Compare the2022 Toyota HighlanderVS 2022 Lexus RX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Highlander are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The RX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Highlander has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The RX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Highlander and the RX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Lexus RX:

	Highlander	RX
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
Neck Stress	347 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	55 lbs.	60 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	321/243 lbs.	433/719 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28.4%	40.1%
Neck Stress	179 lbs.	267 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Lexus RX:

	Highlander	RX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	79 G’s	110 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	114	165
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	152 lbs.	594 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	664 lbs.	685 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Highlander its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 73 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The RX is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2021.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander for 1 year and 15000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the RX (2/25000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 5 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Highlander’s warranty.

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lexus vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Lexus is ranked third.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Highlander gets better mileage than the RX:

			MPG
Highlander
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	21 city/29 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
RX
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

Both the Highlander and the RX Hybrid have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stop lights and heavy traffic. All Highlanders have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Highlander uses regular unleaded gasoline. The RX 450h requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Highlander’s brake rotors are larger than those on the RX:

	Highlander	RX
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12.9 inches

The Highlander stops shorter than the RX:

	Highlander	RX
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	123 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Highlander’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the RX (112.2 inches vs. 109.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Highlander is .9 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the RX.

The Highlander’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55% to 45%) than the RX’s (57% to 43%). This gives the Highlander more stable handling and braking.

The Highlander XLE AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the RX 450h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Highlander’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the RX’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

Passenger Space

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the RX can only carry 5.

The Highlander has 1.8 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 3 inches more rear legroom, .9 inches more rear hip room and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the RX.

Cargo Capacity

The Highlander’s cargo area provides more volume than the RX.

	Highlander	RX
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	16 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84.3 cubic feet	32.6 cubic feet

Towing

The Highlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RX’s (5000 vs. 0 pounds).

A Trailer Sway Control (TSC) is standard on the Highlander, using the Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the RX.

Ergonomics

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Highlander’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the RX’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Highlander is less expensive to operate than the RX because it costs $182 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Highlander than the RX, including $890 less for a water pump, $458 less for a muffler, $83 less for front brake pads, $236 less for a starter, $26 less for front struts, $250 less for a timing belt/chain and $1780 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Lexus RX by over two to one during the 2021 model year.