BIGGER IS BETTER! 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Review

Jul 29, 2023

BIGGER IS BETTER! 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Review

In my 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander review I’ll tell you why the bigger version is better. The Toyota Grand Highlander 2024 model year is a 3-row SUV that directly competes with the Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, and Kia Telluride.

You’ve got three powertrain choices to pick from including the gas model, the hybrid model, and the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max. The Hybrid Max is the most powerful making 362 horsepower from a 2.4L 4-cylinder turbo Hybrid MAX. The Toyota Grand Highlander interior is also more luxurious and tech-packed than the regular Grand Highlander. Not to mention this is the perfect family SUV!

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0:00- Rear Legroom / Cargo Space
3:21 - Specs
4:19 - Driving Impressions / Toyota Grand Highlander POV Drive
8:19 - Interior / Tech
11:38 - Exterior
13:04 - 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Price
13:34 - Final Thoughts

#toyota #grandhighlander #toyotagrandhighlander

Content

0 -> - All right, so,

0.84 -> instead of talking about the three row SUV segment

2.94 -> or coming up with an interesting intro,

4.494 -> I figured what better way to kick off

6.39 -> the review of the all new Toyota Grand Highlander

8.88 -> by showing you what's probably most important to you.

11.46 -> And that's the practicality in the second and third row.

14.11 -> Hop in the second row,

15.33 -> and you're working with a total of 39.5 inches of legroom.

18.75 -> I'm about six foot tall.

19.83 -> That is my seating position.

20.91 -> As you can see, I have a good amount of room.

23.28 -> It is really comfortable back here.

25.41 -> Now by the numbers, that is pretty much similar

27.15 -> to the Honda Pilot and the Mazda CX-90,

29.28 -> and just an inch or so less

30.54 -> than the Hyundai Palisade and the Kia Telluride.

32.76 -> But it's not small by any means.

34.29 -> You can really spread out and get comfortable back here.

37.05 -> Not to mention, depending on the model that you go for,

39.12 -> you can get second row captain chairs

40.59 -> for a total of seven passengers,

42.48 -> or you can opt for a second row bench,

44.37 -> and get room for eight.

45.93 -> As for heating and cooling,

46.98 -> you get heated second row seats on the Limited trim,

49.14 -> and heated and ventilated seats on the Platinum.

51.75 -> Charging game wise, you have two USB-C ports right here

53.91 -> along with a household outlet.

55.5 -> As for cup holders, don't mistake

56.85 -> this section right here on the door for cup holders.

58.53 -> As you can see, Toyota warns you do not put drinks here.

61.32 -> Instead, the Limited and Platinum trims

62.91 -> will give you this really cool removable tray,

64.59 -> which has two cup holders

65.7 -> and two slots for your smartphones.

67.71 -> And they actually hold in pretty tight.

69.42 -> And you have some additional storage.

70.766 -> Oh, and you also get peasant blockers

72.51 -> on the XLE trim and above.

74.55 -> Now to get into the third row,

75.72 -> you just pull this latch right over here,

77.157 -> and the second row pulls down a little bit,

79.23 -> and slides forward,

80.063 -> giving you access to get into the third row.

82.26 -> Now once you get back here and get situated,

83.79 -> you're working with a total of 33.5 inches of legroom,

86.58 -> which is actually more

87.42 -> than the Pilot, the Palisade, and the Telluride.

90 -> And again, I have a good amount of room for the third row.

92.34 -> It's not too bad, and it's actually comfortable back here.

95.28 -> The seats don't feel cheap at all.

97.44 -> And as you can see, the second row passengers

99.6 -> still have some leg room to work with.

101.197 -> Even though I'm sitting behind them, it's not bad.

103.414 -> This one is a little further back.

105.45 -> This one is a little far up.

107.7 -> But, yeah, it's nice back here.

109.74 -> Charging game wise, each passenger in the third row gets

111.84 -> a USB-C port located right there.

113.31 -> And they also have this storage area

114.78 -> where the middle one is the only thing that's a cup holder.

117.99 -> The other two are not supposed to be cup holders.

120.21 -> You could place your smartphone right there.

121.83 -> And Toyota says that this will also hold a tablet,

124.77 -> which, yeah, it does.

126.48 -> Just don't place a drink here

127.89 -> and have it mess up your tablet.

