2021 Toyota Highlander vs. 2021 Toyota 4Runner Comparison

It’d be easy to fall into the “almost-a-minivan” trap with a vehicle like the Highlander, but its 2020 redesign made it a little more butch looking, but also more bulbous. 2021’s sporty-looking XSE trim is a good addition. The interior is busy but handsome and features a mix of high-end materials and decent plastics.

The 4Runner’s high-function design looks ready for anything, just as a proper SUV with any measure of good off-road and poor-weather capabilities should. Its blocky design and squarish fender openings scream function over fashion. This basic 4Runner theme has lasted a long time partly because it fits the role so well.

The Highlander is available with either a 3.5-liter V6 or a hybrid powertrain with 2.5-liter four-cylinder and an electric motor. Both are buttery smooth and the V6 provides effortless power. The Hybrid isn’t quite as robust. Built to be a family hauler, but the Highlander is not a particularly engaging drive with either engine.

The 4Runner’s performance is judged by how it traverses the dirty off-road environment, plus the mean streets of suburbia. Off-road, it essentially matches Jeep levels of capability. On-road, it falls behind car-based crossover SUVs because of its more rudimentary suspension design, a requirement for that off-road prowess.

The Highlander’s cabin has a lot going on visually, particularly in its center stack, with an oddly-shaped housing and plenty of buttons, but it’s a nice place to spend time. The front seats are wide and well-padded, while the second-row’s bench or captain’s chairs offer great head and leg room for both adults and children in car seats.

Infotainment is all-new for 2020, including a new 8-inch touchscreen enabling Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Siri and Alexa compatibility. The 4Runner has a stark functionality to everything inside, with lots of little storage spaces and clearly marked controls.

With front-wheel drive and the V6 powertrain, the base-model Highlander L is rated at 21 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway and 24 combined, a hair above average for the class. Other V6 configurations, including AWD models, lose about 1 to 2 mpgs. The Hybrid fares much better, delivering 36 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 35 mpg combined with all-wheel drive.

The 4Runner does not sip fuel like a tiny car. It’s relatively heavy, has lots of mechanical things to whir about when fitted with four-wheel drive and it’s challenged aerodynamically. Hence, it carries a combined EPA estimate of 17 mpg.

Toyota upgraded the safety system on the Highlander lineup to its TSS 2.5+ suite of advanced drivers-assistance safety tech for 2021, which includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection and new enhanced intersection support as well as emergency steering assist. It also has road sign assistance, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance and automatic high beams. The inclusion of tech helped the Highlander earn a Top Safety Pick + designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The NHSTA awarded the 4Runner a five-star overall rating. It also received active safety features as standard equipment for 2020. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety last tested it in 2014 (the current vehicle is virtually the same from a crash perspective), giving it “Good” scores for four Crashworthiness ratings, but a “Marginal” score for overlapping frontal impacts on the driver’s side.