“There can be only one” was the tag line of the old Highlander TV show, but there can be more than one option for engines for the 2010 Toyota Highlander. The Highlander comes with conventional 2.7 liter and 3.5 liter V6 versions, as well as a 3.3 liter hybrid version.  With these two engines Toyota SUV lovers have a choice between fuel efficiency or environmental friendliness.

The 3.5 liter version packs quite a punch, delivering 270 horsepower with its 24-valve engine, while the 18-valve 2.7 liter engine only has 187 horses. The 3.5 liter has a large increase in torque, delivering 248 foot-pounds compared with 186 for the 2.7 liter. Both engines are rated at 20 MPG city and 27 MPG highway, thus there doesn’t seem to be a major downside in having the 3.5 liter engine under the hood.

Unless you’re driving a lot of in-town miles, the hybrid version doesn’t seem to be a great option, as it is only rated at 26 MPG city and 25 MPG highway; interestingly, the hybrid actually does worse on the highway than than pure gasoline versions of the Highlander.

If the rating specifications are correct, there doesn’t seem to much in the way of redeeming value for the 2.7 liter option, for it has less power and the same mileage. About the only visible advantage is the smaller number of valves to have problems with; other than that, there doesn’t seem to be a reason to go with the 2.7, especially if the Toyota web site is correct and that there is no difference in price between the 2.7 and 3.5 liter options.