The Toyota Highlander has been a titan of sales to soccer moms and families for years. Now, there is a new version of the Highlander, the Bronze Edition, starting at $43,880.

Bronze edition exclusives and other standard equipment

The Bronze edition is new for 2022 and builds off the popular XLE Hybrid trim. Some exclusives for the Bronze Edition are Cement color paint, 18-inch bronze wheels, bronze interior stitching, illuminated door sills, and unique floor mats and seats.

Standard equipment for the Bronze Edition includes an automatic power-lift gate, rain-sensing wipers, puddle lamps, 1500 Watt outlets, a 10-way memory driver's seat, ambient lighting, and a digital rear-view mirror.

The XSE trim and those above it come standard with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon Alexa, as well as the option for a 1,200 Watt 11-speaker sound system from JBL.

Safety tech

The 2022 Highlander will come standard with "Toyota Safety Sense," or a suite of safety tech. This suite, of course, includes several systems that do various things.

The pre-collision system that focuses on detecting pedestrians has been programmed to work better at intersections. In addition, the suite will also include road sign assist, "Dynamic Radar Cruise Control," every lane-keeping assist feature available, and automatic high beams.

The Highlander also has a birds-eye view display that can show the entire car and its surroundings to give the driver a better sense of where everything is. As well as 8 airbags, several of which are win the side curtains.

Driving and power

One of the drivetrains is a 3.5-liter V-6 that is capable of 295 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque with VVT-I mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The other option is the hybrid, which is the only option for the Bronze Edition. That power train is comprised of a DOHC 2.5-liter 4-cylinder and two electric motors with a combined output of 243 horsepower. The hybrid is rated at 36 combined MPG and 3,500lb towing capacity. Toyota claims the battery is small enough to fit under the rear seats and does not eat up any interior space.

The V-6 models can be had with either front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, whereas the hybrid versions are exclusively offered with all-wheel-drive. That all-wheel-drive system is torque vectoring and can send up to 50% of the power to the rear.

Trim levels and pricing

The base Highlander, the L, starts at $35,205 for the FWD version, and the top trim level, the Hybrid Platinum, starts at $50,960 for the AWD version

2022 Toyota Highlander prices

Highlander L

$35,205 FWD/$36,805 AWD

Highlander LE

$37,405 FWD/$39,005 AWD

Highlander XLE

$40,405 FWD/$42,005 AWD

Highlander XSE

$42,00 FWD/$43,950 AWD

Highlander Limited

$44,360 FWD/$46,310 AWD

Highlander Platinum

$47,560 FWD/$49,510 AWD

Highlander Hybrid LE

$38,855 FWD/$40,455 AWD

Highlander Hybrid XLE

$41,855 FWD/$43,455 AWD

Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition

$43,880 FWD/$45,480 AWD

Highlander Hybrid Limited

$45,810 FWD/$47,760 AWD

Highlander Hybrid Platinum

$49,010 FWD/$50,960 AWD


Warranty and Maintenance

As this is a Toyota SUV, it will more than likely be quite reliable. However, Toyota still offers several warranties for the Highlander.

There is a 36-month/36,000 mile warranty covering all components, a 60,000-mile warranty covers the powertrain and a 60-month warranty covers all corrosion with no mileage limit. Components necessary for the hybrid system are covered for defects for 8-years/100,000 miles. Additionally, The battery itself is covered for 10 years/150,000 miles.

ToyotaCare is also available which covers normal factory-scheduled maintenance, for two years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, and 2 years of Roadside Assistance with unlimited milage.