FORD SHOULD BE very WORRIED about this new model. I was looking at the EXPLORER ST but that interior is dated and a mess! Plus resale value.... I have owned 2 previous EXPLORERS. Sunroofs are overrated and I love that they keep the ventilated seat up front. Great content +++ for RU-vid algorithm
For quite a while the Palisade was at the top of our list (often a ping-pong game between that and the Santa Fe) But aside from the (maximum of) 10 Grand more to be in the Grand, this is seemingly much more desirable. I often feel a sense of worry when considering a Hyundai model with many of the engine issues on their smaller models, and other recalls that create cause for concern. Certainly heard some good feed back from Palisade owners… but I’ve also owned Toyotas in the past and so have other family members and more often then not - zero problems, zero issues. My Camry, alone, with 7 years of ownership hasn’t had one problem - even on a minor level. To drop the extra money for a Grand Highlander seems worth it to me. Much of the reason for not going for the non-grand was that 3rd row was almost non-existent, along with the lack specific points of interest like 2 person memory, and no HUD (at one point - even after Hyundai and Kia already had it). Plus the fact that the Korean twins were killing it with design, features, interior room, and pricing. But longevity was also a nagging thought in the back of my mind. Relieved to know that this model now exists and could very well sway us in back into Toyota’s lane. With the old infotainment software gone, features that are becoming more common like Heated/Vent seats, HUD, Memory Seats, Wireless Smartphone integration, among others; it makes it more easy to go with this model as it tacks on a long-standing history with its manufacturer of being generally reliable. (Not 100% but certainly a far better shot) And I also love the attention to detail with physical buttons. Not super crazy but also not all buried deep in the infotainment system.and quite frankly, if it weren’t for the wife, I probably would have stayed with Toyota or Honda (as I’ve also had a good ownership experience with the Japanese counterpart)
You're right to worry about the Palisade. I have a '23 Calligraphy and although the interior is very comfortable, the transmission is awful. It never knows what gear to be in and always hesitates when moving from a standing start. Hence, I have to put the foot down to get it going. I average 12mpg. Same as my Tahoe!
@@carsnmacs2024 I was looking to go for Pallaside as well but my past experiences with Non-Toyota vehicles has been terrible so when thinking in terms of longetivity and reliability, only toyota comes to mind.
Maybe Toyota made the right choice. Neither Higherlander and Highlander Extramostbestest would have been better choices. Looks like they came up with a great family truckster there. It should sell very well.
I’m telling my wife this can be her next vehicle, she has a 2021 Highlander Limited now. I think Toyota could have used worse names, like Max or Super Highlander. I’m really glad they didn’t use Highlander XL too. Maybe they should have named it “The Big Highlander” like that island you were on.
Ah I saw the notification and saw it was live. Excited to watch this one too. Our 22 MDX feels a bit cramped at times for our family of 5. Wondering is this might be the answer.
Well done. A family member just got the new Lexus RX350. I see where Toyota/Lexus is going. Their product lines are becoming way more streamlined. This Grand Highlander infotainment system is a toned-down version of the new Lexus system. Engines are all the same, and connectivity is excellent all around. I would love to see the styling of the new Lexus TX.
Ha! As I said those words I knew I'd being hearing from the "Grand" crowd. I'm just saying no company has embraced Grand like Stellantis. Jeep being shorthand for all its brands.
It's a tough job, but SOMEONE has to do it! I agree with your "Jeepy" comment -- if I bought one of these, I would call mine "the RAV4 Jumbo." R4JMBO license plate, anyone? I think the current RAV4 styling works very well, and this rather takes that and cleans it up, nicely. And no, if I could get one of these through the garage doorway (by folding the side mirrors in), I'm very sure that I'd have to crawl out the back, because I certainly couldn't open the doors, once I got it in my garage. And without a doubt, the back end would be sticking outside by a foot or so. It has been interesting to see all the reviews of this vehicle that have posted at the same time -- of course, your reviews are always my favorites. And you can rest assured that the fact we share our first names and how I also live in the Northwest only have a small part to do with that. 😆 But what a wealth of coverage and opinions we have with our regular group of RU-vid reviewers -- and we do enjoy the rare times when you folks get together. But your reviews are the ones I always "feel at home" with -- keep up the great work, and we'll keep on coming back for more!
