2027 Chevrolet Traverse vs 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander at Webb Chevy Plainfield in Plainfield, IL

Webb Chevy Plainfield | (815) 436-2071 | 16140 S Lincoln Hwy, Plainfield, IL 60586

How does the 2027 Chevrolet Traverse compare with the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander?

Both are three-row midsize SUVs and both will haul a Will County family fine, but they win on different ground. The Traverse takes the gas-engine numbers outright: 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft from a 2.5L turbocharged four against 265 horsepower and 310 lb-ft from the Grand Highlander’s 2.4L turbo. That is 63 horsepower and 16 lb-ft, and it is the one gap in this comparison you will feel from the driver seat. The Traverse also takes maximum cargo volume, though only just, at 98 cubic feet against 97.5. Half a cubic foot is a win worth stating precisely rather than overselling.

Toyota’s advantage sits somewhere the Traverse does not compete at all. The Grand Highlander offers a Hybrid MAX making 362 horsepower and 400 lb-ft, more of both than any Traverse, and a standard Hybrid rated at roughly 37 mpg city and 34 highway against the Traverse’s 20 city. Even the gas Grand Highlander is rated 21 city, 28 highway and 24 combined in front-wheel drive, ahead of the Traverse’s 20/26/22. Towing evens out at 5,000 lbs for both with the turbo four, though the standard Hybrid drops to 3,500 lbs.

Starting MSRP shown. Excludes tax, title, license, dealer fees and optional equipment. Ask Webb Chevy Plainfield for current figures on a specific unit.

What does the Traverse put on the table?

Start with cargo. Chevrolet rates the 2027 Traverse best in class at 98 cubic feet of maximum cargo volume and Toyota rates the Grand Highlander at 97.5, so this row is a Chevrolet win by half a cubic foot and nothing more. If a three-row SUV cannot swallow your family’s gear, nothing else on the sheet matters, and both of these will.

Then look at standard content. A 17.7-inch touchscreen and more than 20 standard safety and driver assistance features are included on the $40,800 LT, not held back for a top trim. Power is a single figure across the lineup: 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft through an 8-speed automatic.

How do I make a fair comparison instead of a marketing one?

• Add destination to both sides first. The Grand Highlander’s $42,855 already includes a $1,495 destination charge and the Traverse LT’s $40,800 does not, so the advertised $2,055 gap is not the real one.
• Compare equipped trims, never base price to base price, and have each store circle standard equipment on the exact window sticker you are being quoted.
• Maximum cargo volume is 98 cubic feet for the Traverse and 97.5 for the Grand Highlander. That is close enough that seat folding and load-floor shape matter more than the number does.
• Decide whether a hybrid belongs on your list. Toyota offers a standard Hybrid at roughly 37 mpg city and a Hybrid MAX at 362 horsepower and 400 lb-ft; the Traverse offers neither.
• Check which engine is under the hood of the unit you are quoted. Both tow 5,000 lbs properly equipped, but Toyota’s standard Hybrid is rated 3,500 lbs.
• Compare fuel economy on the drivetrain you will actually buy. Traverse is 20/26/22 front-wheel drive and 20/24/21 for the Z71; the gas Grand Highlander is 21/28/24 front-wheel drive and 20/26/22 with all-wheel drive.

Six checks, run at both stores, produce a comparison you can defend to your spouse. That beats any comparison article, including this one.

Which fits a Will County family better?

The honest answer depends on your week. A household that merges onto I-55 toward Joliet with the third row full and tows on weekends will feel the Traverse’s extra 63 horsepower and 16 lb-ft every time it does it. A household piling on commuter miles up I-355 does the math differently, because the Grand Highlander’s standard Hybrid at roughly 37 mpg city buys back real money over a Will County year. Neither answer is the wrong one.

What we ask is that you drive the Traverse on a route that matches your life before deciding. S Lincoln Hwy through Plainfield, then a ramp onto I-55 or I-355, then a stretch back through town. Fifteen minutes of that is worth more than an hour of reading.

Where can I drive a 2027 Traverse near Plainfield, Joliet or Naperville?

At 16140 S Lincoln Hwy in Plainfield. As of August 10, 2026 there were 20 units of the 2027 Traverse in stock, which is enough to compare an LT against a Z71 on the same visit. Webb Chevy Plainfield and Webb Chevy Oak Lawn share inventory, so if a particular unit is at the sister store we will say so up front rather than after you arrive. Call (815) 436-2071.

What does the side-by-side actually look like?

Here is the sheet we hand shoppers who are cross-shopping the two. The left column is Chevrolet published data for the 2027 Traverse and the right column is Toyota published data for the 2026 Grand Highlander.

Traverse figures are Chevrolet published. Grand Highlander figures are Toyota published for the 2026 model year. One caution on the price row: the Grand Highlander starting figure already includes a $1,495 destination charge and the Traverse LT figure does not, so add destination to both before you call one cheaper. Call (815) 436-2071 and we will print a side by side sheet with destination on both columns.

What if I want to think about it?

That is fine and it is normal. Webb Chevy Plainfield has been part of the Webb Auto Group since 2013 and nobody here benefits from a rushed decision on a vehicle a family will keep for years. Take the table above to the Toyota store, drive both back to back, and we will price the Traverse against whatever you find.

This article is part of the full 2027 Chevrolet Traverse guide from Webb Chevy Plainfield. Read the complete overview at https://www.webbchevyplainfield.com/2027-chevrolet-traverse/.

Key takeaways

• The Traverse leads the gas engines with 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft against 265 horsepower and 310 lb-ft for the Grand Highlander.
• Maximum cargo volume is 98 cubic feet for the Traverse against 97.5 for the Grand Highlander, a half cubic foot win rather than a decisive one.
• The Grand Highlander offers a Hybrid MAX at 362 horsepower and 400 lb-ft and a standard Hybrid rated about 37 mpg city. The Traverse offers no hybrid.
• Both are rated to tow 5,000 lbs properly equipped, though Toyota’s standard Hybrid is limited to 3,500 lbs.
• The Traverse LT starts at $40,800 before destination while the Grand Highlander’s $42,855 already includes a $1,495 destination charge, so add destination to both before comparing.
• A 17.7-inch touchscreen and over 20 safety and driver assistance features are standard on the Traverse, starting on the LT.
• Webb Chevy Plainfield had 20 units in stock on August 10, 2026 and shares inventory with Webb Chevy Oak Lawn.

Frequently asked questions