The 2019 Highlander gas model started at about $31,830, and the SE sat above the XLE and below the Limited, with Cars.com listing it at $40,940 with front-wheel drive and $42,400 with all-wheel drive. The 2019 Highlander went on sale in 2018 for the 2019 model year, and every example carried a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, plus ToyotaCare scheduled maintenance for 2 years or 25,000 miles.
The SE shared the XLE’s core equipment, including navigation, a moonroof, leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats, a power liftgate, and Driver Easy Speak, and then added sportier styling and a firmer suspension. The Limited moved up to a 12-speaker JBL audio system, perforated leather, ventilated front seats, rear parking sonar, and 19-inch Chromtec wheels, while the Limited Platinum added the panoramic moonroof and surround-view camera. The SE could be ordered with the rear-seat Blu-ray entertainment system.
The SE was built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in Princeton, Indiana, and went on sale in 2018 for the 2019 model year.
For related reading, the top trim is detailed in the 2019 Toyota Highlander Limited Platinum Review, and the hybrid is covered in the 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Review. More brand coverage appears under Toyota Review.
The SE Nightshade Edition
For 2019 Toyota also offered a Highlander SE Nightshade Edition, a special-appearance model built on the SE and produced in a run of 5,000 units. It added further blacked-out details to the already dark SE theme, including a black rear spoiler, a black shark-fin antenna, and black exterior accents. Like the standard SE, it used the 3.5-liter V6 and could be ordered with front- or all-wheel drive. The SE Nightshade kept the SE’s sport-tuned suspension and 19-inch black-finished alloy wheels.
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
The 2019 Toyota Highlander SE is the sporty trim of the third-generation Highlander, a three-row mid-size crossover. It sits between the XLE and the Limited and stands out with a sport-tuned suspension, 19-inch wheels, and blacked-out exterior accents. This article covers what the SE included, its V6 powertrain, fuel economy, pricing, and the timing of its release.
Where the SE Sits in the Range
For 2019 the gas Highlander was sold in six grades: LE, LE Plus, XLE, SE, Limited, and Limited Platinum. The SE was positioned as the sporty trim and was built on the XLE’s equipment list. It came as a seven-passenger vehicle with second-row captain’s chairs, rather than the eight-seat bench arrangement available on lower grades.
The 2019 model year was the last of the third generation, which ran from 2014 through 2019 before the redesigned 2020 Highlander arrived. Changes for 2019 were limited to trim updates, and the SE received the most visual differentiation of any grade.
SE-Specific Features
The SE’s appearance package set it apart from other Highlanders:
- Black headlight surrounds with LED daytime running lights
- Black headlights and taillight accents
- Black-chrome LED fog lights
- Black body-side rocker trim and black roof rails
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- Blue LED interior ambient lighting
- A sport-tuned suspension
The sport-tuned suspension was the SE’s mechanical point of difference. In period testing, reviewers found it gave the SE better body control than other Highlanders but also a firmer ride, and noted that steering effort was heavier than in comfort-oriented trims. It was the only mechanical difference between the SE and the XLE; both used the same 3.5-liter V6, eight-speed automatic, and available Dynamic Torque-Control all-wheel drive.
Powertrain
The 2019 Highlander SE used the 3.5-liter V6 rated at 295 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard, and all-wheel drive was optional. Toyota’s Dynamic Torque Control all-wheel-drive system could distribute torque between the axles based on driving conditions.
When properly equipped, V6 Highlanders could tow up to 5,000 pounds. An automatic stop-start system, which shuts the engine off at a stop and restarts it when the brake is released, was standard on V6 models except the base LE.
Dimensions, Weight, and Capability
The SE shared the Highlander’s body dimensions: 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. Its curb weight was about 4,310 pounds. With the 3.5-liter V6 and the available tow package, the SE could tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped.
Interior and Equipment
Because it built on the XLE, the SE carried a generous equipment list. Standard items included navigation, a moonroof, heated power-adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, leatherette-trimmed third-row seats, push-button start, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a 120-volt outlet in the second row, second-row sunshades, a power liftgate, and Toyota’s Driver Easy Speak system that amplifies the driver’s voice through the rear speakers.
The cabin seated seven with the captain’s chairs, and cargo space measured 13.8 cubic feet behind the third row, 42.3 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 83.2 cubic feet with both rear rows folded.
The SE’s black leather-trimmed first- and second-row seats carried unique ribbon inserts and red stitching, and blue LED ambient lighting ran through the front and rear doors and the in-dash shelf. Toyota finished the upper door trim in a soft-touch material with a technical-pattern accent.
Safety and Ratings
Like every 2019 Highlander, the SE came standard with Toyota Safety Sense-P, including a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, dynamic radar cruise control, and automatic high beams. The model earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a 2019 Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS, which rated its standard front crash prevention system Superior.
Fuel Economy
EPA estimates for the all-wheel-drive 2019 Highlander V6 were about 20 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. Front-drive V6 models with the stop-start system were rated up to about 21 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. The SE’s sport-tuned suspension did not change the published fuel economy ratings.
Pricing and Release Date
The 2019 Highlander gas model started at about $31,830, and the SE sat above the XLE and below the Limited, with Cars.com listing it at $40,940 with front-wheel drive and $42,400 with all-wheel drive. The 2019 Highlander went on sale in 2018 for the 2019 model year, and every example carried a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, plus ToyotaCare scheduled maintenance for 2 years or 25,000 miles.
The SE shared the XLE’s core equipment, including navigation, a moonroof, leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats, a power liftgate, and Driver Easy Speak, and then added sportier styling and a firmer suspension. The Limited moved up to a 12-speaker JBL audio system, perforated leather, ventilated front seats, rear parking sonar, and 19-inch Chromtec wheels, while the Limited Platinum added the panoramic moonroof and surround-view camera. The SE could be ordered with the rear-seat Blu-ray entertainment system.
The SE was built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in Princeton, Indiana, and went on sale in 2018 for the 2019 model year.
For related reading, the top trim is detailed in the 2019 Toyota Highlander Limited Platinum Review, and the hybrid is covered in the 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Review. More brand coverage appears under Toyota Review.
The SE Nightshade Edition
For 2019 Toyota also offered a Highlander SE Nightshade Edition, a special-appearance model built on the SE and produced in a run of 5,000 units. It added further blacked-out details to the already dark SE theme, including a black rear spoiler, a black shark-fin antenna, and black exterior accents. Like the standard SE, it used the 3.5-liter V6 and could be ordered with front- or all-wheel drive. The SE Nightshade kept the SE’s sport-tuned suspension and 19-inch black-finished alloy wheels.
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
