Henry Ford once famously boasted folks could buy any color Model T they wanted, so long as it was black.
We’ve progressed somewhat since then, now a buyer can have any color, or shade, of gray they desire.
For Toyota, the newest shade is Cement. Not exactly a color I’ve ever considered a color, or something I’d want on anything but my driveway. But that’s what the tested 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Platinum Hybrid MAX was bathed in, looking a lot like a utility van minus a public service department logo on the door.
But as more and more vehicles come in such non-color colors one can deduce that color simply doesn’t matter much anymore when it comes to selling our appliance-like vehicles.
Grand Highlander debuted just a model year ago as the stretched version of Toyota’s popular family-friendly Highlander. The Grand though is a more spacious 3-row SUV that can seat up to eight when a middle row bench seat is chosen, sort of a minivan in SUV form.
Grand Highlander excels at being a comfortable people mover with more third-row legroom than Highlander and many competitors.
For the record, the Grand is 2.3 inches wider than the smaller Highlander, 4 inches longer and rides on a 3.9-inch longer wheelbase. Its third-row seat easily accommodates adults with 5.5 inches more legroom and 2.5 inches more shoulder room than its smaller cousin.
That’s why Grand Highlander is among the top-ranked 3-row SUVs now on the market according to Car and Driver, and why I praised it in my previous review.
There’s no denying it’s roomy, comfy, offers plenty of power and a cushioned ride that even pre-teens and attitudinal adults could easily enjoy enroute to a soccer or little league game.
This top-end Platinum Hybrid MAX model is also both efficient and powerful enough to tow 5,000 pounds of trailer in case camping or boating is among the family plans.
Let’s start with that power. Under its tall hood is a 2.4-liter turbo I4 hybrid system that creates 362 horsepower and an impressive 400 pound-feet of torque. Despite the Grand’s nearly 5,000 pounds of heft it feels peppy on its 20-inch Yokohama rubber. Car and Driver, which does its own testing and is obsessed with speed, lists its 0-60 mph time at 5.6 seconds.
And unlike many new vehicles, this one touts a 6-speed automatic transmission instead of a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), which its entry-level trim LE uses. CVTs usually aid gas mileage, and it does on that less powerful LE, but the 6-speed feels more authoritative on its shifts, something one might prefer if towing.
The benefit with the hybrid system is that this big SUV (although considered mid-size) delivers decent gas mileage at 26 mpg city and 27 highway according to the EPA. I managed 26.2 mpg during warm spring weather, while in a previous cold-weather test I got just 23.5 mpg.
If fuel economy is a bigger worry than towing, stick with the LE or XLE hybrid trims that are equipped with a 2.5-liter I4 coupled with twin electric motors. Horsepower is just 245 and towing is rated at 3,500 pounds, but combined gas mileage is rated at 36 mpg. That’s a big leap.
This MAX hybrid system that pumps up the power becomes available on the Limited trim, or the slightly fancier Nightshade model and the tested Platinum.
Ride is similar in all, and it’s primo family smooth and quiet thanks to a well-tuned multi-link rear suspension and a lengthy 116.1-inch wheelbase.
Handling is light and easy. Some say it is too easy, but no, this is simply well-weighted for either city driving and easy parking, or for long highway jogs. Steering needn’t be full-size pickup or massive SUV heavy.
AWD is standard here too, so traction is no concern, plus there are five drive modes, Eco, Normal, Sport and Mud/Sand or Rock/Dirt that can be dialed in via a console knob and button.
Inside, this gray ghost was equally non-committal for color.
Seats, dash and door panels all a dark gray with fake leather seats and door armrests. Fake dark gray carbon fiber inserts dress up the doors while a bit also is used as facing on the dash. Grand Highlander’s console is a matte gray with gloss black trim around the shifter, which includes a push-button for Park.
Speaking of push buttons, the push-button start is well located under the center stack and above the console so it’s easy to see. Many now are hidden on the dash behind the steering wheel. Another plus is a tray built into the passenger-side dash, great for holding a cell phone. Oddly there was no wireless phone charger up front, just several plug-in sites.
Seats are comfortable and supportive, the tester having captain’s chairs in row 2, so this one would seat seven. Row 2 seats fold and slide forward and there’s a center console that can be removed to provide easier row 3 access. That third row is manually lowered. Might be nice to at least have buttons to easily release the seat backs instead of straps to pull in the cargo area. Some SUVs now offer power down third row seats.
The Grand Highlander Platinum trim also includes heated and cooled front seats and heated steering wheel, plus heated and cooled second row seats.
As with most pricier SUVs the Grand comes with a 12-inch info screen and driver’s gauge cluster, all easy to see and adjust. There’s also an 11-speaker JBL sound system and massive panoramic sunroof overhead, plus rear window sunshades and overhead rear seat air vents.
Standard too is a 360-degree camera along with Toyota’s excellent Safety Sense 3.0 that includes everything from blind-spot monitoring and parking sensors to Traffic Jam assist to help avoid traffic backups. Sadly, the driver attention alert remains pretty sensitive, so be prepared to hear it beep at you if your eyes wander to the sides much, even when creeping through an intersection after a stop.
All this comes at a luxury price.
The tested Platinum model starts at $60,225 including delivery. With a number of small add-ons such as puddle lamps and illuminated door sills, this hit $63,072. I definitely would add the $799 running boards that help ease access for short adults and kids.
A base LE starts at a more family-friendly $45,660 and moving up to the XLE is just $46,830, so may be the best buy. The Limited lists at $53,160 and dark Nightshade edition at $54,060. All are hybrids, but gas-only models are available.
A gas-only LE starts at $42,310 and the XLE goes for $45,080 and adds fake leather heated and power seats and the choice of second row bench or captain’s seats. A Limited trim starts at $49,810 and the Platinum at $55,495. All are rated at 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway and are powered by 2.4-liter turbo I4s with 265 horsepower coupled to an 8-speed automatic.
Grand Highlander is built in Princeton, Ind., so depending on individual parts tariffs may not be as highly impacted by future tariffs. Time will tell.
Competition comes from Kia’s Telluride and Hyundai’s Palisade or Santa Fe, plus Mazda’s CX-90 and CX-70 hybrids. Others to consider include Volvo’s XC-90 and Honda’s Pilot, some available as hybrids and all available with gas-only powerplants.
FAST STATS: 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Platinum Hybrid
Hits: Roomy people hauler with adult-friendly three-row seating, hybrid aids gas mileage, good power, ride, easy handling, and AWD. Big info screen, heated wheel and heat/cool front and heated second row seats, 360-degree camera, panoramic sunroof, power hatch, solid safety systems.
Misses: Sensitive driver attention alert and price is pure luxury. Modest hybrid mpg gain.
Made in: Princeton, Ind.
Engine: 2.4-liter turbo I4, 362 hp/400 torque
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Weight: 4,936 lbs.
Wheelbase: 116.1 in.
Length: 201.4 in.
Tow: 5,000 lbs.
Cargo: 21/58/98 cu. ft.
MPG: 26/27
MPG: 26.2 (tested)
Base Price: $60,225 (includes delivery)
Invoice: $55,221
Major Options:
Illuminated door sills, $345
Illuminated cargo sill, $345
Logo side puddle lamps, $175
Mudguards, $155
Running boards, $799
Crossbars, $325
Carpeted floor/cargo mats, $378
Connected services, $325
Test vehicle: $63,072
Sources: Toyota, www.kbb.com
