2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid

Is the 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid a Good SUV?

"The Grand Highlander Hybrid starts about $5k higher than the regular Grand Highlander, but you get a 50-percent improvement on the fuel economy front, which we'd say is a pretty fair deal. The thing to know about the standard Grand Highlander Hybrid is that it uses largely the same powertrain as the Camry sedan, which is a roundabout way of saying it's not fast — not remotely. It gives up 1,500 pounds of towing capacity to the regular model, too, checking in at 3,500 pounds versus 5,000. Stepping up to the 'Hybrid Max' turbo hybrid powertrain fixes both of these problems, restoring the 5,000-pound towing limit and getting you to 60 mph in just 5.6 seconds if you stand on it, but the price shoots up into the mid-$50s. The Grand Highlander is otherwise an outstanding 3-row family SUV, but you can see the dilemma shoppers face in choosing between the two hybrid configurations."—Ranked #1 out of 3 Midsize 3-Row Hybrid SUVs

Which 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Should I Buy?

MotorDonkey's proprietary vehicle data identifies every significant version of each model so that you can compare and decide. Ordered by price from low to high, here are the versions of the 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid that you need to be aware of, along with our expert analysis and recommendations.

1. 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid (2.5 CVT AWD)

• Base Price: $44,210
• MPG Combined: 34
• Drive Type: All-wheel drive
• Engine: 2.5-liter inline-4
• Aspiration: Turbocharged
• Transmission: CVT
• Horsepower: 245 
• Torque: N/A
• Weight: 4,575 lbs
• Length: 201.4 in
• Towing Capacity: 3,500 lbs

Interestingly, Toyota now offers the all-wheel-drive Grand Highlander Hybrid at a lower starting price than the front-drive version. That's because the base LE Hybrid trim level comes standard with AWD, whereas the next-rung-up XLE Hybrid is AWD-only — so you can opt for the security of AWD and save a bit of cash relative to the more feature-rich XLE front-driver. Anyway, whether you stick with the LE or spring for a higher AWD trim level, the fuel economy isn't affected very much, so it's a sensible addition if snow is part of your winter process. One thing you do lose with the regular Hybrid, though, versus either the base 2.4T engine or the Hybrid Max powertrain, is towing capacity, which drops by 1,500 pounds to a 3,500 max towing figure for the Grand Highlander Hybrid.

2. 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid (2.5 CVT FWD)

• Base Price: $45,380
• MPG Combined: 36
• Drive Type: Front-wheel drive
• Engine: 2.5-liter inline-4
• Aspiration: Turbocharged
• Transmission: CVT
• Horsepower: 245 
• Torque: N/A
• Weight: 4,455 lbs
• Length: 201.4 in
• Towing Capacity: 3,500 lbs

Delivering an exceptional 36 mpg in a true 3-row package, the front-wheel-drive Grand Highlander Hybrid is all ate up with value at its $45k-ish starting price. Note that the eight-passenger seating configuration is only available in the base XLE trim via a second-row bench seat, so if you step up to a higher trim level, you're stuck with the seven-passenger layout that includes second-row captain's chairs.

3. 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max (2.4T 6AT AWD)

• Base Price: $54,690
• MPG Combined: 27
• Drive Type: All-wheel drive
• Engine: 2.4-liter inline-4
• Aspiration: Turbocharged
• Transmission: 6-speed automatic
• Horsepower: 362 
• Torque: 400 lb⁠-⁠ft
• 0-60: 5.6 sec
• Weight: 4,920 lbs
• Length: 201.4 in
• Towing Capacity: 5,000 lbs

The Grand Highlander Hybrid Max is a decidedly swift 3-row family hauler, so if you appreciate swiftness, its 27 mpg combined fuel economy will likely impress you. If fast SUVs seem silly to you, though, you might prefer to pay thousands less for 7 more mpg in the regular Grand Highlander Hybrid AWD (or get the front-drive Hybrid and enjoy 9 more mpg). Anyway, the GH Hybrid Max certainly hauls the mail, and it also claws back the 5,000-pound towing capacity that the base non-hybrid GH has, but the regular GH Hybrid loses. The Max's conventional six-speed automatic is another point in its favor versus the CVT-only regular Hybrid. Note that you can't have eight-passenger seating in the Hybrid Max, since that's an XLE option and the Max starts one level higher at the Limited trim, so every Hybrid Max will have second-row captain's chairs for a total of seven seats.