We drive the 2020 Toyota Sequoia

2020 Toyota Sequoia

The current Toyota Sequoia has been with us for over 10 years. The Sequoia has been one of our favorites with its roomy interior and powerful engine. It remains one of the few full size V8 SUVs that you can buy and if you need something big then the Sequoia could be the one for you. We tried one and wanted to see if we still like the current version.

If you want room, the Sequoia is for you. Choose from SR5, TRD Sport, Limited and Platinum and TRD Pro in two-wheel or four-wheel drive. Sequoia offers lots of room at every grade.

The Sequoia interior is a quiet, comfortable space for the family to spend time on the road. The overall design and exterior features have been shaped to minimize wind noise, which helps keep the cabin serene. This is an excellent family road trip vehicle. Wide-opening rear doors ease passenger ingress/egress and child seat installation.

Seats fold flat

When folding the second- and third-row seats flat, the Sequoia can swallow up to 120.1 cubic feet of whatever needs carrying – even objects up to 11 feet long. Extra-large cup/bottle holders outnumber passengers two to one which is something that the kids will appreciate.

The versatile 40/20/40 split second-row bench-type seat allows a variety of combinations, augmented by a seat-slide adjustment range of 5.9 inches.

The middle row folds flat and there’s a one-touch easy-slide feature to make it easy for passengers to enter the third row. In place of the standard center bench-style seat, second-row captain seats are available for a 7-seat cabin which is a poor decision in our opinion.

The third-row seat, which is fully hospitable for adult humans, is split 60/40 and can even recline. The third row also easily folds flat, a task made even more convenient by the power tilting and folding feature.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]The rear liftgate features a power rear window that features auto up/down, jam protection and defogger, and opens up a huge cargo area. The independent rear suspension plays a large part in allowing for the third row’s roominess, which offers adult-size legroom. Second-row legroom is full-size sedan-like at 40.9 inches.

Sequoia’s power comes from its dual-overhead cam 5.7-liter, which produces 381 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 401 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,600 rpm. The V8 is paired with a 6-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission and only requires 87 octane fuel. That is a good thing because you will need a lot of fuel since the Sequoia is rated at 13 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway (18 mpg with 2WD).

If you want to tow, you will appreciate the big V8 and the 6000 pound curb weight. You need big to tow big and the Sequoia can tow up to 7400 pounds. The Sequoia’s standard tow hitch is integrated into the frame as a single unit for added strength and durability. Tow/Haul mode modifies shift points for optimal towing performance, while standard Trailer Sway Control uses the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) to help counteract handling forces that can lead to trailer sway.

It's big

A standard rearview camera helps when parking or positioning a trailer. The backup camera is displayed on the 6.1-inch high-resolution touchscreen display.

The Sequoia is a great vehicle and there is nothing wrong with it but it is starting to look old. The competition offers more power and better efficiency. As an example, the Ford Expedition gives you more power, four more gears in the transmission, gets better fuel economy and can tow up to 9300 pounds.

What’s cool about the Sequoia could be its charm and classic Toyota reliability. The old school engine and transmission are proven with millions on the road and the bugs have been worked out. Repair costs are also much lower than the new high-tech machines.

The Sequoia is an expensive machine with prices starting out at just around $50,000. Go with the higher trim levels and you can hit $65,000 for one.

At those prices, you are better off buying a Highlander which is a lot cheaper but the Highlander can’t do many of the things that the Sequoia does and that is what makes the Sequoia so special.

Technical Specifications