2024 Toyota Grand Highlander vs 2023 Honda HR-V

The 2023 Honda HR-V underwent a significant styling transformation, shedding some of its previous quirky charm for a more sophisticated and modern appearance. The lowered beltline and simplified detailing contributed to a sleeker look, with cleaner lines and fewer interruptions. The windshield wipers were discreetly tucked under the hood's lip, and the black molding strips on the roof were removed. The HR-V was available in new colours, including a dusky, oceanic grey-green called Nordic Forest Pearl. The EX-L trim featured perforated leather seats with additional shoulder support, enhancing the cabin's comfort. However, the eight-way power driver's seat was unavailable in Canada due to supply shortages. The interior design followed the refinement trend set by the 2022 Civic, with premium touches like a metal honeycomb grille and touch-sensitive lights.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a true crossover built on the TNGA-K platform, sharing its underpinnings with the regular Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, and Camry. It was a spacious vehicle, stretching 5,115 millimetres in length with a 2,950 mm wheelbase, offering more room than competitors like the Kia Telluride. The Grand Highlander's design was inspired by rugged vehicles, featuring a blockier style with a trapezoidal grille and narrow headlights. Inside, the Grand Highlander offered black Softex synthetic leather on the XLE trim, with real leather available on higher trims. The Platinum Hybrid trim could be equipped with Portobello upholstery. The interior was well-built, with a large centre console and thoughtful features like second-row sunshades and a removable centre console for captain's chairs.

The 2023 Honda HR-V featured a single powertrain option: a 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engine producing 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. This was an improvement over the previous model, with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) incorporating a Step-Shift function to mimic traditional automatic transmission sounds. The HR-V offered Normal, Snow, and ECON drive modes, with Sport mode available for a more engaging driving experience. Despite updates to the cabin for noise reduction, the HR-V remained noticeably noisy at higher speeds. The HR-V's suspension and widened tracks contributed to a surprisingly fun driving experience, although it was not overpowered compared to competitors with multiple powertrain options.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options. The 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder engine produced 265 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. A 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid option delivered 245 combined net horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. The top-tier Hybrid Max powertrain generated 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. All powertrains were sold with all-wheel drive in Canada. The Grand Highlander excelled in acceleration, particularly with the Hybrid Max, achieving a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. The vehicle's size made it less maneuverable, but the brakes felt solid, and acceleration was adequate. The Grand Highlander offered Sport, Eco, and Normal drive modes, with additional modes for gas-only and Hybrid Max models.

The 2023 Honda HR-V, a subcompact SUV, offered a well-thought-out interior despite its compact size. The centre console featured a shelf for drive mode controls and USB ports, providing convenient storage. The HR-V sacrificed some rear-seat headroom for its fastback design, with front headroom measuring 1,002 millimetres and rear headroom at 965.3 mm. Cargo space was 691 litres with rear seats up and 1,559 litres with them folded. The HR-V's interior had 2,794 litres of passenger volume in LX and Sport trims, with slightly reduced legroom in the rear seats.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than its rivals, offering a spacious interior with a 2,950 mm wheelbase. It provided 2,761 litres of total cargo capacity, surpassing competitors like the Kia Telluride. With seats in position, it offered 1,640 litres behind the second row and 583 litres with all three rows up. The Grand Highlander was comfortable, with ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in every row, making it suitable for adults in the third row.

The 2023 Honda HR-V featured a tablet-style touchscreen for its infotainment system, with physical knobs for power and volume. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard across the lineup, with wireless versions available on the EX-L trim. The EX-L also had a 9-inch infotainment display with programmable shortcuts and a wireless charging pad. All HR-Vs included a 7-inch digital gauge cluster and a 7-inch colour touchscreen display. The EX-L trim offered an eight-speaker audio system, Wi-Fi capability, and SiriusXM and HD Radio.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander came with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering a visually stunning interface. An intelligent assistant was available via a connected-services subscription, responding to voice commands. The system included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Grand Highlander Limited and Platinum trims featured an 11-speaker JBL stereo. Streaming audio integration and Sirius XM satellite radio were available, with a three-month trial included.

The 2023 Honda HR-V included the Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as standard on all trims. This suite featured adaptive cruise control, collision-mitigation braking, lane-keeping assist, road-departure mitigation, lane-departure warning, and forward-collision warning. Additional features included traffic-sign recognition, traffic jam assist, and automatic high-beams. The HR-V received a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander had not yet been crash-tested or rated by safety organizations. However, it included Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) as standard, featuring automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, road-sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The adaptive cruise control offered four following-distance settings, and the Platinum grade included traffic jam assist and a head-up display.