Since it is a car-based chassis, the Toyota Highlander may not be the best fit for steep, rutted and curvy mountain roads. It does have available all-wheel drive, but its maximum ground clearance of 8.6 inches isn’t as high as more rugged truck-based SUVs like the Toyota 4Runner (9.6 inches), Toyota FJ Cruiser (9.6 inches), Nissan Xterra (9.5 inches) or Nissan Pathfinder (9 inches).
If you want something similar in size to the Highlander and don’t want to stray from your Toyota dealership, the 4Runner is all-new for 2010 and worth a look. It’s a more off-road capable SUV than the Highlander, but has more usable room than the smaller FJ Cruiser. To read about our first drive of the 4Runner, see here.
Most of the aforementioned SUVs have off-road features like locking differentials and hill climb/descent assist, plus specific off-road models like the 4Runner Trail Edition, Xterra Off Road or the FJ’s TRD or Trail Teams package. These models often include specialized suspension, tires and wheels to handle off-road use.
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My mom has a 2009 Highlander and lives in a mountain area. We work together in the real estate business and often drive down ROUGH dirt roads (to access properties that aren't accessible during the winter). The downhill assist works great for steep downgrades and overall the SUV does pretty good.
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You forgot to mention the H3, which has all the aformentioned components, plus an available front locking differential and larger tires, which the others do not offer warrantied from the factory.