2002 Highlander Plenty of SUV for Most Drivers

Author's Rating:

Pros: Carlike ride, smooth powertrain with V6. Quality apparent throughout.

Cons: Mundane styling, pricey w/options. No radio controls on steering wheel. Rear window doesn't open.

Handling And Control:

The Bottom Line: 
Nearly ideal blend of utility, ride, and handling. Can get pricey with options but still less than Lexus. Easy to handle and park due to nimble (Accord) size.

Author's Review
My wife got bitten by the SUV bug. She was eyeing the Lexus RX300, but we could not justify $40K for a car. Since there is just the two of us, a huge SUV was not needed. We settled in on the Toyota Highlander after reading many favorable reviews on Epinions and elsewhere.

The Highlander is a sister to the Lexus RX, but costs $8K-$12K less depending on options. The driveline is from the Camry, so you know going in that it will be smooth and reliable.

The Highlander is not a big vehicle; in fact, it is the same length as the Honda Accord we replaced. This is great news if you need a vehicle to haul that occasional big box or load of plants from the store, but don't want to fill your garage with something overly big. This fit our needs, although those with kids may want something bigger and with a third seat, which is not available in the Highlander.

Compared to the Lexus, the Highlander has slightly more cargo room due to it's squared off back end. The rear seats fold completely flat, giving plenty of storage. Unfortunately, the rear door glass does not open, so the hatch will need to be left ajar or open for really long items like boards and such.

The Highlander's car based chassis means that it does not require a ladder to get in, but it sits higher than a minivan by comparison. The ride is smooth, not quite as much as its Camry cousin, but worlds ahead of truck based vehicles like the Explorer, Blazer, and others. Even over rough roads, you will never be punished, but the ride is somewhat firm. This is needed to provide stability due to the high center of gravity.

Our Highlander is equipped with the 220hp V6 and front wheel drive. We considered the AWD option, but in our area we only get snow once or twice a season and could not justify the cost and weight penalties. Acceleration with the V6 is brisk, not neck snapping, but more than adequate for passing and merging onto freeways. I have not driven a 4 cylinder Highlander for comparison but wonder if the four may be taxed too much by the weight of the vehicle. The automatic shifts smoothly, as one would expect from the Camry heritage.

Up front, creature comforts abound. For 2002, a front console became standard with plenty of storage. As in the RX, the shifter comes out of the bottom of the dash and takes some getting used to. On first glance it appears to be at the top of the console but it is not. It does not really LOOK weird, it has a weird feel to it until you become accustomed. The seats in our Limited, trimmed in leather, are comfortable and have fold down armrests. The gauges are very small, however, and somewhat difficult to see.

For some inexplicable reason, Toyota neglected to put any controls for the radio, cruise, and trip computer on the steering wheel. Even our 4 year old Honda had them, and once you have them, you will really miss them. I find myself still thumbing the side of the steering wheel when I want to adjust the radio volume. Toyota blew it on this one!! To further aggravate, the climate control knob and volume knob are similar in shape and right above each other on the dash, so you will likely turn the wrong one frequently. I've seen this noted by other reviewers too. Also, by not having the cruise controls on the steering wheel, this necessitates an additional stalk right below the wiper stalk, which makes things more cluttered than need be; it is partially hidden by the wheel.

Fit and finish, in true Toyota tradition, are first rate. But the dealership experience was nothing to brag about, and certainly not appropriate for a purchase in excess of $30K. The good news is that now that the Highlander has been around awhile, prices are coming down and you should be able to buy one for $300 or so over invoice, maybe less if you are a tough negotiator.

We find that the Highlander is "just enough" SUV, and should be considered by many buyers that unnecessarily buy a huge gas guzzler with ponderous handling and a rough ride. Also, its size will still leave you with enough room in the garage for a few other things. If you have more than 2 kids on board, you will probably want something bigger, but for the masses, the Highlander provides a superb blend of usefulness, ride, and comfort that you can happily live with on a daily basis.

UPDATE May, 2003: Our Highlander just passed it's one year birthday and now has 10,000 miles. It has been a great vehicle with no problems. The only trips to the dealer have been for scheduled oil changes and to have the sensor on the auto-headlamp feature adjusted. I have not checked the gas mileage but it seems to be very reasonable and not fuel hungry. My only complaints after a year of ownership are the same as above: no radio controls on the steering wheel, and the fixed back window. I've needed to haul a few long items (like trees from the nursery) and had to either leave the rear door completely open or secure it with bungee cords. Are you listening, Toyota?

I still recommend the Highlander as a comfortable, capable vehicle. It will reward the owner with SUV convenience, but without being overly ponderous to handle, park, or a gas guzzler.