Porsche Cayenne vs Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a standout in Toyota's lineup of crossovers and SUVs, offering a larger and more spacious alternative to its smaller sibling, the Highlander. Built on the TNGA-K platform, it shared its underpinnings with models like the RAV4 and Toyota Camry, distinguishing itself from the truck-based Sequoia. The Grand Highlander was notably larger, with a length of 201.4 inches and a wheelbase of 116.1 inches, providing ample interior space. Its design was more conservative and blocky, reminiscent of the Ford Explorer and Kia Telluride, with a trapezoidal grille and narrow headlights that echoed the rugged 4Runner. Inside, the Grand Highlander offered three trims—XLE, Limited, and Platinum—with options for Softex synthetic leather or real leather upholstery, and a range of comfort features like heated and ventilated seats.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne, available as both a standard SUV and a sporty Coupe, offered a range of trims from the base model to the high-performance Turbo GT. The GTS trim, which was the focus of this review, featured high gloss black trim, bronze exhaust tips, and a unique front fascia with larger air intakes. The Cayenne's interior was highly customizable, with options for different colors, trims, and even seat belts. While the base model had standard eight-way power-adjustable seats, higher trims like the GTS offered more luxurious touches like a Race-Tex headliner and optional leather interiors. Despite its sporty nature, the Cayenne maintained a balance between performance and comfort, with features like adaptive rear spoilers and a well-thought-out cabin layout.

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. At the top of the range was the Hybrid Max powertrain, a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid engine with 362 combined net horsepower and 400 combined net lb-ft of torque. The Grand Highlander was available with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, except for the Hybrid Max, which was AWD only. While not a sports car, the Hybrid Max offered impressive acceleration with a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. The Grand Highlander was praised for its solid brakes and adequate acceleration, though its steering was noted to be somewhat numb.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne offered a range of powerful engines, starting with a base 3.0-liter V6 producing 348 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque. The Cayenne S featured a V8 with 468 hp, while the Turbo GT boasted 650 hp, though it was available only as a coupe. Plug-in hybrid options offered up to 729 hp for those seeking peak performance. The GTS trim, with its twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, delivered 493 hp and 486 lb-ft of torque, achieving a zero-to-60 time of 4.2 seconds. The Cayenne GTS was lauded for its precise steering, agile handling, and impressive braking performance, thanks to features like stiffer roll bars and an active suspension. The GTS offered a dynamic driving experience, with Sport and Sport Plus modes enhancing throttle and transmission response, while Normal mode provided a comfortable ride for daily commuting.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than most of its primary rivals, with a length of 201.4 inches and a wheelbase of 116.1 inches. This translated to a spacious interior, with a total cargo capacity of 97.5 cubic feet, surpassing competitors like the Kia Telluride. Even with all three rows of seats in place, the Grand Highlander offered 20.6 cubic feet of cargo space. The interior was designed for comfort, with ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in every row, making it suitable for adults even in the third row.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne, while not offering a third row of seating, provided a comfortable and customizable interior for up to five passengers. The base model featured standard eight-way power-adjustable seats, with options for 14- or 18-way adjustable seats. The Cayenne's cargo space was smaller than some competitors, with 27.3 cubic feet behind the second row and just over 60 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The coupe version offered slightly less space, with 20.9 and 53 cubic feet respectively. Despite its smaller cargo capacity, the Cayenne excelled in towing, with a capacity of over 7,700 pounds.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander came equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering a visually stunning interface. While the system required a subscription for features like an intelligent assistant and cloud-based navigation, it included standard features like dual-device Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Limited and Platinum trims featured an 11-speaker JBL stereo, providing a balanced audio experience. Additional streaming options were available through subscriptions, enhancing the Grand Highlander's tech offerings.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne boasted a range of screens, including a standard 12.6-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen display with the Porsche Communication Management system. The system supported wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Spotify and Apple Music. An optional 10.9-inch passenger screen allowed for navigation and media control, while a head-up display provided pertinent information to the driver. The Cayenne also featured four high-speed USB-C charging ports and a cooled wireless charging area, ensuring devices stayed charged and cool.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander had not yet been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS, but it came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, a suite of advanced driver assistance systems. This 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. Adaptive cruise control was also standard, offering four following-distance settings.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne offered standard safety features like parking sensors, forward collision warning, and blind-spot monitoring. However, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and lane-departure warning were optional. Porsche's advanced adaptive cruise control system, InnoDrive, was not tested during the review. Neither the NHTSA nor IIHS had rated the 2025 Cayenne for safety.