Both the Highlander and the RX Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.
Safety
Warranty
Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander for 1 year and 15000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the RX Series (2/25000 vs. 1/10,000).
There are over 6 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Highlander's warranty.
Tires and Wheels
For better traction, the Highlander has larger tires than the RX Series (245/60R18 vs. 235/65R18).
The Highlander's standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RX Series' standard 65 series tires.
Passenger Space
The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the RX Series can only carry 5.
The Highlander has 1.3 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, .4 inches more rear legroom, 1 inch more rear hip room and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the RX Series.
Cargo Capacity
The Highlander's cargo area provides more volume than the RX Series.
Highlander |
RX Series |
|
Third Seat Folded |
42.3 cubic feet |
n/a |
Third Seat Removed |
n/a |
18.4 cubic feet |
Second Seat Folded |
83.7 cubic feet |
56.3 cubic feet |
The Highlander's optional rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The RX Series' rear cargo window doesn't open.
Towing
Maximum trailer towing in the Lexus RX Series is limited to 3500 pounds. The Highlander offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.
Recommendations
The Toyota Highlander has won recognition from these important consumer publications:
Highlander |
RX Series |
|
Consumer Reports® Recommends |
TRUE |
n/a |
Kiplinger's Awards |
2 |
n/a |
Intellichoice |
A “Best Value in Class” |
n/a |

