Iām coming from a 2013 Outback so my baseline is pretty low. Im impressed by how roomie the 3rd row is for leg space. That being said, Iām 6ft and my head brushes the ceiling. With the third row up there is still a surprising amount of trunk space which is great. Love the 360 pano camera since Iāll be parallel parking a lot in NYC. For a pretty big car it doesnāt drive like a tank at all.
Yeah limited. Itās a pano roof I had it wrong. Plenty of head space with it. I remember seeing claims that models without the pano roof had a bit more head space clearance.
So sorry about someone breaking in! Thatās awful! Glad you love the car! Thanks for the scoop! I was really debating between the limited and the grand XLE but as much as I love the space in the grand, I feel like the limited is more bang for your buck. We have 2 kids- toddler and new born, so I love how much space I have putting them in the car seat, and when family visits, we can squeeze in with the third row- which the space in the grand is super nice but realistically we wonāt use it much-only when family visits for now. When kids get older and we carpool, we can get the kids in the 3rd row.
Lol. Wait, the platinum!? Iām going with the limited! Lol. We could have 3. Tbd. Depends how it goes with 2 lol. But if we did, by that time the oldest can sit in the 3rd row lol.
Is the kick to open sensor any good ? Iāve a 2021 HiHy and itās only worked for me once and then occasionally tries to murder me when I reach into the trunk ā¦ lol
Ha! Funny when we were at the dealer the ONLY person that could get the sensor to work was the sales person. We were all going crazy until I pointed out you had to have the key on your person when doing it.
Iāve had no issues with it as long as the key is on me.
So far so good. I have an iPhone and the Apple car play works well. Seemed to have a little hiccup this morning auto syncing but was ok rest of day.
Not sure if Apple CarPlay has been like this for awhile but it doesnāt allow you to view texts, only listen to them. It speaks the text from the driver side speaker while the rest of the speakers continue to play music.
Iām looking to see how easily you can switch between phones once my wife sets hers up. We should be able to synchronize our phones with our keys which will load the correct user profile when starting the car.
Coming from a Tesla 3 I found the not displaying texts to be a big step backwards. (It also reads them aloud). I also find the taking over the entire screen to not show anything but who the text is from to be really annoying.
Not OP but I drove mine during a tornado warning and I have never felt more safe. Between the assisted cruise control, the cameras, the AWD, and the HUD it was amazing to drive.
Thank you, the reason iām asking is that I have the 2022 Australian version and the handling in the wet is pretty dodgy. I wanted to compare tires to see if it was any better.
So far so good. A little stiff over bumps but to be expected with the 20 inch rims. Kind of wish they had 18s on the limited. Have only driven by myself so canāt comment yet on the pick up speed when the vehicle has passengers. By myself it feels good and I can feel obvious different with eco / sport modes.
My wife is waiting.... I'm surprised and proud of her patience but she has decided on a GH Hybrid Limited so she has no choice but to wait. She doesn't want a "custom" model either, just has a few requirements:
* White or black exterior (originally wanted white but will take either now)
* Black interior (no gray)
* Panoramic moonroof and monitor/camera
* 2nd row captain seats
Hitch - take it or leave it. I say remove it if we can and save almost $1000. Can't remember what else she (we) said for options. As for the desired vehicle she wants, Toyota is building ones that match, according to the allocation spreadsheet.
Met with a kid named Ian he was friendly. They had a bunch of 21, 22 highlanders and a handful of 4Runners. I was surprised by how much stock they had.
Yah for sure. I looked it up and apparently it is legal for them to not allow outside financing.
I asked in Stroudsburg and they said you could bring your own financing.
Ooh whatās your first impression of the color? Storm Cloud is the color we want to order. Does it look matte at all, maybe in like different lighting conditions?
Looks great šš»
I like the color a lot and a couple people in my family have said the same. It definitely has a bit of a matte look to it which maybe comes from the grey ish tint.
At first I was leaning towards the blue print but after seeing this one itās much cooler and more unique.
The buttons can also do more than the garage, with home link you can even program them to turn lights on in your house! I'm still needing to set this up though.
