2008 Toyota Highlander User Reviews

Pros

Great happy median of many things

Cons

Base model is relatively plain

Purchased As Used

My wife looked at cars costing up to 10K more than this, and ultimately decided the configuration, certified warranty, and ergonomics fit the requirements of what she wanted in a car. I-pod outlet/aux adapter is present, nice stereo, comfortable seats, lots of room front and back. We did pass on the same model with the 3rd row option, you just couldn't get an adult in and out of there. Many others have addressed the good handling, and the fuel economy, so I will leave that alone, as we have had similar observations....read morehide

Pros

awesome upgrades, gas mileage, ride, comfort

Cons

none

Purchased As New

Traded my 03 for a new 08-went after an 09 but got a better deal on 08. AWESOME job toyota!! Highlander was awesome and now------------- wow you have out done yourself with the new highlander. LOVE IT!!!!! Wish alot of the options were standard. such as the alarm system, satelite radio and auto start. wouldn't drive nothing else....read morehide

Pros

Comfort, upgrades, quite ride, looks,

Cons

NONE!!

Purchased As New

Awesome upgrade from my 03 highlander. Which I would of traded in sooner. Love this car. It is so much better than my 03 and I LOVED that highlander. I got an awesome deal, went looking for the 09 4x4 basic model. I got the sport 4x4 08 for a fantastic price. I also test drove the rav 4. UGH no comparison. I got over 6k off the price. go test drive one today....read morehide

Pros

good handling

Cons

ok

Purchased As New

very good car for this money,good handling,very fest on snow roads ,very good brakes!!!!!!!............driving is very fun

Pros

fuel economy, backup camera, seats, 3rd row

Cons

small cargo area if 3rd row is up

Bought my Highlander Limited in Dec '08. Very very luxurious. Ride is awesome. Sun roof, heated seats, all leather, backup camera, automatic rear door open etc. are std. features in the Limited (at least for CA). Lots of space; smooth ride. Not worth spending a lot of money on a Merc, Audi Lexus. Highlander is value for money......read morehide

Pros

Very fast SUV. Fuel consumption very good for its size and cargo capacity.

Cons

GPS is not standard. DVD is not standard.

I like the SUV very much for it is fast and has very soft movements. The Sport 4x4 one is equipped with upgraded shocks that make every ride very smooth. And I have used other SUVs before… but this one was surprisingly good!!! I am not Toyota seller, related or anything like that. I am just a simple buyer, but when something is true I just say it. The only thing I would say as a con is that as all Toyota vehicles, when you buy them if you do not but middle or upper price models you do not get much add-ons. Like in this one neither GPS nor DVD are standard. Capacity for 7 passengers is great and becomes very handy when you less expect it. However, the 3rd row should have been made 50/50 or 60/40, meaning "half" of it can be folded down while a passenger sits on the side, as you sometimes have just 6 passengers and lots of baggage. Like when picking someone up from the airport. Other than that, the SUV is just awesome!!!!!...read morehide

Pros

Ride is good.Quiet.Engine has good power.

Cons

Factory Alarm.Navigation System. controls hard to reach..Engine Noise.

Alarm does what it wants to sometimes. Engine sounds like a diesel.
Controls hard to reach. Nav Display cannot be read in the daytime..
Toyota did bad interior design.
Heated seats only mean Bottom seat and heat controls hard to use.
Several bad design problems..NO LIGHTS ON THE opener buttons. YOU HAVE TO FEEL FOR BUTTONS!!!
Interior dash lights ARE TO DIM. EVEN ON MAX.
Appears Toyota kinda threw this one together....read morehide

Pros

configuration flexibilty, smooth ride, comfortable seats-especially compared to Honda

Cons

huge rear blind spots, oil change procedure a cruel joke, rear wiper useless

Have 5k miles on the Highlander Sport after about 6 months. Wanted to downscale from our Suburban. Highlander has great room and flexibility for passengers and/or cargo. As good a ride as Suburban, better milage (not saying much). Great forward looking road visibility, but unforgivable blind spots looking backward or toward corners to change lanes. Most of our milage is 'local' driving, not great per gallon but as advertised. 17 gallon gas tank annoyingly small, same as my Hyundai subcompact sedan.

Upgraded to seat heaters, they work well. I find dash board fan, A/C controls awkward.

Needed extra keys (six drivers in our house), $175/key--that's abuse.

While no concerns about basic vehicle, I regret having paid top dollar for Toyota name, only to be disappointed by basic design compromies and outrageous dealer service charges....read morehide

Pros

excellent fuel economy, rented this suv from l.a. to tahoe and gets almost 30MPG.

Cons

soft brakes, transmission jerks in high RPM

this is an excellent SUV. rented this car for our annual trip from LA to Tahoe and i get excellent fuel economy. I got 30MPG over-all. My only comment is brake is kinda soft and transmission jerks in high rpm, but over-all this is an excellent car. plenty of space.

Pros

Good fuel economy- 28 MPG, RIDE, Quiet Engine "NOW"

Cons

Door handle is in the way of power window switch

I love my new highlander, and this is my 3rd. I am really impressed with the ride, and bluetooth. The only downside is if the volume (radio) is down, there is no setting to overide for bluetooth (loud). For everyone who complains about "noise". When replacing oil and filter, I suggest 4 qts and 1qt of "LUCAS" oil treament. The engine runs like a sewing machine (quiet). Don't buy navigation, why pay $2-3k more when you can buy a garmin ? The sound system is great, you can easily ad any portable device (aux input) - IPOD, ZUNE, no adapter required. The Lexus R330 is built on the same chassis as the highlander, why pay $45-$50??...read morehide