2011 Toyota Highlander the ideal family car

Midsize SUVs. The 2011 Toyota Highlander may be the ideal family car. Most reviewers agree that if you’re shopping for a three-row family SUV, you should take a look at the 2011 Toyota Highlander. For 2011, Toyota has freshened the Highlander slightly, updating the styling and changing some of the trims. If you want something that’s more fun to drive than the Highlander, consider the Mazda CX-9. Like the Highlander, it seats seven in an interior that’s comfortable and inviting.

The 2011 Toyota Highlander has revised styling and expanded standard equipment. The 2011 Highlander Hybrid has more horsepower yet better fuel economy. Should you buy a 2011 Toyota Highlander or wait for the 2012 Toyota Highlander? Buy a 2011 Highlander. Hybrids also have body-colored lower-side trim versus black on gas-only Highlanders. Daytime running lamps are now also standard on all Highlander models.

The midcycle freshening brings an altered model lineup. The gas-electric 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid returns in Base and Limited form.
The 2011 Highlander SE adds fog lamps, and the 2011 Highlander Limited gas and hybrid models continue to dress the part with exclusive brightwork and their own 19-inch alloys.
Mechanical: The 2011 Toyota Highlander repeats with a choice of four- and six-cylinder gasoline engines. The Hybrid again teams a gas V-6 with electric power. All gas models are available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive (AWD); the Hybrid is AWD only.

Toyota’s smart to limit the four-cylinder to front-drive Highlanders, which start out some 200 pounds lighter than AWD models. And with the model-year 2011 introduction of the SE model, the money-saving four is now available in more than just the Base-level Highlander.

Standard on all 2011 Highlander Limited models and available in both front- and all-wheel-drive Base and SE versions is a 3.5-liter V-6. The 2011 Highlander Hybrid continues to mate a V-6 gas engine with two electric motors. (Toyota does not furnish a net torque figure for the Highlander Hybrid.) The 2011 Highlander Hybrid again uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Employing Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system, the Highlander Hybrid self-charges its on-board nickel-metal hydride battery pack; no plug-in is provided. Front-wheel-drive Highlanders place the weight of the engine over the wheels that propel the vehicle, which aids slippery-surface grip.

Highlander’s towing capability is par for the midsize crossover class. All 2011 Highlanders accommodate seven passengers now that Base and SE models come standard with a third-row bench seat. Highlanders have 42 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the second-row seat and 95 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. Power windows, mirrors, and locks, height-adjustable driver’s seat, tilt/telescope steering wheel, and cruise control continue among 2011 Highlander standard features. For model-year 2011, Highlander SE joins the Limited with a standard power liftgate, and the Base version gains joins the SE with manual rear climate control. Leather upholstery remains an exclusive standard feature on the Highlander Limited models, and for 2011, it uses perforated hides. The Limited’s standard three-zone climate system also gains automatic control for its rear zone.

Highlander’s navigation system is now optional on the SE model as well as the Limited. The rear-DVD entertainment system remains an option exclusive to the Highlander Limited model.

The Highlander Limited adds 19-inch wheels and silver roof rails.
The second-row bench features a removable center seat that stows in a compartment below the front-seat center console. The V-6 is standard on the Highlander Limited.

Four-cylinder models come only in front-wheel drive, but V-6 models offer front- or all-wheel drive.
A 3.5-liter V-6 replaces last year's 3.3-liter V-6 to underpin the 2011 Highlander Hybrid's drivetrain. The Highlander Hybrid can cruise at low speeds on electric power only. The Highlander Hybrid is EPA-rated at 28/28 mpg city/highway, much better than even the four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive Highlander's 20/25 mpg.