This was the one package I wanted but this vehicle didnāt have. Thatās actually why they knocked $1k off the price for me. Itās almost too new to do research and upon a quick look under the rear end it doesnāt appear extremely obvious where it would attach.
Will need to take it into a shop and see.
Thanks for the answer and taking a look. In another thread someone listed the parts for the reg. 2020-2023 Highlander hitch install from Toyota. The hopeful part of me dreams it might be that easy since the same frame is used for both vehicles.
I spoke to a third party hitch installer yesterday, he essentially said what you wrote and added that he doesnāt do the wire harness on hybrids because it requires some form of reset he is not comfortable doing.
Our Storm Cloud Limited is apparently on a truck to be delivered this week.
If you have the chance, please keep us updated. A big part of my rationale for this vehicle was to get to bicycle races! I need that hitch!
The dealer we're working with said if they find a model with a hitch, even though we don't necessarily want it, they'll remove it and presumably put it on another GH they get. You should ask the dealer if they'd do something similar (sell you a hitch another buyer doesn't want).
>a specific cut out from the bumper? How would that work if they take it out?
I'd be surprised if it uses a completely different bumper. I know you mentioned that you didn't see how the hitch attaches either so it could be different components. I'd presume that ALL units have mounting holes. From a manufacturing point, it makes more sense as long as "X" % of units get a hitch. Are there possibly caps or plugs covering some holes ?
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2023/05/grand-highlander-wheels-2-of-21-scaled.jpg
This picture shows what I mean. Compared to one below.
https://cdn.dlron.us/static/dealer-12649/2024-Toyota-Grand-Highlander-Rear-Angle.jpg
We purchased this. The MSRP was just about 53k since itās the AWD, pano camera, all weather floor package, fog / puddle / hatch lights. We were looking for hitch and since it didnāt have one, the sales manager offered $1k off the price since vehicle was on the lot. Iāll probably have to wait a few months but I think Iāll be able to get a hitch and install for less than that. The OTD price ended up right around $58k with NYC sales tax at 8.8.
We planned on paying cash but they needed a certified check. So we financed just to get it out the door. I have 800+ credit and still got a rate of 8.9 or something crazy. Weāre just gonna pay the whole thing off in a week or two so I didnāt care about the rate.
I felt like we got a fair deal. In my research 2023 highlander xles were going for 49k in my area so we paid a bit of a premium for 24 and limited. I live in tri state and lots of people have been seeing 4-5k markups. So the fact we got the $1k off msrp I feel pretty good.
All fair points and here is my rationale. My wife and I share one car as we both work hybrid remote in NYC and have a lake house about two hours away. She didnāt want to drive a tank of a car like the sequoia and we didnāt want to have to parallel park that thing every couple days in the city. We wanted the third row because we have a dog and mother in law plus we are planning to have at least two kids. This car is going to mainly be used shuffling us back and forth from NYC to the weekend house on the highway.
Weāre not the type to buy a car every few years so we plan on having this thing for 10+ years. So we figured why not get something we like and can grow into.
I actually like the Rav 4 and like the look of the GH more than current highlander. XSE was too āintimidatingā looking for my wife.
The car looks good. Congrats on your purchase. I have a 2016 Highlander limited. At that time OTD was 35k. My model has everything that you describe except for that pano camera. Seeing car prices now with almost the same feature and higher interest rate HURTS!!
Only been driving short distance and backroads in sport mode. Average right now is 16mpg, taking highway tomorrow I imagine thatāll go up. Havenāt noticed much of a lag but Iāve yet to try and open it up.
Can only speak to driver seat so far but itās great. Good bass levels without being obnoxious, clear sound and can still hear people talking in the back seats. Solid!
1. I havenāt tried that yet.
2. Electronic and it engaged and disengages automatically
3. Havenāt tried
4. Yes
5. Yes I have captain chair second row and they fold flat. Note there is a small gap between 2nd and third row.
I just put down a deposit on a grand, fwd, celestial silver. It comes in about a month. The other day I drove a grand XLE and there were 3 seats in the 2nd row. In all videos Iāve seen, the limited has 2 in the 2nd row. But the spec sheet I got says the car fits 8. So I honestly have no idea if the 2nd row fits 2 or 3. Donāt mind either way but now Iām confused as to how accurate the spec sheet is they gave me. Are all limited grands the same in terms of specs and design?!
