Does your limited trim GH have traffic jam assist working ? ie you are in adaptive cruise following another car. it slows to a stop as does your car. If it stops for more than like 3 seconds, then your car is now waiting, and then when the car in from moves, you push on the gas pedal or the plus sign on the cruise control, and your car takes off under the cruise control again. I have this on a 2021 limited highlander, but Toyota wording seems to say this is only on grand highlander platinum. thanks. good video. oh, and then if no traf jam assist, what does your cruise do as car in front comes to a stop?
@@ArtificiallySweet yes it does have all those features and so far they work quite well however, the only issue that I have had is the parking brake stayed on one time when I was in a parking lot and the issue was I was no longer near any other vehicles or pedestrians that were around me. Great questions.
We haven’t had any issues with noise inside the cabin. I have heard of reports that people have heard issues inside while driving. I’m not aware with any issues on the CVT hybrid version. It is a relatively new system, so I’m sure some recalls will happen. Even my 2006 Toyota Tacoma had recalls. I assume someone will come down the pike…
Thank you again for this update. Enjoyed the last one as well. Have you observed anything with the hood of the car 'vibrating' or having 'waves' in it while traveling at highway speeds? I've seen that observation from others but no video of it.
Not that I know of, but I will look out for it. We haven't had a road trip in it yet. We are planning on one soon. I will definitely look out for that. I also plan on real honest thoughts about taking in on a drive for over a few hundred miles and having it packed to the brim with my wife, mother-in-law, two son's, and me. I really appreciate your input and thank you for watching.
What is the model of the rear facing seat you are using? I am interested in checking the length of it to see if there are any others seats on the market that would have better clearance in the grand highlander.
Do you have the Gas tank issue? Not able to fill more than 12 to 13 gallons (nozzle clicks off) in an empty tank whose capacity is 17.2 g (hybrid) or 17.8 g (gas)
That is useful for many viewers or owners. How much is the true reserve and how much fuel one can fill when the fuel light comes on ?Does the gas tank issue affect both gas and hybrid models or specific to hybrids only? Hope you will find out and post it soon.
I have over 10,000 on my GH hybrid max and the computer indicates the tank is empty and 13 gallons is the most I’ve ever put in the tank. The computer indicated 22mpg and it’s really getting 26mpg. I hope there is a update to correct these problems. Please join me in a write in campaign to Toyota to remedy these issues.
I agree with you, it is only 17 gallons and I see that it uses a lot of gas, filling the tank to the top gives me 317 miles, I have a 2024 Camry It has the same engine as the Grand Highlander and it gives me 430 miles, I think I will change it In the future, Kia will have better gas consumption.
Can you please tell me how and where you got the protection lining for the back of the third row? We have a grand Highlander and we have weather tech in the whole car including cargo, and whenever I go to Toyota they say they don’t have the lining for behind third row seat but I see you have it. Thanks!
Thanks! I too am a little annoyed third row doesn't have anchors behind all three seats, not sure why because all other third-row mid-size SUV's do. still wouldn't change my choice.
Just bought a Limited in Cylestial Silver with all the bells and whistles. Out the door, with a 2016 Highlander trade in with 122000 miles, was $38,xxx. Not bad. The dealer had three on the lot and really wanted to sell. We are happy so far. Still trying to figure out the infotainment though. Your videos helped us in making the purchase. Thanks again.
Great question, I’m making a video covering my impressions of being in the 3rd row for an hour. It covers many points like that. I haven’t noticed anything different than the regular Highlander.
Thank you so much for sharing. Got totaled lost on my 2018 Toyota Highlander through hail damage, that I liked a lot, now looking to buy a grand Toyota Highlander, but don’t know much about cars. Really need help. Thanks so much.
Thank you for reaching out and thank you for the comment. I’m sorry to hear about you losing your Highlander. If you look, I also made a video about how we got the deal on our 2024 grand Highlander. I hope it helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
@@colorfulcrochet371 she’s about 5’9” but she has long legs and it works for the rear facing seat. It’s just something that we have noticed with the grand Highlander. Thank you for the great compliment! Hope you find a great car seat and congratulations on the new family member!
I don't quite understand how they add power in hybrid vehicles. For example. You have the 265 hp turbo engine. But the max version has the same engine plus the hybrid and adds up to 362 hp. So do the motors operate together at maximum demand? Or does the hybrid only operate on low demand to save gasoline? You could explain it. Your videos are very informative.
Sounds like a great idea for a video! So the electric portion of the motor (hybrid) starts moving the car from a stand still. Electric motor torque is by far more powerful than a gas motor. Then at a specific speed the 2.4 l gas turbo takes over using the additional 265 HP. To from what I gather the hybrid portion adds 97Hp. I’m not sure exactly but I’ll look into it! Thank you for watching.
Great question. It’s not like the regular highlander at all. It does move out but I think our old highlander had more kick for sure- rumor is that there may be a V6 offering in 2025… not sure though. Thanks for watching.
Dont get the traverse, their 2.4 turbo charged engine screams like a little baby. Very annoying and transmission shifts rough. Plus they want upwards of 60k for them. Just had a 2024 gmc acadia as a rental, that share the same engine as the traverse, and personally i wouldnt buy it. Just go test drive or better yet rent one and then go drive the grand highlander, big difference.
You know you really have to look at how much you drive and you would have to see if it was worth it to get the small hybrid and not the hybrid max model to save on gas. I think at the end of the day the cost versus the amount of money you would save on gas my break, even and then you’re dealing with a new engine and a new hybrid system that we don’t know the problems of…. Don’t get me wrong. I’m thoroughly impressed by using a hybrid to make more power for a motor however, we just don’t know how long the batteries will last and the condition of the 2.4 L turbo and it will hold up.
