This is the new Toyota Sequoia and it has to replace, not only the ancient previous gen Sequoia, but now since, Toyota isn’t selling it in the states anymore, this has to replace the Land Cruiser
So we’re going to hit the highlights both good and bad
The 2023 Toyota Sequoia…This one is the Capstone
Which means it’s the luxiest, Lexusiest one you can get…and it’s really nice, but nothing is perfect so let’s talk the best and the rest, starting with the rest
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BAD:
1 – Chrome
As a millennial I have sworn an oath to hate chrome in all applications.
And while I don’t love chrome as a styling concept, I have to say if they were going to pull it off, it would be here with this wind chill pearl paint
You’ve got chrome on your grille
On your hood
Your front bumper
Wheels
Wing mirrors
Door handles
Window treatments
Lower door runner
Roof rails
Rear mustache
Sequoia lettering on tailgate
And rear bumper
It’s my generations responsibility to hate it, but i have to say it’s tastefully done here
2 – Ride shutter
The ride on here is generally pretty nice for something of this size and weight and being a body-on-frame truck based SUV
That’s largely thanks to the fact that on the Capstones you can get the 4 corner adaptive suspension
AND you can get the rear air lift
For the most part the ride is comfy
The cabin is quiet, until the engine revs to life and the speakers start playing V8 noise at you
The steering is light and fine
And the visibility is pretty good for something this size
HOWEVER, when you come to small or medium sized bumps it reminds you that it’s a truck
And a truck with a solid rear axle
The back end will shutter around more than I’d like it to and more than something like a tahoe or Grand Wagoneer with their independent rear suspension
The ride is pretty good..but could be better
3 – 2nd row folding
The 2nd row itself is quite good and we’ll talk about it in a minute, but there’s an issue with how the seats fold out of the way so you can get to the third row
The seats fold and hinge so if you have a car seat in the second row you either have to remove it or get in through the oher side
Or climb over it through the weird center pass-through
4 – No 4Auto setting
I will say, this new Sequoia is shockingly modern for a Toyota
They couldn’t get away with just sticking the iForce V8 in from last gen and shouting RELIABILITY at every argument
EVERYTHING here is new and way more modern than you’d expect from Toyota
Until you get to the 4×4 setting
Everything else offers a full time 4WD setting or a 4Auto setting where the computer will rear wheel sensors and engage the front wheels if it detects slip
Not here though, good old classic part-time 4WD
A little annoying
But there’s a lot of good things happening here so lets talk about those
GOOD:
1 – New chassis
This, along with the Tundra and incoming Tacoma…and incoming 4Runner, and the Lexus LX, and soon to be the GX all ride on the new generation of Toyota truck chassis
They call it TNGA-F and it’s a big deal
It’s stronger and more rigid AND it’s HUNDEREDS of pounds lighter than the last gen
Which means better fuel economy and better towing capacity…9500 lbs for this guy
2 – “Badass trucks”
There’s an easter egg on the windshield that you’d probably never notice
It says Toyota trucks on it with a mountain which in itself is pretty cool
But you’;ll notice the dots surrounding it aren’t all the same
They’re actually morse code and what it spells out is, and im not kidding
“Badass trucks”
Hilarious and I love it
Also under the hood there is a R&D in MI and Born in TX easter Egg
3 – Power & fuel economy
Unlike the sister Tundra, this Sequoia can only be had with 1 engine configuration
It’s the iForce Max powertrain
Yes, I knwo we’re all sad about the 5.7 iForce V8 leaving, but this new iForce Max powertrain is really impressive
It’s a 3.5TT V6 tied to a hybrid system
The hybrid motor generates 48 hp
And that tied in with the gas engine the total output becomes
437 hp and 583 lbft
That is SERIOUS power
All that power goes through a 10 speed transmission
And this week i’ve gotten over 20 mpg combined
That’s way better than the V8s in the Tahoe and Yukon
And yes you CAN get a diesel version of those, which will get better fuel economy
HOWEVER, then you’re having to get diesel which can be annoying
AND those diesels are down over 100 hp and over 100 lbft
