IF YOU HAVE A 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER....

[OneThree]

Still an an extra step. Plus, it sounds like OP plans baby seats in row 2 which would defeat that feature.

We have a booster and a car seat in the 2nd row of our '16 Highlander and never had an issue sliding the seats forward to access the 3rd row. The bench seat is a split bench in row 2, at least it is in our XLE.

 

[seb65]

I have a base 2015 Highlander. I went from a Sienna (250,000 miles on it) to this. I have three kids. I wish I went for another Sienna. I love not having sliding doors anymore, but I miss the space. I find there is no much cargo room AT ALL unless the third row is down. So, if we have friends go to the beach with us, it is next to impossible to get the chairs/cooler/beach bag in the back. I find myself missing the Sienna more and more. The Sienna had oodles of room. I do like the drive, but if I had to do it again, I would have gotten the Sienna.

 

[ajwolfe]

We are a Toyota family; DH works for a Toyota dealership so it's mostly what we choose to drive - although we have had plenty of other types of vehicles too. We've had a Highlander, 4Runner, Sienna and Sequoia as well as a Tundra and Tacoma. I loved my Sequoia the most, but am currently loving by Sienna - drives like a dream and is so comfy. Out of all the Toyota products the Highlander was the one we liked the least - partially because it was a hybrid and just didn't meet up to what we expected of it. But I still liked it better than the Escape and Tahoe I had in the past.

I love the captain's seating in the 2nd row in my van, but it can convert to a bench seat if needed. I wouldn't only want it to be captain's seating.

 

[bethy]

I have a base 2015 Highlander. I went from a Sienna (250,000 miles on it) to this. I have three kids. I wish I went for another Sienna. I love not having sliding doors anymore, but I miss the space. I find there is no much cargo room AT ALL unless the third row is down. So, if we have friends go to the beach with us, it is next to impossible to get the chairs/cooler/beach bag in the back. I find myself missing the Sienna more and more. The Sienna had oodles of room. I do like the drive, but if I had to do it again, I would have gotten the Sienna.

I have 3 kids who just keep getting bigger. We've run through a couple of beautiful luxury SUV's. But last month I finally caved and got a 2016 Sienna. It feels totally cheap inside compared to my previous cars but MAN I love that thing!!! Finally - FINALLY there is enough room for all of us, our stuff and the family dog!

 

[Junebugwv]

I drive a Sienna (I have owned minivans since 1984 and this will be my LAST one---kids are gone!) but one of our sons had a 2008 Highlander and now a 2015. We live in WV mountains and both of his AWD Highlanders have been excellent for winter driving.

 

[VolvoManiac850]

My mom had a 2004 Highlander. I know they've expanded a lot since, but Toyota SUVs have always been top-notch. I know many people who have owned them and every one of them has raved about them.

 

[aliceindisneyland]

I have the 2007 Highlander (Sport) and I love it! I drove the 2016 for a week this month and didn't like it nearly as well as my 2007! I have 170k miles on it and all I've had to do is keep it in brakes and tires, and as preventive maintenance I did the timing belt and water pump (about $700). Toyotas are awesome.

 

[calypso726]

I had a 2008 and traded it in for a 2012. Loved my 2008 one but got a great deal for the trade in and newer model. DH has the 2013, My brother the 2014 and mom has a 2006 one. We are definitely a Toyota Highlander family. No issues with any of our vehicles and just do routine maintenance. I always say that even if I won the lottery I'd just buy another Highlander

 

[PrincessA]

I went from a GMC Yukon to a used 2012 Toyota Highlander Limited and I LOOVE it! I specifically wanted the captain's chairs for the 2nd row since I had a 2nd row bench with my Yukon. On my model, it converts to a bench if needed, but we rarely convert it to the bench. I miss the space and height of my Yukon, but I don't miss the gas costs! After taxes and add-ons, I paid in the 30,000-33,000 range for the Highlander. I thought I would be able to find it cheaper, but with the Limited model extra options, it was a bit pricier than I expected. Good luck on your car search!

 

[findmewdw]

We are a Highlander family. We had a 2008 sport highlander that we purchased new and I upgraded to a 2016 last Dec. My 2008 with over 170,000 miles was passed down to my DD. We never had an ounce of problems with my 08 and am hoping it will function for my DD for a few more years. She is a college senior who will be attending grad school next and won't have money for a car. We are loving our 16 so far. We have an XLE, AWD, with leather and nav. The sticker said 40,000, but I'm thinking we got it for around 37,000. I remember researching like crazy trying to find deals and most didn't want to budge. We drove three hours to purchase mine because it was the best deal that I found online.
We do love our Highlander and live in a rural area where AWD is needed esp during some winters. I have to admit that I agree with other posters who suggest vans though. If I had small children, I would probably look into a van. Vans are ideal for families with little ones and are great for vacations! Good luck with your decision!

 

[kymom99]

We don't have a Highlander, but I would definitely get captain seats in the 2nd row of any 3-row crossover or utility.

I have crawled into the 3rd row of a friend's highlander. It ain't pretty

 

[emma'smom]

We just bought a 2016 Highlander--almost top of the line (not the Touring model, but just below) with AWD. We looked at both the Pilot and the Highlander and went with the Highlander because it was peppier and we liked the interior a bit more. However, mostly we were attracted to all of the additional safety features the Highlander offered (Lane Departure warnings, etc). We haven't even had a chance yet to play with all of the features, but I did turn the corner yesterday and a car stopped abruptly in front of me--the Highlander immediately slowed me down so I didn't hit it--so the features are already worth it!

We bought it to replace our Honda CRV (we have an Odyssey too)... It's great four our family of four (tween/teen) with room for cargo/luggage. The few times we've used the third seat has had mixed reviews. My 11 year old and her friend sat in the third seat in reasonable comfort, but I tried to pile a group of teenage girls in there after a soccer game and only one could fit in the back and she had to extend her legs forward between the Captain's seats. It's definitely not a replacement for our mini-van....but a good upgrade from the CRV as it is more comfortable to drive and to ride in for longer car trips with just our family (than the CRV). We still take our mini-van on vacation trips and to soccer games (where it's muddy and where we never know if we might need to add extra kids to the mix for rides home).

My friend had a Pilot as her primary family vehicle and traded it in for a Suburban after just one year.....

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I am loving all the great reviews on this thread. I have been driving a Rav4 since DD was born, but I am ready for a little more space. We are a family of 3, but we travel so much it would be nice to have more room. This past june I drove my Rav4 with 5 of us and all our stuff crammed in it to WDW and it was a tight fit. I'd like more space. I currently lease and may continue to do so when I updgrade. Toyota's lease program is phenominal.

 

[parith1114]

I have a 2015 LTD PLT V6 AWD and got it for a little over 46k. I had a GMC Acadia before, and am surprised that the third row seat is so small in the highlander. We have four children and it's a tight squeeze for my oldest to fit in that back row. I love the way my Highlander drives, and I love the service I get at my Toyota dealership, but wish I had gotten the Ford Explorer. My husband's company vehicle is an Expedition, and I like some of the features of his vehicle better. I know that my Toyota should run forever though, and I'm grateful for that. Best of luck with your new vehicle!