@nelsonbrito4964 power is great for a big suv. I went to Vegas, Arizona and Utah on a road trip from California to Zion National Park and it easily got up to 95-100mph with 5 people 2 dogs and all their stuff. We were late for a tour and had to punch it. CVT was more responsive then they used to be. I had the 2020 highlander and the CVT there had a lag. The cabin is so quiet surprisingly and so the low droan is quieter but still there. With the Bose stereo and my daughter listening to Bohemian Rhapsody off Spotify streaming, it was hard to hear. This car is great at moving people and their stuff from point A to B effectively. I'm not trying to race other SUVs or Soccer mom vans. Leave that to to the Teslas and the CX9. I got 4 kids so it's perfect for my fam.
@azerogliev6520 the cx9 is definitely slower than the hybrid max! It's got better handling than the the max, but is slower in a drag race. The standard hybrid in the grand is slower than both, but get the most miles. I'm a dad with 4 kids. I'm not trying race anyone. My last ditch effort before I emasculate myself by caving and getting a sienna.
Hey John, I'm still watching at 1:30 and you're a hair off on the engine options: -Regular ol' gas is the 2.4L turbo -Base hybrid has the 2.5L NA + battery and a small rear axle assist motor for the AWD version -Hybrid Max has the 2.4L turbo, but with a slightly bigger battery and the rear axle out of a BZ4X EV (so much more AWD "juice" Hybrid max gets the same gas mileage as regular gas, it basically only uses the hybrid system for extra power (turbo-hybrid, kinda like the current gen F1 cars).
Thanks for the input. All I know is the hybrid max has more power does nothing for gas savings. Reg hybrid gets better gas mileage. Regardless I’m not too confident with either one of them as of right now since they are relatively new engine applications for a brand new type of car. The point I was trying to make is that you are buying a car helping Toyota do research and development and that to me is not worth my money or my time. Thank you for the clarification. I’m sure it’ll help somebody.
@@AviatorsGarage All good and thanks for your quick response. The Atkinson 2.5 hybrid is the same engine that's in the regular Highlander, Camry, Rav4, and Venza hybrid applications, so while this is a pretty big application for the engine I'd be fairly confident in the reliability. Power, I hear, ranges from "good enough" to "ok", which isn't terribly inspiring but "fine.", lol. The Hybrid Max on the other hand, yep that's the one I'd be least confident in also, it's only in use in the GH and the new Crown, and while I haven't heard anything crazy about it, it's only been out for a year. Presumably since it uses the same 2.4L turbo anything that breaks on the gas version would also break on the HyMax. They're using that 2.4 in a bunch of stuff but longevity will still be a ?? until it isn't... I got a hybrid max anyway, because I wanted the power, but they won't let me take it home from the dealer until Thursday. I agree the wifi connect plan is BS - on my '24 corolla, when I subscribed to it for a month and canceled it, it ended my trials for all the other connect features, which is extremely annoying. I don't plan to keep the corolla and didn't use most of that stuff, but it still ground my gears. Tether configuration, right there with you, I wish they'd put one on each side in the way-back instead of both right next to each other. Hope they add the opening back window in the next model year or refresh. Missed opportunity, especially since they're bringing back the roll-down rear window in the Land Cruiser. I wonder if someone on the GH forums will be able to mod one in, but I don't want to go to that much hassle just yet. Thanks again for the video, well thought out and very valid criticisms.
@@radio-riehl such a great viewpoint I really appreciate comments like these. Thank you so much for your time and your input. What do you think about their possibly being a V6 option for 2025? because I know the Lexus version of the Highlander is going to be offering a V6 option. What are your thoughts on that?
@@AviatorsGarage A v6 option is unlikely to be offered next year simply because it's a minor model refresh. The lexus version of the GH, the TX, does have the V6 in the current model year but only on the high-end plug-in hybrid version. I'm curious why they chose to go with the V6 for the PHEV instead of the 2.4L - the current TX500H versions that aren't plug-ins have the same powertrain as GH Hybrid Max. The 6cyl phev option is currently the capstone and I would expect it or a 4-cyl PHEV to become available in the GH eventually -- but I expect we'll be seeing a plug in hybrid or BEV (full electric) vehicle in this form factor at the major model. I expect we'll probably see an announcement on 2025 GH as an upcoming vehicle in the next 2-3 months. Since it'll be a minor model change in only the second year, I don't expect drivetrain options to change just yet unfortunately, but we'll probably see some of the bigger complaints fixed. I doubt they'll add the rear window, but the LATCH attachment point complaint was pretty common from what I hear, and I suspect we'll see some adjustment to the fuel tank. Beyond that most of the major concerns I'd heard about were fixed in-line over the model year - some early production ones I heard had some front axle issues, transmission shifting issues on the Hybrid Max's 6-speed (which is the same 6-speed used in older highlanders, it's being used instead of the 8-speed because it can handle the extra torque better). Both those issues got fixed pretty early on based on what I've been seeing, and 3-4 friends and coworkers have GH vehicles in various trims and colors, most bought in the last 3 months, and none have had any major concerns.
Obviously if they DO add the v6, I'll be pleasantly surprised -- but I'm locked into the GH HyMax Plat until '27 and by then we'll probably all be driving either spaceships or Flintstones cars, depending on how inflation goes...
Why didn't you get the hybrid? Because if the battery problem? Do you think lexus tx hybrid base model is a better bargain? If you were to buy a suv today, which model and why? Really appreciate you trying to help others.
