3rd Gen Sequoia

So what do we know about the 2023 Sequoia so far?

It looks to share the same platform as the 2022 Tundra and Land Cruiser.


[Trim: Limited]

​

[Trim: Capstone]

Overall, I like it.

The interior looks like a substantial upgrade over the current model in the front.


[Trim: Capstone]

But the middle and 3rd row look cheap to me.


[Trim: Limited]


[Trim: Limited]


[Trim: Limited]

Look how close that headrest is to the back glass!

The TRD Pro seems to sport the usual suspects.


[Trim: TRD Pro]

Including TRD skid plate

[Trim: TRD Pro]

and Fox suspension

[Trim: TRD Pro]

Since the new Land Cruiser isn't available in the US, it looks like Americans will have the option of the Lexus LX (for a true LC alternative) or the new Sequoia for those who prefer to keep the Toyota nameplate (or can't afford an LX) and want the same engine/transmission/frame combo.

Outside of a few cheap looking features in the rear half of the vehicle, I think Toyota did a good job.

I've seen two sources (cnet and Car and Driver) that suggest the new model should be available starting in the Summer of 2022 and start out around $50k.

Per Car and Driver, it'll be available in SR5, Limited, Platinum, TRD Pro, and Capstone models starting at around $50,000. CNet suggests that there will also be a TRD Sport and TRD Off-Road trim available on the SR5 and Limited models

 

Looks like the dropped the limited slip center diff and went with a center transfer case (so now it's locked in 4x4 like the Tacoma / Tundra...maybe with that much power the tires will slip in mall parking lots rather than bind up?), they went back to a solid rear axel (weird call, but if the hybrid batteries under that 3rd row already killed the leg room, sticking with the TNGA-F platform's solid rear axel will save cost and maybe not affect ride too much??) and the rear window doesn't slide all the way down any more.

None of that is a dealbreaker for me with the interior & drivetrain upgrade and if that 3rd row is easily accessible with 2 car seats in the 2nd row....we'll see what the fuel economy comes back at and if my wife will bite.... wish me luck haha

 

Good to know. I thought I read somewhere that it was an independent rear suspension. Where did you see a solid rear axle? Also, the rear window doesn't roll down anymore? That's a bummer.

The rear seats look inferior to my current Expedition. As previously stated, I miss my 4Runner and would love to get the family hauler back in a Toyota. The Ford is lacking in some other areas.

 

Somebody on Tundras.com saw the solid rear axel on this post:
https://www.tundras.com/threads/i’m...to-the-2022-tundra.95477/page-14#post-2605423

and then a couple websites like Road and Track specifically mention it:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a38887672/2023-toyota-sequoia/

 

Cool! I thought I read that it had independent rear, but I can't find that now. I actually prefer the solid rear axle to that of an independent rear.

 

I have to admit, people for years have recommended the sequoia to me as I needed something with more capability than a 4Runner but couldn’t justify the overall cost of buying (new) a land cruiser. I always hated the way they looked but I actually really like what I’m seeing with this version. I’m still waiting to see what comes about with the Lexus gx series (rumored gx550) but I’m in the same boat of those who may bite on this platform…seems to check a lot of the boxes, tho I’m curious to see what the real world mpg is on the new tundra and this sequoia

 

My wifes T4R with a 3rd row is pretty close. Looks like as large as the Sequoia is, they could have had more cargo space behind that 3rd row for safety reasons

 

Yeah. That aspect reminded me of the GX platform. I looked at those because I wanted to keep it in the Toyota/Lexus family, but the GX was a hard pass due to 3rd row configuration.

 

I, well my wife, went from a 4Runner to a Honda Odyssey when we had our 3rd kid. Fitting 3 car seats across the back bench of a trail edition didn't seem feasible. In hindsight, I might have looked at the more expensive european child seats. Even still, 3 kids on the same row ALWAYS ends in fighting, hitting, screaming and crying. Not good for the driver.

