The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander's big third row and generous cargo space offer an advantage over the standard Highlander without much extra cost. And with high marks in comfort, tech and overall build quality, it's easy to see why the Grand Highlander is a top-ranked SUV.Read full review
When the Grand Highlander joined Toyota's lineup in 2024, it arrived with the one thing that kept the standard Highlander from achieving greatness: an adult-friendly third row. A longer wheelbase and overall increase in length give the Grand Highlander the third-row legroom that the Highlander lacks, and the extra cargo room doesn't hurt either. With a starting price that's only slightly higher than the Highlander's, the Grand Highlander is an excellent choice for those who want to maximize passenger comfort without upgrading to the beefy Sequoia.
Edmunds spotlight: This is the Highlander to get
Considering the Grand Highlander's larger size, you'd think it would be considerably more expensive and a lot thirstier than the regular Highlander, but that's not the case. Compare a trim level shared by both SUVs — an XLE with all-wheel drive, for example — and you'll see there's only a slight price premium for the Grand Highlander. Plus, EPA-estimated fuel economy is nearly identical. Opting for the Grand Highlander, which is about 6 inches longer, gets you more passenger space in all three rows and more cargo space. And both SUVs come standard with similar features. It's almost a no-brainer if you want a roomier SUV.
Competitors to consider
Checking out the Honda Pilot is always a good idea, but we think more highly of the redesigned Hyundai Palisade. It boasts a new design inside and out, upgraded tech and a newly available hybrid option. The Hyundai Palisade Hybrid will be a great alternative to the Grand Highlander Hybrid. Other worthy options include the Kia Telluride (it gets a redesign for 2027), well-rounded Nissan Pathfinder and roomy Volkswagen Atlas.
We drove the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.
Driving experience
7.7/10
How does the Toyota Grand Highlander drive? The four-cylinder Grand Highlander is pleasant to drive around town but starts to run out of steam at highway speeds or with a full load of passengers. At the Edmunds test track, our all-wheel-drive Grand Highlander accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 8 seconds, which is slower than most V6-equipped three-row midsize SUVs.
The Grand Highlander can stop quickly and confidently as well as negotiate a twisty road. Road imperfections are smoothed over thanks to the compliant suspension that avoids feeling floaty at higher speeds. All in all, the Grand Highlander is easy to drive.
Outward visibility is good, with thin front pillars helping you see around turns. Available technology helps too; the camera-based rearview mirror allows you to see out of the back even with a fully loaded cargo area. All Grand Highlanders come with a comprehensive suite of advanced driver aids. We think all functions, from adaptive cruise to lane keeping assistance, are well tuned and helpful in daily driving.
Comfort
7.8/10
How comfortable is the Toyota Grand Highlander? It's easy to find your preferred driving position, but taller folks might wish for thigh cushion adjustment and more extension from the telescoping steering wheel. The front seats are comfortable for long drives, and the second-row captain's chairs are nearly as nice. The big gain here compared to the standard Highlander is a more comfortable third row. The padding is thin to help facilitate folding, but the third row sits higher off the floor, making for much-improved legroom suitable for adults.
The climate controls are easy to use, and the standard tri-zone system provides ample heating and cooling capacity, which helps make up for the mild seat heat and ventilation. This cabin isn't the best when it comes to blocking out road or ambient noise, but it isn't bad either. You don't hear much of the engine when cruising, but any request for substantial acceleration reveals its less refined soundtrack.
A large rear-facing car seat is easily accommodated in the second row thanks to the generous fore-and-aft sliding movement of the captain's chairs. The car seat anchors, including two in the third row, are easy to locate and access for all types of child safety seats.
In-cabin tech
9/10
How’s the tech? 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 storage and cargo? 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.
Value
7.7/10
Is the Toyota Grand Highlander a good value? 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.
How’s the fuel economy? 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.
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.
2026 Toyota Grand Highlander trim level differences
The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander is a midsize three-row SUV available in four trim levels: LE, XLE, Limited and Platinum. Each trim comes with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine (265 horsepower, 310 lb-ft of torque) and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard on the LE, XLE and Limited trims, with all-wheel drive optional on those trims and standard on the Platinum. There's also a Grand Highlander Hybrid — available with two electrified powertrains — that we review separately. Compare the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander trim levels in-depth.
Which Grand Highlander trim does Edmunds recommend?
For most family-oriented shoppers, we think the XLE trim hits the sweet spot between features and value. While the LE base trim comes generously equipped, the XLE adds extras that make daily shuttling more bearable, such as heated front seats, a wireless phone charger, second-row sunshades and synthetic leather upholstery.
