2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition Review: Podium Finish

When you think “color-focused special edition,” a lot of cars pop into the ol’ mind theater before the Toyota Highlander.

Dearly departed Scion? Yep. The Miata? Absolutely. I’m pretty sure Pagani produces more special editions than “normal” Zondas and Huayras.

Joining those distinguished ranks is the 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition. Sporting a smattering of visual tweaks featuring the eponymous hue, the only-available-as-a-hybrid Bronze Edition is a smart, value-oriented option in the lineup, for those who want a sprinkling of character in their three-row crossover.

The Bronze Edition does what it says on the tin. Outside and in, Toyota has added flashes of the metal hue. It’s hard to miss the unique 18-inch wheels, which limit the exterior hues to a monochromatic white, gray, and black (Canada skips the latter). They look a little small to these eyes, but I chalk that up to the Cement paint lacking the contrast of either of the other options.

Approach the SUV and Highlander-branded puddle lights welcome you. Opening the door reveals another flash of bronze in the kickplate. The front two rows of seats all get a unique geometric-patterned cloth insert, complete with bronze SofTex strip and contrast stitching.

The Bronze Edition bundles a handful of high-demand features together, on top of the standard XLE lineup. The powered liftgate gains hands-free activation, and Toyota’s digital rearview mirror is standard. There’s also integrated ambient lighting, rain-sensing wipers, a driver’s seat memory function, and standard second-row captain’s chairs. American buyers have the choice of front- or all-wheel drive, the latter a reasonable $1,175 upgrade. In Canada, all Highlanders are AWD.

This latest fourth-generation Highlander launched in 2020. The interior is typical Toyota: spacious and logically laid out, with tight fit and finish. The spar of aluminum-look trim that stretches across the dashboard, craddling the infotainment screen, gives this road-oriented crossover just the right amount of SUV-like presence inside. The layered design also makes for plenty of in-dash storage.

Those reskinned seats are also typical of the Japanese automaker. Broad and flat, they prioritize long-distance comfort over lateral support. As it should be, really: nobody is buying a Highlander to fling through a series of corners with gusto. Despite the Highlander’s prodigious footprint, headroom is merely fine. The sunroof lets a good amount of light in up front, but it leaves a sizeable dent in the roofline for second-row passengers. Like the XSE we tested last year, this means an obstructed view ahead for adults, even if Toyota’s official measurement of 39.4 inches (1,001 millimeters) suggests otherwise.

Cargo space stands at 16.0 cubic feet (453 litres) with all seats up, matching the Honda Pilot. Dropping the second row opens that up to a very competitive 48.4 cu-ft (1,370 L), besting the Honda as well as the Hyundai Palisade and Nissan Pathfinder. A both-rows-down figure of 84.3 cubes (2,387 L) is above-average, only just behind the Hyundai and a fair bit short of the cavernous Volkswagen Atlas.

Toyota’s standard 8.0-inch Entune infotainment system sits proud of the dashboard. It wasn’t the freshest donut on the shelf before, and the brand’s excellent new user interface in the Tundra pickup just makes it feel like leftovers. The menu designs are basic and dated, and the screen gets washed out during sunnier days. We can’t fault it for the physical controls framing the screen, however, except for how tiny the menu buttons are. No issues with the wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto tethering, either. There are four USB ports split between the first and second row, but no Qi charger.

The digital rearview mirror is ideal in situations where people or things obscure your view out back. Eyeballs do take a second or two to re-adjust to the screen’s brightness, but overall it’s a helpful, rather unique feature at this price point. The kick-activated liftgate should keep busy parents happy, too.

Basically, the Highlander’s modus operandi is fool-proof ease-of-use. There are no touch-capacitive controls or menus to dive into for the (standard) three-zone climate control. A regular PRND selector sits in the middle of the center console. If you’ve been in a Toyota at any point in the last five or six years, the driving position will feel immediately familiar.

