Yahoo Autos Tested: The Larger 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hits the Mark
UPDATE 8/10/23: This review has been updated with test results for XLE and Hybrid Max Platinum models.
You'd think that Toyota would have the sport-utility formula long figured out given its numerous popular models. But there's been a gaping hole in Toyota's SUV lineup for some time, with the step up from the Highlander crossover to the body-on-frame Sequoia being particularly large.
Though it's a wildly popular vehicle (3.3 million-plus sold to date), the Highlander's middle row isn't exactly world-beating, and its puny third row is no match for the likes of the Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, and Kia Telluride. Meanwhile, the product gap grew into a chasm when the new Toyota Sequoia debuted, as it moved in a truckier direction to fill the vacuum left by the downsized Land Cruiser. The change from an independent to a solid-axle rear suspension certainly improved towing and off-road capability, but ride smoothness and third-row passenger/cargo space suffered.
Enter the Grand Highlander
The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander is a completely new vehicle that is not merely a stretched-wheelbase Highlander. The Grand Highlander certainly has a longer wheelbase, but it's considerably larger in every other dimension too. It also looks different from the Highlander, with smooth flanks that do not evoke the Supra-wannabe swoopiness of the Highlander. The GH is built specifically to take on the above competition in what Toyota calls the "long-haul three-row SUV" segment. That it uses a derivative name is a calculated strategy, as Toyota freely admits that it is "drafting off the success" of the Highlander by simply tacking "Grand" onto the nameplate.
And why not? The Grand Highlander shares its namesake's core mission, but it's just better at it—particularly if you'll use the third row more of the time, or for longer trips. In numeric terms, the Grand's 116.1-inch wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than the Highlander's. It's also 4.0 inches longer overall than the longest Highlander XSE, 2.3 inches wider, and stands 2.0 inches taller. But it remains significantly more garage- and parking-space-friendly than a Sequoia because its overall length is 6.7 inches stubbier, its roof crouches 4.4 inches lower, and the body is 1.3 inches narrower.
Made For the Long Haul
The Grand Highlander's extra interior space is put to good use, and we're lucky that chief engineer Craig Payne cut his teeth on the Sienna minivan before he was assigned the Grand Highlander project. The now-spacious third row is easy to enter, and our 6-foot-2-inch tester, yours truly, was able to sit there comfortably, with the second row preset to account for his own adjusted driving position. You could say the Grand Highlander can carry a conga line of Dans. At the same time, there is 21 cubic feet of luggage space behind the third row—enough, in Toyota's estimation, for seven carry-on suitcases.
Meanwhile, the Highlander only provides 16 cubic feet behind a third row that is utterly adult-repellent, with 1.1 inches less headroom and 5.5 fewer inches of legroom. Things are surprisingly subpar in the Sequoia, which offers either 22 cubic feet of rear cargo space or Grand Highlander levels of third-row legroom, but not at the same time. You must scooch the seat forward to the point of uninhabitability to get the former or slide it back to get the latter, at which point you have just 12 cubes of cargo room—and 1.6 inches less headroom than the Grand.
We like how every outboard seat has a USB-C outlet, and the Grand Highlander's numerous cupholders feature adjacent slots that can cradle smartphones and tablets. The second-row mini-console pops out quickly to create an aisle, and the front console features a thoughtful roll-back top between fixed armrests that allows you to fish around without disturbing your seatmate. Want to fold seats and tote cargo? The Grand Highlander carries 58 cubic feet behind the middle row and 98 behind the front, which tops the Sequoia's 49- and 87-cubic-foot efforts and is 10 or so cubes better than the competition in both measures.
Up front, the driver's seat is exceedingly well shaped, and the dash has a layered and interesting look—especially when accented with the available Portobello brown leather and bronze trim. Piano black is used sparingly, and many controls are set on matte-black surfaces that look and feel surprisingly premium. A 12.3-inch touchscreen is standard across all grades, and pairing our phone to wireless Apple CarPlay was painless. Indeed, this is a comfortable and accommodating place to whittle away the miles.
