ever director of content strategy. Josh is a card-carrying member of the Motor Press Guild and a lifelong car nut who has driven, compared and critiqued thousands of cars in his career. Helping people find their perfect car never gets old—seriously!
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