2020 Highlander earns IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK

3407 Views 24 Replies 12 Participants Last post by StatCoder, Apr 16, 2020

RAYDAHS

Discussion Starter · Mar 26, 2020

www.iihs.org

2020 Toyota Highlander 4-door SUV

2020 Toyota Highlander 4-door SUV - midsize SUV

www.iihs.org

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toto

· #2 · Mar 27, 2020

But not Top Safety Pick +.

The headlights got very different ratings based on trim level. The headlights are rated Poor on L through XLE trim levels, Acceptable on Limited, and Good only for Platinum.

Crash test ratings are all Good, and the Front Crash Prevention tests are all Superior.

Overall, a great test result, but too bad the headlights are so inconsistent across trims.

got-rice

· #3 · Mar 27, 2020 (Edited)

toto said:
But not Top Safety Pick +.

The headlights got very different ratings based on trim level. The headlights are rated Poor on L through XLE trim levels, Acceptable on Limited, and Good only for Platinum.

Crash test ratings are all Good, and the Front Crash Prevention tests are all Superior.

Overall, a great test result, but too bad the headlights are so inconsistent across trims.

The Palisade, Telluride, Ascent, Pilot and CX-9 all were TSPs as well. The non-Asian brands didn't get it.

2020 Toyota Highlander Earns 2nd Highest Safety Award

The all-new 2020 Toyota Highlander has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) second-highest safety rating. The midsize SUV matches the same safety rating

www.carsdirect.com

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toto

· #4 · Mar 27, 2020

Surprisingly, no, the 2020 Pilot didn't get TSP. The VW Tiguan is the only European model to get TSP in the mid-size SUV group, and Ford Edge is the only "domestic" model. Nobody got TSP+ in that group, presumably because of cheaper headlights on lower trims (I didn't dig into each one to check). To get TSP+ for 2020, in addition to high ratings in other areas, the headlights must be Acceptable or Good on all trim levels. The mid-size luxury SUV group has several TSP+ winners, but not Lexus RX, again for the headlights.

I really thought that with a redesign for 2020, Highlander would pass all of the tests easily. I guess the new headlight standards really add that much cost to the car to have a noticeable effect on the price tag on lower trims?!?

2023 IIHS Top Safety Picks

These vehicles earn top marks in 2023 IIHS evaluations.

www.iihs.org

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dmody91

· #5 · Mar 27, 2020

Damn I don’t get why the headlights are not excellent. We upgraded from a base model edge and I think the head lights are 100 times better than those (they were non his/led) My DD is a 2010 ISF and those have hid’s and are pretty good but these are better.

toto

· #6 · Mar 27, 2020

For L - XLE, it looks like the test results showed that the lights projected far enough straight ahead to meet their standards but with too much glare. Going around turns, they don't cover enough distance, but I don't see how you could meet the distance requirement without an adaptive system that will aim more light in the direction you're heading. (That's how Platinum got a Good rating.)

The 2019 scored Acceptable on headlights for all trim levels. They didn't complain about as much glare on that one.

The crash test ratings for 2020 are Good all across the board, while 2019 got a lesser rating in the small front overlap test.

IIHS is definitely raising the bar, which I think is a good thing.

Reactions: 1

MarkRosemean

· #7 · Mar 27, 2020 (Edited)

toto said:
Going around turns, they don't cover enough distance, but I don't see how you could meet the distance requirement without an adaptive system that will aim more light in the direction you're heading.

A wider static beam pattern, specifically, a wider hotspot in the static beam pattern.

mikestoyota

· #8 · Mar 28, 2020

If Toyota is paying attention to test like this, you would think it would be a easy fix
for models coming off the line today.

ncee

· #9 · Mar 28, 2020

These (Headlights) and many other change should be coming sooner than later, IF Toyota is paying any attention to the competition, mainly Kia / Hyundai, which at least from aesthetics both inside and out seem to be catching the eyes and hears of a lot of folks. In my opinion, if Toyota doesn't try to catch up soon, they may get so far behind, it will take one hell of an upgrade on any one model to catch up or leap ahead.

