When it comes to safety, vehicle manufacturers go all out – and for good reason. Statistics show that buyers are willing to shell out more hard-earned dollars for a car or truck with high safety standards. If a 2020 Toyota Highlander is on your wish list, you’ll be glad to know that it receives consistent superior safety ratings from industry experts.
How safe is the 2020 Toyota Highlander?
The 2020 Toyota Highlander SuperCrew received a 5-Star Overall Safety Rating from the NHTSA and the highest score of “Good” by the IIHS. Combine that with 4.90-Star Owner and 4.6/10 Expert Review Rating from Vehicle History for a pretty impressive combination.
Crash testing is a sure-fire way to gauge a vehicle’s safety in extreme circumstances. But it’s not the only criteria to use, especially when determining safety in everyday driving scenarios. Read on as we explore this super important part of buying a new vehicle.
2020 Toyota Highlander Crash Test Rating
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Test/Results
The 2020 Toyota Highlander fared very well in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) safety rating, as it usually does. It earned a Top Safety Pick award when equipped with specified headlights. It scooped up all six “Good” designations for crashworthiness, which is the highest possible rating. Certain trim levels got “Average” and “Poor” ratings for headlight issues such as poor visibility and excessive glare.
The IIHS took other safety features in consideration when issuing the overall “Good” designation, including the Highlander’s standard daytime running lights and standard daytime running lights and optional blind-spot detection, as well standard lane-departure warning and prevention. The child seat anchors received their own “Good” accolades for the LATCH ease of use.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Test/Results
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) bequeathed its highest number of 5 overall stars to the 2020 Toyota Highlander. That’s impressive by anyone’s standards, but it doesn’t mean every category got the perfect thumbs-up.
All side crash tests from the NHTSA came out on top with 5 stars, but the Toyota Highlander dipped to 4 stars for frontal crash testing on both the driver and front passenger sides. The rollover resistance test, which gauges the risk of a rollover when losing control of the vehicle, also received 4 stars. The Highlander clocked in with a 16.40-percent rollover risk.
2020 Toyota Highlander Available Safety Tech
Toyota made sure that every 2020 Toyota Highlander arrived at its new home with the acclaimed Safety Sense 2.0 (TSS 2.0) advanced driving assistance system. It comes standard regardless of which trim level you choose. The base Highlander L is the only trim that doesn’t also include blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning.
Here’s What You Get with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 System:
- Pre-Collision System (PCS), which includes daytime or low-light detection of both vehicles and pedestrians as well as daytime bicycle detection. The system employs a camera and a grille-mounted radar system to help you avoid a frontal collision.
- Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) or Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), is a highway tool that uses a forward-facing camera and radar to pick up on vehicles directly in front of you. It then adjusts the speed of the Highlander to keep the right amount of distance between the two of you. It can operate at speeds up to 110 mph.
- Lane Departure Alert (LDA) with Steering Assist and Road Edge Detection. This feature alerts you when it notices lane departures that seem unintentional. It applies subtle corrections to keep the Highlander in its current lane. It works by using a camera to detect lane markings, curbs and edges of the road.
- Automatic High Beams (AHB) give you clear eyesight when driving in the dark by automatically going back and forth between the high and low beams of your Highlander. They also reduce glare to oncoming drivers.
- Road Sign Assist (RSA) is a handy tool that reads road signs as you approach them and pops them up on the multi-information display (MID) in front of you. It has the ability to read speed limits, do-not-enter signs, and stop and yield signs.
- Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) uses a camera to monitor visibly marked lanes and keep you centered in your chosen lane. It can also monitor the vehicle in front of you.
In addition to the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 system, the 2020 Highlander comes with a complementary year of the Safety Connect Service. With that comes automatic notification of a collision and emergency SOS calling.
People Also Ask
Here’s What Other People Also Ask About the 2020 Toyota Highlander:
Is the 2020 Toyota Highlander reliable?
Consumer Reports awarded the 2020 Toyota Highlander a relatively high score of 86 out of 100, and most owner reviews consider it a reliable vehicle. The predicted reliability score from J.D. Power at the time of release was four out of five stars.
Does the 2020 Toyota Highlander have any recalls?
By November of 2020, the NHTSA had issued two recalls for the Toyota Highlander. The first was for specific Highlanders with a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine. A fuel supply programming error fuel could potentially hinder the supply of fuel supplied to the engine. The second recall addressed a problem with the seat-mounted side airbag, which risked improper deployment because of the wrong seat trim covers.
How Much Does a 2020 Toyota Highlander cost?
At the time of release, the starting price for the 2020 Toyota Highlander was $34,600 MSRP for the Highlander L four-wheel-drive trim level. When springing for the higher-end Highlander Platinum all-wheel-drive trim, buyers faced a sticker price of $48,800.
