This or That: 2026 Toyota Highlander Vs. 2026 Grand Highlander

What Car Shoppers Need to Know

• Toyota has two car-based three-row SUVs in its lineup: the 2026 Highlander and 2026 Grand Highlander.
• The Grand Highlander is a bit larger on the outside and has more occupant and cargo space on the inside.
• Despite being the bigger of the two SUVs, the 2026 Grand Highlander has a lower starting price because it comes in a less well-equipped trim level than the 2026 Highlander.
• If you do want a new gas or gas-electric hybrid Highlander, you should act fast because the SUV is being transformed for the 2027 model year into an all-electric three-row SUV.

With not one but two three-row crossovers in Toyota’s lineup, it might be hard to decide which one — the 2026 Highlander or 2026 Grand Highlander — makes the most sense for your family. But the difference between them really comes down to a few key areas: occupant comfort and space, cargo space, powertrain choices and price.

Related: More 2026 Auto Show Coverage

Both SUVs were on the floor of the 2026 Chicago Auto Show, which made for a great opportunity to compare them side by side. However, if you are interested in the Highlander in its current gas or gas-electric hybrid forms, you should probably act fast: It’s being transformed for the 2027 model year as a fully electric three-row SUV.

Related Video:

Occupant Comfort and Space

• Takeaway: With similar comfort and space in the first and second rows, the biggest difference is in the third row, where the Grand Highlander is clearly the more comfortable and spacious of the two SUVs.

The Grand Highlander has slightly less front-seat legroom than the Highlander, but it makes up for it with more second-row legroom and a lot more third-row legroom, with 5.5 inches more legroom for the rearmost seat.

Toyota measurements in inches

Second-row comfort is similar between the Highlander and Grand Highlander, but the extra legroom and headroom in the Grand Highlander’s third row makes it much more accommodating for taller children and adults alike. I’m 6-foot-1, and I can fit reasonably well in the Grand Highlander’s third row; the Highlander’s third row, by contrast, is really tight, with limited headroom and legroom that makes it uncomfortable for taller passengers.

Cargo Space

• Takeaway: The Grand Highlander has significantly more cargo space than the Highlander — an additional 5.9 cubic feet — behind its third row, but only 2 cubic feet extra behind its second row with the third row folded.

The Grand Highlander also has more cargo room behind its third row — nearly 70% more space, by Cars.com cargo measurements. But with the third rows in each SUV folded, there’s less of a difference, with the Grand Highlander having just 8% more cargo space behind the second row of seats.

Cars.com cargo measurements in cubic feet

Powertrain Choices

• Takeaway: The Highlander offers a choice of a gas or gas-electric hybrid powertrain and comes standard with all-wheel drive, while the Grand Highlander offers three powertrain choices (a gas engine and two hybrid systems) and can have front- or all-wheel drive.

A turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder gas engine is standard in both the Highlander and Grand Highlander, and each SUV also offers a more fuel efficient gas-electric hybrid system that uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. In addition to those powertrains, the Grand Highlander can also have a Hybrid Max system with a turbo four-cylinder that favors performance over maximum efficiency.

Toyota specifications and estimates

Another big drivetrain difference between the two is that the Highlander and Highlander Hybrid have standard AWD, while the Grand Highlander and Grand Highlander Hybrid come with FWD or AWD, and the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max is AWD-only. That difference is partly why the larger Grand Highlander actually has a lower starting price than the Highlander.

Pricing

• Takeaway: Standard AWD and a better-equipped base trim level make a base 2026 Highlander nearly $4,000 more expensive than a base 2026 Grand Highlander.

The extra cost of AWD, plus the fact that the base Highlander comes in better-equipped XLE trim versus a base Grand Highlander, which comes in LE form, results in a wider price gap than you might expect. The 2026 Highlander XLE AWD starts at $47,065, while a 2026 Grand Highlander LE FWD starts at $43,155 (all prices include destination).

With similar equipment, however, the difference shrinks to less than a $500 premium for the Grand Highlander. So if you need room for people and stuff, the Grand Highlander is definitely the way to go because it offers the type of space that families need while still offering a driving experience that’s very similar to the Highlander’s.

More Toyota News From Cars.com:

• The 2027 Toyota Highlander Is Your Bigger bZ: Up Close
• Toyota Makes AWD Standard on 2026 Highlander Lineup
• How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander?
• How Much Is the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander?
• Which Toyota SUV Should You Buy?
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