2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC vs 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

If you have more than a couple of kids, chances are good that a regular Toyota Highlander won’t be big enough for all your needs. For many shoppers like you, the Kia Telluride and its corporate cousin, the Hyundai Palisade, have become the obvious choices. Those three-row crossovers are newer, bigger, and incredibly nice to drive.

But now there’s a new Highlander. A bigger Highlander. A Grand Highlander. This all-new midsize SUV takes a popular nameplate (which, don't worry, isn’t going anywhere) and adds a little extra space. But what separates the Grand Highlander from the field is the availability of not one, but two different hybrid powertrains. This all-new model offers plenty of space, good fuel efficiency, and the automaker’s sterling reputation for reliability. So, is the 2024 Grand Highlander an immediate three-row SUV threat to the hot-selling Kia Telluride?

We reviewed the GLC SUV when it was all-new for the 2023 model year and available with only one powertrain. AMG variants have rejoined the GLC 300 for 2024, and the GLC Coupe, which was a carryover last year, now catches up with the redesigned GLC SUV. For the purposes of this review, we’ve focused our attention on the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43, which we spent a week putting through its paces on our home turf.

Verdict: We suspect the AMG-tuned GLC misses the mark on what most shoppers are looking for in a luxury crossover, but for the right driver, it may very well prove worth the wait. For everyone else, the GLC 300 has everything we feel we have a right to hope for from a sub-$60k Mercedes-Benz.