2021 Toyota Highlander: Is the XSE Trim Level Worth It?

The generation of the Toyota Camry sold as 2012-2017 models popularized Toyota’s XSE trim level, a variation that adds features and sportiness. The XSE has since migrated across much of the automaker’s lineup — you can get an XSE grade on the Avalon sedan, Sienna minivan and more — so the XSE joining the Highlander family SUV comes as little surprise.

Related: 2020 Toyota Highlander Review: More in Some Ways, Not in Others

New to the Highlander for 2021, the XSE comes only on the gas-only version and not the Highlander Hybrid. It marks the fourth-highest of six possible trims, slotting between the SUV’s XLE and Limited grades, with a starting price of $42,855 with destination and front-wheel drive (torque-vectoring all-wheel drive adds $1,950). That’s some $1,600 to $1,900 beyond the XLE and midway up the Highlander’s roughly $14,000 spread from base to top trims.

Just how much XSE appeal does it add? We spent time in an AWD example to find out.

Styling Tweaks, Big and Small

The XSE gets a lot of visual differentiation, with a reshaped grille above a new, gaping mass of black front-bumper trim. It’s as much of a cosmetic overhaul as you can expect from a trim-specific package: Heck, it even adds a significant 2.5 inches to the SUV’s overall length. I suspect the XSE will generate strong reactions either way, similar to the sprawling bumper opening on the current-gen Camry. If you like that one, this follows suit. If you don’t, five other Highlander trims tone it down.

Other differences specific to the XSE include black roof rails, chrome rocker-panel trim, black headlight accents and chrome and metallic-gray rear accents. It also wears 20-inch alloy wheels with a unique machined design but identical dimensions to the wheels on higher trims (lower trims have 18-inch alloys). In back, the XSE adds twin exhaust tips versus a single outlet — a first for any Highlander, Toyota says — but they’re consolidated at a single point, so the cool factor is considerably lower than pipes split wide.

Suspension, Steering Changes

The XSE’s suspension shares common architecture with other grades but has unique sport tuning up front, and it brings notably more impact harshness than the standard Highlander, which we’ve found a little busy but well controlled and reasonably comfortable overall. Still, the XSE treatment doesn’t stray into outright discomfort: The extra choppiness comes amid still-admirable levels of body control, free of undue bounciness or lateral movement over broken pavement or rapid elevation changes.

Some shoppers may find a sufficient payoff in the XSE’s dynamic improvements. On-center steering feel remains numb, despite Toyota tweaking the XSE’s electric power steering for a sportier feel. But feedback improves as you turn the wheel through sweeping corners, a benefit versus other Highlander trims. The wheel builds torque in linear fashion, with firm, direct precision as you work your way through a curve, and body roll and understeer are relatively muted for a front-drive-based family SUV. The Highlander XSE is no Ford Explorer, still the gold standard for handling in this class, but it holds its own all right.

Mid-Grade Interior

The XSE adds a few minor features — such as integrated navigation, though the standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto minimize its utility — but its equipment and materials quality are mostly XLE-spec. That means you get heated front seats with power adjustments, imitation leather upholstery, a moonroof, second-row captain’s chairs, an 8-inch touchscreen and five USB ports.

Some of the cost cutting seen in lower trim levels extends to the XSE, with unpadded surfaces on the center console and rear doors that higher trims swap for lusher stuff. That said, spotty materials quality is rampant among three-row SUVs in this class, and the current Highlander is among the lesser offenders in that regard. Less excusable is the SUV’s rickety gear selector, a problem in all trim levels that’ll have you questioning build quality every time you shift out of Park.

Genuine leather upholstery, Toyota’s Easy Speak intercom system and JBL premium audio are optional on the XSE. What’s not optional are a few items reserved for higher trim levels — namely, a panoramic moonroof, camera-based rearview mirror, heated steering wheel and heated second-row seats, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen in place of the 8-inch unit. If you want any of those, you’ll have to get a higher trim. (Just don’t do it solely for the big touchscreen: Too many applications can’t fully leverage its space, making for a lot of wasted potential.)

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• 2021 Toyota Highlander XSE and Special 4Runner, Tacoma, Tundra Distinguish Themselves
• 2020 Toyota Highlander Extends Crash Safety Rating Streak

Is the XSE Worth It?

Apart from the considerable styling differentiation and modest drivability tweaks, the XSE remains a Highlander, for better and for worse. In-cabin storage is abundant and overall visibility is acceptable, but third-row and cargo space remain snug. Toyota’s smooth-revving V-6 works with an eight-speed automatic that’s ultra-responsive at lower speeds but prone to gear hunting during highway passing maneuvers. If you’re buying any Highlander, XSE or otherwise, the overarching characteristics apply.

As such, the XSE plays within the Highlander’s wheelhouse. With underpinnings based on the current Camry’s excellent platform, the SUV’s buttoned-down drivability has the bones for a sportified variant. For shoppers who want a more dynamic take on the Highlander, the XSE’s pricing over the XLE amounts to a roughly 4% premium — a reasonable charge, given the changes. The differences should move the needle enough for some families to justify the splurge. Others can breathe easy knowing umpteen other Highlander variants exist with dialed-down styling and dialed-up shock absorption.

Related Video: 2020 Toyota Highlander Review

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