2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Evaluation: A robust, new three-row contender

Professionals: Plenty of house for passengers and cargo; refined, quiet trip; two hybrid powertrain choices

Cons: The lesser hybrid powertrain is noisy and gradual; considerably costly beginning value

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander, is, as its identify suggests, grander than the tried-and-true Highlander. Which means it’s larger, with extra room for folks and cargo, together with a 3rd row that’s really usable for adults. There’s extra occurring right here than merely some inches added to the again of a daily Highlander, nevertheless. Though the 2 share underlying mechanicals, the Grand Highlander diverges from there with bolder, dare-we-say “grander” styling, extra customary tech, and the choice of a performance-oriented hybrid to go together with the shared gas-only and effectivity minded hybrid powertrains.

The Grand Highlander leaves a superb first impression, and may completely be in your brief checklist in case you’re in search of a three-row household hauler, up there together with the venerable Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride and Honda Pilot. The various selection of powertrains offers the Toyota a bonus over these opponents as effectively. That’s very true of the bottom hybrid’s distinctive gas financial system, however we should warn you that it’s additionally a bit gradual and grumpy-sounding. However, if it’s in your finances, the lover Hybrid Max offers you some further effectivity whereas offering significantly better, simpler efficiency.

Inside & Expertise   |   Passenger & Cargo Area   |   Efficiency & Gasoline Financial system

What it is prefer to drive   |   Pricing & Trim Ranges   |   Crash Rankings & Security Options

What’s new for 2024?

The Grand Highlander is an all-new mannequin in its first mannequin 12 months.

What are the Grand Highlander inside and in-car expertise like?

The Grand Highlander’s inside is pretty standard, however nonetheless has trademark Toyota options just like the cabinets within the sprint and up-to-date touchscreen infotainment system. For higher or for worse, there is not an enormous distinction in inside high quality from the bottom fashions to the extremely specified variations. They’re all put collectively effectively and have gentle, high quality plastics. Larger trims have enticing leather-based choices and a few upholstered sprint panels, however a number of the painted plastics and pretend wooden trim do not feel good sufficient to justify the pricing, notably when the cabins of the Telluride, Palisade and Mazda CX-90 rival entry-level luxurious SUVs.

The centerpiece of the Grand Highlander’s inside is its 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which is customary throughout all trim ranges. It seems trendy and reacts rapidly to inputs, however we miss the bodily menu buttons Toyota used to incorporate with its infotainment system (particularly a House button) and dislike that there is no such thing as a longer a split-screen view. Getting in between the Toyota and customary Apple/Android interfaces is especially irritating. Transfer as much as the Restricted trim, and also you additionally get a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster as an alternative of the analog gauges and 7-inch show within the XLE. The Platinum trim comes with a head-up show, as effectively. There’s additionally a wi-fi telephone charger, in addition to seven USB-C ports within the cabin, together with the third row. The Grand Highlander additionally presents digital key expertise, which lets you use your telephone to get in and activate the car, but it surely requires a Distant Join subscription.

How massive is the Grand Highlander?

The Grand Highlander is a three-row car, with a roomier third row than the tight confines in the way in which again of the usual Highlander. It’s now comfy sufficient that we wouldn’t draw back from letting adults sit again there, with a tad extra leg- and shoulder room than the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade. The remainder of the cabin is roomy, too. The second row might be had with a bench seat or captain’s chairs, permitting for seven- or eight-seat configurations. No matter the place you sit, you’ll have a wholesome quantity of head- and legroom.

It additionally has extra cargo quantity than the smaller common Highlander, most notably 20.6 cubic ft behind the third row, which is greater than most opponents and nearly as a lot because the beneficiant Kia Telluride. Which means you’ll be extra prone to really deliver alongside baggage or groceries with out having to fold the third row seats (or spend money on a roof-top cargo field). If that’s not sufficient baggage house, there’s 57.9 cubic ft behind the second row and 97.5 with each rear rows folded.

What are the Grand Highlander gas financial system and efficiency specs?

The Grand Highlander is obtainable with a selection of three powertrains, two of that are hybrid. The bottom energy plant is an all-gas turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine offering 265 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, put to the wheels by way of an eight-speed automated transmission. With front-wheel drive, gas financial system is rated at 21 miles per gallon metropolis, 28 mpg freeway and 24 mpg mixed. All-wheel drive sacrifices a simply little little bit of that mileage, at 21/27/23 mpg within the XLE, and 20/26/22 mpg within the Restricted and Platinum trims.

The effectivity providing is the Grand Highlander Hybrid, with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine paired with an electrical motor and battery. It’s much less highly effective, with 245 system horsepower, however will get higher gas financial system. In front-wheel drive, it will get 37 mpg metropolis, 34 mpg metropolis and 36 mpg mixed within the XLE. Add all-wheel-drive system to the XLE (it provides one other motor, which solely powers the rear wheels), and it sees 36/32/34 mpg. These are the identical figures because the Restricted with front-wheel drive. The Restricted AWD will get 35/31/33 mpg.

