2024 Toyota RAV4 vs 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a standout in Toyota's lineup of crossovers and SUVs, positioned between the Highlander and the Sequoia. Built on the TNGA-K platform, it shared its underpinnings with the Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, and Camry, distinguishing itself from the body-on-frame Sequoia. The Grand Highlander was notably large, measuring 5,115 millimetres in length with a 2,950 mm wheelbase, offering a spacious interior that rivalled the Kia Telluride. Its design was more conservative and blockier compared to the smaller Highlander, drawing inspiration from rugged vehicles like the Ford Explorer and Honda Pilot. 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 featured 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 Toyota RAV4 aimed to project a tough exterior with its aggressive styling, including angular grey body cladding and dual exhaust outlets. The TRD Off-Road trim, although discontinued in Canada, was part of the U.S. lineup, while the Limited trim topped the Canadian range. The RAV4's interior was designed for practicality, with utility-focused features like storage shelves and rubber-lined areas. The cabin offered SofTex artificial leather upholstery, with heated front seats standard in Canada. The RAV4 accommodated four adults comfortably, with a rear seat that provided good legroom and footroom. Cargo space was competitive, with 1,059 litres available behind the rear seats, expanding to 1,977 litres with the seats folded down.

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. 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 combined a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with hybrid technology, generating 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. All models in Canada came with all-wheel drive, and the Hybrid Max offered impressive acceleration with a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. The Grand Highlander was equipped with three drive modes—Sport, Eco, and Normal—with additional off-road modes for gas-only and Hybrid Max models. While the Grand Highlander excelled in acceleration and braking, its size made it less maneuverable, and the steering felt somewhat disconnected.

The 2024 Toyota RAV4 was powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine producing 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. In Canada, all-wheel drive was standard, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The RAV4 featured Multi-Terrain Select with Normal, Snow, Mud & Sand, and Rock & Dirt driving modes. The engine was powerful for its class, but it required high revs to access maximum power, resulting in a loud and unrefined sound. The RAV4's fuel economy was rated at 8.5 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving, with the LE model slightly lower at 7.9 L/100 km. The RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition offered better fuel efficiency at 6.4 L/100 km. The RAV4's performance was complemented by its dependable eight-speed automatic transmission, although the engine's noise detracted from the overall experience.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than its primary rivals, with a length of over 5 metres and a 2,950 mm wheelbase. This translated to a spacious interior, offering 2,761 litres of total cargo capacity, surpassing the Kia Telluride by over 300 litres. With the second-row seats up, it provided 1,640 litres of space, and 583 litres with all three rows in use. The Grand Highlander was comfortable, with ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in every row, making it suitable for adults even in the third row.

The 2024 Toyota RAV4 focused on practicality and utility, with an interior designed for recreational activities. It featured storage shelves, trays, and rubberized control knobs. The RAV4's seats were upholstered in SofTex artificial leather, with the driver's seat offering eight-way power adjustment. Heated front seats were standard in Canada, with ventilated front seats and heated rear seats available on the Limited trim. The RAV4 accommodated four adults comfortably, with good legroom and footroom in the rear. Cargo space was competitive, with 1,059 litres available behind the rear seats, expanding to 1,977 litres with the seats folded down.

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 for tasks like adjusting the temperature. The system 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 also available.

The 2024 Toyota RAV4 featured the Toyota Audio Multimedia system with a standard 8-inch and available 10.5-inch touchscreen display. It offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and four connected services plans. Service Connect and Safety Connect were included free for ten years, while Remote Connect was complimentary for three years. Drive Connect required a subscription, adding cloud-based navigation and a digital voice assistant. The system was sophisticated but had some usability issues, such as the lack of a multi-panel Home screen and difficulty exiting Apple CarPlay.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander had not yet been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS, but it came with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 as standard. This suite included automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, road-sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. Adaptive cruise control was also standard, with four following-distance settings.

The 2024 Toyota RAV4 was equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, including adaptive cruise control and lane-centring assist. However, the RAV4 lost its Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS due to a Marginal rating in the small overlap frontal-impact crash test and an Acceptable rating in the side-impact test. These results highlighted the need for an updated version of the RAV4.