129.87 -> And to get out of the third row,

130.92 -> you just use the same latch that you used to get in.

133.98 -> Nice.

135.12 -> And of course, let's check out the cargo capacity.

137.13 -> You can pop open the tailgate

138.33 -> by using a button located right here

139.83 -> underneath the Toyota logo.

141.33 -> And once you get it open,

142.2 -> you're working with a total of 20.6 cubic feet

144.51 -> behind the third row.

145.68 -> With the third row down,

146.64 -> and behind the second row, you of a total of 58 cubic feet.

149.31 -> And with both rows folded,

150.3 -> you have a total of 97.5 cubic feet,

152.73 -> which is more than all the competition.

154.38 -> And Toyota says that you can fit seven carry-on suitcases

157.23 -> behind the third row,

158.063 -> which is pretty crazy.

159.66 -> All right, now let's take it for a drive.

161.1 -> But before that, let's roll that intro.

163.829 -> (upbeat music)

186.15 -> Now for those of you that love the regular Highlander,

187.98 -> don't worry it's not going away.

189.33 -> The Grand Highlander here

190.59 -> is meant to sit between the Highlander and the Sequoia.

193.32 -> And is meant to be Toyota's proper answer

195.78 -> to the three row family SUV segment.

198.3 -> And there's some goats crossing the street here.

201.24 -> However, if you are a fan of the regular Highlander,

203.7 -> you might want to switch teams,

204.99 -> and jump over to the Grand Highlander,

206.82 -> because this is actually better in a lot of ways.

210.87 -> Besides being bigger,

211.98 -> it offers a total of three powertrain choices

214.08 -> including a gas, a hybrid, and the Hybrid Max.

217.47 -> You have three trims to pick from

218.79 -> including the XLE, the Limited, and the Platinum.

221.19 -> Now the gas model, which is available with all three trims,

224.22 -> is powered by a 2.4 liter,

225.9 -> 4-cylinder turbo engine,

227.43 -> making 265 horsepower and 310 pound feet of torque.

232.26 -> It's made it to an 8-speed automatic transmission

234.84 -> and Toyota says that it will do 60 in 7.5 seconds.

238.86 -> Next up, you have the hybrid,

239.97 -> which is only available as an XLE or Limited.

242.88 -> That is powered by a 2.5 liter 4-cylinder, hybrid setup,

246.09 -> making 243 horsepower and 175 pound feet of torque.

251.01 -> It's made into an eCVT transmission,

253.079 -> and we'll do 60 in 7.8 seconds.

256.32 -> I had to close that moon roof shade,

257.73 -> because that sun is pretty hot.

259.29 -> Now, if you want the power and the performance,

261.63 -> you can go for the Hybrid Max that I'm driving here.

264.09 -> This one here is

264.923 -> only available as a Limited or a Platinum trim,

267.54 -> and is powered by a 2.4 liter, 4-cylinder,

269.79 -> turbocharged Hybrid Max,

271.65 -> making a total of 362 horsepower

274.92 -> and 400 pound feet of torque.

276.81 -> It's made into a 6-speed automatic transmission,

279.33 -> and will do 0 to 60 in an impressive 6.3 seconds.

284.16 -> Yeah, that isn't bad at all.

285.3 -> Now hitting the gas in sport mode,

286.644 -> while you're driving along at normal speeds.

288.99 -> I'm going 50.

290.49 -> And yeah, this thing moves.

293.19 -> It's not crazy fast,

294.21 -> but it definitely has enough power to get you up and going,

297.72 -> to help you switch lanes when you're on the highway,

299.67 -> and overtake other cars.

301.47 -> But that power delivery is pretty, pretty smooth.

305.85 -> Of course, not many people driving in this segment

308.01 -> are looking for something insanely quick.

310.53 -> They do want some power,

311.73 -> but they aren't racing anybody for pink slips.

314.22 -> What they're looking for is comfort.

315.81 -> And the new Grand Highlander definitely provides that.

319.41 -> This thing rides really, really smooth,

321.48 -> almost Lexus smooth.

323.22 -> It soaks up bumps and holes on the roads with a lot of ease.

325.95 -> And honestly, I think this may very well be

328.8 -> the most comfortable riding three row SUV in this segment.

