2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Platinum Hybrid Max - Review by David Colman

“Home, home on the road, where never is heard a discouraging word,
and the fast lane is open all day. “

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

Toyota's newest super luxe fast lane cruiser is the 2026 Grand Highlander. In Platinum level Hybrid Max turnout, it's the closest thing to a mobile home you can buy for under a hundred grand. Or for that matter, under sixty grand! This finely tailored piece of work, which comes to market with a base price of just $59,275, is equipped with all the bells and whistles you could possibly want or need in a family-sized SUV package. You won't be far wrong if you think of it as a half-price Range Rover that's mechanically bulletproof rather than maintenance intensive.

The Platinum version we tested offered seating for six. Portobello Light Gray leather bolsters set off Ultrasuede seating surfaces. Matching platinum/gold trim on the dash and doors presented a striking and cohesive look to the cabin. All four of the prime seating spots were heated and ventilated. All proved blissfully comfortable for long hauls. This cohesive medley was handsomely complemented by a "Blueprint" metallic paint finish that graced our Highlander's muscular-looking exterior. You will not mistake its massive snout for anything else on the road.

While you can order the Grand Highlander with seats for 6 or 7, our tester was equipped with a luxurious pair of captain's chairs in row two, and a conveniently accessible bench holding down row three. Folding that third row bench opens up 58 cubic feet of flat floor storage space behind row two. Folding the pair of seats in row two expands interior storage to a whopping 98 cubic feet. You can transform this Toyota from hotel suite to moving van in a matter of seconds, so feel free to throw in a bike or two.

Inside the cabin, switches and knobs surrounding the 12.3-inch multi-media display were placed right where needed for such daily repeat requests as steering wheel heat, and heating and ventilation settings for all four front row seats. Best of all, when you shut the Highlander down, the seats retain their heat/ventilation settings upon restart. No need to reiterate the preference pick each time you re-fire the Toyota.

362 Hybrid MAX horsepower makes this grand wagon just about the fastest living room on four wheels. You certainly won't embarrass yourself by taking it to the Wednesday Night Drag Races. Get a good launch off the line from the grabby 255/55R20 Yokohama Geolander X-CV (TW 520) radials and you'll amaze onlookers by turning 14.3 seconds at 98mph in the standing start quarter mile. The 0-60mph run flashes by in 5.6 seconds. That's a mean turn of speed for a tank that weighs in at 4,930 pounds.

If you choose not to go the Hybrid route for propulsion, expect a rather more lethargic run down the quarter mile from the 245hp base powerplant, which struggles to 60mph in 7.8 seconds and runs the quarter in 16 seconds at 87mph. As an added incentive to opt for the hybrid, its highly tweaked 2.4-liter turbocharged four-banger, augmented by a bevy of electric motors, emits a decided snarl when the gas pedal is prodded hard. It provides a pleasurable aural symphony sorely missing from most everything else these days. And speaking of fuel, the Hybrid MAX is surprisingly sparing in its consumption of gas, posting an astonishingly economical 27MPG in combined city/highway driving, and offering a cruising range of over 400 miles per tank of gas.

Once you add up all the plusses for this rig, including its ability to tow 5,000lbs, you'll be inclined to consider the asking price something of a bargain for a premium land yacht. We thought the Grand Highlander Hybrid combined excellent straight-line performance with acceptable handling, top-notch comfort, and mega storage capacity. When you combine these diverse attributes with a price that undercuts the competition, you'll be hard pressed to find a better deal in the 3-row SUV class. If you were to strip off the Grand Highlander's T oyota badges and supplant them with Lexus plaques, no one would question the transition for an instant. Because this is one Toyota that definitely merits recognition as a Lexus-level product.

2026 TOYOTA GRAND HIGHLANDER PLATINUM HYBRID MAX

• ENGINE: 2.4 liter inline-4 cylinder Turbocharged, 16-valve with Dual Variable Valve Timing plus Three AC Motors & NiMH 5.oAh Battery
• HORSEPOWER: 362 (Net Combined)
• TORQUE: N/A
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 26MPG City/27MPG Highway
• PRICE AS TESTED: $60,770

HYPES: Lexus Level Toyota

GRIPES: Annoying "Sit Up. Driver Not Detected" Repeated Dash Warning

STAR RATING: 10 Stars out of 10

©2025 David E Colman