2026 Chevy Traverse vs 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander

Performance

Chevrolet has determined what you need to tackle every family outing, no matter how ambitious. That's why every 2026 Chevy Traverse in Wooster is equipped with a 2.5L turbocharged engine for 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque. Accelerate with purpose and get over every little hurdle in your way, all while keeping it controlled and sophisticated on an 8-speed automatic transmission. Bring the trailer or speedboat with a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. The Traverse's standard is no doubt capable, but it never hurts to take it even further. The Chevy Traverse Z71 adds extra features for an SUV you can rely on for any adventure:

• Off-road suspension system
• Frequency-based suspension dampers
• Advanced twin-clutch AWD
• Hill Descent Control
• Terrain Mode
• 18-inch machined-faced wheels
• All-terrain tires

Like its competitor, the Toyota Grand Highlander also comes with a single engine option. The biggest difference? 63 horsepower. The Grand Highlander's 2.4L turbo engine only delivers 265 HP and 310 lb-ft of torque, when any 3-row SUV should make 300 HP minimum to be considered reliable. Towing capacity is the same at 5,000 pounds, and 28 highway MPG isn't too far off from the Traverse's 26 highway MPG. The Toyota Grand Highlander also doesn't get a super rugged trim like the Traverse Z71.

Interior

We haven't even gotten to the most exciting part yet. Larger 3-row SUVs should be incredibly spacious. That, we can all agree on. That's why, in our opinion, one of the best features in the 2026 Chevy Traverse in Akron is best-in-class 98 cubic feet of cargo volume. Small furniture hauls, big DIY projects, weekend-long camping trips, and mobile doggy daycares are just a handful of ideas that are made possible with the Traverse's amazingly roomy interior. The best part is that you can manipulate this space with ease when you use features like the AutoSense Power Liftgate and Smart Slide Seats.

The Toyota Grand Highlander doesn't beat the Traverse in cargo space, so let's get that out of the way. Next up, tech. A 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen has become the standard in 2026, so we're not exactly impressed with this feature in the Grand Highlander. This is especially the case considering that the 2026 Traverse has already surpassed our expectations with a massive 17.7-inch infotainment display. That's two strikes for interior quality, and considering everything else we've pointed out thus far, we'll just call it done.