332.58 -> After driving around for a few hours today,

334.41 -> I definitely feel that this rides smoother

337.02 -> than a lot of the competition,

338.34 -> including the Honda Pilot,

339.6 -> the Hyundai Palisade, and the Kia Telluride.

341.88 -> And definitely much smoother than the new Mazda CX-90,

344.7 -> which is more performance oriented.

347.55 -> It seems like the "grand" in the title

348.87 -> stands for more than just the size.

350.46 -> It actually feels pretty grandeur,

352.56 -> if that's how you say it,

353.67 -> in terms of luxury.

355.139 -> Grandeur...

357.27 -> I don't know.

358.71 -> Now keep in mind

359.543 -> that the gas and the hybrid models can be had

361.32 -> with either front wheel drive or all-wheel drive,

363.54 -> while the Hybrid Max is only available with all-wheel drive.

367.26 -> You also have a few drive modes to pick from

368.82 -> that you can select from this dial right down here,

370.407 -> and a few buttons.

371.97 -> All three Grand Highlanders get Eco, Normal, and Sport,

374.55 -> but only the all-wheel drive gas

376.32 -> and the Hybrid Max will give you

377.94 -> Mud and Sand, Rock and Dirt and Snow.

380.67 -> But yet, no matter which mode you're in,

382.2 -> the drive and the comfort doesn't change that much.

385.05 -> In sport mode, it does,

387.6 -> again, accelerate a little bit faster,

389.25 -> but the comfort is still there.

391.44 -> The other thing that I noticed

392.49 -> while driving this around today

393.57 -> is that it's pretty damn quiet in here.

396.03 -> Toyota has done a great job of insulating the cabin

398.61 -> from unwanted outside noise.

400.68 -> This definitely feels much quieter

402.45 -> than the Sequoia and the Highlander,

404.16 -> which is a big plus in my book.

406.53 -> A truck just went by.

407.67 -> And in the Sequoia, when a truck went by,

409.2 -> you heard it like it was inside.

411.78 -> Oh, and by the way,

412.62 -> not all the all-wheel drive systems here are the same.

415.44 -> You have the dynamic torque control all-wheel drive

417.45 -> on the gas models

418.35 -> that will actively distribute torque

420.42 -> between the front and rear axles.

422.1 -> It will actually engage

423.33 -> or disengage the rear wheels as needed.

425.97 -> The electronic, on demand all-wheel drive

427.92 -> on the hybrid models

429.09 -> uses a rear motor to drive the rear wheels when needed.

432.18 -> If you lose some traction,

433.47 -> the rear motor will kick in, and move the rear wheels.

435.75 -> And then you have the Hybrid Max

436.95 -> that gets a full-time, electronic all-wheel drive setup.

439.74 -> And this delivers power to the front and the rear wheels

442.08 -> through a front-mounted, hybrid motor,

444.12 -> and a rear mounted e-axle electric motor.

446.91 -> And this actually makes the Hybrid Max more rear biased,

449.85 -> with more rear wheel drive maneuverability.

452.4 -> It makes it feel more responsive and more stable.

454.68 -> So, if you care about

455.52 -> driving dynamics, acceleration, and handling,

458.16 -> the Hybrid Max is probably the one that you want to get.

461.07 -> I briefly drove the gas and the hybrid.

462.81 -> Now the gas model was pretty good.

464.94 -> It was pretty good at getting up and going.

466.77 -> The hybrid was a little bit sluggish.

469.29 -> But, you know, that's the trade off that you have.

471.81 -> So, if you want power and performance,

473.046 -> the Hybrid Max, again is the one that you should go for.

476.1 -> But yeah, compared to the competition,

477.66 -> like the Pilot, the Palisade,

479.01 -> and the Telluride, or the new CX-90,

481.11 -> this is definitely more comfort focused,

483.78 -> and I don't hate that.

484.68 -> And people buying this as their family SUV

488.1 -> wouldn't hate that either.

489.87 -> All right, since we've already seen

490.763 -> the second and the third row, and the cargo area,

493.56 -> let's check out the first row,

494.79 -> because this is where the Grand continues.

498.42 -> Like the new Toyota Crown,

499.53 -> the Grand Highlander's interior also feels more premium.

502.68 -> Toyota didn't just take everything from the Highlander,

504.81 -> and call it a day.