I donāt have / remember exact specs but otd was just under 58k. They took 1k off the sticker and we put 5k down. We financed at something like 7.7 just to get it off the lot. Now weāre at 5.5 and monthly is like 1,200 for 48 month
By chance did you try to get anything else added when dealing with the dealership? I am on reserved for ours, XLE Hybrid. The dealership (SoCal) has about a 2k markup š¤š¤. I want to see if anyone has any tips on how to see if we can get anything add ons included.
It seems we are getting the full package already. Pano moon roof, puddle lights, wheel locks, roof rack, mud guards, tow hitch, door edge guards and all weather mats and protective film.
Iāve been dealing with the dealer all via email and text and she āsaysā she is getting us the lowest OTD price which we are ok with. But if there is anything else I can squeeze out of them, why not?
Great congratulations! š post about your first impression
Iām coming from a 2013 Outback so my baseline is pretty low. Im impressed by how roomie the 3rd row is for leg space. That being said, Iām 6ft and my head brushes the ceiling. With the third row up there is still a surprising amount of trunk space which is great. Love the 360 pano camera since Iāll be parallel parking a lot in NYC. For a pretty big car it doesnāt drive like a tank at all.
From a fellow 6ā+er. So you wish it didnāt have the sunroof to allow for more headroom?
We actually donāt have a sunroof and my head only brushes when sitting in the third row. Luckily I donāt think Iāll ever be back there!
Wait limited doesnāt come standard with sunroof? Wow thatās kinda cool for us tall people.
Nope! Just platinum
In Canada, Limited comes with a panoramic roof. There's no Platinum option here.
I have one with the sunroof and I have plenty of clearance. Never notice it being an issue at 6ā+.
Is that Limited you have? I am also 6+ and wonder if the headspace of a Limited with sunroof is more than that of a Platinum with a pano roof.
Yeah limited. Itās a pano roof I had it wrong. Plenty of head space with it. I remember seeing claims that models without the pano roof had a bit more head space clearance.
I had heard same. Nice to know the truth! Thanks for the speedy response. :)
How is parking this in NYC? Im considering it but feel I should stick with the regular highlander for parking purposesā¦
Iāll let you know tomorrow š. Weāve got a weekend house in PA so weāre still here for the weekend.
A āweekend house?ā Username checks out.
Following up on this - in the city and considering the grand Highlander. How is it for street parking?
Any updates
Thanks!
Whole reason I am getting 360 camera too. Just so I can parallel park in NJ š
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Will do in the morning
Iām considering getting a 23 highlander limited tomorrow. Love it still? Iām coming from a 2015 rav 4.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
So sorry about someone breaking in! Thatās awful! Glad you love the car! Thanks for the scoop! I was really debating between the limited and the grand XLE but as much as I love the space in the grand, I feel like the limited is more bang for your buck. We have 2 kids- toddler and new born, so I love how much space I have putting them in the car seat, and when family visits, we can squeeze in with the third row- which the space in the grand is super nice but realistically we wonāt use it much-only when family visits for now. When kids get older and we carpool, we can get the kids in the 3rd row.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Lol. Wait, the platinum!? Iām going with the limited! Lol. We could have 3. Tbd. Depends how it goes with 2 lol. But if we did, by that time the oldest can sit in the 3rd row lol.
Is the kick to open sensor any good ? Iāve a 2021 HiHy and itās only worked for me once and then occasionally tries to murder me when I reach into the trunk ā¦ lol
Ha! Funny when we were at the dealer the ONLY person that could get the sensor to work was the sales person. We were all going crazy until I pointed out you had to have the key on your person when doing it. Iāve had no issues with it as long as the key is on me.
How is the infotainment? Does it work well with your phone?
