Review: Toyota's hybrid Grand Highlander SUV shuttles family at 30 mpg

Three-row utility buyers haven’t had a lot of non-truck options, especially from Toyota. Now that three-row fever is satiated with the new Toyota Grand Highlander, which debuts for the 2024 model year.

At a Glance

• Bigger and more spacious than the standard Highlander
• Great set of standard features and comfort levels
• Not going to win any checkered flags
• Fuel efficient for such a large vehicle

Toyota is beginning to find its inner Texan. Having been headquartered there for a few years now, it was only a matter of time before the “bigger is better” Texas attitude finally sunk in. The Grand Highlander is what happens when three-row fever pushes the comparatively cramped Highlander into Texas-sized territory.
The 2024 Grand Highlander is about six inches longer and two inches wider than the standard Highlander. Most of that extra space goes to the back for added third row and cargo room. Cargo space in the Grand Highlander is about 14.5% larger. Headroom and legroom in the first two rows remains about the same, but legroom in the third row improves to adult levels by adding nearly three inches.

Standard features for the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander include things like roof rails, heated side mirrors, LED headlamps, tri-zone climate, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen. Infotainment from Toyota is pretty good now, though it’s still dated compared to some. But the new screen is bright and crisp, and the user interface is fairly intuitive – is a little slow at times.

Interestingly, both the Highlander and Grand Highlander use the same powertrains and have the same towing capacity (max 5,000 lb/2,268 kg). The standard models use a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that is turbocharged to produce 265 horsepower (195 kW) to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard in most trims while all-wheel drive is available as an option.

There are two hybrid models. I drove the Hybrid MAX setup, which adds an electric motor to the turbo 2.4-L for acceleration assist, boosting horsepower output to 362 (266 kW). It also downgrades to a six-speed automatic. The other Grand Highlander Hybrid uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and electric motors for 245 horsepower (180 kW) and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). All hybrid models have all-wheel drive as standard.

Due to the more bulky nature of the Grand Highlander, the standard hybrid setup is not all that confident when it comes to acceleration. The combination of limited power output and a CVT doesn’t work well with a big vehicle like this. The Hybrid Max fixes that problem and puts the hybrid model on par with the turbocharged gasoline design, but adds an extra three or four mpg (combined EPA rating) needed to make the Grand Highlander a surprising sipper. And really boosts city mileage (up 5 mpg points). In the real world, I was able to easily get 27.5 mpg (8.6 l/100km) out of the Hybrid Max model on the highway. If, however, you’re willing to deal with the sluggishness of the standard hybrid, that one rings in at 34 mpg (6.9 l/100 km) combined.

The new Toyota Grand Highlander has the same underpinnings as the all-new Lexus TX. Like the TX, I found the Grand Highlander to be a very well-done family hauler with a comfortable ride and roomy interior. Americans love our things to be big and Toyota, now being a Texas company, seems to have jumped on that with the Grand Highlander. I like it.

Product Page: 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander