2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max review: Simply Terrific

This huge SUV from Toyota is a winner

2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid MAX review by The Road Beat

Words and pictures: Mitchell Weitzman

Toyota has quietly made the strongest case yet for what a big family SUV should be. Without resorting to the bloated, luxury-leaning excess of American full-size offerings, the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max delivers about as complete a package as you’ll find for $60,000 and less. Targeting consistency and an approachable user experience, it’s the way this Toyota does everything well that makes it so compelling and arguably the best large SUV for most families today.

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Measuring 201 inches long, 78 inches wide, and 70 inches tall, the Grand Highlander is unquestionably a large vehicle of mammoth proportions. But it’s not just the stretched exterior sheet metal that defines its size—Toyota’s engineers have maximized interior packaging in a way that genuinely benefits passengers and cargo alike. Despite being physically smaller than Toyota's own Sequoia, the Grand Highlander is noticeably more accommodating inside in each and every corner. If you want a bigger SUV they do exist, but there is simply no reason.

For some ore facts and figures, the rear cargo space is nearly 21-cubic feet with the third row of seats in place. Folded down, that number swells to a terrific 58 cubic-feet, over 50% more than what relatively spacious RAV4 already offers. The more expensive and fat Sequoia only offer 49-cubic feet when its third row is folded down. Speaking of which, a Sequoia's third row does not fold flat into the floor, but the Grand Highlander does.

Rear cargo space measures nearly 21 cubic feet with the third row still in place. Fold those extra seats down and capacity expands to an excellent 58 cubic feet—over 50 percent more than what the already-spacious RAV4 offers. For context, the significantly more expensive (and significantly bulkier) Sequoia manages just 49 cubic feet with its third row folded. Compounding that disadvantage, the Sequoia’s third row doesn’t fold flat into the floor, while the Grand Highlander’s does. Further, close competitors like the Hyundai Palisade and Honda Pilot also offer a weaker 49 cubic feet of storage with their own third of seats folded down.

Legroom in both the first and second row is generous and paired with genuinely comfortable seating. More impressive still is the third row, which can actually accommodate adult humans—not just children or the occasional house cat. Storage is abundant throughout the cabin, including a deep center console, and Toyota has wisely scattered USB ports where people may actually want them.

Cue Radiohead, because this is an SUV with "Everything in its Right Place." Driver ergonomics are logical, controls are intuitive, and there’s no learning curve just to operate basic functions from first ingress. Climate controls are immediate and obvious, the touchscreen interface is clean and responsive, and—thankfully—Toyota has retained lots of physical buttons throughout the cabin instead of surrendering to the fallacy of capacitive, fake digital controls.

Cars don’t have to be frustrating to live with, and Toyota proves it here. With actual thought, the Grand Highlander avoids the minor but persistent annoyances that plague many rivals. Unlike the last Mazda CX-90 I tested, rear doors include touch-sensitive lock/unlock functionality. Inside, the infotainment system is lag-free, and the top-view camera controls are sensibly placed (unlike the latest Palisade, which inexplicably mounts the switch off near the passenger’s knee). Like all Toyotas, the vehicle remembers your heated seat and steering wheel settings (and turn back on upon startup), automatic high beams can be permanently disabled if you’re so inclined (I am), and radar cruise control can be disengaged with a couple of clicks on the steering wheel—no menu-diving required.

On the road, the Grand Highlander does feel large, but it disguises its mass better than the XXL American SUVs from Ford and GM and feels noticeably slimmer than Toyota’s own ungainly Sequoia. This isn’t an SUV designed to excite, but it’s stable, predictable, and easy to place. Steering is accurate if numb, striking a balance between lightness and control that suits the vehicle’s mission. While there’s no meaningful feedback, it’s at least precise—and in real-world driving, that matters more.

The standout mechanical element is the Hybrid Max four-cylinder powertrain. Combining turbocharging with hybridization, Toyota has created its most impressive powertrain in recent memory. With 362 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque, there’s immediate thrust at any speed or throttle position. More importantly, the system operates cohesively and smoothly which other brands have yet to fully crack when it comes to hybrids and throttle response. And unlike Toyota’s typical hybrid setups, the Hybrid Max ditches the CVT in favor of a proper six-speed automatic which allows the car to better use the available power from low RPMs and sacrifices nothing in terms of response. At neither crawling speeds or highway passing, there are zero hiccups, something that can’t always be said for rivals with lacking engines or disjointed hybrids.

The 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is also far less coarse than past and current Toyota four-cylinders, aided further by the absence of a CVT locking it into a constant drone. Need a quick burst of speed from 30 mph? A slight tip-in of the throttle is all it takes to boil—no hesitation, no drama. Fuel economy averaged 25 mpg over a week of mixed driving, which may not sound impressive for a hybrid, but it’s excellent for a three-row SUV of this size with genuine straight-line shove.