2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
We (collectively as a family including my parents) have owned over 30 Toyotas in our life. We have loved everyone of them except this one. We made the HUGE mistake of being the first in NM to grab one right as it came off the finish line last June. Within a month we started having issues with the head unit. We took it in 3 times. They " reset or updated", it and then told us that … there had to be 3000 complaints about the same issue before they could do any more OR it had to duplicate the issue for them. ( We had videos each time on the first three visits). 23 videos later ( one which lasted 17 minutes) we took it back in and told them to keep it and drive it as long as they had to , to reduplicate the issue as it was happening several times a week. ( Navigation would not work, and the rearview camara would pop on while driving down the road- super distractive when you have this massive screen next to your driving wheel. wheel). Anyhow miraculously the car acted up for them and ta dah.... the head unit. The same thing we had told them from the first visit. Fast forward 6 weeks. The part was on back order. ( keep in mind there was supposedly no one else having these issues.). Car goes back to the shop two weeks ago, only to have the WRONG head unit. Promised they found one in Phoenix and issue would be fixed the following morning. Here we sit......... ( did I mention we have been waiting on a part that is only a six hour drive from us for 6 days???). I am to take back my rental tomorrow, because now they have no idea when the part will be in. I have never been SO disgusted with a dealership over a car as I am right now. I seriously want out of this car BAD but I only have about 8,000 in equity which is not sufficient to find another large SUV I can afford.
Major Transmission Problems
1 out of 5 stars
Wally, 12/29/2023
2024 Toyota Grand Highlander XLE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
After only 1 month of owning it and only 1034 miles in it, the transmission began a very loud clunking noise & lurching when trying to shift from PARK into REVERSE and DRIVE. It also would not shift out of NEUTRAL into DRIVE even though the shifing lever indicated it was in DRIVE. Also, when finally driving it would not shift out of 2nd gear resulting in an elevated RPM at only 38 mph. … There was also a hot smell. Many warning lights came on and have stayed on as well as several things will not function correctly (cruise, AWD, etc.). DON'T BUY ONE!
2024 toyota grand highlander
2 out of 5 stars
John, 07/16/2024
2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Limited 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
System Malfunction after using two months. They tried to repaired for two months and no solution, one of my rims is deformed, they replace it. The hood vibrates, the trunk is not equal,
Grand Lemonder?
1 out of 5 stars
George, 10/25/2023
2024 Toyota Grand Highlander XLE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
Just bought 2024 Grand Highlander. At 110 miles got all warning lights and notices constant. Took it in. They reset. A week later same thing. They upgraded software. At 800 miles same thing. Took it in. Said they can’t upgrade software because they already did. They reset. 2 days later, same thing. Called. Said they can’t do anything about it till Toyota figures it out. Meanwhile Toyota … continues to sell the defective car. For 53 K I would expect better customer care. BTW, cruse controll doesn’t work during these dash board warnings.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander, so we've included reviews for other years of the Grand Highlander since its last redesign.
These Are the Best SUVs On Sale Today | Edmunds’ Top Small, Midsize, Large and Luxury SUVs
If you’re looking for a new SUV, you’ve come to the right place — in this video, Edmunds’ Nick Yekikian rounds up our favorite SUVs currently on sale. From small to large and affordable to luxurious, these are the best SUVs you can buy right now.
The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander has a 3 years / 36,000 miles basic warranty and 1 recall.
Recalls
1 recall found
Checking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.
If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).
Recall Number:
25V744000
Manufacturer Recall Number:
25TB13/25L
Manufactured from:
2024-10-31 to 2025-05-07
Number of vehicles affected:
1024407
Defect Description:
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Defect Consequence:
A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:
Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed December 16, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.
The Edmunds experts tested the 2026 Grand Highlander both on the road and at the track. What about cargo capacity? When you're thinking about carrying stuff in your new car, keep in mind that the Grand Highlander has 20.6 cubic feet of trunk space. And then there's safety and reliability. Edmunds has all the latest NHTSA and IIHS crash-test scores, plus industry-leading expert and consumer reviews to help you understand what it's like to own and maintain a Toyota Grand Highlander. Learn more
Is the Toyota Grand Highlander reliable?
To determine whether the Toyota Grand Highlander is reliable, read Edmunds' authentic consumer reviews, which come from real owners and reveal what it's like to live with the Grand Highlander. Look for specific complaints that keep popping up in the reviews, and be sure to compare the Grand Highlander's average consumer rating to that of competing vehicles. Learn more
Is the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander a good car?
There's a lot to consider if you're wondering whether the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander is a good car. Safety scores, fuel economy, cargo capacity and feature availability should all be factors in determining whether the 2026 Grand Highlander is a good car for you. Check back soon for the official Edmunds Rating from our expert testing team Learn more
How much should I pay for a 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander?
The least-expensive 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander is the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander LE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $41,360.
Other versions include:
LE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $41,360
LE 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $42,960
XLE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $44,130
XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $45,730
Limited 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $48,860
Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $50,460
Platinum 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $54,545
What are the different models of Toyota Grand Highlander?
If you're interested in the Toyota Grand Highlander, the next question is, which Grand Highlander model is right for you? Grand Highlander variants include LE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A), LE 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A), XLE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A), and XLE 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo 8A). For a full list of Grand Highlander models, check out Edmunds’ Features & Specs page. Learn more
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