Toyota’s Highlander Turns 25, and It’s Getting a Special Birthday Edition

Tradition states that for a 25^th anniversary, you provide a gift made with silver

It’s a big number worthy of celebrating, and in 2025, the Toyota Highlander celebrates its Silver Anniversary in a special way. The Highlander is in its fourth generation, spanning two and a half decades. Each generation evolved further, and for the tail end of this fourth generation, Toyota pulled some special elements and features to mark the occasion.

Toyota Highlander Limited 25^th Edition

The Toyota Highlander 25th Anniversary Edition, based on the Limited trim, boasts several unique features. There is special badging, special wheels, redesigned LED headlights and taillights, and of course, silver accents on the front and rear bumpers, side rockers, and wheels. What else would you have for a 25^th Anniversary? There are two exclusive color offerings, too, named Heavy Metal or Wind Chill Pearl. I was fortunate to drive this special edition for a week. My tester was Heavy Metal, which of course has a silvery finish.

Toyota has done well with this special edition, especially considering that the Highlander is near the end of its fourth-generation life cycle and is in need of an update. We are already looking ahead to the 2026 model year and what is anticipated as a major overhaul and fifth generation of the Highlander.

The silver celebration continues inside, too

Inside, the 25th Edition logo is emblazoned on the headrests of the front seats, which immediately grabs your eye and makes it feel like a totally new SUV. Beyond the badging, there are two unique color options, named Portobello and Adobe. My tester was the Adobe flavor, and it really looked updated and modern, decked out in this color with the leather-trimmed seats.

The Limited 25th Edition also has premium touches like puddle lamps, illuminated door sills, carpet floor mats, and all–weather rear cargo liner. Since the model is built on the Limited grade, it also features a 12.3-inch color digital gauge cluster, an 11-speaker JBL Premium audio system, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen.

Toyota’s Hybrid technology

Of course, this special edition Highlander would have a hybrid powertrain. Toyota has mastered this technology for decades, and the Toyota Highlander first received a hybrid engine option for the 2006 model year. It was the first hybrid SUV offered by Toyota, following the Prius. 

Now here it is, 19 years later, still with hybrid technology and a high-efficiency 2.5-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine with two electric motor-generators. In this version of the Highlander, the gas and electric motors worked so flawlessly together that you don’t even realize all that is happening. It’s properly powered with 243 net combined horsepower, and an electronically-controlled transmission that’s technically a CVT. That would normally annoy me, but in this case, you don’t notice the transmission as it works seamlessly with the engine and motors. It all adds up to an efficient power plant with impressive EPA numbers. The Toyota Highlander 25th Anniversary Edition has an EPA rating of 35 mpg/city and 34 mpg/highway. Yet as efficient as it is, it still has a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds.

Final thoughts

It’s hard to say if the Highlander will reach a Golden Anniversary (50 years), but time has flown by in the last 25 years. After its debut at the New York International Auto Show in April 2000, the Highlander has gone on to be a top-selling SUV for many years winning accolades as the number one retail midsize SUV in the three-row SUV segment from 2016-2023.

According to a report from MotorTrend, Toyota’s spacious three-row family hauler is expected to land a redesign for 2026, and it may very well only be available as a hybrid, instead of also offering a gasoline-only option. What is known and certain is that the Toyota Highlander is a stalwart within one of the most competitive segments in the auto industry. Focusing on its heritage in its 25^th year of existence not only freshens up this SUV but also shows the importance of this family SUV.

The 2025 Toyota Highlander 25^th Anniversary Edition I drove had a price tag of $55,914 (including delivery and processing) and will be limited to 2,500 units produced for the U.S. market.  

About the author

Jimmy Dinsmore

Contributing Writer, Autoblog

Jimmy Dinsmore is an automotive journalist with 15 years of experience covering the industry, specializing in consumer-focused new car reviews. His work is informed by extensive hands-on testing, driving and evaluating approximately 60 new vehicles each year. In addition to his journalism, he is a two-time published author with a focus on iconic American vehicles, having written books on the Ford Mustang and the F-Series pickup line.