The Toyota Highlander was mostly unchanged for 2006. It came in three trims: the Standard, the Sport, and the Limited. The base and the Limited were available with 4WD and 2WD, and the Sport came standard with 4WD. The 2.4-liter inline-4 came standard, with 160 horsepower. The 3.3-liter, 230-horsepower V6 was optional on the base Highlander and standard on the Limited and the Sport. Fuel economy was about 20/24 mpg. The 2006 Highlander was available as a five-passenger or seven-passenger vehicle.
Drivers like the 2006 Highlander for its typical Toyota reliability, smooth ride, and excellent safety ratings. Many say the styling is a little too conservative and while pleasant to drive, it isn't much fun. The optional third-row seat is also too small to be comfortable for most passengers.
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Verry Smooth Ride, Plenty of Room, Limited Edition has nice interior (wood grain trim, etc.), Good on gas for an suvJul 09, 2024
by Wes S
Jul 08, 2024
Car seems to have been maintained very well. All systems work and interior in good shape. Toyotas seem to age well.Jul 08, 2024
by Webster P
Jun 20, 2023
The car was in great condition and my daughter cant be any happier. Jun 20, 2023
User rating:
by Anonymous
Jul 09, 2024
Verry Smooth Ride, Plenty of Room, Limited Edition has nice interior (wood grain trim, etc.), Good on gas for an suvJul 09, 2024
by Wes S
Jul 08, 2024
Car seems to have been maintained very well. All systems work and interior in good shape. Toyotas seem to age well.Jul 08, 2024
by Webster P
Jun 20, 2023
The car was in great condition and my daughter cant be any happier. Jun 20, 2023
by Anonymous
Feb 24, 2023
Great smooth luxurious ride which always keep going consistently Feb 24, 2023
by Gena H
Feb 01, 2023
Highlander is in excellent condition for a 2006. With 84K miles, it’ll be part of the family for a good, long while!Feb 01, 2023
by Don D
Jan 15, 2023
Generation 1 is generally bullet proof. One of the Best Buy’s in an SUV. Jan 15, 2023
by Lisa R
Oct 08, 2022
Fabulous vehicle... better than we expected. Great model and year.Oct 08, 2022
by Anonymous
Aug 12, 2022
The write up made it appear that nothing was wrong.. It was only after I drove it that you realized the defects.. Broken windshield, noisy caliper, warning lights on and thats the reasons I didnt buy it..Aug 12, 2022
by Harvey R
Mar 19, 2021
The Highlander is the perfect size for a family of 2-4. It runs and drives excellent, very smooth with plenty of power. My only complaints are the extremely small armrests in the front seats, and not enough seat travel for my 64 height. Neither one of these were deal breakers for us. There is one important thing to be aware of. The Highlanders with V6 engines have timing belts thru the 2007 model year, instead of timing chains. Toyota recommends changing them every 90-100 thousand miles. If they break, you could have catastrophic engine failure. I couldnt terrace down when or if ours was ever changed, so we are having it replaced. At a dealer or reputable repair shop, this is a $800-$1000 expense. If there is no record of it being replaced, Id recommend considering this an addition to the purchase price. Mar 19, 2021
by Lori H
Nov 12, 2020
The 06 Highlander is a great vehicle. the gas mileage is the only drawback as it only gets about 20 mpg combined, but the one I have ran 230k miles before an accident totaled it. I never had any mechanical issues with it; changed the oil and rotated the tires regularly and had a major tune-up done just over 100k miles and it ran as good at 200k as it did when it was new . Everything on it still worked with out any issues or repairs.Nov 12, 2020
by ALI I
Oct 06, 2020
It is reliable even after 100.000 miles or more.Oct 06, 2020
by Erin M
Jul 22, 2020
Love the car have been looking for a Highlander for minthsJul 22, 2020
by Matthew H
Jan 04, 2014
Good-looking (albeit a bit dated) family SUV. Good performance for what it is - no lack of power to merge on highway, strong brakes. Reliable although we have had some minor repairs. Heated leather, sunroof, AWD makes for an overall comfortable and safe SUV.Jan 04, 2014
by Anonymous
Jan 24, 2013
Very smooth ride, Ample power to get around town, but in highway passing it needed more torque. I was pleased with my purchase despite that one complaint. Also I didn't have the Limited model which includes the JBL sound system. I would've liked that more than the factory unit which had a mind of its own at times.Jan 24, 2013
by Anonymous
Jan 16, 2013
I know Toyota makes great cars that last. The Highlander was a very sharp car while excelling in the area's of reliability, durability, comfort, passenger seating space, and mobility of the steering in traffic (very responsive) so overall I think that this vehicle is worth the buy and something I would consider keeping long-term.Jan 16, 2013
