Toyota Sequoia – Surprisingly Capable and Civilized Brute

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full sized SUV, Toyota Sequoia – Surprisingly Capable and Civilized Brute By Jim Bray Monday, June 30, 2008


Talk about a vehicle with an appropriate name!
Toyota’s Sequoia is an immense motor vehicle, a “fullsized SUV” that seems about the mass of an Airbus A380,it’s large enough to haul a family of eight and a lot oftheir stuff. It also makes a heckuva statement on the road.

I must disclose right up front that I have a bit of a bias againstsuch vehicular behemoths. It isn’t that I don’t thinkpeople should be allowed them. Gosh, no! If it serves your purposeand you can afford it (and the gas!) then it’s none of mybusiness. But, as someone who’s 5’7” on a goodday, I’ve always felt that if I need to take a running jumpor bring along a block and tackle just to get inside a particularvehicle, then it’s too big for me. Sequoia fits that bill.
Fortunately, my test Sequoia had running board-type things thatmade getting in and out possible without assistance.
And you know what? Despite its “treemendous” girth, theSequoia is a heckuva fine ride that will undoubtedly serve those atwhom it’s aimed extremely well. I ended up liking it a lot.
The big SUV shares much with Toyota’s current generationTundra pickup truck, including the available 5.7 liter V8 and sixspeed automatic transmissions my test unit sported. You can equipit with the less robust 4.7 liter V8 and five speed auto but thebigger iForce V8 is a beautiful match. Its “up to” 381horsepower @ 5,600 rpm and 401 lb-ft of torque @ 3,600 rpm offereffortless pickup that, combined with its independentdouble-wishbone suspension and accompanying accoutrements like gasshock absorbers, coil springs and, on the Limited trim level of mytest unit, a load leveling air suspension, makes the Sequoia feellike a smaller vehicle to drive.
Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Thanks to such peskyrealities as Newton’s First Law of Motion, the Sequoia neverfeels small (especially when you park it!) but its road manners aretruly impressive for something the size of a cruise liner. Itdrives really nicely.
I liked the Sequoia’s steering feel; the wheel turnseffortlessly and the vehicle goes where you point it with no fuss.The turning circle is impressive, too, tight enough to make a 90degree turn onto a crossing street without having to stray into thesecond lane. Toyota says the rack and pinion power steering adjustsfor driving conditions, and delivers “optimal steering forceand feel”. Sounds about right.
The six speed automatic transmission even features a manual modethat comes in handy on off ramps and when you’re going downhills. I’d hesitate to call it a “sport mode”,but it was surprisingly capable and enjoyable.
All Sequoias come with one-touch four-wheel drive (4WD), VehicleStability Control and Active Traction Control. A free-wheelAutomatic Disconnecting Differential mechanism contributes tobetter fuel efficiency when you’re in 2WD mode. I only triedthe 4WD mode briefly during my week of mostly urban driving, buthave no reason to think the Sequoia won’t offer the sameprodigious off-road capabilities for which Toyota ‘s4x4’s are known.
Stopping the Sequoia are power-assisted four wheel disc brakes withABS, Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Brake Assisttechnologies. Pedal feel is just right and I got the impressionthat if I’d really hammered it the vehicle would have stoodon its nose.
That would have been quite a sight!
Once you haul yourself inside the Sequoia, you’re in a verycomfortable and well-equipped cabin. My Sequoia Limited (I wonderif that’s a reference to its trim level or its general appealin a time of high gas prices) featured a JBL Synthesis PremiumAudio system with Bluetooth capability, four-channel amplifier, 14speakers and steering wheel-mounted audio controls and I wassurprised to find that it’s a very good audio system, withmuch better sound than I expected. It’s a tad bassy, butthat’s easy to adjust out.
The driver’s seat offers 10 way power adjustments, though mylegs are just too darn short for me to have found the perfectdriving position, despite the tilt/telescoping steering wheel. Themiddle row is comfortable and supportive, and even the rear seats(which feature power up/down control from either inside the reardoors or inside the power-operated tailgate) are surprisinglycapable.
Fold down the second and/or third rows and you open up plenty ofcargo space. It swallowed up a 4x8 foot garden lattice we stuffedinto it, though it couldn’t lie flat.
The A pillars are quite large and that can lead to some blind spotsup front/side. I had a problem seeing a big pickup truck 90 degreesto my right at a four way intersection, which was kind of freaky.The big outside mirrors are placed well, though, and have duplicateturn signals built in.
Toyota has mounted big grab handles on the A and B pillars and theycame in really handy when I was hauling myself into the Sequoia– and for holding on for dear life once you’re in.
The automatic HVAC features three zones (two up front and one forthe rear), all of which have their own controls – includingredundant controls on the steering wheel. If that isn’tenough to keep you comfortable, there are manually-deployed sunshades on all four middle/rear windows. You can also open andclose the rear window from up front, which could come in handy ifyou’ve eaten chili recently.
My test unit also had a pretty generous sunroof, though thecontrols (one for slide and one for tilt) are a little hard tofind; they’re mounted pretty well flat into and colored thesame as the headliner.
Both front windows feature one touch up/down control.
Storage areas abound, from cup holders to little bins all over theplace.
All Sequoias come with clearance and back-up sensors (which ishandy when your vehicle’s butt seems about a mile and halfbehind you!); the Platinum trim level adds a standard back-upcamera.
Safety equipment features six air bags, including dual-stage airbags for the driver and front passenger, front seat side-mountedair bags, and roll-sensing front and rear side curtain air bags.All seating positions are treated to three point lap and shoulderbelts; the front ones also get pre-tensioners and force limitersand adjustable B-pillar anchors.
Thanks to my aversion to vehicles that approach the size of myhouse, I wasn’t really looking forward to reviewing theSequoia. Despite that, I came away with a healthy respect for thevehicle. Sure it’s big, and some may consider that a badthing. But it’s very capable and surprisingly nice to drive,which means that people who need – or who simply want –a vehicle such as this will undoubtedly find the Sequoia anexcellent choice.
The Toyota Sequoia starts at $34,150 U.S./ $44,675 Canadian. The“Limited” trim level I drove starts at $45,225 U.S./$54,200 Canadian, and the top line Platinum version starts at$52,375 U.S/ $59,900 Canadian.