Dodge Durango vs Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a standout in Toyota's lineup of crossovers and SUVs, offering a range of options from all-gas to hybrid-powered models. Built on the TNGA-K platform, it shared its underpinnings with the regular Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, and Camry, distinguishing itself from the body-on-frame Sequoia. With a length of 201.4 inches and a 116.1-inch wheelbase, it was larger than competitors like the Kia Telluride, providing a spacious interior. Its design, inspired by rugged vehicles, featured a conservative yet blocky style, reminiscent of the Ford Explorer and Honda Pilot. The Grand Highlander was available in three trims: XLE, Limited, and Platinum, with interior options ranging from Softex synthetic leather to real leather in higher trims. It offered a comfortable and well-built interior, making it an excellent choice for road trips.

The 2025 Dodge Durango, particularly in the SRT Hellcat Premium trim with the Silver Bullet special edition package, exuded a bold visual attitude. Priced at $115,315 with upgrades, it featured a satin black hood, unique wheels, dark badges, and black exhaust tips. Inside, the Durango SRT Hellcat maintained a subdued yet premium feel with dark red Nappa leather seats, a suede headliner, and forged carbon fiber trim. While the interior was solidly constructed, some plastic surfaces detracted from the overall premium experience. The Durango's design catered to those seeking a more expressive look, with performance-oriented features that complemented its powerful engine.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options, starting with a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 265 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. For those prioritizing fuel efficiency, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid option delivered 245 combined net horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. At the top, the Hybrid Max powertrain, a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid, generated 362 combined net horsepower and 400 combined net lb-ft of torque. Both gas and hybrid engines were available with front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD), while the Hybrid Max was AWD-only. The Hybrid Max offered impressive acceleration with a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. The Grand Highlander excelled in road manners, though it was less maneuverable than its smaller counterpart. Its brakes were solid, and acceleration was adequate, with three drive modes—Sport, Eco, and Normal—enhancing the driving experience.

The 2025 Dodge Durango streamlined its powertrain offerings, with the GT featuring a 295-horsepower 3.6-liter V6, the R/T boasting a 360-hp 5.7-liter V8, and the SRT Hellcat equipped with a 710-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8. The SRT Hellcat's engine delivered 645 pound-feet of torque, accelerating to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and reaching a top speed of 180 mph. It could tow up to 8,700 pounds when properly equipped. Despite its power, the Durango SRT Hellcat suffered from poor fuel economy, returning 12/17/13 mpg in city/highway/combined driving. The SUV featured a full-time AWD system, electronic limited-slip rear differential, and a competition-tuned adaptive damping suspension. It handled like a performance vehicle, with outstanding grip and braking capabilities, making it track-ready despite its size and configuration.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than its primary rivals, measuring 201.4 inches long with a 116.1-inch wheelbase. This extra length translated to a spacious interior, offering 97.5 cubic feet of total cargo capacity, surpassing competitors like the Kia Telluride. With 57.9 cubic feet behind the second-row seats and 20.6 cubic feet with all three rows up, it provided ample storage space. The Grand Highlander was comfortable, with good outward visibility and plenty of room in every row, accommodating even six-foot adults in the third row.

The 2025 Dodge Durango excelled in form and function, offering a roomy and comfortable interior with thoughtful features. The SRT Hellcat Premium trim included heated and ventilated front seats with Nappa premium leather, though they lacked secure support during spirited driving. The second-row captain’s chairs provided good leg support, and the third-row seat offered enough room for adults. The Durango featured a large center console with ample storage, rear climate controls, USB charging ports, and a household-style power outlet. With the power liftgate, it offered 17.2 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 85.1 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander came equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering a visually stunning interface. An intelligent assistant, available via a connected-services subscription, responded to voice commands for tasks like adjusting temperature and changing radio stations. The system included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an 11-speaker JBL stereo on higher trims. Streaming audio integration and Sirius XM satellite radio were available, with additional subscription options for enhanced features.

The 2025 Dodge Durango featured a Uconnect 5 infotainment system with a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and native navigation. It included SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, Dodge Connect, and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. The system supported dual-phone Bluetooth pairing, Alexa compatibility, and wireless smartphone charging. The SRT Hellcat came with a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, offering excellent sound quality. The SRT Performance Pages allowed tracking of acceleration, speed, and lap times, adding a performance-oriented touch to the family-friendly SUV.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander had not yet been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS, but it included an impressive suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as standard. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) featured automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, road-sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. Adaptive cruise control with four following-distance settings was also standard.

The 2025 Dodge Durango's safety features were less impressive, with a short list of standard features including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. Upgrades included adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and front parking sensors. The NHTSA rated the Durango with a four-star overall rating and a three-star rollover resistance rating for AWD models. The IIHS's small overlap frontal-impact test results were concerning, and newer evaluations were not available.