Compare the2024 Toyota Grand HighlanderVS 2024 Honda Odyssey

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 Honda Odyssey doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

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 Odyssey 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum offers an optional Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Odyssey doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Grand Highlander offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Odyssey doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Grand Highlander (except XLE) offers an optional Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Odyssey only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Grand Highlander and Odyssey have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum has Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Odyssey’s Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Grand Highlander and the Odyssey have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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 and driver alert monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Grand Highlander is safer than the Odyssey:

There are over 16 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Honda dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Grand Highlander’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Grand Highlander’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Odyssey’s camshafts. If the Odyssey’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Honda is ranked fifth.

The Grand Highlander’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 262) than the Odyssey’s 3.5 SOHC V6. The Grand Highlander Hybrid Max’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 82 more horsepower (362 vs. 280) and 138 lbs.-ft. more torque (400 vs. 262) than the Odyssey’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Honda Odyssey:

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

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

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Grand Highlander higher (7 out of 10) than the Honda Odyssey (5). This means the Grand Highlander produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Odyssey every 15,000 miles.

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 Odyssey doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the Grand Highlander’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Odyssey:

The Grand Highlander stops shorter than the Odyssey:

For better traction, the Grand Highlander has larger tires than the Odyssey (255/65R18 vs. 235/60R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum has standard 20-inch wheels. The Odyssey’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Grand Highlander’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the Odyssey’s (55.3% to 44.7%). This gives the Grand Highlander more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Grand Highlander’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Odyssey’s (38.1 feet vs. 39.6 feet).

The Grand Highlander is 3.8 inches shorter than the Odyssey, making the Grand Highlander easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Grand Highlander has .8 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front legroom and .7 inches more rear headroom than the Odyssey.

The Grand Highlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Odyssey’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Grand Highlander uses the Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Odyssey doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Grand Highlander Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Odyssey doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Grand Highlander and the Odyssey have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Grand Highlander is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Odyssey prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 Odyssey doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Grand Highlander has standard extendable sun visors. The Odyssey doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Both the Grand Highlander and the Odyssey have standard heated front seats. The Grand Highlander Platinum also has standard heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the Odyssey.

The Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum 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 Odyssey doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Grand Highlander has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Odyssey Elite offers wireless charging.