2026 Toyota Highlander: Green Brook Buyers Guide
Quick Answer: The 2026 Toyota Highlander at a Glance
The 2026 Highlander is a mid-cycle update, not a ground-up redesign, and the changes land in the right places. Every trim now comes standard with all-wheel drive — no front-wheel-drive Highlander exists this year — and a new 2.4-liter turbo four (265 hp, 310 lb-ft) replaces the old naturally aspirated V6-adjacent setup on gas models. Four trims carry the lineup: XLE ($46,270), XSE ($48,340, gas only), Limited ($50,725), and Platinum ($53,925), each before the $1,450 delivery fee. XLE, Limited, and Platinum also offer a 2.5-liter hybrid option (roughly $1,050 more per trim) rated up to an EPA-estimated 35 mpg city. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 and 8-passenger seating with 48 cubic feet of cargo room behind the third row come standard fleet-wide. In central New Jersey, the lineup lives at Empire Toyota of Green Brook, right on Route 22 West.
A refresh, not a reinvention — and the base trim moved up
Toyota didn't tear down the Highlander for 2026; it sharpened it. The biggest structural change is one word: standard. All-wheel drive, which used to be a $1,500-ish option on lower trims, now comes bolted to every single Highlander, gas or hybrid. The old LE trim is gone — XLE is the new floor of the lineup, which explains why the "starting price" reads higher than some buyers remember from last year's window stickers. In exchange, the base car is more content-rich than the LE it replaced, and the new 2.4-liter turbo four makes more horsepower (265) and more torque (310 lb-ft) than the outgoing engine it replaces, with an 8-speed automatic doing the shifting.
The hybrid case is simple and unchanged in spirit: choose it on XLE, Limited, or Platinum and the payoff is real — an EPA-estimated 35 mpg city instead of 21, for roughly $1,050 more per trim. The one trim that skips the hybrid option entirely is the XSE, which stays gas-turbo only for 2026. Toyota hasn't published an official 0-60 figure for either powertrain, so treat any specific acceleration number you see elsewhere with some skepticism.
Four trims, one AWD floor
With LE retired, the ladder is shorter and easier to reason about: XLE is the value-forward entry, XSE leans into sport styling on the gas engine alone, Limited adds the panoramic moonroof and leather seating most family shoppers actually want, and Platinum tops the range with a head-up display and ventilated front seats. Every one of them seats up to eight and carries the same Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite, so the decision is really about comfort features and screen size, not safety tiers.
Highlander XLE
from $46,270 MSRP
The new floor of the lineup — standard AWD, TSS 3.0, and a hybrid option that returns 35 mpg city.
Highlander XSE
from $48,340 MSRP
Dark 18-in wheels and a sport-tuned suspension on the gas turbo only — no hybrid on this one.
Highlander Limited
from $50,725 MSRP
Panoramic moonroof, leather seating, and the 12.3-in touchscreen standard. The family sweet spot.
Highlander Platinum
from $53,925 MSRP
Head-up display, digital rearview mirror, ventilated seats — the loaded top of the range.
What Green Brook buyers actually say
Empire Toyota of Green Brook has been selling Highlanders on Route 22 for years, long enough that some families are on their second or third one from the same salesperson. "First time visit and customer to [Empire Toyota of Green Brook] — great service from initial online inquiry to driving off the lot in our new 2025 Toyota Highlander," wrote Byron Almeida's customer after a recent delivery, adding that he "kept us updated on car delivery and informative on tasks needed to be done to make car pick up day quick and easy." Another buyer, working with salesman David Bivins, put it more simply: "Being a mom he got me into a brand new Toyota Highlander which my son seems to love!!!" — Kayla Bailey. The trim-by-trim guides below carry more model-specific quotes from the same review stream.
Living with a Highlander on the Route 22 corridor
A three-row family SUV earns its keep exactly where central Jersey driving happens: school pickup loops, the jughandle merges on Route 22, the long haul up I-287 to Bridgewater or down toward the Turnpike for a weekend trip. Standard AWD is the quiet hero here — it's not a box to check anymore, it's just what every 2026 Highlander does, which matters on the first icy morning after a Watchung-area snow. The ownership side of that equation — ToyotaCare's coverage window, what a hybrid changes about brake wear, and the winter-prep checklist — lives in the Highlander service & repair guide. The money side, including New Jersey's 6.625% sales tax and how the college-grad and military rebates stack, is in the pricing & leasing guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 2026 Toyota Highlander cost?
MSRPs run $46,270 (XLE) to $53,925 (Platinum) before the $1,450 delivery, processing and handling fee. Hybrid versions of XLE, Limited, and Platinum add roughly $1,050 over their gas counterparts. New Jersey then applies its 6.625% sales tax plus title and registration; the pricing guide walks the full math and current offers are posted here.
Is the 2026 Highlander all-wheel drive?
Yes, every single one — gas or hybrid, XLE through Platinum. There is no front-wheel-drive 2026 Highlander, which is new this year; on prior model years AWD was an option on lower trims.
What happened to the Highlander LE?
It was dropped for 2026. XLE is now the entry point to the lineup, which is part of why the starting price reads higher than in past years — the content underneath the sticker moved up with it.
Can I get a hybrid Highlander?
On three of the four trims, yes — XLE, Limited, and Platinum all offer the 2.5-liter hybrid option, rated up to an EPA-estimated 35 mpg city. The XSE is gas-turbo only for 2026; there is no XSE Hybrid.
Is the Highlander the same as the Grand Highlander?
No — they're two separate Toyota model lines sold side by side. The Grand Highlander is a larger three-row SUV on its own platform with its own pricing and trims; don't cross-reference specs or prices between the two.
Where can I see one near Green Brook?
Empire Toyota of Green Brook is at 220 Route 22 West, with sales open Monday through Saturday, 9 to 7. Browse the new inventory online or start the paperwork digitally through Toyota's SmartPath tools.
Pick a trim, then go sit in it
Four trims is a short enough list to cross-shop in one visit — bring your must-haves (moonroof, leather, the bigger screen) and let the showroom sort the rest. The guides that follow go deep on each one, and the certified pre-owned lot is worth a look too if last year's Highlander pricing fits your budget better.
MSRP figures exclude the $1,450 delivery, processing and handling fee plus taxes, title, registration, and dealer-installed options; the dealer sets the actual selling price. Fuel-economy figures are EPA estimates; real-world results vary. Equipment, pricing, and availability can change with configuration and production timing; confirm current details with Empire Toyota of Green Brook. Customer quotes are excerpts from public Google reviews of Empire Toyota of Green Brook.