Great question. Hybrid was more money. Didn’t need it. Lexus TX has a better track record. If you want a hybrid with a similar chassis the Lexus is the way to go BUT you will pay more for it. Wife wanted the “Grand Highlander” which is a Toyota. I am waiting for the Hybrid Max branded engines to be in the market for a few years as they are new and having issues with the tundra. They are very new and I don’t want to pay to get into Toyotas research and development. (Some tundra engines have blown and left people stranded). As far as SUVs- the only ones I would consider after extensive research would be the Honda Pilot, Grand highlander, Highlander (have had them both now). All the American SUVs seem to have gotten cheaper feeling. I love the way Dodge products look however I am not willing to pay such a crazy price for them. I recently rented a Chevy Tahoe and it only had 15,000 miles on it and one of the speakers didn’t work. And that was a basically new car. So I can only imagine with the problems that you would deal with if you were an owner. You would pay an extreme premium for a Chevy Tahoe. I think I’ve seen them on the market well over $60,000. Thank you for the great questions and thank you for watching
@@AviatorsGarage Of course you know that Lexus is Toyota, right? What I mean really is, if your wife wanted a Toyota, the TX IS a Toyota. But you probably know that. :)
Hi John, I’d love a video of your perspective of what it’s like having a Tacoma and grand Highlander with a family of your size? We have two Highlanders and love them, but I really want to get a Tacoma but I’m not sure about the size especially with kids, thanks I really appreciate your content.
Thanks for a great review, I have the Hibrid Max, the biggest con for me is the controls on the center consol, Me or my wife are always bumping them, could have used that space for more arm rest area.
The first con is you picked the lower power trim? Second Con is speculation for furore problems even though the 2.5L Turbo is flagship engine in at least 6 Toyota/ Lexus platforms?
I noticed you have a mat under that seat. Idk if it was just review purposes, but possibly check out your carseat manual to see if they are approved. I don't think britax currently approves any. Not being a brat, just wanted to mention it in case yall just didn't know. Also, this review is extremely helpful because I've been looking at this to have more space than my encore for rear facing seats and it doesn't appear so. Bummer it checked all my boxes until that.
Thank you for watching and the input. Try to be as helpful as I can. We had the same mat under the britax in our last high lander and it completely preserved the seat. It’s well worth it in my opinion! I appreciate the comment. I wish you luck on your quest! Have a great day.
@SoarAndMore I understand they preserve the seat, but that wasn't what I was talking about. An unapproved mat under your child's carseat could pose a safety risk. I'll leave this here as I'm not here to badger or appear to be shaming. I just wanted to pass on the information and am responding to make sure I wasn't misunderstood. Do with it what you will. Thanks again.
@@amandaregina143 all good, we have switched to the Doona system and it comes with a seat cover. So all good. It’s doona approved and no safety issue. Trust me, your comment is not offensive at all. Not shameful at all. In the end, I seriously doubt that it would cause any safety issues at all since it has zero to do with the connection to the seat. I can see how operator error could cause a serious issue by incompetence or incorrect installation. None are happening here at all.
Totally agree with you on the rear window. It's not a "SUV" unless the rear window opens. I can't buy an Explorer for same reason. Looks like the GH is now OUT of the running....thanks for the run-down.....
I'm surprised that you feel this highlander has less power, this engine has more torque than the previous one, it suppose to push harder without you having to Rev it too much, but if you feel it is weaker I believe it.
The 8 speed transmission does make up for it. But I feel less power for sure than the V6. It may be psychological but the responsiveness is definitely slower.
On my 2022 highlander hybrid the standard remote start keyfob doesn’t work when subscription expires On grand highlander it hasn’t been a year yet to know So buyer beware before you buy Also infotainment its not easy to use at all However i love the digital key that i can use with my phone or smart watch😊 Another point regular engine is a gas guzzler, this uses way more gas than my old 2018 v6 highlander with that i’d get 280-350 miles driving around town With this only 220-240 miles same area
Great update- ya we just drove 780 miles and the best MPG we can get it is 21.0 totally misrepresented on the sticker. Looks like Toyota has changed and is becoming more unethical. Yes the infotainment system is very confusing and yes it is designed to get you to make a monthly payment and sell your information and daily habits to companies for advertising purposes. It’s getting out of hand!
Dad got rid of it because the fenders stuck out too much for the smaller parking space that are everywhere now. Got a highlander hybrid and is happy now.
Highlander has good protection though crossover SUV'S are better since they don't use alota gas and can do stuff that a body on frame SUV can do too if it's capable of handling it.
The regular Highlander (newest model) is one of the smallest “midsize SUV’s” and you’d think them making the “grand” Highlander, it would be much more spacious but sadly it’s just now in the middle class for space with other midsize 3rd row SUV’s. The car mom does great reviews and goes over lots of tether positions, anchors, car seat set ups and all that and it’s very helpful. Sadly even thought the grand Highlander has more trunk space, it’s still not on the bigger side of the midsize class. Chevy traverse has the most space before needing to go for a full size vehicle & then I believe she’s said the Kia telluride has the most legroom in the back seat.
The space between the Chevy and this isn’t all that different. If I recall correctly, there is only 0.1 cubic feet difference between this and the new Traverse, which isn’t all that noticeable. In terms of legroom, the third row is would consider massive, and I am living with a 2020 Highlander, and having sat in the third row of that for hours long vs this is a huge difference.
Help a brother out then man, to my understanding there are 2 drive trains. One hybrid that is just a hybrid then the hybrid max which is for more power.