The user interface and entertainment features get OTA but I think that's it. This from the press release- Grand Highlander drivers will also have the opportunity to access a wide range of enhanced available connectivity and convenience features, including Over-the-Air (OTA) updates.
Great review. Regarding the shifter, why did they "fix" something that wasn't broke? Let's hope they make the 2nd row bench available in all trims - much more versatile.
Great review, thank you as always Tom!! Would like to know your opinion, if we aren’t going to be off-roading - is there any strong argument to buy the highlander over the new Sienna? We are a family of 4 with 2 kids under 5 years old.
The GH is the fashion statement prefer to make these days. That said, I feel like the Sienna offers more usable room (though haven't checked the cubic feet), more versatility and is better for families with small kinds since it's lower to the ground and easier for them to scamper in and out.
The interior materials look so cheap Don't get me wrong it has a handsome design inside and out but the material quality could look so much better for a $55k new car and a 4cyl is a no for me. I'll give Toyota props on improving the technology and features they now offer it is wonderfully executed from the new interface to the displays A+ but however, the new engine options are really disappointing almost everything new products that Toyota/Lexus releases is powered a turbo 4cyl only the new LX, GX, tundra and Sequoia still uses a 6cyl as do the upcoming Lexus TX 550h+. The Hybrid max powertrain is shared via the GH, the crown, the all-new Tacoma, the RX 500h, TX 500h it makes me worry about reliability they drop 6cyl in favor of 4cyl then they add 2 electric motors, and battery packs plus a turbo 4cyl sounds like a mechanic nightmare. I don't get why this powertrain is added to such a large 4,700LBS vehicle and then they still claim it can tow 5,000LBS. Toyota is digging its own grave they can't even produce enough cars but they keep releasing new models and they have them in stock these stealerships markup "adjusted market price" I call that bullshit. A 4cyl is acceptable in a car but not in a large family SUV that pushes $60k.
Uncle Tom I'd really appreciate if I could quote power & speed figures in kw & km/h respectively for us here in in Zambia(Africa).,& Also give us static birds eye views of the tested vehicles to fully appreciate the design of vehicles.thank you
Hi thank you so much for this great review. Can you please compare the interior space of the sienna against this, especially the third row seats? I ordered a sienna 8 months ago and the delivery date is unknown. Really like this grand highlander but i need to carry adults (seniors) in the 3rd row so need to find out how it stacks up against the sienna 3rd row.
Off the top of my head, the van will be easier for seniors to get in and out of. I think it's nearly 2 inches lower to the ground and van doors tend to be wider.
@@DrivenCarReviews minivan is best for the elders. Step in height is perfect, my parents are in their 70s and loves their Sienna, before they had a Mercedes E300.
Great review as always. The three three-row Toyotas is a bit of a head scratcher, but time will tell. Jeep was not the first auto maker to use 'Grand', although they and Toyota are the latest . . . who knows who came up with the thought first . . . both companies MAY have had it as the name internally only to find the other using it as well. - Pontiac was the first, as far as I know, to use grand, Grand Prix, which sold for thirty five years. And lets not forget the Grand Marquise and, my favorite, the Grand National.
Fantastic review of the new Grand Highlander, Tom. How about a 70's vibe with the name, "Highlander Brougham". Cover the sides with fake wood and you get the "Highlander Estate".
The gas and regular hybrid engines are seriously underpowered. A car this size with only 240, 250 hp's is an insult/joke. The max would be the only rational choice but at over $54K starting msrp, it better have all the bells and whistles STANDARD.
Tom this will sell more in my opinion to the highlander for larger families. It is nice but sad to see that there is no more v6 these days. And those v6 are my favorite Toyota engines.
That is honestly an awesome offering. I'm a Ford guy, but this is the right size that my family is looking for. I wonder, would you ever be willing to do a front/rear facing carseat segment in family vehicles like this? I'd be curious how space in the vehicle feels with those.