506.01 -> It feels more luxurious than the Highlander for sure.

508.62 -> In fact, this feels more luxurious

510.75 -> than the Sequoia Capstone.

512.82 -> You have soft touch surfaces all around this cabin

515.19 -> on the Limited and the Platinum.

516.93 -> By the way, in terms of pricing,

518.43 -> each trim of the Grand Highlander

520.23 -> is just an extra $1,000 over the Highlander,

522.75 -> so that's something to consider as well.

524.76 -> It definitely gives off Lexus vibes.

526.89 -> You've got these really comfortable front seats

528.63 -> that are super plush

530.13 -> and have been great to sit in all day.

532.53 -> Both of the front seats are power adjustable

534.63 -> on every single trim

536.19 -> and they're also heated on every single trim.

539.16 -> If you want heated and ventilated front seats

541.17 -> or a heated steering wheel,

542.55 -> you'll have to go for the Limited or the Platinum.

544.92 -> Tri-zone climate control is standard on all the trims,

547.68 -> although this giant panoramic moon roof

550.26 -> is only available on the Platinum.

552.09 -> I wish it was at least optional on the other trims.

555.96 -> As for tech, all the Grand Highlander trims come

558.27 -> with this giant 12.3 inch touchscreen display

560.76 -> for the entertainment system.

562.26 -> It's the same system that we've been seeing

564.03 -> on all of the new Toyota and Lexus models.

566.55 -> You have wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto,

569.43 -> and then navigation and other things can be had

572.13 -> as a part of a subscription service.

574.47 -> But yeah, I've used this system a bunch of times,

576.48 -> and it's pretty easy to use.

577.68 -> Nothing too fancy or anything like that though.

580.14 -> Now the Limited and the Platinum also

581.76 -> get a 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster,

584.19 -> which actually looks really cool.

585.9 -> It's very informative, very configurable

588.39 -> to whatever information that you want there.

590.94 -> And it also features some really,

592.56 -> really cool drive mode animations that,

594.48 -> again, I've seen on the Toyota Crown.

596.28 -> So, that just shows the similarities between this and that.

599.94 -> Oh, by the way,

600.773 -> the bronze trim that you see around here

601.89 -> can also be seen on the Toyota Crown.

604.08 -> One cool thing is that this has facial recognition.

606.57 -> So, if you have multiple drivers in your family,

609.09 -> you can set up your face into the entertainment system.

612.36 -> And as you get in,

613.193 -> this thing right here will scan your face,

614.219 -> and load up your profile, your seat settings,

616.77 -> your audio settings,

617.7 -> whatever you have your favorite radio stations,

619.74 -> and get you ready to go.

621.75 -> But yeah, other than that,

622.8 -> all the trims of the Grand Highlander

624.21 -> get a wireless charger as standard,

626.22 -> it's not optional,

627.24 -> along with two USB-C ports that you see right here.

629.88 -> And you also get a USB-C port in front of the passenger

632.88 -> along with some extra storage there.

634.47 -> So, that's pretty cool.

635.52 -> Speaking of storage,

636.39 -> you have massive storage right here in the center arm rest.

639.42 -> You can fit an iPad, you can fit a gimbal.

641.49 -> I threw a lot of stuff in there while I was filming,

643.86 -> and it still had more space.

645.96 -> You also get three cup holders over here.

648.09 -> And it can hold a really, really big water bottle.

651.15 -> But yeah, three cup holders.

652.5 -> Cup holders for three row family SUVs are never a bad thing.

656.7 -> Now let's talk driver assist tech really quick.

658.71 -> As a part of Toyota Safety Sense,

660.18 -> you get everything as standard,

661.95 -> including all the parking sensors, blind spot notification,

665.01 -> adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist,

667.41 -> lane departure alert with steering assist.

669.51 -> And this will also keep itself centered in the lanes

671.58 -> as you're driving along.

672.9 -> The Platinum trim

673.733 -> will give you a really nice head up display

675.15 -> and it will also give you a digital rear view mirror.

677.85 -> Speaking of camera angles,

679.11 -> you have a bunch of camera angles over here.

681.51 -> You've got a 360 surround view of course.

683.94 -> But you also get this really cool camera angle

685.95 -> that will show you a transparent view

687.75 -> of what you're driving over

689.07 -> when you're traveling at low speed.