So far the only Con's we've had with our Grand Highlander Limited Hybrid are it's a bit louder under power than we'd like and a bit uncomfortable, not real bad but it would be nice to be quieter and more comfortable. Your other issues, aren't issues for us (No kids at this time), roof rails help with inside space (for larger things). As for MPG, we get 32 plus regularly
You better get that if you’re paying the hybrid price! They’re actually more cons that I am starting to find as we are owning the vehicle. Kind of sucks, but Toyota is kind of starting to decline and quality.
@@AviatorsGarage $53,000 out the door. Ruby Red, Floor Mats. Cargo Protector, Panoview, Running Boards, Roof rails, seems lie a fair price based on todays market, but your right, I'm the only one who has to be ok with the price and what we got for it.. Hell if the Mazda CX90 would have been the same size (97 or so sq ft) that might be in our door yard, or if the Lexus TX came with this Base Hybrid, that would be in the dooryard, but instead we got this. It's now 3 months old and has 8300 miles on it, with a trip from Maine NY coming up, and 2 weeks after that a trip to Indianapolis, then 2 weeks after that a trip to NY, OH, ID, WI, MI and back to Maine, so we will know what we think of it, by the end of the year for sure (should have about 25,000 miles on it by then.
@@yahooskip I severely doubt you got it for $53k out the door. But please prove me wrong with a video. Show the actual dealer slip. Show the final price. If I'm wrong I will gladly commend you because that information will help a ton of people save money. Which is what I am all about. Usually when I call people out about making a video and proving it. - they don't. These TH-cam videos are alot of work and people can say very strong words (and lies) when hiding behind a key board.
@@yahooskip regardless that is a damn good deal! Is there any information or knowledge that you could share to help people making a hybrid purchase? I get tons of questions on those all the time.
I don’t agree. These new hybrids are made by a completely different manufacturer and they are not made by Toyota. The new Toyota tundras have been having a rash of issues with their new engines and the hybrid systems. I would be very cautious on buying a new 2024 Tacoma with the new hybrid max and a grand Highlander with the hybrid max system.
How is any of this a CON?? Lol May be the engine one but again, no particular issue pointed. Everything else is what you expect from a SUV. It’s not a commercial truck to use for commercial woodworking materials transportation- lol The remote start subscriptions are now common among all manufacturers. Car seat “WILL” touch your driver seat if you put in the way you have shown- it will happen in every car- Real con: it’s cheaper plastic than what you would expect
The first and second row seats in the grand highlander have less legroom than that of the 4th gen. regular highlander (2020-present), likely to add a bit of space to the 3rd row which is still good for children or small adults on short trips. That's why the rear-facing child seat doesn't fit well in the second row.
You don’t have to pay the subscriptions- you just won’t have maximum functionality of the Toyota App either the car. But yes, it is definitely a way to nickel and dime you for sure.
Regular hybrid is non turbo. You mistakenly stated turbo. Hybrid max has turbo, but regular hybrid has no turbo. Also your engine has actually more torque than old v6.
Does your limited trim GH have traffic jam assist working ? ie you are in adaptive cruise following another car. it slows to a stop as does your car. If it stops for more than like 3 seconds, then your car is now waiting, and then when the car in from moves, you push on the gas pedal or the plus sign on the cruise control, and your car takes off under the cruise control again. I have this on a 2021 limited highlander, but Toyota wording seems to say this is only on grand highlander platinum. thanks. good video. oh, and then if no traf jam assist, what does your cruise do as car in front comes to a stop?
@@ArtificiallySweet yes it does have all those features and so far they work quite well however, the only issue that I have had is the parking brake stayed on one time when I was in a parking lot and the issue was I was no longer near any other vehicles or pedestrians that were around me. Great questions.
@@AviatorsGarage thanks so much.
What about the noise inside the van at high speed?
Does it have a good noise insulator?
Have you heard problems with the CVT hybrid version?
We haven’t had any issues with noise inside the cabin. I have heard of reports that people have heard issues inside while driving.
I’m not aware with any issues on the CVT hybrid version. It is a relatively new system, so I’m sure some recalls will happen. Even my 2006 Toyota Tacoma had recalls. I assume someone will come down the pike…
Thank you again for this update. Enjoyed the last one as well. Have you observed anything with the hood of the car 'vibrating' or having 'waves' in it while traveling at highway speeds? I've seen that observation from others but no video of it.
Not that I know of, but I will look out for it. We haven't had a road trip in it yet. We are planning on one soon. I will definitely look out for that. I also plan on real honest thoughts about taking in on a drive for over a few hundred miles and having it packed to the brim with my wife, mother-in-law, two son's, and me. I really appreciate your input and thank you for watching.
@@AviatorsGarage Thanks
What is the model of the rear facing seat you are using? I am interested in checking the length of it to see if there are any others seats on the market that would have better clearance in the grand highlander.
We recently have switched to the doona.
Do you have the Gas tank issue? Not able to fill more than 12 to 13 gallons (nozzle clicks off) in an empty tank whose capacity is 17.2 g (hybrid) or 17.8 g (gas)
We haven’t. I’ll be on the lookout for that. Thank you for sharing!
That is useful for many viewers or owners. How much is the true reserve and how much fuel one can fill when the fuel light comes on ?Does the gas tank issue affect both gas and hybrid models or specific to hybrids only? Hope you will find out and post it soon.
I have over 10,000 on my GH hybrid max and the computer indicates the tank is empty and 13 gallons is the most I’ve ever put in the tank. The computer indicated 22mpg and it’s really getting 26mpg. I hope there is a update to correct these problems. Please join me in a write in campaign to Toyota to remedy these issues.
I agree with you, it is only 17 gallons and I see that it uses a lot of gas, filling the tank to the top gives me 317 miles, I have a 2024 Camry It has the same engine as the Grand Highlander and it gives me 430 miles, I think I will change it In the future, Kia will have better gas consumption.
