Toyota Sequoia

The Toyota Sequoia is a full-size SUV built by Toyota and based on their Tundra pickup truck. Introduced in 2000 for the 2001 model year, it was slotted in price between the midsize 4Runner and the Land Cruiser. The Sequoia was nominated for the North American Truck of the Year award for 2001. Also, it filled the gap when the Land Cruiser was dropped for the Canadian market in 1995. The Sequoia is built at Toyota's Princeton, Indiana truck assembly plant and is currently sold exclusively in the United States and Canada.

See Wikicars' comprehensive Toyota Seqouia Review.

Recent Changes
The Sequoia continues to be built on the same Toyota Tundra platform it debuted on in 2001, and it has received only minor changes since that time. In 2005, the engine was improved by more than 40hp and some stylistic changes were made. For 2006, however, very little was changed or added.

Styles and Major Options
The Sequoia is available in two trims: the 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. Some of the standout features are as follows:

SR5
 * 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
 * 17" aluminum alloy wheels
 * Integrated fog lamps
 * Roof rack and tow hitch
 * Power moonroof
 * Remote keyless entry system
 * Leather interior with metal-accent trim

Pricing
Today's actual prices for the Toyota Sequoia can be found at CarsDirect.

Gas Mileage
As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages for the Toyota Sequoia are as follows:

Reliability
Automotive Information Systems has given the 2003 Sequoia its Green rating. Newer models have yet to be on the market long enough to provide adequate reliability information.

Safety
The 2005 and 2006 Toyota Sequoias have not been safety-tested by the NHTSA, but the 2004 model received a 5-star rating for front-impact crash tests.

Colors
Colors for the Toyota Sequoia will vary, and a full list of available combinations can be found at CarsDirect.com. Some of the choices are:

Exterior
 * Black
 * Blue Marlin Pearl
 * Desert Sand Mica
 * Salsa Red Pearl
 * Silver Sky Metallic

Interior
 * Charcoal
 * Oak

Main Competitors

 * Nissan Armada
 * Chevrolet Tahoe
 * Chevrolet TrailBlazer
 * Toyota Land Cruiser
 * Ford Expedition

Hybrid Models
There are currently no hybrid versions of the Sequoia planned or in production.

Resale Values
According to Kelley Blue Book, "in the world of big SUVs, the Sequoia is at the head of the class when it comes to resale. Kelley Blue Book expects the 2006 Sequoia SR5 four-wheel drive to retain 65% of its value at 24% and 42% at 60 months.  That's better than the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, Nissan Armada and Dodge Durango."

Criticisms

 * "...steering felt slightly darty... Front suspension wasn't as well-controlled as expected." - USA Today
 * "...the clock is mounted far too low in center of the dash and is obscured by the climate control switches." - New Car Test Drive
 * "...getting back there [to the third-row seats] will take a bit of mountain goat scrambling." - The Car Connection

First Generation (2001–2007)


The Sequoia was originally shown in car shows in 1999 and 2000. Engine, driveline, and some sheetmetal components are shared with the Tundra, and shares the same basic chassis, with the exception of rear disc brakes and a multi-link rear suspension. It received minor cosmetic updates for 2004 and gained a more powerful engine equipped with VVT-i. The Sequoia is slightly longer than the Land Cruiser, however, it is barely noticeable.

The Sequoia comes in two trim levels; SR5 and Limited. The SR5 starts at $32,820 while the more expensive Limited starts at $41,855. It can be had in both four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive versions.

Worldwide
In Mexico, it was sold from 2003 to 2005, at a price of around MXP$399,000 (around US$39,000) for the SR5 and MXP$499,000 (around US$49,000) for the Limited. However, sales of the Sequoia were poor in Mexico and was dropped as a result.

Design quirks and oddities
If you put the left rear window down only a few inches at about 35 to 45 mph you get a very unpleasant reverberation in the air pressure inside the vehicle. Lowering any other window at the same time eliminates the effect. Weird!