FCA kind of owns "Grand XXXX" but these days it's Stellantis and most consumers don't understand all that. So I just went with Jeep to be conversational.
Tom, not sure if you've reported this but since the system understands natural voice commands the AI will understand you without using, "hey toyota" just by you telling it what you want whether directions or finding locations.. I've used those commands on the toyota I own. Wonder if anyone else knows?😊
I'll try it next time I have a Toyota product. The folks at the Big T have always said the wake phrase is "Hey Toyota or Hey Lexus". I suppose that's for a better response, maybe it learns once it's been with the owner for a while.
Tom, I’ve been following your work for about a year and really appreciate your style. I have been looking forward to this review for a while and it helped confirm my decision to deposit for a Grand Highlander. Thanks!
I need to get two handicap electric scooters in the back. I currently use a Dodge Grand Caravan that has 39 inches deck ( not bumper ) to top of hatch ( not ceiling ) opening and 48 inches between the wheel wells. I normally travel with the rear seats down. Could you please tell me how many inches of clearance deck to top of hatch and how many inches between the wheel wells the new Grand Highlander has? Thank you
I'm afraid I can't. I don't have access to one and Toyota doesn't provide that spec, only cubic feet. I think you'll find it hard to beat the Dodge frankly. It's a big box, thus very space efficient. Maybe try a Sienna or Carnival (my dad just bought the Kia).
It was. FCA kind of owns "Grand XXXX" but these days it's now Stellantis and most consumers don't understand all that. So I just went with Jeep to be conversational.
@@DrivenCarReviews Hey by the way, you've probably been asked this a billion times but what do you do with all the TP you buy from Costco during these tests?
I'm sure it will sell great but the shape looks like everything else. Inside is decent but compared to the Telluride, Palisade and CX-90 it doesn't really move the mark. Even the Kia Carnival mini-van looks better. I'll be waiting for the ID Buzz myself.
@@DrivenCarReviews Very much looking forward to the US spec version announcement in June. I am concerned they will over price it but I don't expect pricing info to be available until closer to the on sale date.
@@DrivenCarReviews Sadfle Road is the main route through the center of the island between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. If you were cutting through the middle of the island and driving between those volcanoes, chances are you went on it. It used to be a janky dirt road that was off limits to rental vehicles due to all the damages.
Meh, not really. Most folks are calling them all SUVs these days. Land Rover products have been unibody for decades. Super tough and no one calls those crossovers.
FCA kind of owns "Grand XXXX" but these days it's Stellantis and most consumers don't understand all that. So I just went with Jeep to be conversational.
@@DrivenCarReviewsglad you got to visit have experiences I'm actually going to be moving to Myrtle Beach next year to have a better quality of life right now me and my mom are driving 3 hours a day round trip from work to home working at Safeway and dealing with crazy meth heads and schizophrenic people and thieving stealing all the time some people can be violent and we have no security
I know technology advances, I must admit…this and a 4 cylinder just doesn’t fit. I saw the front end went up at acceleration. When I think 200k on a motor, this just doesn’t fit…we’ll see. Otherwise great review Tom. Thanks.
The plastics in all Toyotas always feel and look even more synthetic than seems possible. It's also pretty amazing how some of the leather they use feels and looks like plastic. How to they do it? With the resources at the disposal, how come they cannot do any better?Compared to the competition (like Mazda) their products always come across as the bargain-basement offerings when it comes to their interiors and too-often bland exteriors. Their strengths have always been reliability and durability, but not much more than that.
Why can't you get highlander, traverse etc. size WITHOUT third row seating so you have trunk space to carry gear. If you need three rowd get a van or bus.
Hi Tom, thanks for the usual thorough review. Did the engineer say why the Hybrid Max only gets the 6-speed vs. the turbo 2.4L (non-hybrid) that gets the 8-speed? I heard packaging, but it's the same 2.4L turbo motor so I'm not completely convinced. Maybe they had a bunch of extra 6-speed auto transmissions laying around?