690.63 -> So, if you run over your kid's toys

692.64 -> or maybe even your kid

694.56 -> you can see that, "Hey, they're under your car."

697.62 -> So, yeah, that Grand Highlander is definitely a step

699.78 -> above the regular Highlander

700.89 -> when it comes to interior convenience and luxury.

703.56 -> But it's also bigger,

704.43 -> in terms of size on the outside.

706.32 -> Not to mention it looks more luxurious

708.09 -> and more mature than the Highlander as well.

710.43 -> Also, if the Toyota Sequoia was too much for you

712.5 -> in terms of of design,

713.61 -> this seems a little bit more toned down.

716.16 -> Toyota says that the front

717.06 -> was inspired a little bit by the Highlander.

718.83 -> And you can definitely see that.

720.33 -> However, it does look more sophisticated

722.73 -> with a larger grill and a more squared-off look.

726.27 -> Now from the side, the Grand Highlander is

727.83 -> about six and a half inches longer

729.81 -> than its smaller sibling.

730.89 -> And is about seven inches shorter than the Sequoia.

734.13 -> It's also two inches taller than the Highlander,

736.32 -> and 2.3 inches wider.

738.54 -> As for the wheel game,

739.373 -> the XLE gets 18 inch wheels for the Limited.

741.72 -> And the Platinum, you get 20 inch wheels,

743.73 -> and I think they look okay.

745.47 -> Nothing too crazy, but they do look nice for this segment.

748.35 -> And then on the back, you'll notice

749.7 -> that the squared-off look continues.

751.2 -> And I feel like this is

752.04 -> one of the better looking three row SUVs from the back.

755.73 -> Wait, you didn't think I'd skip out

756.62 -> on the door close and the horn sound.

758.01 -> Come on now.

758.843 -> The door close sound from the outside.

760.86 -> And the inside, solid.

763.47 -> And of course, let's do an indicator and horn sound test.

765.72 -> Indicator first.

768.2 -> I like that one.

770.31 -> Now for the horn sound.

771.181 -> (horn sounding)

772.68 -> Oh, yeah, solid.

775.65 -> So, should you consider buying the Toyota Grand Highlander,

777.84 -> if you're in the market for a three row family SUV?

780.72 -> Definitely, yes.

781.553 -> And I think this thing will sell like crazy.

784.38 -> However, the prices do start around

786.002 -> $8,000 to $9,000 more than the competition.

789.12 -> Of course, if you do an apples to apples comparison

791.52 -> to the features and the trims,

792.96 -> things might start to balance out.

794.67 -> But to even get into a Grand Highlander,

797.16 -> you're looking at a starting price tag

798.75 -> of around $43,000 for the base, gas, and XLE model.

803.43 -> If you want to hop into the hybrid,

804.81 -> you're looking at around $45,000.

807.36 -> And if you want to go all out, and go for the Hybrid Max,

809.94 -> you're looking at a starting price tag of over $54,000.

813.69 -> But yet, if you're in the market for a three row family SUV,

816.18 -> definitely give the Grand Highlander a test drive

818.41 -> along with the other options that you have in this segment.

821.4 -> It's definitely a grand addition to this segment.

824.31 -> I've gotta stop with the whole "grand" thing.

825.84 -> Either way, thanks for watching.

827.31 -> Make sure you hit Like.

828.15 -> Make sure you hit Subscribe.

829.35 -> Make sure you follow me on Instagram and on TikTok.

831.42 -> My handle there is @omardrives.

833.58 -> I'll catch you guys on the next one.

835.05 -> I'm gonna go enjoy Hawaii while I'm here for another day.

838.11 -> Take care, peace.

839.91 -> Thanks to you guys for watching my stuff,

841.44 -> so Toyota considers me cool enough or good enough

844.98 -> to come out here to Hawaii to drive this,

847.86 -> and see the Tacoma before everybody else did.

850.71 -> I hope you enjoyed that video too.

851.543 -> If you haven't watched it, go watch it now.

853.56 -> Oh, and I just realized

854.55 -> that I didn't give you guys any fuel economy numbers.

856.77 -> So, here they are on the screen right here.

858.45 -> Pause and take a look if you want to check it out.

861.9 -> If not, see you guys on the next one.

863.783 -> (upbeat music)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IlPOUq3wW8