Competitors from Honda and Hyundai still rely on naturally aspirated V6 engines. While smooth-spinning and pleasant-sounding, they lack the flexibility and immediacy of Toyota’s Hybrid Max four-cylinder which feels like in another league of usable and appreciated everyday punch. By the time those engines have downshifted multiple gears, the Toyota is already gone. It may not be emotive or elegant, but it’s ruthlessly effective.

Ride quality is cushioned and composed, soaking up dips and broken pavement without feeling floaty, and highway cruising is impressively quiet. The Hybrid Max also offers up to 5,000 pounds of towing capacity, enough for most wake boats or weekend lake toys.

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Complaints are few and far between. At $60,770 as tested, the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max Platinum is undeniably expensive—but this one is also fully-loaded with nearly every feature and creature comfort imaginable. For context, similarly equipped Hyundai Palisades and Mazda CX-90s land in the same territory.

Where the Toyota does trail potential rivals is in outright luxury. Even in the precious metal grade Platinum trim, harder plastics are prevalent, and there’s less leather and soft-touch materials than you’ll find in a comparable Palisade or CX-90. That said, I’d gladly trade some material richness for how much easier the Grand Highlander is to live with day to day. The one control misstep is the heated steering wheel switch, awkwardly placed near the driver’s left knee while the heated seat controls live below the central touchscreen. Toyota’s JBL-branded sound systems still fail to impress me, plus there's a very oddly placed and framed USB port in the front.

Enthusiastic drivers will also find little engagement here. Compared to the planted, confidence-inspiring Mazda CX-9 or CX-90, the Grand Highlander lacks precision when pushed. You can hustle it down a winding road, but it won’t reward you for trying. Still, how often are you genuinely driving a vehicle like this quickly—and for fun? Be wary of the active driving aids like lane departure, which can often be seem more harmful than helpful.

Not a negative per se, but yet to be driven is Hyundai's new hybrid system for its Palisade, which sees a healthy increase in horsepower and efficiency compared to its aging and weak V6. Depending how that is in the real world, it could be a notable new contender.

The best SUV choice

The Grand Highlander Hybrid MAX may not be sexy by design or in its mission, but it also doesn’t pretend to be; Its defining trait is just how effortlessly it fits into daily life. Bigger than most people will ever need, it drives well enough, offers serious power without punishing fuel consumption (like say, a Red Sox fan following Postseason elimination), and features some of the most sensible controls in the segment.

Interior materials could stand to improve at this price point, but as a complete package—an SUV you drive every day, load with family, dogs, or a Facebook Marketplace find—it’s difficult to beat. As cars get needlessly and endlessly more complicated, the Grand Highlander—and especially in Hybrid Max form—is comprehensively competent and refreshingly easy to live with.

For those uninterested in the added horsepower, the Grand Highlander itself starts at just over $40K for a stripped out and still huge and hugely convenient SUV.

2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Platinum Hybrid Max Specifications

As-tested price: $60,770

Powertrain & Performance

• Turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder Hybrid Max

• Combined output: 362 horsepower

• Combined torque: 400 lb-ft

• Six-speed automatic transmission

• All-wheel drive

• Fuel type: Regular unleaded

• Maximum towing capacity: 5,000 pounds

Fuel Economy

• EPA Combined: 27 MPG

• Road Beat Real World MPG: 25

Dimensions

• Overall length: 201 inches

• Overall width (without mirrors): 78 inches

• Overall height: 70 inches

• Wheelbase: 116 inches

Weight & Capacities

• Curb weight: about 4,900 pounds

• Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR): 6,340 pounds

• Fuel tank capacity: 17 gallons

• Seating capacity: 7 passengers

Interior Space

• Passenger volume: 149 cubic feet

• Cargo space behind third row: 21 cubic feet

• Cargo space behind second row: 58 cubic feet

• Maximum cargo space (all seats folded): 98 cubic feet

Chassis, Wheels & Tires

• Wheel size: 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels

• Tire size: 255/55R20 all-season

• Front suspension: MacPherson strut

• Rear suspension: Multi-link

• Steering: Electric power-assisted rack-and-pinion

Warranty

• Basic vehicle warranty: 3 years / 36,000 miles

• Powertrain warranty: 5 years / 60,000 miles

• Hybrid component warranty: 8 years / 100,000 miles

• Hybrid battery warranty: 10 years / 150,000 miles

• Corrosion warranty: 5 years / unlimited miles

Comparison table with key, comparable rivals