Which Is Better Suited to You, The Highlander or Grand Highlander?

Three-row SUVs are one of the hottest auto segments right now since they provide the seating of a full-size model without getting quite as big. Two of the most popular three-row SUVs are Toyota’s Highlander and Grand Highlander.

Before you visit a Toyota dealer near Mechanicsville like ourselves, on the hunt for your next three-row SUV, let’s take a moment to explore these two models and what they have to offer. They have a lot in common, to be sure, but also plenty that sets them apart. So, let’s have a look at these two SUVs to see what they each bring to the road, making it easier for you to determine which is better suited for you.

An Overview of the Highlander

Before we start digging into the details of these two models, let’s get to know them a bit first and see what they’re all about. First introduced in the 2001 model year, the Highlander is a midsize SUV, but it’s large enough to provide three rows of seating inside, making it ideal for big or growing families. It proved immediately popular due to its innovative design, excellent performance and handling, and great features inside and out.

Originally available with two rows of seating, the three-row configuration became the standard with the 2008 model year and its second generation, setting the stage for this stunning SUV to find its place in Toyota’s lineup. Now in its fourth generation, the Highlander continues to impress with both conventional and hybrid powertrain options designed for bold performance and incredible efficiency.

Highlights of the Grand Highlander

Although the standard Highlander has been around for more than 20 years now, the Grand Highlander is the new kid on the block for Toyota’s SUV lineup. All-new for the 2024 model year, the Grand Highlander builds on what the Highlander is known for and creates an alternative for a great three-row SUV.

A bit larger, this one sits between the standard Highlander and the full-size Sequoia in Toyota’s lineup while offering excellent performance and features on par with the Highlander. There are some unique details about the Grand Highlander, though, and its larger size allows for more room inside, so it’s important that you fully consider these differences before choosing your next SUV.

Engine Options and Performance

When buying a big SUV like the Toyota Highlander or Grand Highlander, you always want to look at the engine and the kind of power it offers. The last thing you want is a spacious SUV that feels sluggish when you’re driving around Mechanicsville; you also don’t want to have to stop for gas every other day.

The 2024 Highlander has two engines available, starting with a standard 2.4L Turbo I-4 that offers 265 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. These are solid performance specs, which ensures it is quite fun to drive. With this engine, you’ll get an estimated 22 MPG in the city, 29 MPG on the highway, and 25 MPG combined while driving the Highlander.

For enhanced efficiency, there’s an available 2.5L I-4 hybrid engine that offers 243 hp, which is a bit less than the standard engine. Where this one shines, however, is with its estimated 36 MPG in the city, 35 MPG on the highway, and 36 MPG combined; that’s a tremendous increase over the standard engine and it ensures you can go a long time between stops for gas.

The Grand Highlander has these same two engines available with the same performance, though with slightly lower fuel economy figures, at about 1 MPG less across the board, which is pretty negligible. The 2024 Grand Highlander has a third engine offered, however: a 2.4L i-FORCE MAX turbocharged I-4 hybrid engine that delivers 362 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, providing you with an incredible driving experience.

Thanks to its hybrid design, the i-FORCE MAX gets you all of that power and an estimated 26 MPG in the city and 27 MPG on the highway, making it a fantastic combination of power and efficiency—and its hybrid configuration guarantees you standard all-wheel drive! If you’re looking for a family SUV that’s a blast to drive, then this combination is one to check out.

Interior Layout and Size

Although similar in size at a casual glance, there are some key differences between these two SUVs, starting with the fact the Grand Highlander is about six inches longer and a couple inches wider than the Highlander. This translates to some big differences inside: the Highlander has 16 cu.ft. of rear cargo space behind the third row, 48.4 cu.ft. behind the second row, and 84.3 cu.ft. behind the front row.

By comparison, the Grand Highlander gives you 20.6 cu.ft. of rear cargo room, 57.9 cu.ft. behind the second row, and 97.5 cu.ft. behind the front seats. That’s a pretty big difference across the board, and this could matter greatly if you like to pack your SUV to the brim. We should also mention the base Highlander LE has seating for eight passengers, and the XLE trim and higher can have seating for seven or eight people, while all Grand Highlanders come with seven seats; if you need to fit eight people inside, then go with the classic Highlander.

Tech and Comfort Features

One key difference between the Highlander and Grand Highlander is how many different trim levels they each have: the Highlander starts with the LE, then the XLE, XSE, Limited, and finally the Platinum. The Grand Highlander starts with the XLE and then has a Limited and Platinum. This streamlines things a bit with the Grand Highlander and means the starting features are a bit nicer.

For example, the Highlander LE comes with fabric-trimmed seating, including an eight-way power driver’s seat and four-way manual front-passenger seat, with an 8.0-inch infotainment display and six-speaker sound system. The Grand Highlander XLE comes with SofTex-trimmed seating, including a 10-way power driver’s seat and eight-way power front-passenger seat, along with a wireless charging pad, a 12.3-inch infotainment display, and more.

You can generally get the same features on both models, but the simplified lineup for the Grand Highlander gives you more to start with.

Great Tech to Keep Your Family Safe

While we just saw some differences in trim levels, we haven’t defined how incredibly safe both of these vehicles are. Both the Highlander and Grand Highlander come with the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) suite of advanced safety tech—but there’s a key difference: the Highlander has TSS 2.5+, which includes a Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, a Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, and Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.

With the Grand Highlander, you get the latest TSS 3.0 system, which adds Proactive Driving Assist; this provides gentle braking and steering support to help with curves and other driving tasks to keep you safer. Both systems are excellent and include more features like a Blind Spot Monitor, but the Grand Highlander gives you the latest version.

Two Amazing Options for Mechanicsville Drivers

You can see that both the Toyota Highlander and Grand Highlander are terrific three-row SUVs, but some notable differences between them could make one better for you than the other. If you want seating for up to eight people and the best fuel efficiency possible, then the Highlander is likely your better choice.

On the other hand, if seven-passenger seating works for you, you want more room for cargo, and you’re interested in enhanced features, then the Grand Highlander might be the right choice. If you’re interested in the incredible i-FORCE MAX engine, then you definitely want to check out the Grand Highlander! All that’s left is for you to decide which features are most important for you, and then we can help you with everything else.