Our Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Was Boring But Excellent

• What's new: After living with a 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max for a year, it didn't really wow us, but it did prove to be a dependable and comfortable hauler. 
• Why it matters: This Toyota does battle with the likes of the Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade and Honda Pilot, and it's a hotly contested segment because families of all sizes are eyeing all of these crossovers.
• Edmunds says: Even though we won't miss the Grand Highlander, its mix of capability and reliability was a huge part of its workhorse appeal, and that's something families of five, six, or more definitely need.

"Acceleration is quick and incredibly smooth, especially for such a large vehicle. I pulled off the road to take a picture of a state sign and was surprised at how easily I was able to get back up to speed." — Anders Doi Minor, production coordinator

Clearly, if you're interested in going for a Grand Highlander, we all think Hybrid Max is the way to go. If you drive a touch more gingerly than we do, you'll get closer to that 27 mpg estimate, but you're always going to be glad you had the extra power under your right foot. 

A proper partner for the long haul 

The Grand Highlander ended up being a road trip hero. More than 20% the Edmunds staff saddled up for a five-or-more-hour stint behind the wheel at one point or another. It's the type of SUV that was always up to the task — be it because of that excellent powertrain, its spacious cabin, or on-road comfort — and competent enough to make our drivers feel like they made the right choice for the trek. 

"Our Grand Highlander is a long-distance champ. It's impressively quiet on the highway and has a smooth ride. The driver's seat is comfortable for long durations, too. I was just driving by myself but it seems like the GH would be an ideal vehicle for a family road trip." — Brent Romans, director, written content 

"The cupholders are GREAT! I was able to fit three bottles in there with no trouble while still being able to grab my phone underneath the media console. Even better, this storage is wide enough to fit one wide-bottom bottle, which I almost never see ..." — Anders Doi Minor, production coordinator

"The Grand Highlander happily swallowed four huge duffel bags, four suitcases and several everyday-sized backpacks. We eventually added a week's worth of groceries for six people and, somehow, some dry cleaning. The Toyota was absolutely packed to the gills, but we made it work, and with less fuss than I initially expected." — Nick Yekikian, senior news editor

"The long drive to NorCal was frankly quite boring and uneventful, but that silence says plenty on how comforting the GHH actually is. The cabin was surprisingly quiet, the ride was pleasantly soft, and the seat was comfortable over the seven-plus-hour drive.  Our adventure to the North Coast was a hit, and pretty much everyone thought the GHH was a perfect car for the road trip." — Scott Jacobs, supervising producer

Tech trifles here and there

More than a few of our team members shared that the tech didn't always work the way it should. The software on the Grand Highlander was relatively new when it debuted, so perhaps some teething troubles were expected, but it would still be something to watch out for. 

"The Grand Highlander fails to connect to my phone half the time I get in and start the car. Here's the pattern: I set up my phone; it connects fine. The next time I get in the car, my phone connects. Then the time after that, my phone doesn't connect, and I have to connect it manually. ... Rinse and repeat. Pretty annoying." — Will Kaufman, manager, video

"On my drive to San Diego, the Grand Highlander dropped the Bluetooth connection while I was on a call. A pop-up message said the wireless connection had timed out. Everything seemed to be working fine right up until it happened. Then, since I was driving, I couldn't reconnect. This meant I couldn't use Apple CarPlay to view my map or any other functionalities the rest of the way." — Jodi Tourkow, executive director, written content 

"The lane keeping assistance on the GH isn't my favorite — it feels more like a visual guide than a physical correction. It technically works, but I prefer a system that more clearly alerts me when I'm drifting outside the lines. ... The backup safety features feel a bit overly aggressive. The car will suddenly stop when I'm reversing slowly, even when nothing appears to be in the red and I'm clearly watching my surroundings. It's a little jarring and could use more finesse." — Amy Silliman, director, production

"You'd think the largest automaker in the world would have an eyes-on, hands-free solution by now, but alas Toyota customers are left wanting when they hit the open road. Toyota likes to take its time when it comes to next-gen tech, but it's starting to get overtaken by much of its direct competition in this area." — Nick Yekikian, senior news editor

Whose SUV is it anyway?

The Grand Highlander passed our tests with flying colors. Be it the need for space, comfort or reliability (aside from the occasional tech wobble, it was flawless in our time with it), the Grand Highlander shone almost everywhere. But there was one smaller, far more subjective note that kept cropping up in conversations across the office. The Grand Highlander is just a bit, well, boring. 

"The GH's styling is wholly unmemorable. Also, not doing it any favors is our test vehicle's paint color: Storm Cloud. The gray-blue paint reminds me of the color the military paints their fighter jets and warships. It just blends in." — Brent Romans, director, written content 

For some, not being noticed is a good thing, and the Grand Highlander's fly-under-the-radar vibe will suit them perfectly. But it has nothing like the pizzazz of the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, both of which have recently overtaken it in our Midsize 3-Row SUV Rankings.

The Grand Highlander was dependable and never put a foot wrong, but through no fault of its own, it struggled to be memorable.