What’s The Difference Between The Toyota Highlander LE And XLE Trims?

Toyota has a lot of SUVs in its ineup, ranging from the small and affordable options like the Corolla Cross, all the way up to the big truck-based Sequoia we reviewed earlier this year. Larger than the average two-row SUV, but smaller than the Sequoia (about 14 inches shorter from nose to tail) is the Toyota Highlander. 

The Highlander is a three-row family SUV offered in a number of configurations and trim levels, and with all that selection, it can be tough to figure out what’s what. There’s also an available Highlander Hybrid that mirrors a lot of the standard Highlander’s features, and a larger Grand Highlander that earned high scores in our review this year. That’s a lot to sort out, so, for simplicity’s sake, we’ll stick to the standard Highlander here.

Essentially, the LE and the XLE are the two base trims on the Highlander. Both trims get a decent amount of standard equipment, and they’re reasonably priced, but the biggest difference is that the LE seats eight passengers, while the XLE seats seven. Above those trims are the XSE, Limited, and Platinum trims that get all sorts of additional creature comforts. 

With the base trims, there’s a fair amount of standard equipment, a strong list of driver aids, and a robust engine — a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, making 256 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque — a good start for this family SUV. 

Starting price for the Highlander LE is $41,815 (including the $1,495 destination fee). That’s the price for the front-wheel drive model, but all-wheel drive is available as a $1,600 option. The LE is available exclusively with space for eight passengers, two standard captain’s chairs up front, and two rows of three-wide benches in the rear. On the outside, the LE has painted 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, taillights, and fog lights, a power liftgate, and a few options for standard colors without any additional cost. All-wheel drive versions also add mudflaps to both the front and rear wheel arches. Interior colors are pretty limited though – only Graphite and Black are available on the LE.

On the inside, LE models get a leather-wrapped shifter and steering wheel, Bluetooth phone connectivity, tri-zone automatic climate control, and 14 cupholders for all your extraneous hydration needs. The standard 8-inch infotainment screen is relatively small, but it includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a three-month subscription to SiriusXM, and five USB ports throughout the cabin for charging your devices. 

An impressive number of driver safety aids come standard on the LE trim via Toyota’s Safety Sense system, including adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, pre-collision with pedestrian detection, road sign assist, hill-start assist, auto high beams, and more.

MSRP for the Highlander XLE is $44,965. That’s an increase of $3,150 over the base LE, so what does it add? FWD is still standard, and AWD is optional, but the passenger configuration changes a bit. The XLE comes standard with a seven-passenger seating configuration. The second row has captain’s chairs, which makes it a bit easier to climb into the third row, but with the drawback of decreased passenger capacity. Thankfully, you can add the bench seat back in at no additional cost.

Compared to the base LE, the XLE also adds machined finish 18-inch wheels, a hands-free liftgate, roof rails, an upgraded SofTex upholstery, heated front seats, 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support, wireless smartphone charging, a power moonroof, second-row sunshades for the windows, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Unfortunately, the XLE doesn’t come standard with the larger 12.3-inch center touchscreen display like the Highlander Limited and Platinum models, but it can be added in as an option for an additional $735. If you want premium features like the 11-speaker JBL stereo, ventilated front seats, or the 10-inch heads-up display, those features are exclusive to the top three trim levels: XSE, Limited, and Platinum.