Toyota Grand Highlander: The Toyota Grand Highlander is the epitome of a super wide SUV heaven in the highest gospel of heaven. Whether you want to take it for a long cross-country trip or want a nice day-to-day driver for your ever-growing family, this one nails it all.
This article explains why the Toyota Grand Highlander is a game-changer and why you should consider it for your next sensible SUV if you’ve determined that you want to enhance the experience.
Luxurious space for the contemporary family
Every inch and every part, when it comes to the quintessential driver’s pride and the Highlander itself. The Grand Highlander from Toyota seems to go a little further. It’s got three rows of seating, generous cargo space, and comfortable seating for eight without being cramped.
That is the Grand Highlander’s benefit: it is much larger inside than the standard Highlander, which indeed becomes an advantage for large families or simply for anybody who likes extra room for luggage, sports equipment, or all the little things for a road trip.
30,000 miles down, and this family-focused SUV remains impressively trouble-free.
As it nears the end of its stay with us, the Toyota Grand Highlander continues to be a top pick for cross-country family adventures. Ever since the last update, it has been overtly busy.
Senior editor Greg Fink took it on a 3600-mile trek to Colorado and back with his family. Meanwhile, Jacob Kurowicki ventured deep into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for a tire test, racking up another 1000 miles. My own family enjoyed countless hours across its three roomy rows during a 2000-mile Thanksgiving road trip to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, a 1000-mile winter getaway to Hershey, Pennsylvania, followed by a 2500-mile spring break escapade to Florida.
Winter-Ready, Road-Tested
Through the cold season, we switched on a set of Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 all-weather tires. They earned high praise for their confident grip across a variety of tricky conditions, including a messy Hershey return trip that went from rain to ice to snow. These tires, unlike conventional winter tires, did not disintegrate in a matter of weeks due to hotter temperatures, and their performance is beyond winter storms and Florida heat.
Sensor Annoyances and Small Gripes
Like many modern vehicles loaded with sensors, the Grand Highlander issues alerts when cameras or radars get obstructed. Unfortunately, Toyota’s system doesn’t let you silence the constant warnings. During a Midwest storm, dismissing the alerts didn’t stop them from flashing persistently — an irritating design flaw for an otherwise robust SUV.
Driving Excellence with Minor Flaws
Complaints have been few and minor.”The performance of the Max Hybrid powertrain with boost is nothing short of stunning,” said Tony Quiroga. The Grand Highlander’s vast interior space only adds to its road-trip appeal. However, nitpicks like the slippery wireless charging pad and thin body panels (which we accidentally dented while closing the cargo liftgate) reveal that even a great vehicle has a few flaws.
A $140 Harbor Freight dent-repair kit helped fix the worst of the damage, but the lightweight sheetmetal — also responsible for some hood flutter at highway speeds — remains a minor concern.
Fuel Range Surprise
Initially, we were frustrated by the SUV’s seemingly low highway range, struggling to reach 300 miles per tank. But a real-world test revealed Toyota’s distance-to-empty calculation was extremely conservative: with “0 miles” showing, the Grand Highlander still covered 60 more highway miles. Since then, by trusting the gas gauge a bit less, we’ve stretched our range closer to 400 miles — much more acceptable for long hauls.
Service Costs: A Cautionary Tale
ToyotaCare, every last 25,000 miles of it, wasn’t rendered into distance. While a basic 20K service (oil change, tire rotation, inspection) would have cost $156 — if not covered — a later 30K service estimate shocked us at over $1400. After reviewing the fine print, we cut it down to the essentials (oil change, air filters, tire rotation) and paid a much more reasonable $325. The lesson: always double-check what a dealer recommends versus what the owner’s manual requires.
Looking Ahead
With warmer weather arriving, road-trip season is just beginning. Now that we’ve solved the fuel-range mystery and managed minor repairs, the final 10,000 miles should fly by.
Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Grade
- Prices: $55435 base, $58178 tested
- Powertrain: 2.4L turbocharged I-4 + 2 AC motors, 362 hp combined
- Transmission: 6-speed automatic transmission + direct drive
- Fuel Economy: 23 mpg observed
- Fuel Range: roughly around 390 miles
- 36,000 bumper-to-bumper miles with a three-year warranty for defects in material and workmanship, followed by five-year powertrain coverage for 60,000 miles, again followed by hybrid battery coverage for ten years or 150,000 miles.
- Curb weight: 4957 lbs.
- Acceleration of 14.3 seconds from zero to sixty on a quarter-mile.
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