2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid

Midsize 3-row SUVs are a dime a dozen, but all too many of them have unforgiving third-row seating that nobody wants to sit in. Others have barely any cargo space behind the third row. The Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid is one SUV in this class with interior space that families can actually use. The way-back seating doesn’t feel like a punishment, and it has plenty of cargo space to boot. Further enhancing its credentials as a practical family vehicle, this hybrid SUV yields up to 36 combined mpg, and it comes with the reliability and resale value we love about Toyota.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of 3-row SUVs, including the 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid.

A new Nightshade trim joins the 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid lineup. It’s effectively an appearance package for the Limited trim with blacked-out exterior accents and a stylish set of 20-inch black wheels. It’s available in Cement, Wind Chill Pearl, or Midnight Black Metallic paint, and all have black leather interiors.

The Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid is on the pricier side of midsize 3-row SUVs, but it’s also one of the only hybrids in its class. The Kia Sorento Hybrid is more affordable, but it’s also smaller.

Before buying a Grand Highlander Hybrid, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid resale value is above average for the segment. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

The 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid is powered by a 245-horsepower hybrid 4-cylinder engine matched with a CVT transmission. This motivates the XSE, Limited, and Nightshade models. Thanks to the low-end thrust provided by the electric motor, the Grand Highlander Hybrid is a little quicker than its combustion-only counterpart, running from a standstill to 60 mph in about seven seconds. We found the 2024 Grand Highlander smooth and steady on the highway and easy around town, although its plus-size proportions can make parking lots feel a bit tighter.

While most of our editors would go with the regular hybrid powertrain — even over the gas-only Grand Highlander — buyers planning to haul full loads of people, gear, or a trailer might want to consider the more muscular 362-hp Hybrid Max drivetrain. It’s more suitable if you’ll actually be using all of those seats regularly. We like that the turbocharged Hybrid Max setup uses a 6-speed automatic transmission, which contributes to a more spirited driving feel than the frugal CVT.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of 3-row SUVs, including the 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid.

Fuel Economy

The Grand Highlander Hybrid makes a strong case for itself here. The entry-level hybrid system in the entry-level XLE trim achieves 36 combined mpg (37 city, 34 highway) with front-wheel drive (FWD) or 34 combined mpg (36 city, 32 highway) with all-wheel drive. The Limited and Nightshade trims have bigger wheels and standard all-wheel drive and post 33 combined mpg (35 city, 31 highway).

The powerful Hybrid Max powertrain — which is standard in the top Platinum trim, optional in the Limited, and comes with all-wheel drive — runs to 27 combined mpg (26 city, 27 highway).

For comparison, those figures are about as good as the smaller and less powerful Kia Sorento Hybrid, which manages 37 combined mpg (front-wheel drive) or 35 combined mpg (all-wheel drive).

The Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid is one of the roomiest family SUVs in its class, up there with the Chevy Traverse and Volkswagen Atlas. If you’re looking for a real minivan alternative with a third row of seats that’s actually comfortable, this is one of your best options.

For starters, it seats up to eight. A pair of second-row captain’s chairs are standard, resulting in a maximum occupant count of seven. However, the XLE and Limited offer a 3-person bench, turning this hybrid SUV into an 8-seater. The Nightshade, Max Limited, and Max Platinum are 7-seaters exclusively.

Maximum legroom here is 39.5 inches, almost an inch better than the regular Highlander. That’s about average compared to most 3-row rivals, but the third row has generous legroom of 33.5 inches. That’s a significant 5.5 more inches than the third row of the non-Grand Toyota Highlander and its hybrid counterpart.

The Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid boasts 20.6 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the third row (pretty good), 57.9 cubic feet behind the second row (really good), and 97.5 cubic feet behind the first row (nearly class-leading). We’ve made real Costco runs in the Grand Highlander Hybrid with kids in tow, and it got the job done comfortably and efficiently.

We’re so enamored with the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid’s back seats and cargo area that we almost forgot to mention what the interior is like for the front-seat occupants. This Toyota has a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless smartphone connectivity, three drinks holders (including one for a large bottle), and wireless charging. Cupholders, USB-C ports, and storage cubbies are generously placed throughout this practical interior, which we love to see in a family hauler.

We’re pleased that the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid has its own unique aesthetic, distinct from the regular Highlander. Its boxiness outside is what gives it such a huge interior, and its tasteful design gives it an upmarket feel, especially in the Platinum trim. The new Nightshade trim with black wheels and trim pieces adds some nice visual variety to the lineup.

Two efficient powertrains
The Grand Highlander Hybrid’s base hybrid powertrain returns up to 36 combined mpg. The stronger Hybrid Max powertrain is still pretty efficient, netting 27 combined mpg while generating 362 hp. Meanwhile, the non-hybrid Grand Highlander can only get up to 24 mpg.

Up to 8 seats
Some SUVs in this class only have two seats in the third row, but the Grand Highlander has three. That means it has a total of eight seats with the second-row bench seat or seven seats with captain’s chairs.

Tons of cargo space
The Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid has one of the roomiest cargo holds in its class. Behind the third row, there is 20.6 cubic feet of room, and behind the second row, there is 57.9 cubic feet. Fold down all of the back seats, and you get a cavernous 97.5 cubic-foot cargo bay.

12.3-inch display
The standard infotainment system in the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid has a sizeable 12.3-inch display and handy connectivity features like wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. An available JBL 11-speaker audio system brings your tunes to life.

7 USB-C ports
You won’t hear any complaints about dying devices from the passengers in this family SUV. A whopping seven USB-C ports throughout the expansive cabin ensure topped-off phones and tablets for painless road trips.

Toyota Safety Sense 3.0
The standard Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 system in the Highlander Hybrid bundles safety features like automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane tracing assist, automatic high beams, and Proactive Driving Assist, which can help with braking and steering in city and highway driving.

The 2024 Grand Highlander Hybrid offers a choice of two drivetrains. The XLE, Limited, and Nightshade’s setup consists of a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine augmented by an electric motor to generate 245 hp. The non-hybrid has 265 hp, but a little sacrifice for lower emissions isn’t so bad.

The most potent turbocharged Hybrid Max configuration is available in the Limited trim and standard in the top Platinum trim. It develops 362 hp from an electric motor and a turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine. Unusually, Toyota also quotes a torque figure for this drivetrain, a meaty 400 lb-ft.

The smaller hybrid comes with front-wheel drive as standard, with the option of all-wheel drive on the XLE. All-wheel drive is standard on every other trim, each using a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The Max has all-wheel drive as standard, along with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

The Max drivetrain has a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, while the more modest version can still handle 3,500 pounds.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Toyota’s new-vehicle warranty conforms to the class norms of three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first, with powertrains covered for five years or 60,000 miles. Hybrid batteries have a 10-year or 150,000-mile warranty, whereas the typical arrangement is eight years or 100,000 miles. Toyota also includes complimentary scheduled maintenance and roadside assistance over the first two years or 25,000 miles.

Safety

In testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid received an “Acceptable” rating in the Small Overlap Front and Headlights categories and the top “Good” rating in every other category. Those are pretty good scores, but not good enough to earn a Top Safety Pick designation. The Grand Highlander Hybrid has not yet been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).