For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Chrysler Voyager doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.
With its standard Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, the Toyota Highlander is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Chrysler Voyager, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
| |
Highlander |
Voyager |
| Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
| |
Crossing Child - DAY |
|
| 12 MPH |
AVOIDED |
AVOIDED |
| 25 MPH |
-22 MPH |
-4 MPH |
| |
Crossing Adult - NIGHT |
|
| 12 MPH Brights |
AVOIDED |
AVOIDED |
| 12 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
AVOIDED |
| 25 MPH Brights |
AVOIDED |
AVOIDED |
| 25 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
-6 MPH |
| |
Parallel Adult - NIGHT |
|
| 25 MPH Brights |
AVOIDED |
AVOIDED |
| 25 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
-1 MPH |
| 37 MPH Brights |
-25 MPH |
-22 MPH |
| Warning Issued-Brights |
2 sec |
1.4 sec |
| 37 MPH Low beams |
-25 MPH |
No Slowing |
| Warning Issued-Low beams |
2 sec |
No Warning |
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 Voyager 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.
To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Highlander. But it costs extra on the Voyager.
When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Highlander’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Voyager doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.
The Highlander (except XLE/XSE) offers an optional Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Voyager only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.
The Toyota Highlander’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Chrysler Voyager does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.
Both the Highlander and Voyager have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Highlander Limited/Platinum has Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Voyager’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.
The Highlander’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Voyager doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
The Highlander has standard Safety Connect™, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Voyager doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.
Both the Highlander and the Voyager have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.
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 Chrysler Voyager:
| |
Highlander |
Voyager |
| |
Front Seat |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| HIC |
55 |
72 |
| Chest Movement |
.3 inches |
1 inches |
| Abdominal Force |
79 lbs. |
149 lbs. |
| Hip Force |
300 lbs. |
395 lbs. |
| |
Rear Seat |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| Spine Acceleration |
37 G’s |
54 G’s |
| Hip Force |
152 lbs. |
764 lbs. |
| |
Into Pole |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| Spine Acceleration |
41 G’s |
50 G’s |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Voyager:
| |
Highlander |
Voyager |
| Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
| Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| |
Driver Injury Measures |
|
| Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Head Injury Criterion |
71 |
167 |
| Neck Tension |
156 lbs. |
335 lbs. |
| Torso |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Shoulder Deflection |
.51 in |
.94 in |
| Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| |
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
| Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Neck Tension |
67 lbs. |
112 lbs. |
| Torso |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
| Shoulder Deflection |
1.06 in |
1.1 in |
| Shoulder Force |
357 lbs. |
424 lbs. |
| Torso Max Deflection |
1.1 in |
1.97 in |
| Torso Deflection Rate |
6 MPH |
12 MPH |
| Pelvis |
GOOD |
POOR |
| Pelvis Force |
201 lbs. |
1450 lbs. |
| Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |

