Ford Escape vs Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander represented Toyota's expansion in the SUV segment. Toyota's lineup included options from the compact Corolla Cross to the full-sized Sequoia, but the Grand Highlander held a distinctive position. Built on the TNGA-K platform, it shared components with the Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, and Camry. It wasn’t a body-on-frame vehicle like the Sequoia, which capped its towing capacity at 5,000 pounds. However, in terms of size, the Grand Highlander was an imposing vehicle, stretching 201.4 inches in length and sitting atop a 116.1-inch wheelbase, making it larger than competitors like the Kia Telluride. This translated into an exceedingly spacious interior with an 8-inch ground clearance, which suited light off-road ventures.

The Grand Highlander exhibited conservative but rugged styling. Its design bore a blockier appearance compared to the smaller Highlander, aligning it visually with the Ford Explorer, Kia Telluride, and Honda Pilot. The trapezoidal grille with a horizontal slit above it and narrow headlights created a resemblance to the off-roading Toyota 4Runner.

Three trims were available: XLE, Limited, and Platinum. The XLE featured Softex synthetic leather in light gray or black, while Limited and Platinum trims offered real leather, with the Platinum trim featuring optional Portobello upholstery. A 10-way power-adjustable driver seat was standard, with upgraded features like heated and ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel in higher trims. A notable aspect was the vehicle's thoughtful interior, which included 13 cupholders and seven USB-C ports, enhancing its suitability as a family-friendly road-trip vehicle.

In comparison, the 2024 Ford Escape received a significant facelift in 2023 that carried into 2024. The aggressive new front end replaced the previous wide-eyed, toothless smile, giving the SUV a modern appeal. The overall appearance remained softly contoured but more visually appealing. The Escape was available in several trims: Active, ST-Line, ST-Line Select, ST-Line Elite, Platinum, and a Plug-in Hybrid option. The base trim was eliminated, with prices ranging from $29,345 to $40,500.

Our test vehicle, the ST-Line Elite, came with Rapid Red paint, black 19-inch wheels, and the Premium Technology Package, priced at $43,650. The interior featured diamond-stitched, perforated leather that initially seemed upscale but felt excessively glossy and stiff upon closer inspection, raising concerns about the high price for the material quality.

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 engine provided 245 combined horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. At the top end, the Hybrid Max powertrain boasted 362 combined horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. Both the gas and hybrid engines were available in FWD and AWD, while the Hybrid Max was exclusively AWD, with a notably quick zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds.

Toyota predicted that the 2.4-liter turbocharged engine would dominate sales, accounting for about 85%. While not designed for sports car performance, the Grand Highlander delivered solid acceleration and handling, albeit with a few drawbacks like its large size and somewhat disconnected steering feel. The brakes, however, were responsive and provided a linear feel, complementing the vehicle's stable ride.

Conversely, the 2024 Ford Escape ST-Line Elite offered a choice between a 192-horsepower hybrid expected to get 39 mpg in combined driving and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, with an average of 26 mpg in combined driving. Our test vehicle featured the turbocharged engine, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard AWD. The AWD system included a driveline disconnect feature for improved fuel economy and offered Eco, Normal, Sport, and Slippery driving modes.

Although the turbocharged engine provided quick acceleration, the ST-Line Elite's driving dynamics felt underwhelming for a sporty trim. The ride remained soft and compliant, with the suspension allowing excessive body motion. The steering was sluggish and numb, and while the brake pedal felt responsive, the overall driving experience lacked the engagement suggested by the ST-Line badge. For those seeking better fuel efficiency, the hybrid option seemed a more sensible choice.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander outshined its primary rivals in terms of size. At 201.4 inches long and with a 116.1-inch wheelbase, it surpassed the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, and Kia Telluride. This extended length translated into remarkable storage space, totaling 97.5 cubic feet, around 10 cubic feet more than the Telluride. Toyota offered 57.9 cubic feet behind the second row and 20.6 cubic feet with all three rows up, providing a viable alternative to the 2023 Toyota Sienna’s 101 cubic feet for those against using minivans.

Inside, the Grand Highlander excelled in comfort and spaciousness. With ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room across all three rows, it ensured even a six-foot adult would find the third row accommodating. Detailed touches, like the big greenhouse offering good outward visibility and various convenience features, reinforced the Grand Highlander’s user-friendly design.

The 2024 Ford Escape, specifically the ST-Line trim, offered an interior exclusively in black, with cloth inserts and artificial leather bolsters. The ST-Line Elite added leather seats, ambient interior lighting, a 10-way power-adjustable driver seat, and a six-way power-adjustable passenger seat. Despite these upgrades, the leather felt stiff and unwelcoming.

The front seats were large, soft, and supportive, with a height-adjustable passenger seat, which was a bit rare in the segment. The rear seat offered good comfort when slid into its rearmost position, and the vehicle ensured easy ingress and egress through all four doors. Interior storage was generous upfront, but less so for rear passengers. Cargo space measured 37.5 cubic feet behind the back seat (34.4 cubic feet for the hybrid), and 65.4 cubic feet (60.8 cubic feet in the hybrid) with the rear seat folded. The test vehicle included deep storage areas on either side of the cargo floor and a useful grocery bag hook.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander came standard with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. While aesthetically pleasing and a significant improvement over previous systems, full functionality required a subscription. The intelligent assistant responded to "Hey Toyota" and handled tasks like adjusting temperature and radio stations. Other subscription-based services included cloud-based navigation and live agent assistance.

Standard multimedia features included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims like Limited and Platinum came with an 11-speaker JBL stereo, delivering a balanced audio experience. Despite the advancements, potential buyers were advised to review the subscription options carefully.

The 2024 Ford Escape featured digital instrumentation, standard with an 8-inch display on lower trims and a 12.3-inch display on upper trims. Our ST-Line Elite test vehicle had the larger display. The 13.2-inch Sync 4 infotainment system, the focal point, offered a landscape format with an intuitive layout but suffered from a washed-out color theme and thin fonts. Climate controls were integrated into the screen, which wasn’t ideal.

Lower trims featured an 8-inch Sync 4 display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L, and FordPass Connect services. The 13.2-inch version added Amazon Alexa and a complimentary three-year navigation subscription. Our test vehicle's Bang & Olufsen sound system had damaged speakers, affecting assessment.

While Sync 4 showed some lag, and the wireless charger overheated the iPhone, the voice recognition system was effective. The optional head-up display (HUD) projected information on a clear plastic piece rather than the windshield, included in the Premium Technology Package with other features like Active Park Assist 2.0.

As a new model, the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander hadn’t yet been crash-tested or rated by the NHTSA or IIHS. However, Toyota equipped it with TSS 3.0 as standard. This suite included automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, road-sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. Updates included adaptive cruise control with four following-distance settings.

The 2024 Ford Escape came with a standard post-collision automatic braking system. Ford Co-Pilot360, inclusive of forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high-beam headlights, was standard. Additional features on the ST-Line Elite were adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, lane-centering assist, and a 360-degree camera system.

During testing, the lane-keeping systems showed inconsistent behavior, and predictive speed assist often slowed the vehicle excessively. Both adaptive cruise control and lane-centering systems shut down unexpectedly. However, on freeways, the systems performed better, providing effective assistance in stop-and-go traffic.

NHTSA ratings for the 2024 Escape were favorable, earning five stars overall, except a four-star rollover resistance rating. The IIHS hadn’t released 2024 ratings at the time, but the 2023 model earned mostly Good ratings, aside from a Marginal score in side-impact tests.