The Odyssey tried to kill my kids. No joke. The sliding door would only open/close automatically. None of that old school "throw the door open" like we had when we were kids. Well, several times we came out from the store to find that a door had automatically opened. Well, turns out, it would get closed enough that you would think it was closed and then reopen. No telling how many times we went into a store with the door open (but locked ). Honda put some grease on the track and tried to tell me that there wasn't a problem. It continued to happen and they refused to fix it despite there being an obvious problem that we were able to demonstrate to them. So much for Honda quality and/or warranty. The final straw was when the door decided to close and lock itself in the Georgia heat of summer with my 3 kids strapped in car seats....locking my wife out in the process. Thankfully, she was able to disassemble the key fob and get the part out so that she could manually unlock it. Otherwise, she'd have had to break a window.

So we traded the Odyssey after only 6 months on a new 2019 Expedition. It was the obvious choice. Big and roomy, reasonable gas mileage for the size and they were on a great end of year sale. 2.5 years later and I've decided that Ford has a very lackadaisical quality control department. I still like it for the most part, but I have no problem getting a first edition 3rd gen if the new Sequoia is even remotely close in price.

 

Canadian Order Guide has been leaked.

http://www.reddit.com/r/toyotasequoia/comments/tzzvnl/2023_sequoia_ordering_guide_complete/

I currently have a deposit on a TRD Pro.

No sunroof for TRD Pro - Yes!

Second row captain seats - Deal Breaker.

Unless we get the second row bench option in America, I’m telling my sales guy to roll the deposit to Corolla GR.

Yeah, makes sense. Let's do a big SUV and then put captain second row so if you want to carry 5 people you will lose your third row cargo space.

 

I'm gonna cross post here from Tundras.com....


somebody school me on the specifics of this hybrid drivetrain.....

my understanding is that it's a battery-powered electric motor sandwiched between the engine and the transmission.....The electric motor is there for all the extra torque over the non-hybrid version that's in the Tundra and some energy efficiency..... The truck can move on battery-only power under certain conditions like stop and go traffic under 18mph, so that's a type of "parallel hybrid" vs the small-ICE-engine-recharges-a-battery-that-powers-an-electric-motor-to-spin-the-wheels "series hybrid"..... does / can the truck run in ICE-only mode without the electric motor, and if it can, when the battery inevitably fails in 15-20yrs will it brick the truck temporarily or will I still be able to run ICE-only? Sure the engine can fail in that time too (what's a wastegate? lol), but I am know plenty about that. If I'm going to slap down $70k on a new Sequoia, I at least want to know what I'm up against in the long run.

 

You know I've been looking more and more into these but I still can't get a real feel for what they're going to look like top to bottom. If I read the reddit docs right, Limited and TRD Pro are similar and then Platinum and Capstone are similar. You can only get the bench seat (instead of captains chairs) in the limited and SR5 models. I tried to see if there was a tech upgrade for the SR5 but it doesn't seem like it. I swear it is always this way with Toyotas where I want a blend of options that may not cross over exactly.

Also when looking at the Toyota website and picking between the different models (just for viewing purposes), it seems like the TRD Pro and the Platinum are the only ones which remove the chrome trim in leu of black trim (which is something I really want because I LOATHE chrome). I'll be really curious to see the actual product once they're more readily available bc I was thinking I was going to go the Plat route, but I really want the bench seat. Sucks the roll is out going to be slow and expensive for anyone who wants to try to get one without overpaying or buying site unseen.

 

that's a huge bummer. It would be awesome in the Platinum

 

I've got calls into two different dealerships to let me know pricing when available.

 

I had a 2003 Honda Pilot EX/DVD leather that cost me $32K in 2002. When I purchased my 2021 TRD Sport, my threshold was $40K.

From what I reviewed, price range for the 2023 Sequoia is between $50K-$70K.

The TRD model starts at $66K.

I'm not looking for another SUV but I will say, this is a very expensive vehicle.