Can you please tell me how and where you got the protection lining for the back of the third row? We have a grand Highlander and we have weather tech in the whole car including cargo, and whenever I go to Toyota they say they don’t have the lining for behind third row seat but I see you have it. Thanks!
Sure! I did a whole video on it! Here:
#Toyota Grand Highlander: Family Review & Upgrades
th-cam.com/video/GLpsdw8U3Ho/w-d-xo.html
Thanks! I too am a little annoyed third row doesn't have anchors behind all three seats, not sure why because all other third-row mid-size SUV's do. still wouldn't change my choice.
Just bought a Limited in Cylestial Silver with all the bells and whistles. Out the door, with a 2016 Highlander trade in with 122000 miles, was $38,xxx. Not bad. The dealer had three on the lot and really wanted to sell. We are happy so far. Still trying to figure out the infotainment though. Your videos helped us in making the purchase. Thanks again.
Glad I could help. More to come! Doing one on infotainment
Send this to the Toyota engineers. These are all great callouts. Thanks for the video
Thank you for watching. I actually have some more things that I don’t like about it. Coming in a different video.
How is the road noise on concrete grooved roads? and road joints. Also how is it compared to regular Highlander in terms of the same noise?
Great question, I’m making a video covering my impressions of being in the 3rd row for an hour. It covers many points like that. I haven’t noticed anything different than the regular Highlander.
Thank you so much for sharing. Got totaled lost on my 2018 Toyota Highlander through hail damage, that I liked a lot, now looking to buy a grand Toyota Highlander, but don’t know much about cars. Really need help. Thanks so much.
Thank you for reaching out and thank you for the comment. I’m sorry to hear about you losing your Highlander. If you look, I also made a video about how we got the deal on our 2024 grand Highlander. I hope it helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
He said from 53k to 59 plus 6 k more😅
Thank you for your honest review! May I ask how tall your wife is? We also have a rear-facing car seat we need to fit behind the driver 😬
@@colorfulcrochet371 she’s about 5’9” but she has long legs and it works for the rear facing seat. It’s just something that we have noticed with the grand Highlander. Thank you for the great compliment! Hope you find a great car seat and congratulations on the new family member!
I don't quite understand how they add power in hybrid vehicles.
For example.
You have the 265 hp turbo engine.
But the max version has the same engine plus the hybrid and adds up to 362 hp.
So do the motors operate together at maximum demand?
Or does the hybrid only operate on low demand to save gasoline?
You could explain it.
Your videos are very informative.
Sounds like a great idea for a video! So the electric portion of the motor (hybrid) starts moving the car from a stand still. Electric motor torque is by far more powerful than a gas motor. Then at a specific speed the 2.4 l gas turbo takes over using the additional 265 HP. To from what I gather the hybrid portion adds 97Hp. I’m not sure exactly but I’ll look into it! Thank you for watching.
@@AviatorsGarage I'll wait for that video
Parallel Hybrid systems also found in 24' Tacoma, 24' LC250, 22' to current Tundra and the Grand Highlander...
Great review and love the fact that you respond like a normal human on your channel. Keep it up 👍
Thank you for the comment sir! I intend to be as authentic as possible. Have an awesome day!
So how is the pick up. And can you cruise at high speeds and still punch it like your previous Highlander
Great question. It’s not like the regular highlander at all. It does move out but I think our old highlander had more kick for sure- rumor is that there may be a V6 offering in 2025… not sure though. Thanks for watching.
Please try to make a video showing the comparison between Toyota GH vs 2024 Chevy Traverse ..that would be interesting.
@@mandelanelson7106 thank you for the idea
Dont get the traverse, their 2.4 turbo charged engine screams like a little baby. Very annoying and transmission shifts rough. Plus they want upwards of 60k for them. Just had a 2024 gmc acadia as a rental, that share the same engine as the traverse, and personally i wouldnt buy it. Just go test drive or better yet rent one and then go drive the grand highlander, big difference.
Do you think it is worth paying for the hybrid version to save on gasoline?
You know you really have to look at how much you drive and you would have to see if it was worth it to get the small hybrid and not the hybrid max model to save on gas. I think at the end of the day the cost versus the amount of money you would save on gas my break, even and then you’re dealing with a new engine and a new hybrid system that we don’t know the problems of…. Don’t get me wrong. I’m thoroughly impressed by using a hybrid to make more power for a motor however, we just don’t know how long the batteries will last and the condition of the 2.4 L turbo and it will hold up.
I have the regular hybrid, just went 1015 miles and average 36 mpgs
I drive the standard hybrid non turbo and get 550 miles on 1 full tank!
No turbos so it will last longer without maintenence on the turbo.
That’s awesome- we can’t break 21MPG on the turbo!
How's the power? And how do you like the cvt trans?
@nelsonbrito4964 power is great for a big suv. I went to Vegas, Arizona and Utah on a road trip from California to Zion National Park and it easily got up to 95-100mph with 5 people 2 dogs and all their stuff. We were late for a tour and had to punch it. CVT was more responsive then they used to be. I had the 2020 highlander and the CVT there had a lag. The cabin is so quiet surprisingly and so the low droan is quieter but still there. With the Bose stereo and my daughter listening to Bohemian Rhapsody off Spotify streaming, it was hard to hear. This car is great at moving people and their stuff from point A to B effectively. I'm not trying to race other SUVs or Soccer mom vans. Leave that to to the Teslas and the CX9. I got 4 kids so it's perfect for my fam.
@@bryana8383cx9? 😂 it's even slower than grand Highlander hybrid max.
