Toyota Sequoia Review

The Toyota Sequoia is at heart a truck with its towing capabilities and ability to carry cargo. It can carry up to eight people, but isn’t the best urban people mover. However, it isn’t bad for family road trips and is nearly the same size as a Ford Expedition, and slightly larger than a Chevrolet Tahoe. The Sequoia also maintains Toyota’s good name is reliability, customer service and fit/finish. Perhaps its only weakness is that it doesn’t come in many different trims and only one engine is available.

See also the main fact sheet for the Toyota Sequoia.

High Points

 * Stong and refined V8 (Motor Trend)
 * Great safety elements (Motor Trend)

Low Points

 * Steering slightly darty (USA Today)
 * Front suspension wasn't well-controlled (USA Today)
 * Getting into the third-row seats is challenging (The Car Connection)
 * Gas mileage isn't the best (Motor Trend)
 * Tow rating lower than competition (Motor Trend)

Performance and Handling
The Toyota Sequoia is satisfyingly quick and easy to drive on the road. Its V8 provides ready torque at your command and can get you out of any worrisome situations while driving. The brake pedal can feel a bit soft at times, however the sophisticated ABS does a good job of stopping the large SUV. Steering is rather uneventful as this is no sports car, but maneuvering the Sequoia through tight confines proves difficult because of it’s large 42.3 foot turning radius.

The suspension does a good job of smoothing out any ride with double wishbones up front and a live rear axle in back. A good amount of body roll through corners is not surprising for such a large vehicle. Exceed the modest grip of its tires or jump out of the throttle in a corner, and the stability control will quickly kick in to bring the Sequoia back into line. Off road, with its large ground clearance, beefy skidplates, and optional height adjustable suspension with rear leveling makes it decently off-road capable.

Gas Mileage
As seen on Autos.com, in the full-size car SUV rankings, the 2007 Toyota Sequoia is in 4th place with 15/18 MPG.

Safety
The Toyota Sequoia comes standard with the following features:


 * Front seat-mounted side airbags
 * Rear-seat Child Restraint System (CRS) lower anchors and top tether brackets (LATCH)
 * Direct Tire Pressure Monitor System
 * Engine immobilizer
 * Anti-lock breaking system (ABS)
 * Front and rear side curtain airbags (Excluding the convertible models)
 * Front and rear side curtain airbags (Excluding the convertible models)


 * Traction Control
 * Vehicle Stability Control
 * Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
 * Brake Assist
 * Electronic Brake-force Distribution
 * Driver and front passenger Advance Airbag Systems
 * Driver and front passenger seat-mounted side airbags
 * Front-and second-row roll-sensing side curtain airbags
 * Seatbelt warning sensor
 * ISO-FIX Child Restraint System (CRS) anchors
 * Front energy-absorbing crumple zone
 * Side-impact door beams
 * Energy-dissipating interior trim
 * Daytime Running Lights
 * Engine immobilizer systems

Reliability and Maintenance
Toyota offers Basic warranty coverage for 36 months/36,000 miles (all components other than normal wear and maintenance items), Powertrain for 60 months/60,000 miles (engine, transmission/transaxle, front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, seatbelts and airbags), and Rust-Through for 60 months/unlimited miles (corrosion perforation of sheet metal).

Styles and Options
The Sequoia is available in two trims: SR5 and Limited.

Both are equipped with the same 4.7L 273hp V8 engine and 5-speed automatic transmission, and both offer a choice between two or four wheel drive. The Limited features several items that are optional on the SR5, thus making it more luxurious and more expensive.

SR5
The SR5 is your base model coming standard with:
 * 16" styled wheels
 * Color-keyed grille, door handles, overfenders, and power remote side mirrors
 * Dual zone automatic climate control
 * Power windows and locks
 * 6-speaker AM/FM casette/CD audio system
 * Cruise control
 * Fabric-trimmed interior

Limited
The Limited is more luxurious coming standard with:
 * 17" aluminum alloy wheels
 * Integrated fog lamps
 * Roof rack and tow hitch
 * Power moonroof
 * Remote keyless entry system
 * Leather interior with metal-accent trim

Main Competitors

 * Nissan Armada: side-by-side comparison
 * Chevrolet Tahoe: side-by-side comparison
 * Ford Expedition: side-by-side comparison