2024 Toyota Grand Highlander vs 2024 Land Rover Defender

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a standout in Toyota's lineup of crossovers and SUVs, offering a range of options from all-gas to hybrid-powered models. Built on the TNGA-K platform, it shared its underpinnings with the regular Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, and Camry, distinguishing itself from the body-on-frame Sequoia. With a length of 5,115 millimetres and a wheelbase of 2,950 mm, it was larger than competitors like the Kia Telluride, providing a spacious interior. Its design, inspired by rugged vehicles, featured a blockier style with a trapezoidal grille and narrow headlights, reminiscent of the 4Runner. The Grand Highlander was available in three trims: XLE, Limited, and Platinum, with interior options ranging from black Softex synthetic leather to real leather in higher trims. It boasted features like a 10-way power-adjustable driver seat, heated front seats, and a large centre console, making it a comfortable and well-built road-trip vehicle.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender combined a classic boxy profile with modern features, such as angular headlights, creating a visual connection to other Land Rover models. Its interior was more durable and adventure-ready, akin to a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, but with more soft-touch materials. Offered in three body styles—two-door 90, four-door 110, and extended-wheelbase four-door 130—the Defender came in various trims, including S, X-Dynamic SE, X, V8, and Outbound. The Defender 110 S, the most popular configuration, featured 19-inch alloy wheels, power-adjustable and heated front seats, partial leather upholstery, and a panoramic glass roof. The X-Dynamic SE and X trims added larger wheels and distinctive styling touches, while the V8 trim offered leather and microsuede upholstery. The Outbound trim, available only with the Defender 130, provided added cargo space by removing the third row. The Defender's interior was a blend of luxury and functionality, with practical features like grip handles and rubberized floors, making it suitable for both urban and rugged adventures.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options, starting with a 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder engine producing 265 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. For those prioritizing fuel efficiency, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid option delivered 245 combined net horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. At the top of the range, the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max powertrain, a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid, generated 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. All powertrains came with all-wheel drive in Canada. While not a sports car, the Hybrid Max provided impressive acceleration, with a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. The Grand Highlander was expected to account for 85% of sales with its standard gas engine. Despite its size, it maintained decent road manners, though maneuvering through tight spaces was challenging. The steering felt numb, but the brakes were solid, and acceleration was adequate. Three drive modes—Sport, Eco, and Normal—were available, with additional modes for gas-only and Hybrid Max models.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered several powertrains, starting with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the P300, producing 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The P400 test model featured a mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six, delivering 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Two supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine options, P500 and P525, produced 493 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, and 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque, respectively. All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time active four-wheel drive. The Defender's towing capacity varied, with the six-cylinder and eight-cylinder powertrains allowing up to 3,500 kilograms, while the four-cylinder version could tow up to 2,500 kilograms. The most powerful V8 accelerated from zero to 96 km/h in 5.1 seconds. The Defender excelled off-road, with features like adaptive air suspension and Terrain Response 2 system. The P400 test model provided ample power for highway speeds, though there was a slight lurch off the line and during deceleration.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was notably larger than its standard counterpart and primary rivals, measuring over 5 metres in length with a 2,950 mm wheelbase. This extra length translated to increased storage space, with a total cargo capacity of 2,761 litres, surpassing the Kia Telluride by over 300 litres. With seats in position, it offered 1,640 litres behind the second row and 583 litres with all three rows up. The Grand Highlander provided a comfortable alternative to minivans, with ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in every row, accommodating even six-foot adults in the third row.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender struck a balance between luxury and functionality, featuring soft-touch materials alongside practical elements like grip handles and rubberized floors. Seating capacity varied from five to eight passengers, depending on the configuration and body style. The Defender 110 offered an optional third row, best suited for children, while the Defender 130 provided three seats in the third row, increasing seating capacity to eight. However, it lacked the full three rows of adult-friendly seating found in larger SUVs like the Chevrolet Suburban. Cargo capacity varied by model, with the Defender 130 offering 433 litres behind the third row, 1,013 litres behind the second row, and 2,155 litres with all rear seats folded. The Defender 110's two-row version provided 962 litres behind the second row and 2,231 litres behind the first row, while the two-door Defender 90 offered 441 litres behind the second row and up to 1,650 litres with the rear seats folded.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander came equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a significant improvement over previous models. An intelligent assistant, activated by saying "Hey Toyota," was available through a connected-services subscription, handling tasks like temperature adjustment and radio station changes. The subscription also included cloud-based navigation and 24/7 live agent assistance. Standard features included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an 11-speaker JBL stereo on Limited and Platinum trims. Streaming audio integration and Sirius XM satellite radio were available, though a subscription was required after a three-month trial.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender featured a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument panel and an 11.4-inch touchscreen, which, while smaller than some competitors, complemented the Defender's utilitarian persona. The screen came standard with navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, along with Bluetooth, satellite radio, HD radio, and a 10-speaker Meridian stereo system. The straightforward setup provided a blend of refinement and utility, with home buttons on the left and right rails for easy navigation of features like Apple CarPlay.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander had not yet been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS, but it came with an impressive suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as standard. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 included features like 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 updated lane-departure alert could identify three-dimensional objects, reducing false warnings. Traffic jam assist and a head-up display were exclusive to the Platinum grade. Adaptive cruise control was standard, offering four following-distance settings.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender included a comprehensive list of standard driver assistance features, such as forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Additional safety tech included traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and a 360-degree parking camera system. The lane-departure and lane-keeping assist were somewhat touchy, but could be deactivated. As of this writing, the Defender had not been crash-tested by the IIHS or NHTSA, which is common for expensive vehicles.