The 2019 Toyota Highlander Limited Platinum is the range-topping trim of the third-generation Highlander, a three-row mid-size crossover. It builds on the Limited grade with a panoramic sunroof, a surround-view camera, and heated and ventilated seats, among other features. This article covers what the Limited Platinum included, its cabin, its powertrain, pricing, and the timing of its release.
What Limited Platinum Means in the Range
For 2019 the gas Highlander was sold in six grades: LE, LE Plus, XLE, SE, Limited, and Limited Platinum. The Limited Platinum sat at the top of that list, adding comfort and visibility features that were not available lower down. The hybrid was offered only in LE, XLE, and Limited grades, so the Limited Platinum name applied to the gas V6 model.
The third generation ran from the 2014 through 2019 model years. Because a redesigned Highlander was coming for 2020, the 2019 model was a carryover apart from minor trim updates, with the Limited and Limited Platinum grades receiving chrome-ringed LED fog lights.
Interior, Seating, and Cargo
The Highlander Limited Platinum seated up to eight passengers with a second-row bench, or seven with optional captain’s chairs. The cabin used a roll-top center console and a multi-link rear suspension, and Toyota added acoustic windshield glass and body sealing to keep noise low.
Cargo space was 13.6 cubic feet behind the third row, slightly less than other grades because of the panoramic roof. Folding the third row increased capacity to 42.3 cubic feet, and folding both rear rows provided 83.2 cubic feet on SE, XLE, and Limited grades.
Features Unique to the Limited Platinum
The Limited Platinum started from the Limited grade’s equipment list and added several items that made it the most luxurious Highlander of its year:
- A panoramic sunroof
- Rain-sensing windshield wipers
- A Bird’s Eye View Camera with Perimeter Scan that displays rotating 360-degree views around the vehicle
- Ventilated front seats
- Heated second-row seats
- A heated steering wheel
From the Limited grade it also inherited a 12-speaker JBL audio system, perforated leather upholstery, leatherette-trimmed armrests, 19-inch chrome-look alloy wheels, and a power auto up/down feature on all windows. A rear-seat entertainment system was available on higher trims.
Toyota grouped the Limited Platinum’s extras into the Platinum Package, which added a panoramic moonroof with a power sunshade, a heated steering wheel, heated second-row outboard seats, rain-sensing windshield wipers, 19-inch Dark Chromtec alloy wheels, front and rear parking assist sonar, and puddle lights that projected a Highlander logo onto the ground. The Bird’s Eye View Camera with Perimeter Scan displayed live, rotating 360-degree views around the vehicle when it was parked.
Dimensions, Weight, and Capability
The Limited Platinum used the same body as other Highlanders: 192.5 inches long, 75.8 inches wide, and 68.1 inches tall on a 109.8-inch wheelbase, with 8.0 inches of ground clearance. It was among the heaviest gas grades, with a curb weight of about 4,354 pounds. With the 3.5-liter V6 and the available tow package, it could tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped.
Powertrain
The Limited Platinum used Toyota’s 3.5-liter V6, rated at 295 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It was available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Toyota’s Dynamic Torque Control all-wheel-drive system could vary torque between the front and rear axles based on speed, steering angle, throttle position, and yaw rate.
EPA estimates for the V6 Highlander were about 20 to 21 mpg city and 26 to 27 mpg highway, depending on drivetrain and whether the automatic stop-start system was active. When properly equipped, V6 models could tow 5,000 pounds.
Ride and Handling
The Limited Platinum used a comfort-oriented suspension rather than the sport-tuned setup of the SE. In period testing, reviewers noted that the Limited Platinum rode better over smooth roads than the firmer SE but displayed more body roll and less steering feel when pushed. Its priority was passenger comfort, consistent with its position as the luxury trim.
Like every 2019 Highlander, the Limited Platinum came standard with Toyota Safety Sense-P and held a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a 2019 Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS, which rated the Highlander’s standard front crash prevention system Superior.
Pricing and Release Date
The 2019 Highlander gas model started at about $31,830, and the Limited Platinum sat at the top of the range: Cars.com listed the all-wheel-drive Limited Platinum at $47,510. A Hybrid Limited fitted with the Platinum Package was listed at $49,180. The 2019 Highlander went on sale in 2018 for the 2019 model year. It was the last Limited Platinum of the third generation; the redesigned 2020 Highlander replaced the name with a Platinum grade and used a new platform.
The Limited Platinum in the Range
The Limited Platinum was the only gas Highlander that combined the V6, the panoramic moonroof, and the surround-view camera as standard, but most of its comfort equipment was also available on the Limited by adding the Platinum Package. Buyers who did not need the panoramic roof could order a Limited and choose options selectively. Because the Hybrid line stopped at the Limited grade, the Platinum Package was offered there as well, rather than as a separate hybrid badge.
All 2019 Highlanders were assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in Princeton, Indiana, and the Limited Platinum was sold only with all-wheel drive in the United States.
Every 2019 Highlander carried a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, plus ToyotaCare, which covered scheduled maintenance for 2 years or 25,000 miles and roadside assistance for two years.
For related reading, the hybrid version is detailed in the 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Review, and the wider range is covered in the 2019 Toyota Highlander Review. More brand coverage is collected under Car Review.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Highlander
- https://www.motortrend.com/cars/toyota/highlander/2019
- https://pressroom.toyota.com/exterior-upgrades-aplenty-for-2019-toyota-highlander/
- https://www.cars.com/research/toyota-highlander-2019/
- https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.autoipacket.com/brochures/toyota/2019/toyota_2019_highlander.pdf
- https://www.cars.com/research/toyota-highlander-2019/trims/
- https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/toyota/highlander-4-door-suv/2019
