2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Nightshade Hybird - A frugal people mover

 

Has Toyota run out of cute names for paint colors? The Grand Highlander Nightshade Hybrid has colors such as Wind Chill Pearl, or Midnight Black Metallic. The one I drove was Cement. Cement? Really? What is next, naming a brown color Mud? Given the clouds, maybe a better name would be Stormy Gray. But then no one asked me.

Just ignore the paint name and enjoy the Toyota Grand Highlander Nightshade Hybrid. This is a people mover, a family mover, that does its job well. 

First and foremost, the job of a hybrid is to better the fuel economy of a pure internal combustion engine, and, and this is important, have about the same or more power. In the case of the test Grand Highlander Hybrid, the EPA economy rating is much better, especially the city rating. A gas only Grand Highlander is rated no better than 21-mpg city, while the Hybrid is up to 36-mpg. There is a Hybrid Max that ups horsepower but economy is down.

The Grand Highlander Nightshade Hybrid tested had AWD. Its 245-hp (total) goes to all four wheels through a CVT. The operation was smooth and seamless. Although the Grand Highlander Nightshade Hybrid weighs around 4,600 lbs., acceleration was good.

Both the gas and the Hybrid will tow up to 3,500 lbs.; the Hybrid Max ups this to 5,000 lbs.

As tested there was seating for seven; two up front, two in the middle row, and three (maybe) in the rear.

An eight passenger version (2, 3, 3) is available. I can attest that the front and middle seats were comfortable. I did not venture into the back.

There is a ton of storage, that's what a vehicle like the Grand Highlander Nightshade Hybrid is designed for. A minimum of 20.6 cu. ft. is available, going up to 97.5 cu. ft. if the rear and center seats are folded down.

One of these days an automaker is going to simplify the steering wheel controls. Until then, us old dogs will try to learn some new tricks. By comparison the center stack (bottom picture) was fairly easy to use. Maybe the sound system volume knob is a little small, but I liked the big temperature dials. And there is a real gearshift lever!

Now comes the hard part, at least for me. Price. I'm not a pauper but new car prices, well I can't comprehend how people afford them. Yet 15.9-million light vehicles were sold in 2024, and it is expected to increase a bit for 2025!

Getting back to the Grand Highlander Nightshade Hybrid, a 2026 starts at $53,190. Add in delivery and processing, a few options, tax and license and you're over $60,000. Prices are from toyota.com as of 11/24/2025. The upside is that it's a Toyota, and if past is prologue your new Toyota will last a long time.

If Cement is not your color, you can opt for Wind Chill Pearl or Midnight Black Metallic.