How much does the 2020 Toyota Highlander cost?

Prices have softened 5.14% compared to this time last year, making it a favorable time to shop this model year.

There are 3,193 listings available, which suggests you have room to compare prices and condition across the market.

If you find a listing below $26,987.71, that's toward the low end of the year-round range and worth acting on quickly.

Is the 2020 Toyota Highlander a good car?

Yes — the 2020 Toyota Highlander earns a 4.6/5 user rating and a 7.67/10 expert rating.

The model scores 9/10 across Form and function and Safety.

Owners consistently praise its smooth ride, spacious interior, and advanced safety features. The review summary also points to strong family appeal and a comfortable, easygoing driving experience.

The trade-offs are a front-seat comfort complaint and some criticism of interior material quality. Expert testing also notes loose steering and an uninspired design, so the Highlander is best if you value comfort and practicality over sharp handling or standout styling.

In use-case terms, this is a strong fit if you want a quiet, family-friendly three-row SUV for commuting and road trips. With 33.3% of listings marked as good or great deals, there is still meaningful value in the market.

Is the 2020 Toyota Highlander reliable?

Owners rate it 4.6/5, a strong signal of long-term satisfaction.

The owner summary points to a dependable, trouble-free ownership experience, with repeated praise for the Highlander’s comfort, safety, and family-friendly nature. That kind of feedback usually matters most when you want a used SUV you can count on over time.

Expert testing also describes the Highlander as smooth and practically silent at idle, with a calm, isolated driving feel that supports easy long-distance use. Toyota includes two years of maintenance and roadside assistance, which adds a helpful ownership perk early on.

For used buyers, the main long-term risk is less about outright durability and more about whether the specific vehicle has been maintained well and avoided hard use.

What should I look for when buying a used 2020 Toyota Highlander?

At 71.2% accident-free, a meaningful share of listings has prior incidents — history verification is especially important.

You should start with a vehicle history report and confirm whether any prior damage affected airbags, structure, or safety systems. A pre-purchase inspection should focus on cabin condition, steering feel, suspension behavior, and whether the electronics work as expected. Pay close attention to wear on the seats and interior materials, since owner feedback points to comfort and quality concerns in those areas.

Key things to evaluate:

• Trim level: The base L misses projector-beam LED headlights and fog lights, while higher trims add more upscale lighting and, on the top trims, 20-inch wheels and a more premium cabin presentation.
• Powertrain: The 3.5-liter V6 delivers 295 horsepower with either FWD or AWD, and it’s described as smooth and practically silent at idle. Fuel economy is very good for a large SUV, with 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined for FWD, or 20/27/23 with AWD.
• Safety package: Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 is standard and includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, and rear emergency braking are optional.
• Infotainment: The standard screen is 8 inches, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen is optional on Limited and standard on Platinum. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration come standard.
• Fuel efficiency: The Highlander is rated at 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined with FWD, or 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined with AWD.

Which 2020 Toyota Highlander trim should I buy?

The 2020 Toyota Highlander is offered in 5 trim levels: L, LE, XLE, Limited, Platinum.

Here's the short version:

• Base trim: The L is the most stripped-down version, missing projector-beam LED headlights and fog lights that appear on every trim above it.
• Sweet-spot trim: The XLE is the best value in the low $40,000 range, giving you the strongest balance of features and price.
• Premium/top trim: The Limited and Platinum bring the most upscale feel, including the richer cabin presentation, larger available or standard 12.3-inch touchscreen, and the most premium lighting and wheel treatment.
• Off-road trim: The Limited and Platinum add selectable driving modes and two off-road modes, but the vehicle is still better suited to pavement than rough terrain.

Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 is standard across the lineup, so you get the core driver-assistance suite even on the base trim.

Is now a good time to buy a used 2020 Toyota Highlander?

The market looks selective rather than overheated, so you can shop carefully and still find value.

• Deal availability: 33.3% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Inventory: There are 3,193 listings available.
• Price trend: Prices have softened 5.14% compared with last year.
• Clean inventory: 71.2% of listings are accident-free.

If you find a listing below $26,987.71, that's toward the low end of the year-round range and worth acting on quickly.

What is the 2020 Toyota Highlander's resale value?

The current average of $27,982 sits slightly below last year's $29,497.

That price movement suggests the market has already adjusted downward, which can help future resale if you buy at the right number today. If you pay close to the current average, you may have less cushion later, but a well-kept Highlander should still appeal to family buyers looking for comfort and safety.

Vehicles with strong owner satisfaction ratings, like this model year's 4.6/5, tend to retain buyer demand, which supports resale value over time.

Is the 2020 Toyota Highlander safe?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded it a 2020 Top Safety Pick for scoring the top rating in all six crash tests, the optional headlights, and emergency braking when tested against cars and pedestrians.

It earns a 9/10 safety score from our experts.

Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 is standard and includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and cyclist detection, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, and rear emergency braking are optional.

A driver’s knee airbag and a special cushion airbag for the front passenger are standard. One caveat is that the optional safety equipment means some helpful features are not included on every trim.

Should I buy a 2020 Toyota Highlander or consider a different year?

If you're weighing the 2020 against nearby model years, here's how to think about it:

Choose the 2020 if:

• 33.3% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• At 71.2% accident-free, a meaningful share of listings has prior incidents — history verification is especially important.
• Price trend: Prices have softened 5.14% compared with last year.
• Owners rate it 4.6/5 — a strong satisfaction signal.
• It was redesigned for 2020 and emphasizes comfort, quietness, and advanced safety.

Consider the 2021 if:

• At $30,064, the 2021 costs more than the current year's $27,982 average.
• It adds Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+.

The bottom line: If you want the better value, the 2020 is the smarter buy because it already delivers the redesign, strong safety, and a lower average price. If you’re willing to spend more for a newer model year and a modest safety-tech upgrade, the 2021 is the cleaner alternative.

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from August 14, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.