5,000 miles review of new to me 2018 Toyota Sequoia

edyvw

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Some of you know I ditched the 2021 VW Atlas bcs. windshield issue. I had topic about it and inquiry about Sequoia and V8:

So, I am not going into reasons why I ditched Atlas.
As mentioned in that thread, I eliminated some vehicles, but before buying Sequoia on 11/01/2024, I did go back and tried again some of those vehicles:
1. I Tried the Grand Highlander again: it just reconfirmed my thoughts on horrid seats in a small second row.
2. Pilot: Still smaller than Atlas, gutless.
3. Nissan Armada: I have no idea who at Nissan thought to design a family SUV in that fashion. The trunk is smaller than Atlas, the third row is drastically smaller, and the cherry on top, the second row cannot slide. However, it is longer 10" than Atlas. Absolutely makes no sense.
4. GM family: I know three people with 5.3, and two had to do lifters. That current Tahoe and transmission shifter: hell no (I constantly downshift here)
5. STellantis: just not fond of them.
6. Ford: Transmissions
7. New Sequoia: Cheap, engine issues, super small!

So, I settled on second gen. Sequoia. Problem? The more issues that 3.4TT has, the more the price of used one goes up. My neighbor bought in 2019 Sequoia limited with 700mls, and paid $45,000. My price for 2018, Limited with 64,700mls? $39,000. And I had to fly to Indianapolis to pick it up.

So, to clear the air immediately, I really like this SUV, so here is my take:

Really Good:
1. Size: It is not the largest, but it is not the smallest full-size SUV. The trunk is 66 cu ft, and the third row is really good. Independent suspension in the back (Tundra ha solid axle) provides more space and allows real seats in the third row, not something shallow like in the new Sequoia or previous generation Tahoe. The front row is so wide that I have to lean to touch the audio display. Numerous compartments, 18 cup holders, and an oversized center rest compartment.
2. Turn radius. I heard it has an exceptionally small turn radius, but experiencing is really surreal. It has a tighter turn radius than our Tiguan.
3. Suspension: The rear axle is independent. It shows. Suspension is really well dialed in for a vehicle that weighs 5,934lbs empty. It does not have that second dip that was going on my nerves in Atlas.
4. 10" clearance! We do some off-road, and this will help+locking central diff. and 4LO.
5. The engine is powerful. 381hp and 401lb-ft. It does require higher rpms, like all Toyota engines from that time, if one wants all power. But overall, very good power, smooth, though on the loud side. However, since it is V8, that is actually good :)
6. The second row is a bench. But, it is 1/3 1/3 1/3 split. That allows us to lower the back support of the central seat and turn it into some kind of captain's chair. When we need all 8 seats, we just raise it up.
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Good:
1. The engine is not as thirsty as I expected on HWY. I can go to the Arapahoe Basin ski area and back and average 16.5-18.5mpg, depending on wind, traffic, etc. From Indianapolis to CO, I averaged 18.7mpg. Of course, the vehicle, while having good suspension, is on the lazier side like any truck, so not pushing it.
2. 4WD system is Torsen. 4HI just means activating 4WD that can be driven normally at speeds etc. It can be activated until 62mph while driving, or deactivated below 62mph. 4LO and locking, of course, require stopping and N position. In snow, Torsen is, as has been always the case, excellent. However, size, or better yet, weight, limits dynamics in snow. Unless deep, I prefer BMW in those conditions, simply bcs. it is much quicker to correct, avoid etc.
3. Toyota Sense works great, although it is an older system. RCTA is actually better than it is on Atlas.
4. Buttons on the central console are big and mostly in order. The dial for the 4WD control is, IMO a bit too close to the ventilation control, but did not yet make a mistake between the two. On my Sienna, the central console was like designers played the lottery where they were going to locate buttons. Nothing made sense.

Whatever:
1. Inside plastic is hard. But not bothered. It kind of fits the character of the vehicle. I would be PISSED if I bought new Sequoia that goes for 75k+ for any meaningful equipment inside, and got the same plastic as this one, and worse, breaking seats, plastics etc. It is actually better assembled than the new one, or my 2015 Sienna. It does not rattle etc. Overall good. Could it be better? Yes. Some plastic connections are out of place etc.
2. Third-row seats are electric. Is it convenient? Not sure. They are slow, must hold button etc. Is it a nuisance? No.
3. The tailgate has two absorbers and properly designed hinges (still smaller than on Tiguan, go figure). I'm hoping I won't have bent hinges because. tailgate hit something like it did in Sienna.
4. Seats are big. But, they're just good. They are much better than the ones in my Sienna or new Highlander/Sienna. But still, nowhere near like ones in my BMW.
5. The engine warms up much faster than it did in Sienna, which warmed up slower than Sequoia even though it had a block heater. Still, pales in comparison to BMW and Tiguan. However, it is not critical like it was in Sienna with small kids.
6. It has an ignition key, not a button. I prefer a button just because, simplicity. But in 15yrs, if I keep it that long, it might be really cool thing.

