The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Limited 4WD Hybrid SUV

What is a Highlander? A Highlander is a midsize 3 row SUV built in the Princeton, Indiana assembly plant and sold in North America by Toyota. The Highlander gets an upgrade for the 2024 model year with the arrival of the Grand Highlander, which is larger, has more third row space and more cargo room. Pricing starts at $43,070.

The 2024 Grand Highlander is all new for Toyota and as the name suggests, it’s bigger than the Highlander with slots beneath the larger Sequoia. The Grand Highlander shares drive trains with its namesake, while borrowing a performance oriented turbocharged hybrid engine from the Lexus RX SUV, and the new Toyota Crown sedans.

Power comes from a 2.4L liter inline turbocharged 4 cylinder gas engine that makes 265 horsepower and has 310 lb-ft of torque. It is bolted to an electronic continuously variable transmission (ECVT), and then routed into an all wheel drive (AWD) traction control system with trail mode select. This drive train provides power, stability and control at all times.

This week Toyota sent me a 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Limited 4WD Hybrid SUV to test drive and review. The base window sticker price for this Limited Edition model is $51,060. The options on the test SUV are: the special paint for $425 and the carpeted floor mats and cargo mat for $385. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), including the $1,395 delivery, processing and handling fee is: $53,238.

After adding in the state and local sales tax, plus the DMV and dealer fees, the out the door and in your driveway total purchase price came to: $59,893. At just under $60 Grand, this 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander has more than enough safety, comfort, convenience and technology options to justify the $60,000 price tag and then some.

What does Highlander HEV mean? The standard 4 cylinder gasoline engine runs on gas stored in the tank. The engine has a built in electric motor and generator, combined as a single unit, that’s mounted inside of the transmission. The gas engine and the electric motor work together, making it a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). This hybrid drive train gets 36 MPG in the city, 32 MPG on the highway and 34 MPG in combined driving.

The fuel economy rating is a 7, and the smog rating is a 7, both out of 10. So not only does the Grand Highlander HEV Hybrid get good gas mileage, it also has good emissions ratings. That’s great for an SUV that can seat 7 people, and still tow 3,500 lbs.

What is in the Highlander Limited package? Opt for the Limited trim option and you get a hands free foot operated rear liftgate, upgraded front fog lights, ventilated front seats, leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, driver’s seat memory, front and rear parking sensors, and a JBL premium audio sound system with 11 speakers and an amplifier.

The interior option list is over 20 lines long and starts with a 12.3″ multimedia center screen with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM radio, seating for 7, leather trimmed heated, ventilated and power front seats, 2nd row heated outboard seats, 3rd row 60/40 split flat fold seats, 2nd row window shades, 3 zone automatic climate control, a wireless smart phone charger, 13 cup and bottle holders, a USB media port, 6 USB-C ports, and a 1500 watt power inverter with two 120 volt AC outlets, plus more features.

The Grand Highlander package comes with a set of 20″ alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED taillights, LED fog lamps, a 5 door smart key, push button start, heated power outside mirrors, rain sensing wipers, front and rear parking assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0 with pre collision assist, front and rear parking assist with automatic braking, and a 4G capable connected services network.

The 2024 Grand Highlander Limited Hybrid’s all new exterior design features a look that is inviting from every angle, and sets the tone for what’s inside. The larger silhouette is defined by sharp lines and bold surfaces, with distinctive details all around, for a presence that’s unmistakable Highlander, and it’s bigger, better, brighter, and affordably priced.

Call, click or visit your local Toyota dealer for a test drive, and a Bottom Line price review on the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Limited 4WD Hybrid SUV. And remember that the base price for a new Highlander starts at only $43,070. Toyota – Let’s Go Places.

Be smart, stay safe, and just breathe. Remember, You Are What You Drive, and maybe, just for those reasons alone, you should Drive one, Buy one, Today. Have a great day, drive safely, and enjoy the ride, as the future looks bright – Tony the Car Guy.

This Bottom Line new vehicle review is a Nut & Bolt and Dollars & Sense editorial provided by Tony Leopardo. Tony the Car Guy is an automotive writer, editor and publisher in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you have a question, or comment for Tony, send it to tonyleo@pacbell.net and visit AutoWire.Net at www.autowire.net