So this is a properly impressive mill…oh and each Sequoia gets the blue toyota logo in the grille since they’re all hybrids
4 – Looks
I know I complained about the chrome on this thing, but from a styling perspective it’s so handsome
I love the more boxy geometric shape
The front end with the big grille looks expensive and intimidating
The profile looks VERY Lexus LX
And the rear has strong lines and design
Overall a really handsome design which you don’t always see from these 3 rows…WAGONEER
5 – Luxury stuff
You get proper luxury stuff on this Toyota like
Power running boards
Really nice white leather
Real wood
A pano roof
Huge screens
Full color HUD
Heated and cooled seats FRONT AND BACK
Heated steering wheel
Window shades for 2nd and third row
I mean, we were just in the Escalade V the other month and this feels almost on that level from a feature and material presective
6 – Trunk stuff
Crazy trunk customizability
battery is under 3rd row seats
nickel metal, not lithium (so its bigger)
can slide third row seats forward/back
third row reclines
electric buttons for third row up/down
shelf storage for trunk
house outlet in trunk
Rear glass opens indep but doesn’t slide down
7 – Interior design & materials
We touched on this a minute ago, but i want to revisit it on it’s own because i think it deserves it
The build and material choices in here are genuinely premium or luxury tier
There are materials and build facets on this Sequoia that are better thna the Escalade we had in November
I love the two-tone white and black leather
The open pore wood feels expensive
I think the only thing holding it back from a true luxury designation is if some of the silver or chrome plastics were aluminum..that’s really it
Really impressive interior from this Capstone
8 – Screens & tech
We’ve talked these things to death on the Tundra and they’re great here as well
You’ve got a nice big digital cluster
It doesn’t offer a LOT of customizeability, but the graphics look nice and are helpful
You’ve got a nice full color HUD
But the main event is the massive 14 inch infotainment screen
wireless ACP & AA
wireless connection did get finicky on me a couple times (can be wired)
OTA updates
double bluetooth connection
quick, great graphics
360 cameras are really nice
You do still get the useless egg mode which idk wy they do this
You also have toyota’s latest safety suite which is still one of my top 5 systems
9 – 2nd row
The second row on the Sequoia, especially i nthe Capstone is really impressive
The second row seats don’t slide and you have marginally less room than in the highlander, but that could simply be thanks to the plush and cushy Capstone seats
But I still have plenty of leg and headroom at 6’1
I’ve got map pockets
I’ve got chargers
I’ve got climate controls and vent
I’ve got heated and cooled seats
I’ve got a nice pano roof making it feel spacious back here
AND I have sun shades
The only weird thing is this center console between the seats seems odd
10 – 3rd row
And then the third row can either be the best or the worst in terms of space
If you have the seats slid all the way back into the trunk even i have great legroom at 6’1
If you need more trunk space you’ll lose legroom of course
The battery for the hybrid system is under the third row here so my knees are a little high, but how often will you have adults back here
I also have a USBc back here, but just on one side
I have window shades
I can recline
And i have climate vents and cupholders
11 – Price
We’re going to talk about this in specific terms of the Capstone here
As Tested this Sequoia is just over 80 grand which is BIG money for something with a toyota badge
HOWEVER when i think about i’m getting here in terms of
The new chassis
The towing capacity
The power
The fuel economy
And then all the features and that the interior materials are on-par with Escalades…which are easily over 6 figures now
It starts to make em think this is actually kind of a bargain..which is a weird thing to say about a 80k toyota
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Outro:
So that’s it, that’s the best and the rest of the Toyota Sequoia, at least in Capstone here
Overall, I’m really impressed with this thing
It’s such a gigantic leap forward from the old one
Its powerful
Its efficient
It’s packed to the gills with STUFF
And it’s wrapped in a really nice interior
Well done Toyota…thanks for letting me have a go!