Any company can be 1 maybe 2 steps behind and catch up, but 3, 4, 5 or more steps is very hard, and while they have a great reputation, that along won't allow them to grow or maintain the #1 spot and won't matter, if they aren't selling many.

Yes it will be interesting to see what the next year or 2 bring from all these companies, but it looks like it's Toyota that will need to start catching up, a place they aren't real familiar with.

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toto

· #10 · Mar 28, 2020 (Edited)

Kia / Hyundai didn't do any better on the test, so you can argue that Toyota is keeping up.
Telluride was rated Acceptable on headlights on SX trim, and Poor on the others.
Palisade was rated Good on headlights for Limited and for SEL with an option package, and Marginal on the other trims.
They also got dinged for the ease-of-use (or lack thereof) on the LATCH anchors.

I still say that Toyota is finally on par with everybody else in this market segment for the moment. Nobody is really behind, and nobody is really outstanding. There's a lot of buzz about the "Korea twins" around here, but I don't see them leading the pack. They jumped into a competitive market with a good product at a good price, but I don't think they're any better or worse than anyone else, just different.

Will the same be true in a year or two? Who knows? Toyota is sometimes slow to adapt to changes around them, especially when it comes to tech. They tend to catch up in spurts with re-designs or mid-generation updates rather than a steady evolution from year to year.

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dklanecky

· #11 · Mar 28, 2020

ncee said:
These (Headlights) and many other change should be coming sooner than later, IF Toyota is paying any attention to the competition, mainly Kia / Hyundai, which at least from aesthetics both inside and out seem to be catching the eyes and hears of a lot of folks. In my opinion, if Toyota doesn't try to catch up soon, they may get so far behind, it will take one hell of an upgrade on any one model to catch up or leap ahead.

Any company can be 1 maybe 2 steps behind and catch up, but 3, 4, 5 or more steps is very hard, and while they have a great reputation, that along won't allow them to grow or maintain the #1 spot and won't matter, if they aren't selling many.

Yes it will be interesting to see what the next year or 2 bring from all these companies, but it looks like it's Toyota that will need to start catching up, a place they aren't real familiar with.

We specifically went in to buy a high end trim RAV4 or HL in December 2018, and ended up with an Avalon Limited for significantly less money, and got a lot more content.

IMO, Toyota is only including higher end content where they have to (or want to) in order to gain/protect market share. Example, on the 2019 Avalon redesign, the Limited and Touring interiors are great (again IMO) relative to the lower XLE models. Very fashionable colors and style, and an almost luxury experience. The same headlight issue exists too between the lower models and the higher end models.

IMO, they did that because they sense an opportunity for more market share in a generally declining market (sedans-cars). They know people will buy the HL and RAV4 for their reliablilty almost blindly because its a Toyota. The Korean twins are messing with the plan though for all manufacturers and if they can ever get their dealership experience anywhere near the Toyota dealership experience, then Toyota may have a problem.

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toto

· #12 · Mar 28, 2020

^ I'd agree with that comment about driven by market share. 2020 Highlander is fairly competitive in its class for now, but other Toyota models lack a lot of features until they're being pushed by competition. Heck, the Tacoma didn't even have auto-locking doors until 2016. That's been common on every other Toyota product I've owned for a long time. But wait - there's a resurgence in competition now in mid-size pickups, so wow, Tacoma has finally gotten some big changes. Tacoma even got Entune 3.0, the connected services, and LED headlights for 2020 without a redesign. Current designs for the 4Runner, Tundra, Sequoia, and even Land Cruiser are pretty dated now. It's crazy that the $85K+ Land Cruiser doesn't have Entune 3.0 and connected services and a lot of the other things on a Highlander Platinum.