@azerogliev6520 the cx9 is definitely slower than the hybrid max! It's got better handling than the the max, but is slower in a drag race. The standard hybrid in the grand is slower than both, but get the most miles.
I'm a dad with 4 kids. I'm not trying race anyone. My last ditch effort before I emasculate myself by caving and getting a sienna.
This is a really good review for those of us who are considering a 3rd row SUV for kids and car seats! Interior logistics are everything.
I hope I helped out!
Hey John, I'm still watching at 1:30 and you're a hair off on the engine options:
-Regular ol' gas is the 2.4L turbo
-Base hybrid has the 2.5L NA + battery and a small rear axle assist motor for the AWD version
-Hybrid Max has the 2.4L turbo, but with a slightly bigger battery and the rear axle out of a BZ4X EV (so much more AWD "juice"
Hybrid max gets the same gas mileage as regular gas, it basically only uses the hybrid system for extra power (turbo-hybrid, kinda like the current gen F1 cars).
Thanks for the input. All I know is the hybrid max has more power does nothing for gas savings. Reg hybrid gets better gas mileage. Regardless I’m not too confident with either one of them as of right now since they are relatively new engine applications for a brand new type of car. The point I was trying to make is that you are buying a car helping Toyota do research and development and that to me is not worth my money or my time. Thank you for the clarification. I’m sure it’ll help somebody.
@@AviatorsGarage All good and thanks for your quick response. The Atkinson 2.5 hybrid is the same engine that's in the regular Highlander, Camry, Rav4, and Venza hybrid applications, so while this is a pretty big application for the engine I'd be fairly confident in the reliability. Power, I hear, ranges from "good enough" to "ok", which isn't terribly inspiring but "fine.", lol.
The Hybrid Max on the other hand, yep that's the one I'd be least confident in also, it's only in use in the GH and the new Crown, and while I haven't heard anything crazy about it, it's only been out for a year. Presumably since it uses the same 2.4L turbo anything that breaks on the gas version would also break on the HyMax. They're using that 2.4 in a bunch of stuff but longevity will still be a ?? until it isn't...
I got a hybrid max anyway, because I wanted the power, but they won't let me take it home from the dealer until Thursday.
I agree the wifi connect plan is BS - on my '24 corolla, when I subscribed to it for a month and canceled it, it ended my trials for all the other connect features, which is extremely annoying. I don't plan to keep the corolla and didn't use most of that stuff, but it still ground my gears.
Tether configuration, right there with you, I wish they'd put one on each side in the way-back instead of both right next to each other.
Hope they add the opening back window in the next model year or refresh. Missed opportunity, especially since they're bringing back the roll-down rear window in the Land Cruiser. I wonder if someone on the GH forums will be able to mod one in, but I don't want to go to that much hassle just yet.
Thanks again for the video, well thought out and very valid criticisms.
@@radio-riehl such a great viewpoint I really appreciate comments like these. Thank you so much for your time and your input. What do you think about their possibly being a V6 option for 2025? because I know the Lexus version of the Highlander is going to be offering a V6 option. What are your thoughts on that?
@@AviatorsGarage A v6 option is unlikely to be offered next year simply because it's a minor model refresh. The lexus version of the GH, the TX, does have the V6 in the current model year but only on the high-end plug-in hybrid version. I'm curious why they chose to go with the V6 for the PHEV instead of the 2.4L - the current TX500H versions that aren't plug-ins have the same powertrain as GH Hybrid Max. The 6cyl phev option is currently the capstone and I would expect it or a 4-cyl PHEV to become available in the GH eventually -- but I expect we'll be seeing a plug in hybrid or BEV (full electric) vehicle in this form factor at the major model.
I expect we'll probably see an announcement on 2025 GH as an upcoming vehicle in the next 2-3 months. Since it'll be a minor model change in only the second year, I don't expect drivetrain options to change just yet unfortunately, but we'll probably see some of the bigger complaints fixed. I doubt they'll add the rear window, but the LATCH attachment point complaint was pretty common from what I hear, and I suspect we'll see some adjustment to the fuel tank. Beyond that most of the major concerns I'd heard about were fixed in-line over the model year - some early production ones I heard had some front axle issues, transmission shifting issues on the Hybrid Max's 6-speed (which is the same 6-speed used in older highlanders, it's being used instead of the 8-speed because it can handle the extra torque better). Both those issues got fixed pretty early on based on what I've been seeing, and 3-4 friends and coworkers have GH vehicles in various trims and colors, most bought in the last 3 months, and none have had any major concerns.
Obviously if they DO add the v6, I'll be pleasantly surprised -- but I'm locked into the GH HyMax Plat until '27 and by then we'll probably all be driving either spaceships or Flintstones cars, depending on how inflation goes...
Is the back big enough for a double stroller.
@@nadegeaugustin6177 absolutely for sure
Why didn't you get the hybrid? Because if the battery problem? Do you think lexus tx hybrid base model is a better bargain? If you were to buy a suv today, which model and why? Really appreciate you trying to help others.
Great question. Hybrid was more money. Didn’t need it. Lexus TX has a better track record. If you want a hybrid with a similar chassis the Lexus is the way to go BUT you will pay more for it. Wife wanted the “Grand Highlander” which is a Toyota. I am waiting for the Hybrid Max branded engines to be in the market for a few years as they are new and having issues with the tundra. They are very new and I don’t want to pay to get into Toyotas research and development. (Some tundra engines have blown and left people stranded).
As far as SUVs- the only ones I would consider after extensive research would be the Honda Pilot, Grand highlander, Highlander (have had them both now). All the American SUVs seem to have gotten cheaper feeling.
