2026 Toyota Grand Highlander: Driven, Tested, Rated

• The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander remains a "just right" step between the standard Highlander and the full-size Sequoia.
• Toyota opted not to make any major changes for the 2026 model year.
• The Grand Highlander is available in five trims, with three powertrains and two drivetrain options.

How's the Grand Highlander's tech?

In-cabin tech: 9.7/10

Our test Grand Highlander had the optional 12.3-inch touchscreen. (An 8-inch screen is standard.) The graphics look sharp and the screen responds quickly to inputs, but occasionally reflections on the surface make using it more difficult than it should be. Some of the menus can be confusing too. However, Toyota's voice recognition system is now one of the best. The system is connected to the web, so you can ask for things like jokes and the weather and even make general Google-like queries.

The Grand Highlander comes with enough USB ports to keep everyone's phone charged up, plus most trim levels also have a wireless phone charger. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all trims.

How's the storage and cargo?

Storage & cargo: 8.1/10

The Grand Highlander has more cargo space than a regular Highlander, with nearly 5 extra cubic feet of space behind the third row, totaling 20.6 cubes. In the segment, only a Chevrolet Traverse is likely to hold more stuff with all seats raised. Behind the second row is an even more impressive 57.9 cubic feet, maxing out at an outstanding 97.5 cubes with both rows folded.

As for small-item storage, the Grand Highlander again beats the standard Highlander. There's better storage ahead of the gear selector plus more generous cupholders. The second row gets useful door cubbies as well as a removable center storage area with space for phones, plus a couple of secure cupholders. Even the third row has two cupholders per side and phone storage.

Is the Grand Highlander a good value?

Value: 7.7/10

Small touches in the Grand Highlander go a long way to make it feel more premium than the Highlander. The interior is solidly put together with soft, padded surfaces where they matter most. If it wasn't for some laughably fake-looking wood trim, there could be whispers of semi-luxury vibes in here. The Grand Highlander does carry a bit of a price premium, but given the fundamental upgrades, we think it's still a good value.

Toyota's warranty coverage is pretty common for the class with three years/36,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage and five years/60,000 miles for the powertrain. The first two years of scheduled maintenance are also free.

Grand Highlander fuel economy

MPG: 3/10

The four-cylinder Grand Highlander is pretty fuel-efficient. We tested an all-wheel-drive Platinum trim model, which the EPA estimates will get 22 mpg in combined city/highway driving. Front-wheel-drive models are slightly better at 24 mpg combined. A few mpg might not seem like a huge advantage over the competition, but it's significant for this class of vehicle.

On our real-world evaluation route, we achieved 24.4 mpg, which is pretty encouraging and indicates to us the EPA's estimates should be achievable. That said, per the EPA, the Grand Highlander Hybrid returns up to 36 mpg combined.

Is the Toyota Grand Highlander special?

X factor: 7/10

Alas, among all the thoughtful touches and improvements Toyota made with the Grand Highlander, it's odd that the designers decided to wrap it all up in rather anonymous style. Even the exterior styling of the Highlander pushed a few boundaries and gave it some character, allowing it to stand out in the sea of suburbia. Not so with the Grand Highlander. It's not offensive, but the slab-sided flanks and all-too-textbook front and rear end are absent any real personality.