Compare the2023 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
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 and rear 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 lbs.	110 lbs.
	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 performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Highlander its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The RXL last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Lexus is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lexus vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Lexus is ranked second.

Engine

The Highlander’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 47 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 263) than the RX 350L’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Highlander
	FWD	2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
RXL
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy

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

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.

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 24.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the RXL (141.8 vs. 117).

The Highlander has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 7.8 inches more rear legroom, 1.2 inches more rear hip room, 1.3 inches more third row headroom, 4.5 inches more third row legroom and 1.8 inches more third row hip 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.

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 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.”

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Highlander and the Lexus RXL, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Lexus RX by over two to one during 2022.