The Highlander and Grand Highlander are three-row SUVs. The Grand version, introduced in 2024, rides on a wheelbase several inches longer for more passenger and cargo space, resulting in utility similar to Toyota’s Sienna minivan. With three powertrains in the Highlander lineup, shoppers can balance needs between power and efficiency. Competitors include the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Kia Telluride, and Jeep Grand Cherokee L.
Yes. The Highlander Hybrid and Grand Highlander Hybrid, in particular, are among the most efficient three-row SUVs on the market, and only the Toyota Sienna and plug-in Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans are better. The 2025 Highlander lineup scores a 7.0 TCC Rating on our 10-point scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
There are a handful of changes to the Highlander lineup for 2025. Toyota makes all-wheel drive standard on all Highlander Hybrid models, discontinues the Hybrid LE trims, discontinues the front-wheel-drive versions of the non-hybrid XSE and Platinum trims, and updates the exterior and interior color palettes across the range. There’s also a new 25th Anniversary Edition package, exclusive to the Hybrid Limited model, featuring unique exterior body elements, exterior badging, and headrest embossing.
The Grand Highlander gets a new base LE trim, available in both gas and hybrid versions, as well as a Nightshade Edition that builds on the Limited trim. The Nightshade wears blacked-out interior and exterior trim, including black leather upholstery and black-finished 20-inch wheels.
The Highlander and Grand Highlander share no sheetmetal, but they do have a similar basic look. The Highlander is more rounded off and squatter, while the Grand Highlander sits more upright. We think the Grand is a little better integrated.
Both have trapezoidal grilles flanked by slit-style headlights, but the Grand’s face has a larger maw and a more vertical look. Along the sides, the Highlander sports a flowing, curved character line that rises toward the rear, while the Grand goes with a cleaner, more slab-sided look. The window line is the same theme for both, with a kick up at the rear that meets an angle that reflects the slanted rear window.
Inside, the two SUVs are more similar, with two versions of a tiered dashboard, and wide, useful center consoles. The Highlander comes standard with an 8.0-inch touchscreen and is available with a 12.3-inch screen, while the Grand gets the larger screen standard. Available bronze trim adds flair to the dash and center console in both.
Both versions of the Highlander come standard with eight-passenger seating, though most configurations seat seven, with captain’s chairs replacing the second-row bench. The Grand Highlander has a larger cabin thanks to an additional 3.9 inches of wheelbase, a 6.5-inch longer body, and taller and wider dimensions as well. The cabin makes great use of the space, with plenty of storage and roughly six more inches of legroom for rearmost riders. Still, the Highlander has lots of space in its own right.
Toyota offers the Highlander with a choice of powertrains. The base Highlander comes with a 2.4-liter turbo-4 rated for 265 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. That engine provides adequate thrust and works well with its 8-speed automatic transmission. It’s available in front- and all-wheel drive. The Highlander Hybrid is exclusively all-wheel drive for 2025. It uses a 2.5-liter inline-4 and three motors for a combined output of 243 hp.
The Grand Highlander is available with a third powertrain, the Hybrid Max, shared with the Toyota Crown. It combines the 2.4-liter turbo-4 with a front and a rear motor, yielding all-wheel drive as standard. This version hauls the hefty Grand Highlander from 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds, though it falls short of the Highlander Hybrid in terms of fuel economy.
The 2025 Toyota Highlander lineup includes standard automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitors are standard above the entry-level L, and buyers can get a surround-view camera system and a low-speed driver-assist system for clogged freeways.
Crash-test results are mixed. The standard Toyota Highlander typically earned good ratings from the IIHS and the NHTSA in 2024, though the Grand Highlander fell short in its debut year.
How much does the 2025 Toyota Highlander cost?
The base Toyota Highlander L starts at about $38,000, including a $1,335 destination fee, and features an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That doesn’t include all-wheel drive for $1,600, or the hybrid powertrain for another $1,600. For a comparison between two well-equipped versions, look at the Grand Highlander in XLE trim, for about $45,000, or the Highlander XLE, for about $44,000. We’d spend the extra grand for the Grand.
Budget about $60,000 for a top-end Grand Highlander Hybrid Max. It’ll deliver a Lexus-like experience, but it’s no bargain.
The 2025 Toyota Highlander comes in L, LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum trims; the Highlander Hybrid skips over the L and LE models. The Grand Highlander trim lineup was not available at press time, though the 2024 model comes in XLE, Limited, and Platinum trims.
The Grand Highlander trim lineup includes a new LE trim and Nightshade Edition, while last year’s XLE, Limited, and Platinum trims carry over.
Where is the 2025 Toyota Highlander made?
Toyota builds both versions of the Highlander in Indiana.