The third powertrain providing is the Hybrid Max, which provides up some gas financial system for one of the best efficiency within the lineup. It pairs the hybrid system to the two.4-liter turbo, making a mixed 362 system horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. It makes use of a six-speed automated transmission for a extra conventional driving really feel. The Hybrid Max is simply supplied with all-time all-wheel drive, and will get 26/27/27 mpg, which is best than the gas-only Grand Highlander, however not almost as environment friendly as the opposite hybrid powertrain.

What is the Grand Highlander prefer to drive?

Whereas we suggest skipping the gas-only powertrain on the small Highlander in favor of the hybrid, we discover the alternative is true, right here, assuming that you simply’re not in search of most gas financial system. We don’t hear the as a lot of the tough sound of the four-cylinder within the Grand highlander, letting the wholesome torque and responsive transmission shine, and giving it a extra refined expertise.

The Grand Highlander’s primary hybrid is far much less gratifying. Its 245 hp is reaching its limits with 4,455 to 4,710 kilos of curb weight to haul round. Mixed with the hybrid powertrain’s electronically managed CVT, it strikes gradual and sounds strained, the identical as it’s in our long-term Toyota Sienna. However, like with our Sienna, the gas financial system is simply so gosh-darn spectacular that you simply would possibly be capable to forgive it – particularly as no competitor with a comparably massive inside presents something prefer it.

The Hybrid Max is a sweetheart of a powertrain, with a meaty torque band that permits for easy, straightforward acceleration, and the six-speed means it is not continually interrupted by shifts or looking for gears. It is a surprisingly growly powertrain, helped partially by considered utility of the seamless synthetic sound enhancement. And with the full-time all-wheel drive and beefier rear motor, the facility break up is extra evenly distributed. This leads to less-pronounced understeer when powering by corners. This all makes the Hybrid Max far and away probably the most gratifying powertrain, and we want Toyota would supply a detuned, extra environment friendly model to supplant the common hybrid.

Whereas there are vital variations in powertrains, the Grand Highlander’s trip and dealing with are just about the identical throughout the road. Up entrance is a MacPherson strut setup with a multi-link unbiased association on the rear, and the shocks are non-adjustable. Every Grand Highlander does have totally different driving modes, however they primarily regulate throttle and transmission response — even the steering appears unaffected. The tuning is unquestionably towards consolation and management. It glides over bumps, and stays regular. Dealing with is not fairly as keen in consequence, what with the softness and physique roll. The cabin can also be impressively quiet. So so long as you are not trying to hustle your sensible hauler, you will be happy with the Grand Highlander.

What different Toyota Grand Highlander critiques can I learn?

2024 Toyota Grand Highlander First Drive Evaluation: ‘Grander’ in dimension, energy and value

That is our first expertise behind the wheel of the Grand Highlander, which we discover is an enchancment over the usual Highlander in excess of simply its dimension.

2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Cupholder Mega Take a look at: Will the Nalgene bottle match?

The Grand Highlander has 15 cupholders. We examine all of them out and see which of them will match an outsized water bottle.

What’s the 2024 Grand Highlander value?

The bottom trim for the Grand Highlander is the XLE, which, with the gas-only powertrain and front-wheel drive, begins at $44,405 together with $1,335 in vacation spot. All-wheel drive provides $1,600 to that. The bottom Grand Highlander Hybrid XLE begins at $46,005.

The XLE fashions have a good checklist of ordinary tools, together with 18-inch wheels, LED head- and taillights, energy liftgate, digital key expertise, three-zone automated local weather management, adaptive cruise management, rain-sensing wipers, SofTex leatherette upholstery, second-row sunshades, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wi-fi telephone charger and 7 USB-C ports.

Options that present up on the higher trim ranges embody 20-inch wheels, heated leather-based seating, a digital instrument panel, head-up show, digital rear-view mirror digital camera, panoramic glass roof, ambient lighting, JBL premium audio system. There are not any sporty or off-road trim ranges accessible (but) for the Grand Highlander.

Pricing for the 2024 Grand Highlander lineup is as follows:

• XLE FWD: $44,405
• XLE AWD: $46,005
• Restricted FWD: $49,195
• Restricted AWD: $50,795
• Platinum AWD: $54,880

• Hybrid XLE FWD: $46,005
• Hybrid XLE AWD: $47,605
• Hybrid Restricted AWD: $52,395

• Hybrid Max Restricted AWD: $55,375
• Hybrid Max Platinum AWD: $59,460

What are the Grand Highlander security scores and driver help options?

Customary security tools consists of automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping help, street signal recognition, automated excessive beams, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning techniques, and adaptive cruise management. Additionally accessible are entrance and rear-parking help with automated braking, a panoramic parking digital camera system and Visitors Jam Help (which permits arms free-driving on freeways at 25 mph or much less).

The Toyota Grand Highlander has not but been crash examined by both NHTSA or the IIHS as of this writing.

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