If you’re jonesing for the bronze look, Toyota will only offer it up with the Highlander’s hybrid powertrain. Which is fine, because that’s the better Highlander setup, anyway. The setup combines the brand’s familiar 2.5-liter inline-four with no less than three electric motors—two up front, one in the back—for a combined 243 horsepower. That’s anywhere from 40 to 50 ponies shy of the often V6-powered competition (or the V6 Highlander itself), but the instant-on torque largely balances the scales from stoplight to stoplight. Toyota does stick an EV Mode button on the center console, but the Highlander is only capable of short bursts on nothing but electrons. Inevitably, the four-pot wakes up, a rough drone from somewhere up ahead as the continuously variable transmission (CVT) spins it to its optimal performance range.

It doesn’t sound great, but the payoff here is stellar fuel economy. No matter how I drove the Highlander, it hovered around 29.5 mpg (8.0 L/100 km). That’s some ways shy of the official rating (35 mpg / 6.7 L/100 km combined), but in the depths of a chilly winter. For comparison, it outperformed the smaller Hyundai Tucson Hybrid.

The Highlander rides with a softness and light touch that once again prioritizes ease of use. It leans a little through corners, and there’s almost no feedback from the steering wheel, though responses are consistent. The Toyota also drives “big,” with a truckish feel more in line with the Atlas than the car-like Palisade or Mazda CX-9—or even Toyota’s own, related Sienna. Not a bad thing, but a matter of preference. Road noise is kept to a minimum, even on the highway, for a smooth mile-muncher experience.

Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 is standard on all Highlanders for 2022. This includes auto high beams, lane departure alert with steering assist, automated emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, and left turn intersection support. Blind spot monitoring is also included. Full-speed adaptive cruise control works well, though we still find its chosen gap lengths overly generous. The lane-keep assist has a propensity for slight ping-ponging in its lane, as well.

Pricing for the Highlander lineup begins at $36,620 including destination, which nets US buyers a fleet-friendly Highlander L FWD. Meanwhile, the Canadian trim walk begins with the better-equipped LE AWD, at $46,640 CAD.

The Bronze Edition sits in the middle of the vast Highlander range, ringing in at $46,895 ($54,970). That’s a bit rich, but the convenience features it adds over the XLE, plus the aesthetic tweaks, justify the added outlay. Moving higher up the range opens up premium alternatives, and the Highlander’s pedestrian driving dynamics and cramped third row start to become harder to ignore. Its major advantage remains the relatively rare availability of a hybrid setup in a three-row crossover.

The Kia Sorento offers a similar such layout, however. What’s more, for a small premium over the Highlander, buyers could even opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version. The Kia only offers six seats instead of seven (with more legroom), but it also features a more composed ride and better tech. Government rebates for PHEVs shrink that price gap, too.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition doesn’t dramatically alter the package. It still has a dated infotainment experience and cramped third row. Nonetheless, the Highlander’s fool-proof and efficient hybrid powertrain paired with Toyota’s reputation for reliability keeps it relevant in these times of ever-increasing gas prices. Even after over 15 years of Highlander Hybrids, most of the competition still doesn’t have a direct answer to it.

The Highlander is just so darned easy to live with. The added kit of the Bronze Edition increases its value, with a unique bit of style in a segment where that’s typically in short supply. It’s not enough to turn the Highlander into a class leader, but Toyota’s mid-sizer still puts in a solid performance to land on the podium.

FAQs

How much does the 2022 Toyota Highlander cost?

The entry-level 2022 Highlander L FWD starts at $36,620 in the US, including destination. Canadian buyers start at the higher-spec LE AWD, for $46,640 CAD.

What’s special about the 2022 Toyota Highlander Bronze Edition?

The Bronze Edition includes unique bronze-colored styling changes inside and out, plus additional convenience features like a hands-free tailgate, digital rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers, and more.

Will the 2022 Toyota Highlander be redesigned?

No, we expect a mid-cycle facelift for the 2023 model year.