​​Car and Driver Rates Toyota Grand Highlander 10 Out Of 10​

When it comes to SUVs, there are many choices on the market. However, most 3-row SUVs are very, very large these days and are starting to have trouble even fitting in driveways or at least allowing another car to be parked next to it in a home driveway. However, the Toyota Grand Highlander seems to be just the right size. With third-row seats that offer more space in some ways than the larger Sequoia, a nice set of engines, all-wheel drive, and every piece of safety technology you can think of, the Grand Highlander scores a 10 out of 10 for families of all sizes and activity levels.

Grand Means Grande

The grand in Grand Highlander means that it is 4 inches longer overall compared to the longest Highlander, has a wheelbase that is 3.9 inches longer, is 2.3 inches wider, and 2 inches taller. However, it’s still a little less overall than the larger Sequoia. This means that a Grand Highlander will still easily fit in most two-car garages. Even though it’s smaller than its big brother, the Grand Highlander features about five extra cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row for 20.6 cubes, 1.1 inches of additional headroom in the third row, and 5.5 inches of added legroom.

A Third Row Meant for Adults

Dan Edmunds from Car and Driver, who is 6’2”, found it very easy to fit with plenty of room in the last row and didn’t have a hard time getting in or out from the back either. With the third row folded, you will find 57.9 cubic feet of space, which becomes 97.5 cubic feet with the middle seats folded. Car and Driver says this is about ten or more cubic feet larger than the competition.

Engine Options and Power

The Grand Highlander is available in either front- or all-wheel drive with the choice of two engines: a conventional gas 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 265 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque or a 2.5-liter Hybrid 4-cylinder that delivers 245 combined horsepower. When choosing the top-of-the-line, all-wheel drive-only Hybrid MAX, buyers will get a 2.4-liter turbo Hybrid 4-cylinder with a combined 362 horses and 400 lb-ft of torque available from just 2,000 rpm. The gas model has an 8-speed automatic, with the Hybrid getting an ECVT, and the Hybrid Max has a Direct Shift 6-speed auto.

Surprising Performance

According to Car and Driver, the non-hybrid Grand Highlander can reach 60 mph in 7 seconds and cross the ¼-mile in 15.3 seconds, which is completely reasonable by today’s standards. The EPA says you will achieve an estimated 21 mpg city and 27 mpg highway, which is very good for an SUV of this size that can also tow up to 5,000 lbs. The Hybrid Max beats every vehicle in its class with a 5.6-second 0-60 run and a 14.3-second ¼-mile. That’s nearly as quick as a Toyota GR86 sports coupe. The EPA says the Hybrid Max will get 26 city and 27 highway. The standard Hybrid has an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 37 city and 34 highway, which is just amazing for an SUV.

Trim Levels

There are four trim levels for the Grand Highlander: LE, XLE, Limited, and Platinum. Every trim comes standard with a 12.3-inch touchscreen display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A 7-inch digital gauge cluster is also standard, and a 12.3-inch upgrade is available when choosing the Limited grade or higher.

Safe As Can Be

Of course, a Toyota wouldn’t be a Toyota without some of the best standard safety features on the market. Each Grand Highlander has standard Toyota Safety Sense generation 3.0. TSS 3.0 includes Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Lane Tracing Assist, Road Sign Assist, Automatic High Beams, Proactive Driving Assist, and more.

Why Choose Valley Hi Toyota

At Valley Hi Toyota, we are happy to offer some of the best cars on the market today. We value our commitment to providing our customers with the highest quality sales and service. With hundreds of new, used, and CPO vehicles to choose from, our talented sales team and finance department will help you get the best value possible on your next purchase. And our dedicated service department will work hard to keep your car in the best possible condition.