Bad:
1. No steering heat. Seriously??? My 2015 Sienna had steering wheel heat. It was slow and definitely not impressive, but still, it had it. BMW has scorching steering wheel heating. Definitely prefer BMW on cold mornings.
2. Seat warmers are SUPER SLOW. I think they used at that time same warmers on all models, except Sequoia seats are thicker. It takes 10min before you feel it. Tiguan has better warmers, BMW definitely.
3. The steering wheel does not have ANY feedback. It is too light. Not sure why in the love of God it has to be that light. I am not expecting feedback like in my BMW, but with kids, you have to turn back to see if they're choking, fighting, throwing up, etc, and you cannot feel where the vehicle is going. I really loved that on my old X5. You could turn back to check the kid, hold the steering, and still feel immediately if the vehicle drifts a bit.

Really Bad:

1. Lights! I was expecting at least to be better than the old SIenna that had H11. They are, by a tiny margin. These are enclosed LED lights. They cannot be swapped (Nor fog lights). So, upgrading the bulb like I did in Sienna is impossible. I wish actually lights were H11 so I can do that monkey business and convert them to H9. Absolutely horrible. Getting out of a BMW or Tiguan with HiD lights into Sequoia is like going from day to night, literally.
2. Brakes. I expected this. They are designed in the fashion of: "you press it, we will catch up with your intentions, eventually." Front rotors are 354mm but rotor contact surface is really small. My BMW has a far larger contact surface but weighs 2,400lbs less. The only good thing is that the engine brakes good when downshifting, and I do not utilize brakes as much as I did on Sienna or Atlas going downhill. Still, some upgrades are inevitable.
3. OK, everyone knows this, and I expected it: city mpg: 11-13.5mpg.

Overall, I really like it. Yes, there are some bad things, and some really frustrating (lights especially, more so that I cannot upgrade them as they are, without adding something else on the hood etc), but overall, it fits our lifestyle of long road trips (5,000+ miles) and will fit third kid we are expecting in March (good thing about it is that I will be 60 when it starts high school. Will keep me young :)). Yes, I would love it if the new Sequoia got a BMW B58 engine that is in Supra and did not have that battery sticking or solid axle, and that it is built better, but whatever. I'm not sure who they have built that vehicle for. It is almost as if they built it for YouTube "bros" who complained about 2nd Generation Sequoia being too big for hardcore off-roading and having an independent axle that limits rock crawling at Moab.
But, this BOF setup will allow us to go further off the road, maybe some serious off-roading, to get to some cool places like Ophir Pass, etc.
So, we are keeping it for sure. It got 18" snow tires. 20" I got on the car have one more summer of life, after that downsizing to 18" for summer too and getting Michelin Defenders or maybe even AT2.

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Nice review. Do you have an upgrade plan for the brakes?
At least Pagid pads, metallic ones. They improved the brakes on my Sienna big time.
Not sure about rotors. They were issue on Sienna. here, front are new ones. Still holding on. No vibrations.
 
My in laws are somewhat vehicle shopping and this is what I suggested to them. I’ve always liked these.

I suppose the next best thing if one had to buy new is the Nissan Armada? (If one can get over the fact it looks like Dr. Seuss designed the body.)
 
Very nice vehicle, hopefully it serves you & your Family safely & reliably for a long long time. Granted the 5.7L are on the thirsty side but you known that going in. Hence why I only drive my 5.7L on the weekends for putting around or when duty calls.
 
I've always loved light soft steering. Guess it's something you either love or hate.

But it's odd that the led lights aren't that bright. Maybe mod the existing fog lights or replace them for led units for more downthrow? There are automotive lighting businesses that can do that. Some are combined with audio shops so maybe look for a place with good reviews near you, there's bound to be one.
 
Good review. Thank you. We rented a Sequoia for a family trip a number of years ago. My impression was that despite its age it was the better choice than the Tahoe or Expedition. The value on these will hold until people have confidence in the new (somewhat weird looking) version. Just like the 5th gen 4Runners are bringing stupid money.

