2020 Toyota Highlander MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2020 Toyota Highlander gets up to 24 mpg combined with a gas engine and up to 36 mpg as a hybrid, across 6 EPA-tested versions.

EPA fuel economy

2020 Toyota Highlander · 6 EPA-tested versions

Best gas version

24MPG combined

21 city 29 highway

$2,700 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score5/10

3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic · auto start-stop

Best hybrid version

36MPG combined

36 city 35 highway

$1,800 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score8/10

2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT

Best version saves $2,500 in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.32 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Sep 27, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $1,800 to $2,800 a year. Compared with 2019, the best gas version is up 1 mpg and the best hybrid version is up 7 mpg.

Every 2020 Highlander version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
Hybrid
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT Best EPA listing: Highlander Hybrid	36 mpg	36 / 35	$1,800
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT EPA listing: Highlander Hybrid AWD	35 mpg	35 / 35	$1,850
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT · LTD PLAT EPA listing: Highlander Hybrid AWD LTD/PLAT	35 mpg	35 / 34	$1,850
Gas
3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic · auto start-stop EPA listing: Highlander	24 mpg	21 / 29	$2,700
3.5L 6-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic EPA listing: Highlander AWD	23 mpg	20 / 27	$2,800
3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic · no start-stop EPA listing: Highlander	23 mpg	20 / 28	$2,800

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.32 a gallon for regular gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT	$1,800	$150	$9,000
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT	$1,851	$154	$9,257
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT · LTD PLAT	$1,851	$154	$9,257
3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic · auto start-stop	$2,700	$225	$13,500
3.5L 6-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic	$2,817	$235	$14,087
3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic · no start-stop	$2,817	$235	$14,087

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

Toyota Highlander MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 22 to 25 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2023. Hybrid: 28 to 36 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2020.

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2020: gas 24 mpg · hybrid 36 mpg

Show as a table

Toyota Highlander best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2016	22	28
2017	23	29
2018	23	29
2019	23	29
2020	24	36
2021	24	36
2022	24	36
2023	25	36
2024	25	36
2025	25	35
2026	24	35

How the 2020 Highlander compares

2020 midsize SUVs covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2020 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Toyota Highlander This page Best: hybrid	36 mpg	24 mpg	$1,800
Lexus RX Best: hybrid	30 mpg	23 mpg	$2,650
Ford Explorer Best: hybrid	28 mpg	24 mpg	$2,300
Hyundai Santa Fe Best: gas	25 mpg	25 mpg	$2,600
Kia Sorento Best: gas	25 mpg	25 mpg	$2,600
Ford Edge Best: gas	24 mpg	24 mpg	$2,700
Chevrolet Blazer Best: gas	24 mpg	24 mpg	$2,700
Kia Telluride Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$2,800
Honda Pilot Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$2,800
Nissan Pathfinder Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$2,800
Subaru Ascent Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$2,800
Hyundai Palisade Best: gas	22 mpg	22 mpg	$2,950
Jeep Grand Cherokee Best: gas	21 mpg	21 mpg	$3,100
Chevrolet Traverse Best: gas	21 mpg	21 mpg	$3,100
Dodge Durango Best: gas	21 mpg	21 mpg	$3,100

2020 Highlander recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 324 owner complaints for the 2020 Highlander.What they cover, and crash test ratings

Questions

Does AWD lower the 2020 Toyota Highlander's gas mileage?

Sometimes. On versions that differ only in drive, the gap ranges from 0 to 1 mpg combined: the 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid gets 36 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 35 with AWD.

How much fuel does the 2020 Highlander hybrid save?

Comparing AWD or 4WD versions at EPA's assumptions (15,000 miles a year, $4.32 a gallon), the hybrid costs $1,850 a year to fuel against $2,800 for the gas model: $950 a year, or $4,750 over five years.

Does the 2020 Toyota Highlander need premium gas?

No. EPA lists every 2020 Toyota Highlander version on regular gasoline.

How does the 2020 Highlander's MPG compare with the 2019?

For 2020, the best gas version is rated 24 mpg, up 1 from 23 and the best hybrid version is rated 36 mpg, up 7 from 29.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.32, midgrade $4.93, premium $5.32, diesel $6.29 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.