2023 Toyota Highlander Towing Capacity

The 2023 Toyota Highlander is a stylish midsize three-row SUV that offers drivers from Tyler, Texas, refined performance, a comfortable ride, and plenty of space for passengers and cargo. When you need to haul even more gear, such as a trailer, boat, jet skis, or ATV, the Highlander can tow up to 5,000 pounds, meaning you don’t have to leave anyone or anything behind on your adventures.

You also get a choice of a gutsy V-6 gas engine or a frugal hybrid powertrain, and you can opt for front- or all-wheel drive. Let’s take a look at the capability and features that makes a Highlander from Classic Toyota of Tyler the perfect all-round vehicle for your family.

Trim Levels

For 2023, the gasoline-powered Toyota Highlander is available in L, LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum trim levels. Every well-appointed trim offers model-specific details and increasing levels of comfort and features. If you opt for the Highlander with the available hybrid powertrain, you can choose from the LE, XLE, Limited, and Platinum models. Additionally, for this model year, the Highlander hybrid is offered in the limited Bronze Edition trim, which features unique interior and exterior styling cues.

Superb Power and Capability

Standard power for the Highlander is provided by a refined 3.5-liter V-6 engine that delivers 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a slick-shifting electronically controlled eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, or you can opt for all-wheel drive.

The V-6 powertrain gives your Highlander an impressive towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. This SUV also offers excellent fuel efficiency. With the stop and start engine system, the Highlander can achieve up to 21 mpg in the city, while highway driving will reward you with up to 29 mpg.

Under the hood of Highlander hybrid models is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. On front-wheel drive models, the engine is mated with two front-mounted synchronous electric motors. With the available electronic on-demand all-wheel-drive system, an additional electric motor is mounted on the rear axle. The continuously variable transmission ensures seamless gear shifts.

With its total power output of 243 horsepower, the Highlander hybrid has a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds, and offers outstanding fuel economy. When you’re navigating the Tyler city streets, you’ll get up to 36 mpg, while heading out on the East Texas highways will give you up to 35 mpg, meaning fewer stops at the gas station.

Performance and Trailering Features

Helping keep you on track in the Highlander are standard enhanced features, including vehicle stability control, traction control, hill-start control, and trailer sway control for safer towing. The anti-lock braking system features electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, and smart stop technology. Hybrid models add electronically controlled braking.

The Highlander’s three drive modes enable you to tailor the driving dynamics to your driving style. Choose the normal mode to combine performance and economy, ECO mode for maximum fuel economy or sport mode to unleash the car’s spirit for sharper performance. The Highlander Hybrid also has an EV mode, which enables you to drive short distances on pure electric power.

All-wheel-drive Highlander models also offer downhill assist control and Multi-Terrain Select with mud and sand, rock and dirt, and normal modes for optimal traction on most surfaces. The available dynamic torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system improves the Highlander’s responsiveness and stability by sending power to the wheels that most need it.

Passenger and Cargo Capacity

The Highlander’s spacious and versatile cabin enables you to maximize your passenger and cargo capacity. It seats up to eight people, or seven with the available second-row captain’s chairs. With a full load of passengers, you have 16 cubic feet of luggage space behind the third-row seats. Folding down the third row gives you 48.4 cubic feet.

When you’re hauling more gear than people, folding the 60/40-split second and third rows creates an impressive 84.3-cubic-foot cargo area. If that’s still not enough, you can load up a trailer and take advantage of the Highlander’s standard towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds, or 3,500 pounds for the hybrid model.

Helping keep your passengers comfortable, however long the journey, is the standard three-zone automatic climate control with its separate second-row control panel. The XLE and up offer heated front seats, while the Limited trim adds ventilated front seats and the Platinum trim has heated second-row seats.

Safety Features

To help keep you and your family safe on the road, the Highlander comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense suite of driver assistance features. These include dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert, lane tracing assist, road sign assist, automatic high beams, and a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection. You also get a standard individual tire pressure monitoring system. Limited and Platinum trims add a front and rear parking assistance system with automatic braking.

Technology

Whether you’re running local errands or heading out on a road trip from Tyler, Lindale, or Longview, the Highlander’s infotainment system keeps your family connected and entertained. It features an 8-inch touch screen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon Alexa compatibility, a Wi-Fi hot spot, and Bluetooth for media streaming and hands-free calling.

With up to five USB ports and two 12-volt power outlets, everyone can keep their devices charged and connected. The six-speaker audio system comes with a 3-month trial subscription for SiriusXM satellite radio.

Stepping up to the Highlander Limited trim gets you a configurable 7-inch digital instrument cluster, a dynamic navigation system, a 120-volt power outlet, a wireless smartphone charger, and an 11-speaker JBL audio system for stunning sound reproduction. This model also features Driver Easy Speak, which allows you to talk to rear-seat passengers through the audio speakers.

The Platinum trim further adds a 12-inch touch screen for seamless connectivity. The top-of-the-range Highlander also offers a head-up display, a digital rearview mirror, and a surround-view camera system.

Have we whetted your appetite for the superb 2023 Toyota Highlander SUV? If so, come visit us at our conveniently located Classic Toyota dealership in Tyler, Texas, to take a closer look, and schedule a test drive! Alternatively, contact us by phone or via the website, and we’ll be happy to arrange a test drive for you.

Image by Gabriel Tovar Licensed by Unsplash