I Thought I Would Not Like the 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max, But Boy, Was I Wrong

Having tested and driven thousands of vehicles, I can usually predict how a vehicle will generally feel when driven based on its size, market segment, and price point. Then again, this is not an absolute. The Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max is a perfect example of a vehicle that drives very differently than you would guess. 

As a former Gen-1 Highlander owner, I’m a straight-up Highlander snob. I’m happy to argue with anyone (mostly my imaginary friends) that the Gen 1 Highlander was a perfect SUV and that modern Highlanders are not better but different. The original full-time 4-wheel drive system has been supplanted by all-wheel drive. The Highlander grew its wheelbase, stretched its dimensions, and the V6 disappeared. These are all negatives in my opinion. The new Grand Highlander, which is an entirely different vehicle, I suspected, would just be a further example of mission creep. I was wrong.

The Grand Highlander should have been named something else, but I get the reasons for the similar name to Highlander. It helps Highlander shoppers transition to a Honda Pilot-fighter built by Toyota. Honda supersized the Pilot to the point where it had little to do with the original. Toyota was stuck with a smaller vehicle now in a different segment. So, Toyota wisely added the Grand Highlander.

To look at it, you’d think it would be cumbersome, hard to park, and big just for the sake of it. But it’s none of those things. It drives quite nicely, I found it it very easy to park, and the bigness is done so well that you have to just admire the packaging and say, “whelp, it’s a great job.” 

The biggest surprise of all is the Hybrid Max powertrain. I’ve driven a different Hybrid Max in the Land Cruiser and was blown away by it. This one is not as strong, but it sure gets the job done well. 332 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 RPMs is ideal for a vehicle in this segment. Couple that with 26 MPG and you have both strength and efficiency in one package. And this one can use regular fuel. That makes the Hybrid Max an 11-cent-per-mile vehicle in my area of Metro Boston. Amazing for a large 3-row SUV.

The Grand Highlander Hybrid Max is a comfortable, competent driver in every situation. It’s smooth, quiet, easy to drive, and delivers a very satisfying driving experience. 

Here’s the final conclusion: If you have more than two children, this long-time Highlander owner would suggest getting the Grand Highlander. The space is well worth it. There is little downside due to its larger proportions. If you have just two kids and no more coming, the Highlander is plenty large enough for anything you plan to do vacation-wise, and you can pack in a few neighbor kids when it’s carpool time. Having not driven the other engines, we can’t recommend them, but we give the Hybrid Max version two thumbs up.

Price Note: The Grand Highlander Hybrid Max comes in Limited and Platinum Trims. The price spread is about $56K-$60K.

Tariff Facts - Toyota builds the Grand Highlander in Princeton, Indiana.

Images of 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander courtesy of Toyota. 

John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ grammar and punctuation software when proofreading and he also uses image generation tools.