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Toyota updated the Highlander SUV for 2023 with a new engine, some new safety features, and more. But, critically, it kept the price down for the new version of the popular, reliable, Highlander. The new base price is $36,420, which is a slight increase over the $35,855 base price of the 2022 version. How much are the 2023 Highlander trims?

What trims are available on the 2023 Highlander?

2023 Highlander in blue from the top
The 2023 Toyota Highlander | Toyota

The new 2203 Highlander comes in seven trim levels, starting with the L version. While the L is basic, it’s not spartan. It has a power driver’s seat, smart key, Toyota Safety Sense, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen. The LE adds a power liftgate and LED headlights for $38,820, while the $41,820 XLE Adds wireless charging and heated front seats. Unlike the 4Runner, the Highlander has a spacious third row back seat.

From there, the XSE, Limited, and Platinum all add a ton of goodies. The $49,275 Platinum is the most expensive Highlander. It includes a panoramic glass roof, 20-inch wheels, leather-trimmed (and heated) first and second-row seats, and premium sound. The Bronze Edition appearance package includes most of what you get on the XSE, but with unique graphics and bronze-colored wheels.

The Highlander Hybrid is still available

Two 2023 Toyota Higlanders
2023 Toyota Highlander | Toyota

The 2023 Highlander Hybrid returns with the same specs as the 2022 version. It is, however, a premium over the base Highlander, but it does come standard with all-wheel drive. A Front-wheel drive version is The Hybrid uses an electric motor and a fuel-saving gas engine to produce a combined 243 horsepower and good miles per gallon.

The two-wheel drive Hybrid LE version starts at $40,220. The all-wheel drive version uses the same engine but starts at $41,820.

What engine does the new 2023 Toyota Highlander have?

2023 Toyota Highlander parked inside an art gallery
2023 Toyota Highlander | Toyota

The new 2023 Highlander loses two cylinders, but gains a turbocharger. The V6 is gone, and we’re fine with that because the new engine has more torque. The new highlander may have fewer ponies, with just 265 compared to the 2022’s 295, but the torque figure is now up to 310 lb.-ft from 263. That means you’ll likely see more off-the-line grunt from the new engine while getting better fuel economy. The Highlander, too, uses a more traditional eight-speed automatic, instead of the frustrating variable transmissions that many of its competitors use.

The XSE gets a unique suspension

Two 2023 Toyota Higlanders
2023 Toyota Highlander | Toyota

The XSE version, which starts at $43,415, gets a new suspension system that lets it hug the road a bit better than its taller cousins. It gets retuned shocks, springs, and a stabilizer bar. Other versions, however, get multi-terrain select and other drive modes to tackle everything from winter show to mud, rocks and dirt, and pavement.

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Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.