2004 Toyota Highlander: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

More power and an available 3rd-row seat and curtain airbags headline Highlander's 2004 "midlife" update. This SUV offshoot of Toyota's Camry sedan shares underskin structure with the Lexus RX 330, a V6 5-passenger luxury SUV from Toyota's premium division. Highlander offers a base 4-cyl engine and now seats up to seven with a 2-passenger 3rd-row seat, which folds flush into the floor. The newly available curtain side airbags cover the 1st and 2nd seating rows and include front torso side airbags. For '04, V6 Highlanders swap a 220-hp 3.0-liter engine for the RX's 230-hp 3.3 and 5-speed automatic transmission. A 4-speed automatic remains mandatory with the 4 cyl, which adds 5 hp. Both engines team with front drive or all-wheel drive without low-range gearing. All models have antilock 4-wheel disc brakes and now antiskid/traction control, a former option. A tire-pressure monitor is also newly standard. Highlander also gets its first navigation and rear-seat DVD entertainment options, plus detail styling and suspension changes. Uplevel Limiteds now come on 17-inch alloy wheels vs. others models' 16-inch steel rims. Sunroof, leather upholstery, heated seats, and premium audio are available for all models. So are towing packages rated at 3000 lb with the 4-cyl engine, 3500 with V6.