I would seriously doubt it would be just that easy, I could be wrong but I cant imagine there wouldnt be alot more swapping going on if even possible. call a junkyard and see if the catalogs
show other parts that are system specific. like servos, plenum box, ect.....

 

Short answer NO...
Your biggest issues are the blender servos, sensors, wiring, and biggest of all...... Climate Control ECU Missing
Yeah it's just not going to happen unless you have WAY too much money and time on your hands

 

One of the most useless yet made complex features in a car...for my use in So Cal sun.

The manual is actually controlled digitally, so its just a stripped down version. I wish it were more manual.
That way I can demand recycle vs outside without other controls overriding it.
I dislike that it auto sets to Recycle mode when I turn the temp contol dial to the cold setting.
I have to make sure its not all the way to cold. I want outside air vs inside air sometimes.

Using a dual auto digital control in other cars I have found to be a bit of a gimmick and useless. Maybe some are better than others..like cooled/vented seats.
Short trips useless, long trips temps change and you still have to adjust it.
As for the wife being cold and you warm, closing the vent and redirecting them works well. I rather have auto oscillating vents than dual front zone auto

Plenty other areas I would spend time improving before I do anything with the AC. I am at full content with the car's current disposition, after doing the alterations I made. Others have different priorities they prefer...And if the AC is one of them, so be it!
As mentioned look into it...maybe its something you will get great satisfaction in doing? Or pick another area to improve! Enjoy!

 

But would auto work if I upgraded the climate controller, or is there a sensor I need. Im not going to upgrade it now but im just wondering

 

As advised...not hard to go to junk yard and try it. The controller comes out very easily. See/search replacing head unit threads using Advanced Search.

 

it might actually be easier to find the exact car with exact features you want and just trade up.........

 

^^^ good option. I think the LEPlus has auto air

 

I’m thinking of going from automatic control to manual. I don’t like how i’m forced to have either 15 dec C or no heat at all. 15 dec C is hot when you are wearing jackets in the middle of winter. With my older vehicle without automatic climate control can blend the air temp myself. Has anyone been able to swap from automatic to manual? I’m guessing I need to change the front and rear control on my 2018 Highlander Hybrid XLE.

 

I would assume un-upgrading is easier than upgrading as there was a user here who tried to upgrade and it didn't work because they were missing key components.