Compare the2022 Toyota HighlanderVS 2022 Lexus RXL

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
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 RXL 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 RXL 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 RXL 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 RXL:

	Highlander	RXL
	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 RXL:

	Highlander	RXL
	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 RXL 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 RXL (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.

Engine

The Highlander’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 5 more horsepower (295 vs. 290) than the RX 350L’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Highlander is faster than the RX 350L 3.5 DOHC V6:

	Highlander	RXL
Zero to 60 MPH	7.2 sec	7.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.6 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.5 MPH	89.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Highlander
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	21 city/29 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
RXL
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy

Both the Highlander and the RXL 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 450hL 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 RXL:

	Highlander	RXL
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12.9 inches

The Highlander stops much shorter than the RXL:

	Highlander	RXL
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	133 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 RXL (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 RXL.

The Highlander XLE AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the RX 350L AWD pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Highlander XLE AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the RX 350L (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

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

Chassis

The Toyota Highlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 450 pounds less than the Lexus RXL.

Passenger Space

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the RXL can only carry 7.

The Highlander has 24.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the RXL (141.3 vs. 117).

The Highlander has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, .7 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 10.1 inches more rear legroom, 1.2 inches more rear hip room, .9 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.3 inches more third row headroom, 4.2 inches more third row legroom, 1.8 inches more third row hip room and 9.3 inches more third row shoulder room than the RXL.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Highlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The RXL’s third row seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the Highlander is 1.5 inches lower than the RXL (19” vs. 20.5”). The Highlander’s rear step up height is 1.6 inches lower than the RXL’s (19.2” vs. 20.8”).

Cargo Capacity

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

	Highlander	RXL
Behind Third Seat	16 cubic feet	7.5 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	23 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84.3 cubic feet	58.5 cubic feet

Towing

The Highlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RXL’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 RXL.

Ergonomics

The Highlander’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The RXL’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 RXL’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 RXL 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 RXL, 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 Series by over two to one during the 2021 model year.