Japanese automakers, Toyota are reputable for building some of the safest, most reliable, and toughest high-quality cars, trucks, and SUVs. Striving to keep up with the competition, Toyota is always looking to introduce new technology, advanced features, and simple yet exquisite designs. All of these efforts are beginning to pay off, as the brand's SUVs are gradually gaining the recognition they deserve.
The Toyota Highlander is one of Toyota’s most consistent and reliable players in the SUV market. Toyota offers the Highlander in six various trim levels and they include the Highlander L, Highlander LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and the Toyota Highlander Platinum. Prices for the popular Highlander begin at $35,085 for the Highlander L and gets up to $47,240 for the top-end Platinum trim. While $47,240 is a lot of money to shell out for an SUV, the Highlander Platinum is worth every penny and more. These are some of the reasons why we think the vehicle is a bang for buck SUV.
10 Spacious Interior/Cargo Area
The Platinum's interior can comfortably seat eight people, but with the captain's chairs installed in the second row, the capacity is reduced to seven. When all the seats are in place, you have 16 cubic feet of storage, while, with the third row folded, you have a massive 48.4 cubic feet, and a maximum capacity of 84.3 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded.
Additionally, the Platinum trim has front seatback storage, overhead console storage, eight cup holders, four bottle holders, and even a storage space for sunglasses. That's enough room for everyone.
9 All-Wheel Drive
Whereas other trims of the Highlander have front-wheel drives, the Platinum offers a chance to take drivers to every destination possible with its optional permanent magnet synchronous All-Wheel drive system. This AWD system assures excellent traction control and stability in various terrains or weather conditions.
The Highlander Platinum also comes with various drive mode select options like sport, eco, normal, snow, and "Multi-Terrain." The eight inches of ground clearance and the dynamic torque-control system prevent scratches underneath, with a guarantee for smoother rides and balance.
8 Excellent Towing Capacity
The Toyota Highlander Platinum is not just an SUV for the cameras; it is also designed to serve as a tough workhorse. Equipped with the capacity to tow about 5,000 lbs of boats, trailers, off-road equipment, or whatever weight you can attach to it, the SUV is also a great work companion.
Its Trailer Sway Control ensures that the weight is evenly distributed and your haulage is intact, while the Hill Start Assist Control and Downhill Assist Control take the haulage up or down any terrain. When placed side by side with Acura MDX, the Highlander Platinum does the same job as the Acura at an even fairer price.
7 Five Star Safety Ratings
Having undergone several crash tests, the 2021 Toyota Highlander Platinum is considered one of the safest SUVs that money can buy. It has a five-out-of-five stars rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) labeled it a Top Safety Pick.
The Platinum trim performs better than its other Highlander siblings, as it received an excellent rating for forward visibility compared to the second-highest rating for the other trims.
6 Fuel Economy
With an EPA rating of 20 mpg for the city, 27 mpg for the highway, and a combined 24 mpg, the Toyota Highlander Platinum is one of the most fuel-efficient SUVs in its class.
This rating surpasses the Chevrolet Traverse AWD, which struggles with 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined, or even the Acura MDX AWD which has 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined. So, while you get to pay so much upfront for the vehicle, you end up saving more at the pump.
5 Outstanding Warranty
Toyota has bounty warranty packages for all its users. The 2021 Highlander Platinum owners benefit from a three-year or 36,000-mile basic and a five-year or 60,000-mile powertrain warranty covers. Hybrid components get eight years or 100,000 miles and corrosion Perforation lasts for five-year/unlimited miles.
To add to that, there is free roadside assistance to handle all breakdowns for two years/unlimited miles and a two-year/25,000 miles complimentary scheduled maintenance to keep your vehicle in proper shape. Toyota's warranty package is a lot better than the average SUVs in its class.
4 Energetic Engine/Performance
Not only does the Highlander sport a great look, but it is also able to match up the needed power and performance. A 3.5-liter dual variable valve timing with Intelligence (VVTi) V6 engine is what powers the vehicle.
This energetic engine blows out a decent 295 horsepower at 6600 rpm and 263 lb-ftof torque at 4700 rpm. It is Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission to enable it to accelerate from a standstill position to 60 mph in about 7.2 seconds.
3 10-Inch Color Head-Up Display
Advanced driver assistance features are becoming commonplace in modern vehicles, but the Toyota Highlander offers more than the regular. A digital rearview mirror with Homelink and a bird’s eye view camera are some of the features that are not found in any other Highlander trims except for the Platinum.
To make it more exciting, the Platinum trim adds a 10-inch colored head-up display. The HUD displays the speedometer, audio system info, and dynamic navigation, which is visible only to the driver to enable them to keep their eyes on the road with no distractions.
2 Premium Infotainment
While other trims of the Highlander use an 8-inch display and 4.2-inch gauge cluster display, the Platinum model has a 12.3-Inch touchscreen display with a 7.0-inch gauge display. Premium features include Amazon’s Alexa, a Wi-Fi hotspot, five USB charge ports, a wireless device charging pad, and Apple CarPlay.
Also available on The Highlander are an 11-speaker JBL audio system, with 1200-watt stereo output, and a satellite radio system. The Highlander’s Platinum leather seats are power-adjustable and can be heated up, making it a top luxury SUV.
1 Panoramic Moonroof With Sunshade
For the 2021 model, Toyota has equipped the Highlander Platinum with a panoramic moonroof equipped with sunshades. With a moonroof, you can go stargazing or simply enjoy nature without the noise that comes with open windows.
The sunshades ensure that passengers can adjust the moonroof to allow the desired amount of sunlight into the cabin during the day or gaze at their favorite stars at night. Only available on the Highlander Platinum trim, the moonroof is an additional reason to pay more for the vehicle.