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Hawk7

· #13 · Mar 28, 2020

toto said:
^ I'd agree with that comment about driven by market share. 2020 Highlander is fairly competitive in its class for now, but other Toyota models lack a lot of features until they're being pushed by competition. Heck, the Tacoma didn't even have auto-locking doors until 2016. That's been common on every other Toyota product I've owned for a long time. But wait - there's a resurgence in competition now in mid-size pickups, so wow, Tacoma has finally gotten some big changes. Tacoma even got Entune 3.0, the connected services, and LED headlights for 2020 without a redesign. Current designs for the 4Runner, Tundra, Sequoia, and even Land Cruiser are pretty dated now. It's crazy that the $85K+ Land Cruiser doesn't have Entune 3.0 and connected services and a lot of the other things on a Highlander Platinum.

I completely agree. Toyota makes quality and reliable vehicles, but they're far too conservative on introducing creature comforts into their vehicle lineup. Look how long it took to get Apple Carplay and Android Auto into Lexus/Toyota vehicles. I've had this argument before with people here on TN and other Toyota enthusiast forums, and some come back with, "Well, I'd rather have a reliable vehicle with fewer features as that's just more stuff that can go wrong." I mean, I get it, but I hope that you're buying the entry level trim then... (and of course based upon their sigs, none of said posters did... It's always either a top-end or near top-end trim model).

I'm not expecting some Mercedes navigation system with augmented reality GPS navigation and real-time camera with arrow instructions on the GPS screen.... Or, a LCD dash that goes from the driver's dash all the way to the GPS. I'm not expecting like some 18" LCD screen in portrait mode like Tesla or Ford Explorer. But, I think the Android Auto/Apple CarPlay just coming to Toyota in 2020 (Maybe lexus had Carplay for a few years... I don't follow them that closely)... it's just sad.... and there's almost a certain arrogance from Toyota management that consumers will continue to buy their cars up lacking something like Android Auto that American makers with cars half or 1/3 of Lexus/Toyota's will have.

But, it's my fault as well for this conundrum as I still buy despite all of this.

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MarkRosemean

· #14 · Mar 28, 2020 (Edited)

toto said:
Kia / Hyundai didn't do any better on the test, so you can argue that Toyota is keeping up.
Telluride was rated Acceptable on headlights on SX trim, and Poor on the others.
Palisade was rated Good on headlights for Limited and for SEL with an option package, and Marginal on the other trims.

Pretty disappointing the Telluride and Palisade didn't do better.

The Hyundai Kona blows away the competition so bad, it's not even funny. We're talking about near high-beam levels of illumination on the low-beam, with glare 100% in check. It even stomps on the 2020 Mercedes E-class with a Premium II option package.

For reference, here is a 2020 Mercedes E-Class with the $5000 Premium II package:

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lloyd123

· #15 · Mar 28, 2020

Here's an animated gif for comparison. Biggest difference I can see is the curve adaptive feature for the Platinum.

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StatCoder

· #16 · Mar 29, 2020 (Edited)

I love the tech and am upgrading a 3rd gen to 4th gen soon but am always struck by how little attention is paid to it by the average buyer. Toyota sells some 250K Highlanders per year yet where is the discussion about the 4th gen other than a dozen or so posts per day here? If there is somewhere else, online, that Highlander buyers are discussing the new Highlander then I’m missing it.

Most people buy their cars like I buy a new TV. The brands and models obviously have a lot of differentiating technology but I don’t think about it, at all, until the time comes. If it’s an emergency, like my TV broke or the it’s just the right time then I’m at the store or online looking at screen size and pricing among a few brand names I’ve heard of and trying to see if it’s 4K or OLED or whatever. I have no idea if I’m buying this years or last year’s model or when the new ones come out. If I have a little more time, I might delve into some general reviews but I’m not going to wait for any new model that comes out because of the tech. I’m more likely to look at last year’s model to save some bucks on the older tech. After the purchase, I don’t think about TV tech for a few years.

Toyota and Apple are somewhat similar in that they aren’t the most technologically innovative anymore but are, nevertheless, market share leaders who thrive on customer loyalty and command a price premium for all of their products. Their brands are aspirational - people like what the brands represent.