I love the way Dodge products look however I am not willing to pay such a crazy price for them.
I recently rented a Chevy Tahoe and it only had 15,000 miles on it and one of the speakers didn’t work. And that was a basically new car. So I can only imagine with the problems that you would deal with if you were an owner. You would pay an extreme premium for a Chevy Tahoe. I think I’ve seen them on the market well over $60,000.
Thank you for the great questions and thank you for watching
@@AviatorsGarage Of course you know that Lexus is Toyota, right? What I mean really is, if your wife wanted a Toyota, the TX IS a Toyota. But you probably know that. :)
@@HunterXray yep! When I made Capt, I’m sure she’ll want the Lexus
Hi John, I’d love a video of your perspective of what it’s like having a Tacoma and grand Highlander with a family of your size? We have two Highlanders and love them, but I really want to get a Tacoma but I’m not sure about the size especially with kids, thanks I really appreciate your content.
Great idea and I will make it specifically for you
Thanks for a great review, I have the Hibrid Max, the biggest con for me is the controls on the center consol, Me or my wife are always bumping them, could have used that space for more arm rest area.
I thank you for the comment and I appreciate your perspective on the hybrid Max. As far as gas mileage what have you been getting?
@@AviatorsGarage I was getting 27/28 during winter, but getting 31/32 now in summer
Sounds like a Sienna might be a better fit for yall, do you think?
I wanted one- wife was like HELL NO! she hates minivans. Oh well!
The first con is you picked the lower power trim? Second Con is speculation for furore problems even though the 2.5L Turbo is flagship engine in at least 6 Toyota/ Lexus platforms?
Possibly trim, it’s a 2.4L
Wait you have to pay for a subscription to lock/unlock your car? What happens if you don't subscribe?
For the Toyota App yes through cell service. Not your key fobs.
it may be in some toyota models that the traffic jam assist cruise part will quit working. Maybe not. Something i would research.
I noticed you have a mat under that seat. Idk if it was just review purposes, but possibly check out your carseat manual to see if they are approved. I don't think britax currently approves any. Not being a brat, just wanted to mention it in case yall just didn't know.
Also, this review is extremely helpful because I've been looking at this to have more space than my encore for rear facing seats and it doesn't appear so. Bummer it checked all my boxes until that.
Thank you for watching and the input. Try to be as helpful as I can. We had the same mat under the britax in our last high lander and it completely preserved the seat. It’s well worth it in my opinion! I appreciate the comment. I wish you luck on your quest! Have a great day.
@SoarAndMore I understand they preserve the seat, but that wasn't what I was talking about. An unapproved mat under your child's carseat could pose a safety risk. I'll leave this here as I'm not here to badger or appear to be shaming. I just wanted to pass on the information and am responding to make sure I wasn't misunderstood. Do with it what you will. Thanks again.
@@amandaregina143 all good, we have switched to the Doona system and it comes with a seat cover. So all good. It’s doona approved and no safety issue. Trust me, your comment is not offensive at all. Not shameful at all.
In the end, I seriously doubt that it would cause any safety issues at all since it has zero to do with the connection to the seat. I can see how operator error could cause a serious issue by incompetence or incorrect installation. None are happening here at all.
Hasn’t remote locking and starting a car from an app always been subscription based? After the free time they give
I believe so, just $50 month to me plus another $25 for WiFi hotspot is getting crazy. Just my opinion.
My Ford F150 has it with no fees
That 20 yr warranty is not offered at every Toyota dealership is it?
I believe it’s a Toyota wide thing
@@AviatorsGarage No Toyota is 60 months 60k miles the dealer you purchased it from may offer that deal but not5 toyota
Totally agree with you on the rear window. It's not a "SUV" unless the rear window opens. I can't buy an Explorer for same reason. Looks like the GH is now OUT of the running....thanks for the run-down.....
@@stu4757 glad I could help!
I'm surprised that you feel this highlander has less power, this engine has more torque than the previous one, it suppose to push harder without you having to Rev it too much, but if you feel it is weaker I believe it.
The 8 speed transmission does make up for it. But I feel less power for sure than the V6. It may be psychological but the responsiveness is definitely slower.
On my 2022 highlander hybrid the standard remote start keyfob doesn’t work when subscription expires
On grand highlander it hasn’t been a year yet to know
So buyer beware before you buy
Also infotainment its not easy to use at all
However i love the digital key that i can use with my phone or smart watch😊
Another point regular engine is a gas guzzler, this uses way more gas than my old 2018 v6 highlander with that i’d get 280-350 miles driving around town
With this only 220-240 miles same area
Great update- ya we just drove 780 miles and the best MPG we can get it is 21.0 totally misrepresented on the sticker. Looks like Toyota has changed and is becoming more unethical.
Yes the infotainment system is very confusing and yes it is designed to get you to make a monthly payment and sell your information and daily habits to companies for advertising purposes. It’s getting out of hand!
Dad got rid of it because the fenders stuck out too much for the smaller parking space that are everywhere now. Got a highlander hybrid and is happy now.
That’s great to hear!
Lol- he didn’t see this when buying it.
This is not a “hidden “ feature.
@@Imrantahir-u7h trolls are out 👆🙄
Just like you, I want the minivan. Much more practical but wife says no
lol we need to start a club!
Better with Hybrid Sienna AWD for space with kids :).
In California, Hybrid battery 10 years or 150K Miles warranty!
@@jakepthsd trust me I tried to convince the wife.
That inflation is a big deal. People are hurting. The companies might be next.
I know… so so much money was printed and went straight to the big corporations..
