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A little background
When we found out baby number four was on the way, our focus shifted away from a Tundra and on to bigger SUVs. We love the 4Runner, but if we’re honest, it’s just not great for three kids and a mix of car seats and boosters – even with the third row seating. We needed something that would suit a large family.
At the time, the only options were the Chevy Tahoe, Ford Expedition, the Nissan Armada (and of course their sister company versions), and the very antiquated Toyota Sequoia. Shortly after finding out we were pregnant again, I heard about the new generation Sequoia, and we were super excited. When the design was revealed I was ecstatic. The new Sequoia was leaps and bounds better looking than the old Sequoia, and it had all the tech upgrades too.
After making several calls to dealers and sorting through all the ridiculous mark-ups, I was able to get on several wait lists at MSRP.
During our wait, the press vehicles were being delivered, and reviewers were really starting to criticize the rear configuration of seating and storage, due to the hybrid battery packs being under the third row seating. Since we were going to have a larger than average family, I started to get overly concerned that we weren’t going to like the Sequoia once it was delivered. Of course, we didn’t have to buy it, but we were really excited, so it would have been a big bummer.
Still waiting…
After a couple months of waiting, we got a call from the dealer saying our Platinum edition hadn’t be delivered yet, but they had a Limited edition that was already sold, but delivered and if we wanted to come look at it, we were welcome to. The caveat? We couldn’t actually sit in it.
When we got to the dealer, I was ready with my tape measure. After seeing the bench seat configuration, which is not available in the Platinum trim, we were amazed how wide the bench actually was. There was no doubt at this point that we would be able to seat three kids in the second row, and our fourth in the third row. It was also at this point that we decided that the Platinum trim was no longer our first option. So we cancelled our current wait-list Sequoia and started calling around to get wait listed for a Limited with the TRD off-road package. With a great bit of luck, two weeks later, we got a call that our truck was already allocated for delivery!
So how do we like it?
Well, in short, we love it! First of all, it looks amazing. In almost 2 years of ownership, we still get compliments from strangers and most have them have still never seen one before.
Also, this truck rips! With the twin turbo hybrid setup, it is a blast to drive! Even with our upsized tires (35s) we still manage about 17 mpg mixed driving. Before the tires, we were getting 19.5 mpg mixed, and over 22 mpg on the highway!
The size has not been an issue for our family of 6, and German shepherd. There are things that we have done to make things more convenient, and at times we have had to be a little creative, but as a whole, we have no complaints at all. (German shepherd stayed home this trip!)
To be more specific, we have 2 kids in car seats and 2 kids in boosters. The two car seats are on the passenger side and middle seat of the second row. Since the bench seat is so wide, we are still able to fold forward the second row and access the third row. This is something that every single car review I had seen failed to test or mention, and something that I tell as many as I can.
Since we are a very large family, I also bought a Yakima Skybox NX18 rooftop carrier. This ensures that we can bring the dog on longer trips as well. It’s been a great addition and I would recommend it to everyone.
We mounted it to a Prinsu rack which wasn’t necessary, but something that I was adamant about buying. Because of the size of the Sequoia, the roof rack meant that I could fit a full sheet of plywood on it with no overhang at all. I spend a lot of time at Home Depot, so this was really important to me. (Those are actually 10 footers pictured!)
With the third row up, we are still able to fit our Keenz wagon stroller without issue. We also fit an Igloo 80 quart fridge freezer in the trunk as well. That does take pretty much all the space, but comes in clutch when my wife makes Costco trips during the day and still has to drive around and get the kids.
As a side note, the 120V plug in the back is nice to have but it is a little wonky, in my opinion. It needs to be turned on every time the truck is restarting. I have a larger AGM battery in my 4th gen 4Runner to run constant power, but I’m currently working on a different setup for the rear of the Sequoia using a Jackery 1000 and a solar charger for constant use through out the day, and if we’re out camping. We’ve got a long family road trip in the summer that I’m hoping to fully leverage this setup. Stay tuned!
In Summary
In summary, this has been a great option for our large family. We have not had any trouble with the size or configuration at all. If you have no need for the third row, it can easily be removed to reveal a massive trunk. If you have a need for the third row, but insist on packing a ton, then perhaps a Suburban is in your future. If you want an incredible looking piece of machinery that will comfortably haul your family with enough space (not ALL the space), then the Sequoia is for you.
