The 2013 Toyota Highlander is a terrific, reliable, and great option for a family car that can do it all. It paved the way for cars that combine the adaptability and capabilities of a big sport utility vehicle (SUV) with the practical benefits of a seven-seat passenger car. It is a very stunning vehicle that's classified as a mid-size crossover SUV. The vehicle has the same design as the Camry and the same chassis as the Toyota Avalon.
The 2013 Toyota Highlander is the ideal family-friendly crossover SUV. The car has superior handling and better ride quality than the Nissan Pathfinder, Honda Pilot, and the Chevrolet Traverse. This SUV is part of the second generation of the Toyota Highlander.
If one compares the first generation Highlander to the second generation Highlander, they'll realize that the second has a better design and is more spacious. The second generation had a number of different available engines, ranging from the smaller 2.7-liter four-cylinder option up to a much larger and more powerful 3.5 liter V6. There were also options for the transmission; the options were a 5-speed or a 6-speed automatic transmission.
The second generation started in 2008 and ended in 2013. One can say that there was a huge improvement with the SUVs that were being released in this generation.
Let's find out why the 2013 Toyota Highlander was one of the favorites in this generation.
The 2013 Toyota Highlander Has Good Specs And It Is Fuel-Efficient
The 2013 Toyota Highlander comes with two engine options. A 2.7-liter inline-4 engine develops 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. Power comes from a six-speed automatic transmission, and the vehicle accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 10 seconds, which may seem sluggish. The advantage of this engine is that it's more fuel-efficient and less expensive than the other engine.
The other engine was the 3.5-liter V-6 engine, which produces 270 horsepower and has plenty of accessible torque right in the low and middle revs. This engine is paired with a five-speed automatic gearbox that's tuned a bit higher to optimize fuel economy. The vehicle is a stylish highway cruiser with a 5,000-pound towing capacity.
Toyota also produced the Highlander Hybrid. Batteries and motors power the 3.5-liter V-6 in the Hybrid. It gets higher gas mileage and has a 280-horsepower engine. There are two electric motors where the gearbox would be in the Highlander Hybrid, and a third electric motor that drives the back wheels.
The Highlander Hybrids accelerate strongly and offer the driver an electric vehicle driving mode that allows the driver to use the battery power alone for a handful of miles.
The Highlander Offers All The Space And Versatility That A Large Family Would Want In A Vehicle
The best features of the Highlander are the ride height and the height of its seats. The seats are easy to climb into, and their broad, soft, and flat contours make getting in easy.
There's adequate of legroom in the front and second rows, and there's even a third row for children. It gets better behind those seats, particularly if the third row is folded. The Highlander has a lot of storage room inside, and both the second and third rows fold flat.
The Highlander provides 95.4 cubic feet of cargo capacity when the second-and third-row seats are folded down. It's a potent figure, and better than many competitors. There are a variety of locations to store electronics and smaller objects. The central console is large and deep, and the door bins are large enough to hold iPads or gaming controllers.
The 2013 Toyota Highlander Has A Robust Array Of Technology And Safety Features
The 2013 Toyota Highlander offers a robust collection of safety features and an excellent performance from both main crash-testing organizations. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) granted Highlander a "good" rating on every test.
The Highlander has dual front, side, and curtain airbags. It also includes a driver's knee airbag, daytime running lights, and a rearview camera system. It also comes with hill-start assistance and hill descent control.
The 2013 Highlander features air conditioning and a new display audio system with a USB connector in terms of technology. Highlander now has Bluetooth audio streaming as well as Bluetooth hands-free calling. A JBL premium audio system, touch-screen navigation (SE), and a rear-seat entertainment system are available options.
The Hybrid version has the same features as the base gas-powered Highlander, plus UV-reducing glass and a 3.5-inch LCD for the rearview camera readouts. Bluetooth, XM satellite radio, and a USB port are also included.
The 2013 Highlander Has A Good Reliability Rating
The 2013 Highlander has a reliability score of 4 out of 5. It's better than most SUVs and maintains the fifth position in most affordable mid-size vehicles; this shouldn't be a surprise because the Toyota Highlander has been a popular SUV choice for years.
The Toyota Highlander drivers will spend less on repairs each year because of those great reliability scores. According to statistics, the Toyota Highlander can go up to 300,000 miles or almost 20 years; that's a significant amount of time to keep a car.