Intake 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

Three-row space, max hybrid pace

- Mike Floyd

The SUV third row. Traditionally, only short people dared venture back there, as it’s almost always a cramped penalty box. Lately, though, several big (but not too big) three-row SUVs have stepped into the breach in an effort to make things less onerous out back and from behind the wheel, with the all-new 2024 Grand Highlander being Toyota’s take on the theme.

Sure, the regular Highlander, with which the Grand Highlander shares some componentry, a powertrain, and a name(ish), also has a third row. But it’s not nearly as grand as the one in the Grand Highlander, which was designed to be a seven- or eight-passenger SUV. It has roughly a 4.0-inch-longer wheelbase and is roughly 4.0 inches longer overall than the biggest Highlander, and it’s some 2.0 inches taller and wider, as well. What that means for the wayback passengers is more head-, leg-, and shoulder room.

There’s more cargo room, as well, with 20.6 cubic feet of space. There are also 57.9 cubes behind the second row and an impressive 97.5 cubic feet behind the first row. (The seats also fold flat for easier cargo loading.) That’s some 10 cubic feet more than the Kia Telluride and almost 13 more than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, two of the Grand Highlander’s competitors.