by Anonymous
Nov 05, 2012
Fun to drive while having a lot of nice creature comfort features. Has the power to tow your toys to the beach or up over the mountains for camping. Large enough so you know its solid and safe and not so small you feel like your in a can. Oh and don't forget the rug rats, a spot to strap each and everyone in their place! Nov 05, 2012
by Cole S
Sep 19, 2009
plenty of power...wheels too small...pretty fun to drive if u like suv's...well built for sure...japanes is always god and will run forever im sure...i kinda miss sdriving a car, but this is good until i get my camaroSep 19, 2009
by Anonymous
Jan 12, 2009
This is the best vehicle I've ever had. It's quiet, smooth, comfortable, a dream to drive. Mileage isn't the best at 17 city/20 highway, but I don't care. I love the styling and the fit and finish is great. We've spent $0 on repairs in 3 years! Wow! Love it!Jan 12, 2009
by Leslie A
Dec 24, 2008
i love everything about my car.. the only thing i don't like is that it doesn't have a temperature gauge for the outside temperature. its a good car to take offroading a little every now and then, and its got great handling.Dec 24, 2008
by Filip P
Dec 01, 2008
Toyota is another one of those dynasty auto makers, they pride themselves on build quality, and this being the best selling SUV in the US has something to do with it. Its reliable to a tee, its never coughed and its never placed one foot wrong. Its got a fantastic V-6 engine, that can be thrashed around, lots of torque and it shifts at 2-2.5 thousand RPM, at that pace the engine will last for another 15-20 years. Dec 01, 2008
by Tyler B
Sep 10, 2008
I must admit, at first I didn't know what to expect of the Highlander. It was just a good replacement to our old blazer.
I'll just start with the cons of the Highlander, since it's the base model, the vehicle doesn't have all the features we wished it did, also the 4 cylinder engine is slightly noisy and the road noise was bad (but we got new tires which fixed that problem.) The engine is also a tad bit noisy on the highway.
As for the good things, it's incredibly roomy and can fit my whole family, 3 adults and 2 kids, with ease and nobody would complain. As for space in the back, there is a massive amount of space for luggage or other items. Performance-wise, the engine is lacking, and the fuel economy could be better, but at the same time it could be worse. The turning radius is amazing and the Highlander has a car-like ride which we love. If you want a safe SUV, the Highlander gets 5 star crash ratings all around. As for appearance, the car maybe should have been less boxy looking, but it doesn't look bad either. The cost of ownership has been really low, we've only done the basic maintainance required and replaced the aging tires. As for fun factor in a crossover SUV, I didn't know there was supposed to be any, but the fuel bill sure does make me happy!
I would definetally recommend this vehicle to anybody who needs cargospace, or a spacy vehicle for the family. If you aren't sure about safety, we hit a deer at 75mph in the Highlander and the damage was pretty minamal, we were just shaken up. The 6 cylinder would be better for towing or a quiter drive on the highway. We are actually considering getting a new model Highlander for a replacement for our Tahoe.Sep 10, 2008
by David C
Jul 07, 2008
Having it for about 2 years, I have to say it's met/exceeded my expectations. Drives well, has all the room I need for a growing family, and the 3rd row gives you options if you need it.Jul 07, 2008
by Marc N
Jun 28, 2008
Took delivery yesterday and so far so good.Jun 28, 2008
The major problem is that the gear does not shift from 1 to 2 for an abnormally long time and after much whining from the engine gets up to 3000rpm. In addition, when you depress the throttle sharply when in motion, rather than the normal lurch forward of the vehicle, the engine screams at you and no power is transferred to the vehicle - it is as though I were depressing the clutch and throttle at the same time in a manual transmission vehicle. I just had the transmission fluid changed when I noticed this first, with a Dexron IIID variant, but the problem persists. Any helpful suggestions out there for me?
I just purchased a 2006 Highlander with 53k miles currently. It was kept in the garage all of it's life. The timing belt and water pump were done at 35k miles in 2015. Should I worry about doing that again since it's been about 6 years? I know this vehicle sat a lot, but it was such low miles. What would you recommend?
water damage to hybrid battery code pops up. some say the drain plug gets plugged? can i unplug it from the bottom of the vehicle or how can i dry it easiest?
