Which Trim Level of the 2024 Toyota Highlander Should You Buy?

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Toyota Highlanders have been very popular within its niches. It is one of the most popular choices among people looking to buy a three-row SUV and power-packed engines with beautiful interiors. If you are also planning to buy one, this blog is for you! In this blog, we will discuss all the trims of the Toyota Highlander, and then you can decide which one of these models will be the best choice for you.

Why is Highlander so popular?

The Highlander is popular among people who are looking for a big car for their family. They serve as a better option for people who are looking for a minivan. Instead of a minivan, they get an SUV with better features and a great interior, all of that without making a dent in their pockets. Not to mention, the Toyota Highlander Quality is top-notch.

What are the Toyota Highlander trim levels?

There is one important announcement for Toyota Highlander buyers is that its base L trim model is discontinued which makes the LE model the baseline of Toyota Highlanders. There are a total of five trim models which we will be discussing here:

• Toyota Highlander LE

The base cost of the Toyota Highlander LE is $40,515 (this price includes the destination charge). LE has now become the base or the floor model but even then it has a bunch of great features which include these:

• Power liftgates are height-adjustable
• The steering wheel and shift lever have leather covering on it.
• This model offers a push-start button 
• Smart keyless entry
• Infotainment system with 8 inches of diagonal length.
• Blind-spot monitoring 
• Tri-zone automatic climate control system
• These Toyota Highlander Quad seats have memory foam in them.

• Toyota Highlander XLE

Highlander XLE has a better bunch of features

• Infotainment screen of 12.3 inches with touch sensory.
• Wireless smartphone charging with indicator light
• Blind Spot Monitor along with RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert)
• With the second and third seat rows vacant, it can handle up to 84.3 cubic feet.
• Seating capacity of 8 people with third row seating.
• Toyota Quad Seats have a heating system
• Sunshade with a power title or slide moonroof.
• Auto-dimming rear mirror.

• Toyota Highlander XSE

Now, we are talking about the Toyota Highlander XSE which is best known for its sporty design. This is an all-gas AWD trim model which features torque vectoring. This increases the cost from $1600 to $1950.

• 20-inch wheel with black alloy.
• Black roof rails 
• Ample interior lighting 
• Exhaust with twin-tip
• Intense front grille with lower and front bumper of sporty look.
• Compatibility with wireless Apple car play and Android compatibility

• Toyota Highlander LIMITED

This is the second best trim model in the range of Toyota Highlander. This model packs a perfect mix of high performance features and equipment. This trim model price range starts from $47,770 with FWD and for AWD. We will have the following features as mentioned below:

• 20-inch chrome wheel
• Front seats with heat and ventilation
• Leather clad upholstery
• Infotainment display of 12.3 inch
• Heated steering wheel
• 120-volt rear seat outlet
• 11 speakers with JBL sound system
• Exterior mirrors with power folding
• A hand-free power liftgate

• Toyota Highlander PLATINUM

Platinum is the pinnacle of the SUV range offered by the Toyota Highlander. The price range is also grand which is $50,970 with FWD and for AWD $54,520. Down below is the list of features that come with the Highlander Platinum:

• 20-inch alloy wheel
• Panoramic glass roof with sunshade as well as front power slide moonroof
• 12.3-inch infotainment screen with 11 JBL speakers.
• 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat including power lumbar support.
• 8-way power-adjustable front passenger seat with driver seat memory function.
• Power-heated and ventilated front seats
• Wireless charging
• Rain-sensing windshield wipers
• Smart key system with push start button
• 5 USB port

Highlander Vs Grand Highlander

Till now, we have talked about the features of the trim level of the Toyota Highlander which are still in continuation and available in the market in 2024. In this section, we will discuss Highlander Vs Grand Highlander and the difference between them.

• Powertrain

Even though both Grand Highlander and Highlander share the same gas engine. Both of these models use a different type of hybrid powertrain. You will find Highlander’s powertrain to be a 2.5 liter I-4, which is accompanied by two more electric motors that produce 243 horsepower and torque of 175 lb-ft. Along with this, it uses a CVT automatic, FWD is a standard and AWD is optional. The Highlander’s hybrid powertrain accelerates at 8.4 seconds from 0 to 60 mph.

On the other hand, the Grand Highlander has two hybrid powertrains with the 2.5 hybrid setup. It uses a 2.4 liter turbocharged I-4 engine with an electric motor, plus a separate motor on its rear axle.

Output of a total of 362 horsepower and torque of 400 lb-ft in the Grand Highlander. You will find AWS standard in these models. These models have an acceleration rate of 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds.

• Interior designs 

Highlander’s interior design is top-notch, comfortable, and well-equipped with an 8-inch infotainment screen along with a 7-inch gauge cluster display. You will find larger digital gauge displays only on higher-end models.

Both Highlander and Highlander Grand support wireless charging on the larger screen with 11 speaker JBL with premium audio system on both of these models.

One of the most striking features of the Grand Highlander is that it can be turned into a gaming console. On the other hand, the highland does not have anything like that.

• Safety aspect

Toyota models are well known for their safety features which makes them the first choice for families. Both Highlander and Grand Highlander are well equipped with various features that assist the driver and Toyota’s TSS(Toyota Safety Sense) suite.

Safety features tend to get improved with the newer version and it is the same for this model as well. The newer SUV has more and improved safety features like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Both of these safety features are optional on the higher.

Grand Highland has taken this one step further and got a new proactive driving assistance. It helps with providing automated speed control based on traffic and road conditions ahead.

Conclusion

We have reached the end of this blog, where we have discussed which trim level of the 2024 Toyota Highlander should be bought. We have tried to cover all the information that one might need before buying a Toyota Highlander.

Thank you for reading this blog.