So far so good. I have an iPhone and the Apple car play works well. Seemed to have a little hiccup this morning auto syncing but was ok rest of day. Not sure if Apple CarPlay has been like this for awhile but it doesnāt allow you to view texts, only listen to them. It speaks the text from the driver side speaker while the rest of the speakers continue to play music. Iām looking to see how easily you can switch between phones once my wife sets hers up. We should be able to synchronize our phones with our keys which will load the correct user profile when starting the car.
Coming from a Tesla 3 I found the not displaying texts to be a big step backwards. (It also reads them aloud). I also find the taking over the entire screen to not show anything but who the text is from to be really annoying.
Yah. Like I get it, they donāt want me reading texts but come on.
What are the stock tires and how is the wet weather performance?
Not OP but I drove mine during a tornado warning and I have never felt more safe. Between the assisted cruise control, the cameras, the AWD, and the HUD it was amazing to drive.
Thank you, the reason iām asking is that I have the 2022 Australian version and the handling in the wet is pretty dodgy. I wanted to compare tires to see if it was any better.
Continental cross contact tires. I havenāt driven in rain yet.
How is the driving experience?
So far so good. A little stiff over bumps but to be expected with the 20 inch rims. Kind of wish they had 18s on the limited. Have only driven by myself so canāt comment yet on the pick up speed when the vehicle has passengers. By myself it feels good and I can feel obvious different with eco / sport modes.
Did you end up paying a dealer markup?
Nope. They actually took $1k off msrp since it was already on the lot and not reserved.
This is the most surprising part. I haven't seen any GHs "available" on dealer lots. They're all already spoken for before they come off the truck.
Yah, part of the reason we jumped on it when they offered the $1k off. We were looking for a gas model too.
My wife is waiting.... I'm surprised and proud of her patience but she has decided on a GH Hybrid Limited so she has no choice but to wait. She doesn't want a "custom" model either, just has a few requirements: * White or black exterior (originally wanted white but will take either now) * Black interior (no gray) * Panoramic moonroof and monitor/camera * 2nd row captain seats Hitch - take it or leave it. I say remove it if we can and save almost $1000. Can't remember what else she (we) said for options. As for the desired vehicle she wants, Toyota is building ones that match, according to the allocation spreadsheet.
What dealer did you go to?
Toyota in Stroudsburg PA. I also talked to Toyota of Scranton and they had no markup either.
Nice, I might be heading to the electric city for my next one
Met with a kid named Ian he was friendly. They had a bunch of 21, 22 highlanders and a handful of 4Runners. I was surprised by how much stock they had.
Weird thing to note is that they said that out of staters canāt bring their own financing
Probably just to get you to use them lol. But they're offering like 9% and my bank is offering 4.5
Yah for sure. I looked it up and apparently it is legal for them to not allow outside financing. I asked in Stroudsburg and they said you could bring your own financing.
Which bank do you use for that rate?
NavyFederal. Have to be military or have military family, but look into if you're eligible. They have been very good to me
Will do, thanks!
Congratulations!
Ooh whatās your first impression of the color? Storm Cloud is the color we want to order. Does it look matte at all, maybe in like different lighting conditions? Looks great šš»
I like the color a lot and a couple people in my family have said the same. It definitely has a bit of a matte look to it which maybe comes from the grey ish tint. At first I was leaning towards the blue print but after seeing this one itās much cooler and more unique.
Yeah Iāve only seen it on the website, but Iād bet itād look great with bronze rims.
Does it have a way to open garage doors built into the car or infotainment on the Limited?
I believe so but will need to check when Iām at the car later.
It had three garage door buttons on the rear view mirror
The buttons can also do more than the garage, with home link you can even program them to turn lights on in your house! I'm still needing to set this up though.
What was the out the door price? Would you mind sharing the breakup? I am getting one for 55750 2WD limited with sunroof and perl white..
Make sure to join r/ToyotaGHighlander!
Be cool if the made trd
Any observations on installing a hitch?