I also think the Sienna may be an outlier for Toyota. Friend who is a die hard Toyota guy had one from the 08 period and his experience was bad. But the trucks are generally very good. And yes certain things on a BMW are better but to play devils advocate, why can’t my favorite German car company make valave covers that don’t leak. I may have just had the ones on the M60 dome for the fifth or sixth time in its lifespan, and the BMw mechanics I know tell me the newer ones aren’t much better. Fantastic engine, smooth like new, uses no oil after 180k miles but my German cousins cannot figure this one out! But joking around aside I think every brand has its foibles, it is a question of whether the trade off works for the owners. Most people who I know who have owned Toyota trucks swear by them, I think this will be a good vehicle for you and the family. Use it in good health.
 
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Good review. Thank you. We rented a Sequoia for a family trip a number of years ago. My impression was that despite its age it was the better choice than the Tahoe or Expedition. The value on these will hold until people have confidence in the new (somewhat weird looking) version. Just like the 5th gen 4Runners are bringing stupid money.

I also think the Sienna may be an outlier for Toyota. Friend who is a die hard Toyota guy had one from the 08 period and his experience was bad. But the trucks are generally very good. And yes certain things on a BMW are better but to play devils advocate, why can’t my favorite German car company make valave covers that don’t leak. I may have just had the ones on the M60 dome for the fifth or sixth time in its lifespan, and the BMw mechanics I know tell me the newer ones aren’t much better. Fantastic engine, smooth like new, uses no oil after 180k miles but my German cousins cannot figure this one out! But joking around aside I think every brand has its foibles, it is a question of whether the trade off works for the owners. Most people who I know who have owned Toyota trucks swear by them, I think this will be a good vehicle for you and the family. Use it in good health.
On 5.7!valve cover also leaks. My friend here has Tundra and he warned me to check it bcs. it leaks on drivers side but internally, so you have to remove spark plugs to check it.
Here is something I found out after buying it. Leaking transfer case around actuator. Super common. You must take down transfer case to replace it, otherwise it is common to damage internal gasket doing it.
On 2GR-FE timing cover is leaking. Engine has to get out in most models.
So, I think there is a lot of perception about things going around.
There is no such thing as vehicle that doesn’t break. In many cases, people ignore issues.
I like this truck. Has character. Built well. I hope we keep it for a long time. I don’t want to change family vehicle soon. I have to buy M2 with stick in the future 😂
 
I've always loved light soft steering. Guess it's something you either love or hate.

But it's odd that the led lights aren't that bright. Maybe mod the existing fog lights or replace them for led units for more downthrow? There are automotive lighting businesses that can do that. Some are combined with audio shops so maybe look for a place with good reviews near you, there's bound to be one.
I have to do something. I have astigmatism and bad eyesight. For example when I was buying E90, I was looking for a year one as HiD lights without iDrive with stick were uncommon.
Here there was no option. When it is dry and light are clean, it is OK. But rain and bit of dirt is seriously compromising effectiveness.
 
Yes. I mean if you had just bought a Sienna... Just kidding. LOL.

Hope your new ride works out for you.
I went to check Armada bcs. you suggested it.
While I personally like it, it is far less practical. But new one? IMO it will steal traditional customers of Sequoia.
 
I have to do something. I have astigmatism and bad eyesight. For example when I was buying E90, I was looking for a year one as HiD lights without iDrive with stick were uncommon.
Here there was no option. When it is dry and light are clean, it is OK. But rain and bit of dirt is seriously compromising effectiveness.
That's not good. Definitely look for a lighting shop or similar and ask about getting those existing fogs removed and replaced with high power led ones for more throw. Not the bulb conversion ones those usually suck. Maybe even get extras mounted in the middle of the bumper if they say it can be done without much hassle. It's the one with the kids after all.
 
My in laws are somewhat vehicle shopping and this is what I suggested to them. I’ve always liked these.

I suppose the next best thing if one had to buy new is the Nissan Armada? (If one can get over the fact it looks like Dr. Seuss designed the body.)
Armada was inside too small. Outside, it is longer than Sequoia. Go figure.
But Armada is much cheaper. If third row size is not a priority, I would definitely consider it.
 
That's not good. Definitely look for a lighting shop or similar and ask about getting those existing fogs removed and replaced with high power led ones for more throw. Not the bulb conversion ones those usually suck. Maybe even get extras mounted in the middle of the bumper if they say it can be done without much hassle. It's the one with the kids after all.
Yeah, I am going probably with extra lights mounted down so it doesn’t bother other drivers.
 
That Toyota will last a long time. Our ‘01 Tundra is barely broke in at 220K, or there abouts. And it ain’t for sale. Brakes are kinda chintzy so plan ahead.
 
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