2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid vs 2025 Toyota Sienna

The 2025 Toyota Sienna retained its classic minivan silhouette, albeit with some modern touches. Its trapezoidal grille and upswept body lines gave it a distinctive look, though it still bore the unmistakable minivan profile. The Platinum trim introduced new flower-petal wheel designs, adding a touch of elegance. Despite these efforts, the Sienna remained a practical choice for those needing seating for up to eight, with its boxy design maximizing interior space. The interior updates included a new woodgrain finish, though opinions on its aesthetic appeal varied. The Sienna's interior was generally considered an improvement, offering a more upscale feel than previous models.

In contrast, the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid took a more conservative design approach, drawing inspiration from the popular RAV4. This resulted in a larger, more spacious SUV with seating for up to eight and ample cargo space. The Grand Highlander's interior emphasized functionality, with a layer of luxury in the Platinum trim. While the glossy hard plastics and unlined storage surfaces were noted, the overall material quality was decent. The climate system was praised for its simplicity, though the infotainment interface had room for improvement. The Grand Highlander offered a comfortable ride, with excellent outward visibility aided by a comprehensive camera system.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna featured a hybrid powertrain with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT), delivering 245 horsepower. While this might seem modest for a vehicle seating up to eight and towing 3,500 pounds, the electric assist motor provided immediate torque, preventing the Sienna from feeling sluggish. The Sienna's hybrid system prioritized fuel economy, achieving an EPA rating of 36 mpg in combined driving. However, during testing, it averaged 26.3 mpg. The Sienna offered a smooth, absorbent ride with predictable handling, though it wasn't particularly engaging to drive. The CVT's droning was noticeable during hard acceleration, but the vehicle remained impressively quiet on the highway.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max, on the other hand, emphasized performance with its turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and electronic full-time AWD, producing 362 horsepower. This setup allowed the Grand Highlander to accelerate swiftly, with the traditional six-speed automatic transmission avoiding the droning common in CVTs. While the Hybrid Max sacrificed some fuel economy, achieving 27 mpg combined, it offered a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. During testing, it averaged 26 mpg on a balanced city and highway route. The Grand Highlander provided a soft, isolating ride, though its handling was secure only up to a point. The vehicle's size was noticeable on mountain roads, but it offered confidence-inspiring performance at a slower pace.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna excelled in form and function, offering power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated front seats wrapped in perforated leather. However, the cushions felt hard after extended driving. The Platinum trim's second-row captain's chairs with ottoman-style leg rests were popular among teenagers, and the third-row seat accommodated adults comfortably. The Sienna's sliding side doors and hands-free power liftgate facilitated easy loading and unloading. While storage space was generous, the maximum cargo capacity of 101 cubic feet was less than rivals due to the non-removable second-row seats.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid provided comfortable seating in all three rows, with a mix of leather and artificial suede upholstery in the Platinum trim. The front and second-row seats offered heating, ventilation, and supportive cushions. However, the long rear doors posed challenges for parents with small children. The Grand Highlander offered 20.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 97.5 cubic feet with the second row folded. While it nearly matched the Sienna's cargo capacity, the Grand Highlander lacked underfloor storage space.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna's higher-spec models featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12.3-inch touchscreen display for the Toyota Audio Multimedia (TAM) infotainment system. The Platinum trim included a four-zone automatic climate control system, a 10-inch head-up display (HUD), and a camera-based digital rearview mirror. The TAM system offered various connected services plans, with a digital assistant responding to conversational commands. The JBL premium audio system, however, produced excessive bass and sounded muddy. The four-zone climate control system was appreciated, and the digital rearview camera offered zoom-in/zoom-out capability.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid came equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system across all trims. The system featured wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts. Toyota Connected Services plans provided access to features like a Wi-Fi hotspot and a digital voice assistant. The infotainment system was user-friendly, though the inability to view multiple main-menu screens simultaneously was a drawback. The Platinum trim included a color head-up display, a camera-based digital rear-view mirror, and a surround-view camera system. The JBL premium audio system delivered better sound quality than expected.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna was equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 (TSS 2.0), offering a range of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). These included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Sienna also featured automatic high-beam headlights, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The new rear-seat reminder technology was a thoughtful addition for families. The Sienna received a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), though its frontal crash-test result was four stars, and it scored three stars for driver protection in a frontal impact.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid was equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0), offering a comprehensive suite of safety features and driver-assistance technologies. These included lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and Proactive Driving Assist (PDA). While the PDA system was found to be irritating, the overall safety tech operated with accuracy and refinement. The Grand Highlander received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA but fell short of the Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) due to "Acceptable" ratings for headlight performance and small overlap frontal-impact protection.