Car and Driver Ranks Grand Highlander 9.5 of 10

For years, Toyota did not have a dedicated three-row crossover despite having multiple SUVs and Crossovers, sometimes more than one in a vehicle segment. They had the Highlander, which could be ordered with a third row. While it’s an amazing vehicle, the third row can still be a bit tight for adult passengers on long trips. 

However, good things come to people who wait. In 2024, Toyota launched the Grand Highlander. It may sound like a Highlander with a longer wheelbase, but in fact, it is an entirely different vehicle with larger dimensions all around and an exterior and interior design that is wholly its own. Car and Driver was smitten, giving it a 9.5 out 10 rating and putting it on its 10Best list, which is the publication’s top honor. Sharp Automotive tells you more. 

Toyota promised comfort for everyone in the Grand Highlander launch campaign, and the model certainly delivers with 34 inches of third-row legroom. This is more than you will find in the Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, and other competitors, and is, as Car and Driver put it: “…capable of delivering long-haul, road-trip comfort to all of its occupants.”  

Turbocharged and/or Hybrid Drivetrains 

One thing the Grand Highlander has in common with the conventional Highlander is its drivetrain. The standard engine is a 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-4 that produces 265 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. EPA-estimated /city/highway/combined MPG is 21/27/23 mpg. Suppose you want a higher mpg, particularly when driving in town. For you, the Grand Highlander hybrid combines the same turbocharged 2.4-liter engine with two AC motors for standard AWD and a combined output of 362 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. The highway mileage remains the same, but the city figure bumps up from 21 to 26 for a combined figure of 27. 

A Grand Cabin 

The Grand Highlander’s cabin certainly lives up to its name. It seats up to eight and has 153 cubic feet of total passenger volume, 13 more than the Highlander. With all seats up, there is still 21 cubic feet of cargo space, enough for four carry-on suitcases. That space grows to 58 cu.ft. with the third-row seatbacks down and both second and third seats down, it can swallow 98 cubic feet of cargo. That is 11 cubic feet more than a Pilot, which equals the maximum cargo space of its GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse rivals in our showroom. 

New for 2025 is an entry-level LE model with a starting MSRP of $42,310. The sweet spot for Car and Driver is the XLE, which adds synthetic leather seating with heat for the front, a choice of second-row captain’s chairs, or a three-across bench seat for a capacity of eight power liftgates and a wireless phone charger.

Regardless of your chosen model, you will have a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen running the latest Toyota software interface. Limited and Platinum models also get an all-digital 12.3-inch gauge display. Those same models also treat occupants to an 11-speaker JBL stereo upgrade. 

Toyota Safe 

As both a family-focused vehicle and a Toyota, Grand Highlander naturally gets Toyota brand’s latest in safety and driver assistance technology with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which includes automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlamps, a road sign recognition system, and blind spot monitoring.  

If you have a large family or just an average with visiting relatives and friends, visit Sharp Automotive, where you can check out the Toyota Grand Highlander back to back with its Chevrolet and GMC competitors.