The 4 main reasons fans will love the 2014 Toyota Highlander

Loyal Toyota buyers already know what makes the brand and the Highlander special. Currently, the 2013 Highlander is on dealer lots with huge incentive packages for those that want to get a great deal on last-year’s design. The 2014s are also starting to arrive now and for those that wonder what the biggest reason is to get the new model we have broken down the top four new features from top to bottom. There is much to love about the Highlander we won’t cover here, so feel free to look back at some of our previous stories for more details.

2014 Highlander Improvement - 8 Passenger Capability
Those who want to carry eight no longer need a maxivan. The 2014 Highlander now has 3-across rear seating. This is important for the obvious reason that it allows for one extra soccer player to join the carpool, but also because it now means that the second row can become more interesting. That is our number two reason the new 2014 Highlander beats the previous generation.

2014 Highlander Improvement – Second Row Captains’ Chairs
The new Highlander can also come equipped as a 7 passenger vehicle with the second row being large, comfortable captains’’ chairs. Those with leggy teens may want to look closely at this option. In a family of four those center row seats are now very comfortable and large enough in between for occasional third-row passengers to access the back easily. Very easily. Please note that the 8-passenger and second row captains’ chair options cannot co-exist. You get one or the other. In most mid-range and higher priced Highlanders the vehicle will be a 7-passenger with the roomy middle row.

2014 Highlander Improvement – Rear Glass
The new Highlander has added the old trick of being able to open just its rear glass. Anyone that has ever owned a vehicle with this feature will immediately recognize the usefulness. In most cases, the thing you want to grab from the back of the Highlander is light enough and small enough to quickly grab with one hand. Opening just the glass is quicker and easier than opening the complete maw of the tailgate. If your item is larger and bulkier, use the power function to open the entire hatch.

2014 Improvement – Front Roll Top Console
The front console between the driver and passenger in any vehicle is a very popular spot. Sunglasses, cell phones, chargers, meds, water bottles, hand-sanitizer, EZ-Pass transponders, revolvers, whatever one might want at hand is placed here. In the new Highlander Toyota paid special attention to this spot and the top slides back in a roll-away fashion that makes grabbing that item you need by touch that much easier. Closed it looks great too.

The new 2014 Highlander has one more gear, better handling, and is slightly larger. You expected that though, right? The above four things are to us, what makes the car better than the outgoing second generation in a nutshell. Besides the obvious.