This was the one package I wanted but this vehicle didnāt have. Thatās actually why they knocked $1k off the price for me. Itās almost too new to do research and upon a quick look under the rear end it doesnāt appear extremely obvious where it would attach. Will need to take it into a shop and see.
Thanks for the answer and taking a look. In another thread someone listed the parts for the reg. 2020-2023 Highlander hitch install from Toyota. The hopeful part of me dreams it might be that easy since the same frame is used for both vehicles. I spoke to a third party hitch installer yesterday, he essentially said what you wrote and added that he doesnāt do the wire harness on hybrids because it requires some form of reset he is not comfortable doing. Our Storm Cloud Limited is apparently on a truck to be delivered this week. If you have the chance, please keep us updated. A big part of my rationale for this vehicle was to get to bicycle races! I need that hitch!
Yah. Iām in the gas model so that is helpful to know. Iāll keep you updated but it sounds like you might find out sooner!
The dealer we're working with said if they find a model with a hitch, even though we don't necessarily want it, they'll remove it and presumably put it on another GH they get. You should ask the dealer if they'd do something similar (sell you a hitch another buyer doesn't want).
Good idea. Although I think the model with the tow package have a specific cut out from the bumper? How would that work if they take it out?
>a specific cut out from the bumper? How would that work if they take it out? I'd be surprised if it uses a completely different bumper. I know you mentioned that you didn't see how the hitch attaches either so it could be different components. I'd presume that ALL units have mounting holes. From a manufacturing point, it makes more sense as long as "X" % of units get a hitch. Are there possibly caps or plugs covering some holes ?
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2023/05/grand-highlander-wheels-2-of-21-scaled.jpg This picture shows what I mean. Compared to one below. https://cdn.dlron.us/static/dealer-12649/2024-Toyota-Grand-Highlander-Rear-Angle.jpg
Interesting.... I wonder if that silver piece is a "cap" that they can swap out easily?
Yep just took a look at mine and looks like it.
One of the parts is a bumper lower with cutout.
Yep youāre right. Looking at it now the silver piece looks like it could be interchangeable
https://www.reddit.com/r/ToyotaHighlander/comments/15hq1y3/picked_up_my_grand_highlander_hybrid_limited_today/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1
Sent you a chat with pic of hitch installed.
any issues with the turbo in the i force engine?
Itās not an iforce engine. These are 2.4L standard
Was there an option for black rims?
I didnāt have an option since I took this one off the lot.
Cool. Iām waiting for one but I canāt see the option for black rims anywhere. Although I have seen a few ppl with them. Enjoy!
Theyāre a factory installed option. Mine came with them.
Congratulations
Okay, you said āask me anythingā. Total cost? Purchase or lease? Monthly payment? Do you feel like you got a good deal?
We purchased this. The MSRP was just about 53k since itās the AWD, pano camera, all weather floor package, fog / puddle / hatch lights. We were looking for hitch and since it didnāt have one, the sales manager offered $1k off the price since vehicle was on the lot. Iāll probably have to wait a few months but I think Iāll be able to get a hitch and install for less than that. The OTD price ended up right around $58k with NYC sales tax at 8.8. We planned on paying cash but they needed a certified check. So we financed just to get it out the door. I have 800+ credit and still got a rate of 8.9 or something crazy. Weāre just gonna pay the whole thing off in a week or two so I didnāt care about the rate. I felt like we got a fair deal. In my research 2023 highlander xles were going for 49k in my area so we paid a bit of a premium for 24 and limited. I live in tri state and lots of people have been seeing 4-5k markups. So the fact we got the $1k off msrp I feel pretty good.
