10 Reasons the 2017 Toyota Highlander Wins Autoweb Buyer's Choice Best Midsize SUV Award

2017 Toyota Highlander XLE exterior front angle ・ Photo by Toyota

The 2017 Toyota Highlander is expected to see continued high demand this year, and not just because it has won the 2017 Autoweb Buyer's Choice Award in the Midsize SUV category. That will no doubt help, of course, but the Highlander midsize SUV is packed with so many clear-cut benefits that it's impossible to ignore.

10) Dynamic Torque Control

The all-wheel-drive setup for the non-hybrid 2017 Toyota Highlander has Dynamic Torque Control, which automatically varies the power distribution between the front and rear wheels when any slippage is detected. The system also will kick in while cornering, giving the Highlander an even more surefooted feel.

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9) Voluminous Cargo Hold

The 2017 Toyota Highlander can hold up to eight occupants and still carry 13.8 cubic feet of cargo behind its third row of seats. If you start folding seatbacks to create more room, you'll find 43.4 cubic feet with the third row folded and 83.7 cubic feet when both rows are down.

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8) Better Fuel Efficiency

The more powerful V6 for the 2017 Toyota Highlander is more fuel-efficient, too, aided in part by a new stop/start system. For the record, the 2017 Toyota Highlander has EPA fuel economy figures of 21 mpg city/27 mpg highway/23 mpg combined. That's an improvement of 2 mpg in all three test cycles.

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7) The Highlander Hybrid

Another exclusive here for buyers is the 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Bolstered by Toyota’s industry-leading hybrid expertise, the Highlander Hybrid has EPA ratings of 29 mpg city/27 mpg highway/28 mpg combined. And remember, that’s with a standard, electrically enabled all-wheel-drive system that uses an electric motor to power the rear wheels.

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6) Athletic New SE Trim

The new SE trim also is available for the 2017 Toyota Highlander, to serve up an extra dash of sportiness. Model-exclusive 19-inch wheels are among the highlights, as are dark-painted accents for the grille, headlamp housing, and roof rails. A sport-tuned suspension seals the deal for buyers who really like to drive.

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5): Double Dose of Prevention

Beyond its new standard safety package, the 2017 Toyota Highlander has a standard rearview camera and a further round of available driver-assistance features. With these, buyers can add a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, and an upgraded camera system for a 360-degree, top-down, rotating view of the Highlander’s immediate surroundings.

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4) High-End Luxury Cues

The 2017 Toyota Highlander Limited layers on the luxury content. Its front-row seats, for example, are heated and ventilated, while the driver additionally enjoys a leather-wrapped and heated steering wheel, plus an eight-way power-adjust seat with lumbar support. The seat trim isn’t just leather, either; it’s perforated leather.

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3) More Power

A new engine for the 2017 Toyota Highlander provides more power than the one it replaces. It's a new 3.5-liter V6 that generates 295 horsepower and 264 lb.-ft of torque, which helps endow the 2017 Highlander with a maximum tow rating of 5000 lb. Also new: an 8-speed automatic transmission paired with the V6.

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2) Entune Infotainment

The 2017 Toyota Highlander has the brand’s Entune infotainment technology right out of the box, supplying a 6.1-inch touchscreen along with Bluetooth for handsfree calling and audio streaming. A larger, 8-inch touchscreen supports the up-level trims, which can be ordered with navigation, premium audio, and the Toyota App Suite interface for mobile apps.

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1) More Standard Safety Technology

The new Safety Sense package gives the 2017 Toyota Highlander a major advantage in standard safety content. The suite of safety technologies is highlighted by a pre-collision system with automatic emergency braking and Pedestrian Detection. Also included are lane-departure alert with steering assistance, automatic high beams, and Toyota’s Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.

Read about the 17 Most Wanted Vehicles of 2016 for the full list of the 2017 Autobytel Car Buyer's Choice Award recipients.

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