18.2mpg? I thought it would be better on gas
Ya meeeee tooo… it’s up to 21.0 mpg now. But way under advertised.
For me $60K I rather get a Nissan Armada. Toyota Highlander/ grand and TX are bad in car accident which is why I will only drive full size suv.
Thanks for watching!
Highlander has good protection though crossover SUV'S are better since they don't use alota gas and can do stuff that a body on frame SUV can do too if it's capable of handling it.
The regular Highlander (newest model) is one of the smallest “midsize SUV’s” and you’d think them making the “grand” Highlander, it would be much more spacious but sadly it’s just now in the middle class for space with other midsize 3rd row SUV’s. The car mom does great reviews and goes over lots of tether positions, anchors, car seat set ups and all that and it’s very helpful. Sadly even thought the grand Highlander has more trunk space, it’s still not on the bigger side of the midsize class. Chevy traverse has the most space before needing to go for a full size vehicle & then I believe she’s said the Kia telluride has the most legroom in the back seat.
My wife loves the car mom but she loves her new grand highlander more!
The space between the Chevy and this isn’t all that different. If I recall correctly, there is only 0.1 cubic feet difference between this and the new Traverse, which isn’t all that noticeable. In terms of legroom, the third row is would consider massive, and I am living with a 2020 Highlander, and having sat in the third row of that for hours long vs this is a huge difference.
You have GH powertrains all confused up there bud
Help a brother out then man, to my understanding there are 2 drive trains. One hybrid that is just a hybrid then the hybrid max which is for more power.
So far the only Con's we've had with our Grand Highlander Limited Hybrid are it's a bit louder under power than we'd like and a bit uncomfortable, not real bad but it would be nice to be quieter and more comfortable. Your other issues, aren't issues for us (No kids at this time), roof rails help with inside space (for larger things). As for MPG, we get 32 plus regularly
You better get that if you’re paying the hybrid price! They’re actually more cons that I am starting to find as we are owning the vehicle. Kind of sucks, but Toyota is kind of starting to decline and quality.
@@AviatorsGarage $53,000 out the door. Ruby Red, Floor Mats. Cargo Protector, Panoview, Running Boards, Roof rails, seems lie a fair price based on todays market, but your right, I'm the only one who has to be ok with the price and what we got for it.. Hell if the Mazda CX90 would have been the same size (97 or so sq ft) that might be in our door yard, or if the Lexus TX came with this Base Hybrid, that would be in the dooryard, but instead we got this. It's now 3 months old and has 8300 miles on it, with a trip from Maine NY coming up, and 2 weeks after that a trip to Indianapolis, then 2 weeks after that a trip to NY, OH, ID, WI, MI and back to Maine, so we will know what we think of it, by the end of the year for sure (should have about 25,000 miles on it by then.
@@yahooskip I severely doubt you got it for $53k out the door. But please prove me wrong with a video. Show the actual dealer slip. Show the final price. If I'm wrong I will gladly commend you because that information will help a ton of people save money. Which is what I am all about. Usually when I call people out about making a video and proving it. - they don't. These TH-cam videos are alot of work and people can say very strong words (and lies) when hiding behind a key board.
@@AviatorsGarage I do stand corrected. My wife pointed out that we made the check out for $53045.60, BUT that we had put down a $1500.00 deposit
@@yahooskip regardless that is a damn good deal! Is there any information or knowledge that you could share to help people making a hybrid purchase? I get tons of questions on those all the time.
Toyota has been producing hybrids for decades. I would worry about Toyota batteries the least of all manufactures.
I don’t agree. These new hybrids are made by a completely different manufacturer and they are not made by Toyota. The new Toyota tundras have been having a rash of issues with their new engines and the hybrid systems. I would be very cautious on buying a new 2024 Tacoma with the new hybrid max and a grand Highlander with the hybrid max system.
How is any of this a CON?? Lol
May be the engine one but again, no particular issue pointed.
Everything else is what you expect from a SUV. It’s not a commercial truck to use for commercial woodworking materials transportation- lol
The remote start subscriptions are now common among all manufacturers.
Car seat “WILL” touch your driver seat if you put in the way you have shown- it will happen in every car-
Real con: it’s cheaper plastic than what you would expect
@@Imrantahir-u7h tell us how you really feel!
The first and second row seats in the grand highlander have less legroom than that of the 4th gen. regular highlander (2020-present), likely to add a bit of space to the 3rd row which is still good for children or small adults on short trips. That's why the rear-facing child seat doesn't fit well in the second row.
It was the same in our 2018 grand highlander… wife has long legs
This really makes me appreciate our 2019 Highlander even more. Paying monthly subscriptions to use my own car?!?!? No Thanks! I'm out.
You don’t have to pay the subscriptions- you just won’t have maximum functionality of the Toyota App either the car. But yes, it is definitely a way to nickel and dime you for sure.
New recall.
@@valerieharvey8719 yep I made a video
I’m not paying $60K with loud road noise
We didn’t pay 60k! Thanks for watching!
That's too damn much for a 4 cylinder. You have to be crazy to buy this thing for that much!!!
Didn’t pay that much lol. Got a deal!
Captain Chairs, why😢
We love em! Very comfortable.
Cheap body built,V- 4 garbage 😮for 😢😢😢
All down hill from here for Toyota. New tundra is poorly built as well
Toyota sucks now.
I appreciate your honesty lol! Thanks for watching.
Regular hybrid is non turbo. You mistakenly stated turbo. Hybrid max has turbo, but regular hybrid has no turbo. Also your engine has actually more torque than old v6.
@azerogliev6520 still sluggish, there are different variations of the GH hybrid. One is non turbo the other is. Good catch.