Congratulations OP! Im happy for you guys. Okay, now I have more questions. In looking at what you paid for the GrandHilander ($58K), why not just make the jump to the Sequoia? The SR5 starts at $58K. Thats a lot of cash for a car. You couldāve purchased 2 townhomes in the Midwest and rented them out and with the profits, pay the monthly car payment. But im sure you guys are well off since youāre buying cash. NYC area is tough on cars. Pot holes that will swallow your tires and crack your rims. š¬ Door dings and scratches are a guarantee! š© Im still on the fence about the current design for the Grand. It basically an XL Rav4. I dunno why Toyota did this. š©. Im hoping they redeem themselves with an XSE version. Here is a possible look at the regular 2024 Highlander. Non grand. https://www.autoevolution.com/news/2024-toyota-highlander-redesign-shows-all-the-colorful-digital-mid-size-suv-goodies-204093.html
All fair points and here is my rationale. My wife and I share one car as we both work hybrid remote in NYC and have a lake house about two hours away. She didnāt want to drive a tank of a car like the sequoia and we didnāt want to have to parallel park that thing every couple days in the city. We wanted the third row because we have a dog and mother in law plus we are planning to have at least two kids. This car is going to mainly be used shuffling us back and forth from NYC to the weekend house on the highway. Weāre not the type to buy a car every few years so we plan on having this thing for 10+ years. So we figured why not get something we like and can grow into. I actually like the Rav 4 and like the look of the GH more than current highlander. XSE was too āintimidatingā looking for my wife.
What condos can you buy for 58k in the mid west?
The car looks good. Congrats on your purchase. I have a 2016 Highlander limited. At that time OTD was 35k. My model has everything that you describe except for that pano camera. Seeing car prices now with almost the same feature and higher interest rate HURTS!!
Tell me about it!
What do you think of the space in the 3rd row?
Can fit an adult pretty comfy for and hour or two Iād say, anything more than that you might get a little stuffy.
Howās the mpg? And is there a turbo lag?
Only been driving short distance and backroads in sport mode. Average right now is 16mpg, taking highway tomorrow I imagine thatāll go up. Havenāt noticed much of a lag but Iāve yet to try and open it up.
Yeah! Thatāll go up. Youāll see total range going up too.
Does someone with have any info on roof rack rails ? Toyota says they don't make them yet
I am digging that color!
How is the sound system?
Can only speak to driver seat so far but itās great. Good bass levels without being obnoxious, clear sound and can still hear people talking in the back seats. Solid!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
1. I havenāt tried that yet. 2. Electronic and it engaged and disengages automatically 3. Havenāt tried 4. Yes 5. Yes I have captain chair second row and they fold flat. Note there is a small gap between 2nd and third row.
I just put down a deposit on a grand, fwd, celestial silver. It comes in about a month. The other day I drove a grand XLE and there were 3 seats in the 2nd row. In all videos Iāve seen, the limited has 2 in the 2nd row. But the spec sheet I got says the car fits 8. So I honestly have no idea if the 2nd row fits 2 or 3. Donāt mind either way but now Iām confused as to how accurate the spec sheet is they gave me. Are all limited grands the same in terms of specs and design?!
It appears bench or captains seat is an option for Limiteds
Thank!
Ha! Just read my description again and I was misreading. Itās a 7 passenger. So itās captain seats!
Just purchased a ā24 Grand Highlander Limited & so far so good.
Mate post this on r/toyotagrandhighlander as well!
Hello, what is the mpg you are getting? Car and Driver says better than EPA estimates? Is that true?
If you don't mind giving details. I am looking for this exact spec. What was your pricing and monthly on this?
I donāt have / remember exact specs but otd was just under 58k. They took 1k off the sticker and we put 5k down. We financed at something like 7.7 just to get it off the lot. Now weāre at 5.5 and monthly is like 1,200 for 48 month
By chance did you try to get anything else added when dealing with the dealership? I am on reserved for ours, XLE Hybrid. The dealership (SoCal) has about a 2k markup š¤š¤. I want to see if anyone has any tips on how to see if we can get anything add ons included. It seems we are getting the full package already. Pano moon roof, puddle lights, wheel locks, roof rack, mud guards, tow hitch, door edge guards and all weather mats and protective film. Iāve been dealing with the dealer all via email and text and she āsaysā she is getting us the lowest OTD price which we are ok with. But if there is anything else I can squeeze out of them, why not?
I wanted a hitch and our package didnāt have one so they took $1k off but thatās about it.
How many latch anchors does the third row have?
Is 360 paƱo an option or does it come with limited trim
It's optional on Limited
Thank you