 

same. It’s not likely I get one before September bc I’m going to have to see it before I buy it (plus I’m not wanting to mess around with the current or projected interest rates.

probably underestimates too. Likely going to have a lot of “market adjustment” on the first round of vehicles

 

It's possible, but from what I have seen, the new Tundra is very competitively priced. I suspect Toyota will do the same with the Sequoia, as they need to get them on the streets so that people start seeing them in the wild. The Sequoia has always been a bit of an under-performer in the sales department, so I don't think they will price themselves out of the market.

The Capstone will be more than $70k, but I'm sort of expecting the SR5 to be in the $50-55k range before options. Considering the Ford Expedition and Chevy Tahoe start out around $60k and won't get the same gas mileage as the new Sequoia...the new edition "big tree" should get a fair amount of sales.

FWIW, we were sort of forced to buy a Ford Expedition in 2019. Based on the market at the time, I was able to get a brand new twin turbo ecoboost for about $48k (retail $60k. That's about 20% off) due to dealer incentives and factory promotions. Since the "global chip shortage of 2020" is still ongoing and the demand has far exceeded supply, dealerships are not offering the same incentives. Ford has not done the same deal the last 2 years, but it was basically an annual thing before then.

The last 3 years have been eye opening. Things that were never a consideration in our previous Toyotas are considered "normal" and "acceptable" at Ford. The Expedition has blown 2 shocks in under 45k miles. The door glass shattered when the door was closed and the window was down. It shifts incredibly rough and many have had transmission issues with the 10-speed. There's something else that I remember thinking was major at the time, but I can't remember it right now. Only one of the two shocks was covered under warranty. I'm out over $600 in just parts that have had to be replaced outside of warranty on a vehicle that I had hoped would last 15-20 years.

There's a reason that I'm considering a first year, new generation Sequoia and getting out of the Ford that is using at least the 10th year on this motor. The quality just isn't there.

Unfortunately (or fortunately because it keeps me in the Taco), that means my new truck budget is going to get redirected to the family hauler again. I'm just very thankful that my Tacoma has been so reliable over the years and that it doesn't need to be replaced. Otherwise, I'd be considering that new Tundra.

 

Unfortunately my Tacoma is going to be the casualty here when it comes to my update to a newer vehicle. My wife is really getting into campers and our current NoBo 10.5 is getting outgrown. We go to pick up a 19.8 in the next few weeks, which is a lot more to have to tow. The numbers still put it under what I see people tow here on a regular basis, but I had been looking at getting 4runner (loved my previous '08 and '17 versions) and trading in or selling the Tacoma. Since the 4Runner is even worse at towing, my focus has changed to the sequoia, which is why I'm here. I'd also been looking into the Explorer, which my family has had a lot of luck with them being great vehicles. So that's great info on the Expedition being a problem child of sorts, since I don't want to tow at the limits of an Explorer and had been looking at the Expedition too.

My guess is that unless I'm willing to pay a couple grand over MSRP (I'm not) then I'm likely out on getting something this year unless companies find a way to fill up their dealership lots again or I get lucky with the right dealership. I just want to see one in person more than anything, so I can get a feel for what model I may want. I am a little iffy on what the camo print on the TRD Pro (interior and exterior) will really look like. I have a feeling like once I see it, I'll hate it.

 

If your future involves campers, (when you mention wife, that's a hint moving forward) by all means get what you want.

When I purchased our new Honda SUV, I went "all-in" on a top-of-the-line model in 2002 ($32K).

In today's market, that amount has doubled + $13K.

At least, evaluate/validate your requirements and get something in the mid-level: Platinum or TRD Pro. If you're going for the "Gusto", do the Capstone...that will put you in the $77K range.

But if you're on a budget, the SR5 and Limited are still an option.

Good luck if you move forward with a Sequoia.

 

I was kind of planning on the SR5 w/ TRD Off Road package, but then I read that it won't have the ventilated seats. I've come accustomed to the ventilated seats on longer drives. I'll say that I use it WAY more than the locking differential, but I like having both (in the Expedition). Hopefully I can have both in the Sequoia too, but didn't look like it from the leaked images on Reddit.