2024 Toyota Grand Highlander 'long-trip 3-row midsize SUV' bigger, better than predecessor
If “I love you” means never having to say you’re sorry, as a particularly saccharine cliche would have it, adding “Grand” to a vehicle’s name means never having to admit the one you’ve been selling was too small.
Meet the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander. Bigger and better than the Highlander three-row midsize SUV that’s a mainstay of Toyota’s lineup, the Grand Highlander is evidence you can never be too rich or have too much legroom.
New to Toyota’s lineup for 2024 and in dealerships now, the Grand Highlander is what Toyota calls a “long-trip three-row midsize SUV.” It’s 6.5 inches longer than the Highlander, which Toyota now classifies as a “short-trip midsize SUV." The Grand’s third row has an extra 5.5 inches of legroom. 2.5 of shoulder room and 1.1 of headroom.
In terms you don’t have to be an automotive product planner to understand: If the family plans a five-person driving vacation, get a Grand Highlander. Shuttling kids to and from soccer and band practice? A Highlander Classic is fine.
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If you think Toyota’s slicing this sausage a bit thin, you're right. The automaker expects the Grand Highlander to outsell the Highlander by the 2025 model year. It’ll also take a bite out of sales of the Sienna minivan.
2024 Toyota Grand Highlander at a glance
What is it? 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander three-row SUV
Which model did I drive? Grand Highlander AWD Platinum Hybrid Max
I wish: It was a little more memorable.
How much? $43,070-$58,125
EPA rating: 20 mpg city/26 highway/22 combined. Regular gasoline.
Where is it built? Princeton, Indiana
When can you buy one? Now
More cupholders than you have fingers
The Grand Highlander development teams’ top goal was easy rear-seat entry and exit, and comfort for rear occupants. Mission accomplished, particularly with the second-row captain’s chairs, which slide and tip forward for backseat access.
The Grand Highlander seats seven or eight, depending on whether you order a second-row bench.
Toyota outdid itself with interior conveniences. The Grand Highlander has:
Seven USB-C ports
Up to 13 cupholders
12.3-inch touchscreen
Standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Simultaneous Bluetooth connectivity for two phones
Optional 11-speaker JBL audio
In addition to its accommodating third row, the Grand Highlander has 20.6 cubic feet of cargo behind the rear seats, up from 16 in the Highlander.
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The Grand Highlander is based on Toyota’s K architecture like the Highlander, but it doesn’t share a single piece of sheet metal with its little brother.
Despite that, the bigger SUV looks a lot like the Highlander.
Key features
10-inch head-up display
Standard adaptive cruise control
5,000-pound towing capacity
Cloud-based navigation and other services
Two hybrid models
Power, fuel economy
The Grand Highlander is available with front- or all-wheel drive.
Despite its size, the SUV is easy to maneuver in traffic and parking lots.
The base model comes with a 265-hp 2.4L turbocharged engine. The base hybrid has a 245-hp 2.5L four-cylinder, while the top-of-the-line Hybrid Max has a 362-hp turbocharged 2.4L.
Both gasoline and hybrids are available with FWD or AWD.
I drove a pair of hybrids briefly. Both had plenty of power for driving around town and highway cruising.
The most fuel-efficient, an FWD hybrid, rated 37 mpg city, 34 highway and 36 combined in EPA tests. The most powerful Hybrid Max checked in at 27/27/26. FWD and AWD gasoline models rated 28/24/21 and 27/23/21, respectively.
Why buy one?
The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offers plenty of features and room. The hybrid models will run rings around other big family-hauling SUVs on a gallon of gas.
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on X @mark_phelan.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander SUV: Review, price, key features
