2023 Toyota Sequoia vs 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was a striking presence on the road, blending the bold aesthetics of the Toyota Tundra with a newly designed SUV body. Its traditional grille and front bumper distinguished it from the Tundra's more unconventional look. Inside, the Sequoia shared many design elements with the Tundra, featuring an industrial theme with luxurious touches in the Capstone trim, such as leather, wood, and metallic finishes. The 14-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system was a standout feature, though some interior materials reminded drivers of its pickup truck origins. The Sequoia lineup included various trims, with prices starting at $59,895 for the base SR5 and reaching $79,895 for the Capstone with 4WD. Off-road enthusiasts could opt for the TRD Pro or add a TRD Off-Road Package to the SR5 and Limited trims for enhanced capability.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a spacious and versatile crossover built on the TNGA-K platform, sharing its underpinnings with the regular Highlander and other Toyota models. It was larger than its competitors, offering ample interior space and a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. The Grand Highlander's design was more conservative yet rugged, drawing inspiration from off-road vehicles. It featured a trapezoidal grille and narrow headlights, reminiscent of the Toyota 4Runner. Inside, the Grand Highlander offered three trims: XLE, Limited, and Platinum, with options for Softex synthetic leather or real leather upholstery. The Platinum trim could be equipped with Portobello upholstery. The Grand Highlander excelled as a comfortable road-trip vehicle, with a well-built interior and thoughtful features like second-row sunshades and a removable center console.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, a 36-kilowatt electric motor/generator, and a 1.87 kilowatt-hour nickel-metal hydride battery pack. This hybrid powertrain delivered 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque, significantly improving towing and payload capacities compared to the previous model. The Sequoia's maximum tow rating was 9,520 pounds, and it achieved better fuel efficiency, with EPA ratings of 20 mpg with 4WD and 22 mpg with RWD. The Sequoia offered various driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+, allowing drivers to tailor the driving experience. However, the steering was slow, and the regenerative braking system felt unresponsive at times.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options: a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 265 horsepower, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid with 245 combined net horsepower, and the Hybrid Max powertrain with 362 combined net horsepower. The Hybrid Max provided impressive acceleration, with a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. The Grand Highlander featured three drive modes—Sport, Eco, and Normal—and additional modes for AWD-equipped models. While the Grand Highlander was larger and less maneuverable than the smaller Highlander, it offered solid brakes and adequate acceleration. The steering feel was somewhat numb, but the Grand Highlander excelled in providing a comfortable and smooth ride.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia excelled on open roads, offering a comfortable cabin with features like soft leather upholstery, a JBL premium sound system, and a triple-zone automatic climate control system. However, the Sequoia's interior space was compromised by its hybrid powertrain, resulting in reduced cargo capacity compared to the previous model. With the third-row seat in its rearmost position, the Sequoia offered just 11.5 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 22.3 cubic feet by sliding the third-row seat forward. The Sequoia's third-row seats folded in half to provide 49 cubic feet of cargo space, and folding the second-row seats down increased capacity to 86.9 cubic feet. Despite these limitations, the Sequoia offered comfortable seating and thoughtful features like power-deploying running boards and a panoramic glass sunroof.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than its competitors, offering a spacious interior with a total cargo capacity of 97.5 cubic feet. With the second-row seats in place, it provided 57.9 cubic feet of cargo space, and with all three rows up, there were still 20.6 cubic feet available. The Grand Highlander offered ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in every row, making it a comfortable choice for passengers. Its big greenhouse provided good outward visibility, and the interior was thoughtfully designed for comfort and convenience.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia featured a new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system, with an 8-inch touchscreen on the base SR5 trim and a 14-inch touchscreen on higher trims. The system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the available Drive Connect plan offered an Intelligent Assistant for voice commands. However, the system had some quirks, such as glare on the display and occasional issues with Bluetooth pairing. The Capstone trim included a 10-inch head-up display and a surround-view camera system, enhancing the driving experience.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander came equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering a visually stunning interface. An intelligent assistant was available via a connected-services subscription, allowing voice commands for various tasks. The system included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Limited and Platinum trims featured an 11-speaker JBL stereo, providing excellent sound quality. Streaming audio integration and Sirius XM satellite radio were available, along with options for connecting Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 (TSS 2.5), which included features like forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. The Sequoia also offered blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safety Connect services. While crash test ratings were not available, the Tundra, on which the Sequoia is based, received high ratings from the IIHS.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander featured Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) as standard, offering automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The adaptive cruise control included four following-distance settings. While crash test ratings were not yet available, the Grand Highlander was equipped with an impressive array of advanced driver assistance systems.