Toyota Highlander vs Grand Highlander: Which Used SUV Is for You?

Thinking of getting a used three-row SUV with impressive towing figures, a comfortable interior, and terrific performance? The Toyota Highlander has long been loved for its spacious interior, rugged capabilities, generous safety features, and impressive cargo spaces. Recent model year Highlanders deliver modern technology like advanced safety and infotainment features, with an attractive price tag when you shop used. If you’re looking for a Toyota Highlander for sale in Nashville, visit us!

Now, if you just began your research into a used Highlander, you probably discovered something important: there is also a Grand Highlander. Toyota just released the Grand Highlander in 2024, and it is a larger version of the original Highlander. So the question is, which one is right for you? The Highlander vs Grand Highlander: it is a common dilemma for shoppers. Below, we will cover some major features and differences to consider to help you narrow down your selection.

The Highlander Has More Model Years to Explore

One of the immediate things that will stand out is that the Grand Highlander is only out in a couple of model years. So you aren’t going to have a lot of variety to explore when you’re shopping. If you’re looking for a really low price on a slightly older pre-owned model, that won’t be an option with the Grand Highlander. The farther back you go, the lower the prices get. But there is not much wiggle room with the Grand Highlander at the moment. In contrast, the Highlander has been on the market since 2001, so there are tons of used models to explore.

The Highlander Has an Overall Lower Price Point

The price discrepancy continues between the two vehicles. And this is not simply because the Grand Highlander is only available in recent model years. Even when brand new, the Grand Highlander and traditional Highlander have different price points. The starting trim of the Grand Highlander is normally priced a bit higher than the starting trim of the traditional Highlander.

The top-of-the-line trim for the Grand Highlander tends to exceed the price of the top-of-the-line regular Highlander by several thousand dollars as well. All in all, if sticking to a tight budget is your main priority, you will most likely be looking at the original Highlander because it will almost always cost less than a Grand Highlander in comparable condition. Plus, because it has been in the family for a long time, you can explore older models.

There’s More Data on the Highlander

The price difference isn’t the only thing to keep in mind when considering these two models. Because the Highlander has been in the Toyota family for such a long time, there is a tremendous amount of user-provided data on the different model years. Meanwhile, the Grand Highlander has only been around for all of two model years. So there isn’t much information out there yet about how this vehicle performs over a longer term. Some drivers like to have extensive information available to them about how vehicles have performed over time. They might not be comfortable with how limited the information is on the Grand Highlander in terms of longevity.

The Grand Highlander Has a More Powerful Engine

The Grand Highlander and traditional Highlander actually have the same maximum towing capacities and share two of their engine options. However, the Grand Highlander has a third engine option that the traditional Highlander does not. That would be the 2.4L i-FORCE MAX turbocharged hybrid. This offers 362 hp, which is quite a bit higher than the 265 hp of the traditional Highlander. If you want a truly powerful large SUV that won’t show any signs of struggle when you are towing, accelerating, or going uphill, the Grand Highlander has the most powerful engine option of the two. And the nice thing is that it is a hybrid powertrain. Historically, you might be used to having to select a gas-guzzling engine to achieve higher horsepower figures. But the Grand Highlander disproved that.

The Grand Highlander Has More Interior Space

Need to haul a lot of stuff or people around Nashville? Toyota made the Grand Highlander to meet the demands of customers who love all that the Highlander offers but said they simply need more space for passengers and cargo. The Grand Highlander has a good deal more passenger and cargo room than the traditional Highlander. The trunk alone in the Grand Highlander is 4.6 cu.ft. larger than that of the Highlander. The Grand Highlander has a trunk that is 20.6 cu.ft. in volume, whereas the Highlander has a trunk that is just 16 cu.ft. in volume. If you were to fold down the second and third row of either vehicle, the superior cargo volume of the Grand Highlander would become even more accentuated. With the rear seats down, the Grand Highlander boasts 97.5 cu.ft. of cargo volume, while the traditional Highlander has 84.3 cu.ft. of cargo volume with the rear seats down.

If you know that you will need to haul some seriously large items like furniture or even just tons of gear, you will probably be best off with the Grand Highlander. Its larger interior volume also gives you more passenger and cargo options. For example, you might fold down just the third row and fill up your second row with passengers. In this case, you’ll still have much more space for your stuff and your passengers in the Grand Highlander.

The Grand Highlander also has more passenger volume than the traditional Highlander. Without the moonroof, the Grand Highlander offers 153.3 cu.ft. of passenger volume. The traditional Highlander has 141.8 cu.ft. of passenger volume without the moonroof. So you are looking at nearly 12 cu.ft. of extra volume in the Grand Highlander. If you have teenagers who are getting to that stage where they want their own space and don’t want to feel cramped in the car next to their siblings, you might want to choose the Grand Highlander.

The Grand Highlander Has Extra Safety Perks

If safety is a top priority for you in the streets of Nashville, it is worth mentioning that the Grand Highlander has Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. But if you’re looking at recent used model years of the regular Highlander, you will be getting Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+. Both of these suites have a Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Lane Tracing Assist, Automatic High Beams, Road Sign Assist, and Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. However, Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 adds Proactive Driving Assist. This smart technology can provide gentle steering and braking support to help maintain a safe distance between your vehicle and another vehicle in front of you or a cyclist or pedestrian. Drivers looking for the most advanced safety features might choose the Grand Highlander for this reason.

Find the Highlander and Grand Highlander Here!

By now, you should understand the differences between these two quality SUVs. The Grand Highlander offers more interior room, a more powerful engine option, and more safety perks than the Highlander. However, those working towards financial goals in Nashville might prefer the Highlander because of its lower price point and lengthier time in the Toyota family, which means there are more model years to choose from. If you’re still struggling to decide, one of our knowledgeable sales team members can answer additional questions to help you find your ideal pre-owned Highlander! We have tons of used examples of both at competitive prices!