2016 Toyota Highlander vs 2016 Ford Explorer

Are you in charge of the neighborhood carpool each week? Does your son or daughter play a lot of sports? If you are constantly on the road, shuttling kids from basketball practice to choir practice and back again, we may have exactly what you are looking for at Gale Toyota. Tailor-made for families on the go, the three-row Toyota Highlander sport utility has room for the whole family plus teammates and friends. With the power, performance, efficiency numbers, athletic style and family-friendly features to match, you will find few better options than the 2016 Toyota Highlander. Take a look at how this class-leading SUV stacks up against iconic competition in our 2016 Toyota Highlander vs 2016 Ford Explorer.

You may be asking -- why is the Toyota Highlander so special? Loaded with family-friendly characteristics, the well-balanced Toyota edition is tough to beat. A sleek, athletic design highlights this midsize SUV and is reflected by a dynamic driving experience that is predicated on a fine-tuned suspension. Inside the Toyota Highlander cabin, you will find a wealth of innovative features and functional space. With 13.8 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the third-row seats and an available 83.7 cubic-feet of space, you will have plenty of room for sports equipment or school projects. When you add room for seven or eight passengers and features like Driver Easy Speak, the 2016 Toyota Highlander is tailor-made for families in the Enfield, CT area.

Compare the Toyota Highlander to the Classic Ford Explorer

There are few better ways to examine the qualities of the 2016 Toyota Highlander than comparing it to the classic Ford Explorer. At first glance, each of these class-leading sport utility vehicles comes in at a similar price point with similarly-equipped Toyota Highlander models often priced lower than the competition. When you examine what is under the hood, each of these models offer three powertrain options for you to choose from that are highlighted by  potent six-cylinder power plants. Base Toyota Highlander models feature a 185-horsepower 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine that is paired with six-speed automatic transmission and makes 20 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

At the heart of this 2016 Toyota Highlander vs 2016 Ford Explorer comparison, you will find unadulterated power that is complemented by exceptional fuel economy ratings. Upgrading to the Toyota Highlander’s 270-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 engine provides a thrilling drive along with 19 mpg in the city and 25 mpg at highway speeds. By comparison, the 2016 Ford Explorer employs a stock 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 290 horsepower and falls short with 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. With similar power numbers under the hood, each of these editions will tow up to 5,000 pounds.

A highlight of the Toyota Highlander is an available Hybrid Synergy Drive that yields 280 horsepower in addition to 27 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. These are fuel economy ratings that the Ford Explorer can’t match. The Ford Explorer counters with a turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-4 that makes 280 horsepower as well as 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. Stop in at Gale Toyota today to get behind the wheel of the class-leading 2016 Toyota Highlander in Enfield, CT.