2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max Outruns Three-Row Rivals
Our test results for the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max show impressive acceleration times.
It also beat out other three-row SUVs in terms of observed fuel economy.
The Hybrid Max setup is only available on the Grand Highlander's top two trim levels.
Welcome to Car and Driver's Testing Hub, where we zoom in on the test numbers. We've been pushing vehicles to their limits since 1956 to provide objective data to bolster our subjective impressions (you can see how we test here).
We found a lot to like about the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander when we first drove and tested it, but now that we've been able to compare it against the three-row SUV segment writ large, we're particularly impressed with the performance of its new 362-horsepower Hybrid Max powertrain. This setup, which combines a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four gas engine with two electric motors and a six-speed automatic transmission, delivers on both the acceleration and fuel-economy fronts.
In our three-row SUV comparison test, the Grand Highlander was the quickest in a straight line by a wide margin, getting to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. That's despite it weighing more than any of its closest rivals, at a hefty 4936 pounds. There are quicker three-row SUVs out there, but not many: the Dodge Durango's V-8–powered SRT variants come to mind, plus expensive luxury-badged SUVs such as the BMW X5 and Audi Q7.
The Grand Highlander also lives up to the brand's reputation for fuel-efficient hybrids—at least in relative terms. While the Hybrid Max model doesn't achieve Prius-level MPG numbers, it was the thriftiest SUV in our test, averaging 25 mpg over our 650-mile comparison loop. That beats the EPA's 22 mpg combined rating. Still, we were a bit disappointed with the Grand Highlander's result in our 75-mph highway fuel economy test, where it only hit 24 mpg, a bit behind the EPA's 26 mpg estimate.
While the Hybrid Max is considerably more expensive than the 2024 Grand Highlander's lesser powertrains, which include a nonhybrid turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four and a less powerful but more efficient hybrid with a nonturbo 2.5-liter gas engine, we think the upgrade is worth it. The Hybrid Max setup is available only on the Limited and Platinum trim levels, which both carry starting prices above $55,000.
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