Subaru Ascent vs Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was part of Toyota's extensive crossover and SUV lineup, which ranged from the compact Corolla Cross to the massive Sequoia. Built on the TNGA-K platform and similar to the regular Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, and Camry, the Grand Highlander was a true crossover with a towing capacity capped at 5,000 pounds owing to its unibody construction.

The Grand Highlander was impressive with its sheer size—stretching 201.4 inches in length and sitting on a 116.1-inch wheelbase—making it larger than key rivals like the Kia Telluride. Its eight inches of ground clearance provided enough height for dirt roads but not for serious off-road expeditions. Stylistically, the Grand Highlander adopted a more rugged, blocky look, reminiscent of the Ford Explorer and the new 2023 Honda Pilot, with design cues borrowed from the off-road oriented 4Runner.

Inside, the Grand Highlander offered three trims: XLE, Limited, and Platinum. The XLE featured light gray or black Softex synthetic leather, while the Limited and Platinum trims upgraded to genuine leather, with the Platinum trim optionally available with Portobello (brown) upholstery. Standard features included a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and heated front seats, with higher trims adding ventilation and a heated steering wheel. The interior boasted 13 cupholders and seven USB-C ports and was noted for its high-quality materials and build.

Subaru’s 2024 Ascent aimed to deliver practicality over style, and its design stuck close to Subaru's utilitarian roots. Despite a controversial refresh that introduced unattractive styling elements like tusk-like projections and a bold spear across the grille, the Ascent continued to offer solid functionality.

The Ascent came in Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Limited, Onyx Edition Limited, and Touring trims, with prices ranging from $34,395 to $48,695 before destination charges. The top-tier Touring model included features like a panoramic sunroof, Nappa leather, ventilated front seats, a navigation system, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.

The interior was well-built and functional, with a modular design that emphasized practicality over aesthetic sophistication. The Touring trim featured premium materials, though it lacked the same seamless finish as some of its competitors.

The Grand Highlander offered three engine options. The base engine was a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 265 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. For those prioritizing fuel efficiency, there was a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid producing 245 combined horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. The top-of-the-line Hybrid Max powertrain, a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid, delivered 362 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque.

Both the gas and hybrid engines came with FWD and AWD options, while the Hybrid Max offered only AWD. Toyota estimated that 85% of buyers would opt for the standard turbo gas engine. Although larger and heavier than the standard Highlander, the Grand Highlander handled competently, if not as nimbly. Brakes felt solid and acceleration from the 2.4-liter turbo was sufficient for daily driving.

All 2024 Subaru Ascent models were equipped with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. This engine was paired with a CVT that drove all four wheels thanks to Subaru’s standard AWD system with active torque vectoring. The Ascent could tow up to 5,000 pounds, though the Base trim was limited to 2,000 pounds.

The Ascent excelled in day-to-day driving conditions and minor off-road adventures. However, its CVT, while better than some, couldn't match the responsiveness of a traditional automatic. The Ascent struggled with fuel economy—official ratings were 19 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined, but real-world tests showed averages of 16.7 mpg city and 18.6 mpg overall.

The Grand Highlander’s dimensions gave it a distinct advantage in interior space. At 201.4 inches long with a 116.1-inch wheelbase, it provided more room than most of its competitors. Cargo space was plentiful: 20.6 cubic feet with all rows up, 57.9 cubic feet behind the second row, and a total of 97.5 cubic feet with all rear seats folded, making it an ideal choice for those needing extra storage.

Comfort was a strong point, with spacious seating across all three rows. The third row could accommodate six-foot adults comfortably, which was a rare feat in this segment.

Subaru emphasized function over form with the Ascent. It offered thoughtful features like large cupholders, dashboard shelves, and backpack pegs, making it a practical choice for families. The Touring trim’s Nappa leather seats were comfortable, but passengers might have noticed a lack of legroom compared to rivals.

The rear doors opened nearly 90 degrees, aiding in child seat installation and entry. Cargo capacity was respectable but less than the Grand Highlander: 17.8 cubic feet behind the third row, 43.5 cubic feet with the third row down, and up to 75.6 cubic feet with both rear rows folded.

Toyota equipped every Grand Highlander with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. While visually appealing, its full functionality depended on a connected-services subscription, offering an intelligent assistant, cloud-based navigation, and 24/7 live assistance. Standard features included dual-device Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an 11-speaker JBL stereo on higher trims.

The 2024 Ascent featured Subaru’s Starlink infotainment system with an 11.6-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen. It included Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM. Higher trims added Starlink connected services, a Wi-Fi hotspot, navigation, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon system. The system included physical controls for common functions but had issues with visibility in direct sunlight and voice-recognition accuracy.

As a new model, the 2024 Grand Highlander hadn’t yet been crash-tested. However, it came with Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0, offering features like 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.

The Ascent had impressive safety credentials, earning a five-star overall rating from NHTSA (four stars for rollover) and a Top Safety Pick+ from IIHS for 2023. Subaru’s EyeSight package included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping and lane-centering assist, adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, and automatic high beams. Higher trims offered additional features like blind-spot monitoring, reverse automatic braking, and a driver monitoring system. However, EyeSight’s lane-centering assist had performing inconsistencies.