Compare the2025 Toyota Grand HighlanderVS 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Grand Highlander have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Chevrolet Tahoe doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Toyota Grand Highlander has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Tahoe doesn’t offer knee airbags.

With its standard Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, the Toyota Grand Highlander is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Chevrolet Tahoe, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Grand Highlander	Tahoe
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-21 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-3 MPH
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-14 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-2 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-24 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-22 MPH
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-18 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	2 sec	1.6 sec
37 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.8 sec	1.5 sec

The Grand Highlander has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Tahoe doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Grand Highlander’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Tahoe doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Grand Highlander uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Tahoe uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Grand Highlander and the Tahoe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Grand Highlander is safer than the Chevrolet Tahoe:

	Grand Highlander	Tahoe
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	33%	47%
Neck Stress	199 lbs.	272 lbs.
Neck Compression	60 lbs.	66 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	384/277 lbs.	333/811 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Grand Highlander is safer than the Chevrolet Tahoe:

	Grand Highlander	Tahoe
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	64 lbs.	111 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	63	88
Hip Force	55 lbs.	248 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Grand Highlander, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 3.8% to 5% less likely to roll over than the Tahoe, which received a three-star rating.

Warranty

The Grand Highlander’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Tahoe’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Grand Highlander for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Tahoe.

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Grand Highlander have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Tahoe.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Grand Highlander’s reliability 11 points higher than the Tahoe.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota second in reliability, above the industry average. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked fourth.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota third in overall reliability. Chevrolet is ranked 16th.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Chevrolet Tahoe 6.2 V8:

	Grand Highlander	Tahoe
Zero to 60 MPH	5.9 sec	6.3 sec
Quarter Mile	14.7 sec	14.8 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Grand Highlander gets better mileage than the Tahoe:

			MPG
Grand Highlander
	FWD	LE/XLE 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	37 city/34 hwy
		Limited 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/32 hwy
		2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
	AWD	LE/XLE 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/32 hwy
		Limited 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/31 hwy
		2.4 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	26 city/27 hwy
		LE/XLE 2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
		Limited/Platinum 2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy
Tahoe
	RWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Diesel	21 city/26 hwy
		5.3 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Diesel	20 city/26 hwy
		5.3 OHV V8	14 city/18 hwy
		5.3 OHV V8	15 city/19 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	14 city/18 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Grand Highlander Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Tahoe doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Grand Highlander has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Tahoe. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Grand Highlander higher (6 out of 10) than the Chevrolet Tahoe (4 to 6). This means the Grand Highlander produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Tahoe every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Grand Highlander offers an available continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Tahoe doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Grand Highlander stops much shorter than the Tahoe:

	Grand Highlander	Tahoe
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	145 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Grand Highlander has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Grand Highlander flat and controlled during cornering. The Tahoe’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Grand Highlander Platinum AWD handles at .80 G’s, while the Tahoe Z71 4x4 pulls only .63 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Grand Highlander Limited AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2 seconds quicker than the Tahoe LT 4x4 (27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 29.4 seconds @ .54 average G’s).

Chassis

The Toyota Grand Highlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1000 to 1200 pounds less than the Chevrolet Tahoe.

The Grand Highlander is 9.9 inches shorter than the Tahoe, making the Grand Highlander easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Grand Highlander’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Tahoe doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

Passenger Space

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Grand Highlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The Tahoe’s third row seats don’t recline.

Ergonomics

The Grand Highlander’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Tahoe’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Grand Highlander the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Tahoe can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Grand Highlander’s headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Tahoe’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Grand Highlander Platinum has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Tahoe doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Grand Highlander to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Tahoe doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum/Nightshade has standard front air conditioned seats and the Grand Highlander Platinum also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Tahoe doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Grand Highlander, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chevrolet Tahoe isn't recommended.

The Grand Highlander was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024. The Tahoe has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

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