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got-rice

· #17 · Mar 29, 2020

Hawk7 said:
I completely agree. Toyota makes quality and reliable vehicles, but they're far too conservative on introducing creature comforts into their vehicle lineup. Look how long it took to get Apple Carplay and Android Auto into Lexus/Toyota vehicles. I've had this argument before with people here on TN and other Toyota enthusiast forums, and some come back with, "Well, I'd rather have a reliable vehicle with fewer features as that's just more stuff that can go wrong." I mean, I get it, but I hope that you're buying the entry level trim then... (and of course based upon their sigs, none of said posters did... It's always either a top-end or near top-end trim model).

I'm not expecting some Mercedes navigation system with augmented reality GPS navigation and real-time camera with arrow instructions on the GPS screen.... Or, a LCD dash that goes from the driver's dash all the way to the GPS. I'm not expecting like some 18" LCD screen in portrait mode like Tesla or Ford Explorer. But, I think the Android Auto/Apple CarPlay just coming to Toyota in 2020 (Maybe lexus had Carplay for a few years... I don't follow them that closely)... it's just sad.... and there's almost a certain arrogance from Toyota management that consumers will continue to buy their cars up lacking something like Android Auto that American makers with cars half or 1/3 of Lexus/Toyota's will have.

But, it's my fault as well for this conundrum as I still buy despite all of this.

Toyota's decision to not put CP/AA had nothing to do with reliability.

It had everything to do with control of the technology and data themselves, pushing this Scout GPS that was part of their Entune software. Obviously, the reception to it was it was garbage, as I've read right here on these forums, and the question of when Toyota would give in to the Google/Apple software that the rest of the industry was already putting into their vehicles. Toyota wasn't as skilled in the technology as they are in making cars. I think they were starting to feel that a lot of customers would leave had they keep barking up the wrong tree.

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StatCoder

· #18 · Mar 29, 2020 (Edited)

Toyota holding off the smartphone integration was definitely about not wanting to give the in-car infotainment experience away. Everything that the car companies had planned to sell to their customers was being brought into the vehicle by the smartphone platforms: connectivity, navigation, music, messaging, travel info, restaurant selection, weather, traffic, roadside assistance.

Now they were being told to give up the screen, audio systems
and pretty much the entire UI kind of like how the wireless companies were told to become dumb pipes for smartphone platforms. In the end, they had to give up and, instead, settle for selling us a $200 dash unit for $2000.

StatCoder

· #19 · Mar 29, 2020

Where are the Hondas? Brand is no longer interchangeable with Toyota in Consumer Reports ratings
Falling reliability means Honda is no longer interchangeable with Toyota at the top of Consumer Reports' reliability ratings

“People used to talk about Honda and Toyota in the same sentence [when recommending cars],” Fisher says. Now “Honda and Toyota are not interchangeable in terms of reliability.”
The discrepancy points out a fundamental tradeoff in manufacturing, especially with products as complex and visceral as cars: Buying the latest, greatest features may make for a more desirable product, but it often comes at the cost of reliability, because manufacturers often miss bugs in products until millions get into the hands of consumers.
Toyota is almost the opposite. The company is very slow to roll out new technology in most cases (with the notable exception of hybrid powertrains), which often gets its cars labeled boring or uninspired. But their reliability stands alone at the top of most long-term reliability studies.

www.torquenews.com

Where are the Hondas? Brand is no longer interchangeable with Toyota in Consumer Reports ratings | Torque News

Falling reliability means Honda is no longer interchangeable with Toyota at the top of Consumer Reports' reliability ratings.

www.torquenews.com

got-rice

· #20 · Mar 29, 2020

StatCoder said:
Where are the Hondas? Brand is no longer interchangeable with Toyota in Consumer Reports ratings | Torque News

Falling reliability means Honda is no longer interchangeable with Toyota at the top of Consumer Reports' reliability ratings.

www.torquenews.com

The thing I hate about Hondas isn't their reliability as much, but their infotainment systems were only marginally better than most of the industry. I know Toyota gets knocked for theirs, while Honda did offer Carplay and Android Auto, the interface wasn't that great, and some of their models (like the Civic) came without even a power knob.

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