2023 CarBuzz Awards Finalists: Family Fun

Sales of the Toyota Highlander plunged by 47% in October to 9,536 units, but there appears to be a clear reason for that: the newer Grand Highlander (7,571 units sold last month). The regular Highlander was always held back by its cramped third-row seat, but the Grand Highlander has remedied this. Second- and third-row legroom is up by 0.8 and 5.5 inches, respectively. This means that adults can actually sit in the third row. Cargo space is also significantly better, with over 20 cubic feet behind the third row.

Making longer journeys more enjoyable are standard features like wireless smartphone charging, seven USB-C ports for various small devices, 13 cup and bottle holders, and three-zone climate control. The Grand Highlander seats seven or eight, and even second-row seats can be heated and ventilated. We found the standard infotainment setup with its 12.3-inch touchscreen easy to use, and you can upgrade to an 11-speaker JBL sound system.

With the optional Hybrid Max powertrain, the Grand Highlander is both quick (0-60 in 6.3 seconds) and efficient (27 mpg combined). This configuration has a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds.

Overall, it’s a significantly better SUV than the normal Highlander.