Great SUV w/ a few drawbacks

Author's Rating:

Pros: Quality and Comfort

Cons: Gas mileage, limited rear visibility

Handling And Control:

The Bottom Line: 
Toyota's legendary quality and drivability are showcased in the Sequoia SUV. This is a large SUV you should definately test drive if you're shopping.

Author's Review
Toyota Sequoia SR5 4 wheel drive

Purchased a 2001 Sequoia SR5 4x4 over the Labor day weekend last year. Got it from a fleet dealer and financed through Toyota Financial Services. 0.0% financing for 3 years w/ no down payment. Couldn't pass that deal up. I beleive Toyota runs this every year, at different times in different parts of the country. It is a great deal, first time there was not a cap on the amount borrowed, keep your eye out for this if you want a great financing deal.

So far we are thrilled with the Sequoia. We have a 96 4Runner which we love but we also now have a 1 year old baby. Our first road trip in the 4Runner convinced us that we needed something bigger. Well the Sequoia is bigger, a lot bigger. Took a little while to get used to driving it, watch those sharp corners in the parking lots...I ran over 2 the first week. But beyond the following cons, I can't beleive how much fun this truck is.

Con #1: Poor visibility out the back. The large side mirrors are just about all there is to work with when backing up and making lane changes so you have to pay attention. I don't like using mirrors, mirrors lie, but we're getting used to it.

Con #2: Getting just under 14 mpg in the city. Thankfully we don't have very far to drive in our small town and highway driving has increased the average but coming from the smaller 6 cyl 4 Runner, this is an adjustment. I have to say the V8 is nice though!

Con #3: The gear shift lever is on the steering column...I really do not like this. Maybe it is from years of driving the 4Runner with the shift lever on the center console, but it is really awkward. It also gets "wet" from the air conditioner vent which happens to be right next to it. We'll see haw this turns out over the years.

Now for the pros...

Pro #1: Love the interior room...so much it is awesome. The nice thing is being able to put the baby seat in the center and having more that enough room for two rear passengers on either side.

Pro #2: The configuration of the rear seats is great. You can access them from the passenger side rear door by flipping up the seat and climbing into the way back. The far rear seats also fold up nicely or come out completely for lots of storage room. My friend has an Expedition and hates his rear seat because it does not fold up nicely and he has no place to store it if it comes out.

Pro #3: Nicely appointed with CD player and 6 speakers, dual zone A/C and Heat (control are in the back), privacy glass, roof rack, power windows and locks, auto off headlights, power captain's chairs, remote door locks and security system...and a lot more. We are really please with all the details included.

Pro #4: 4x4! Well, haven't used it yet, but will do in the next month or so....easy to operate though, all push button.

Pro #5: Big and safe....that was another factor in our decision. Side curtain airbags are also available, we didn't get them though.

Pro #6: Drives great...I keep finding myself at 75 or 80 on the highway because it is so smooth and quiet. Couldn't do that in the 4Runner, you could feel it. In the Sequoia it is a nice smooth, quiet ride.

By the way, we were looking at the Highlander and found the cargo area to be smaller than the 4Runner we have. Think carefully about this, if you think you need room, you probally will. We do a lot of trips on the road and needed something we could put all the baby gear (stroller, play yard, toys, etc...) and still have space for our own bags. With the Sequoia, we have space for the dog and 2 more passengers at least.