Toyota Sequoia reviews

2003 Toyota Sequoia Driving Impressions

Piloting the Toyota Sequoia on the open road is a pleasure. We love the smooth and powerful V8 engine. It's a marvel of a power plant, and this truck needs all of its 240 horsepower. The transmission, too, was seamless in operation. With such a long wheelbase and significant overall heft, the Sequoia delivers a comfortable ride on all types of roads.

Yet while our Limited was almost as luxurious as a Lexus, it wasn't nearly as quiet. Wind noise at highway speed wasn't obtrusive, but the cabin wasn't as hushed as a Lexus LS 430 sedan we recently drove.

The brakes work well, and come with Brake Assist. Brake Assist detects panic stops and increases brake pressure automatically to help reduce stopping distances.

There are two controls to activate the optional four-wheel drive system. The first is a simple button, located fairly low in the center of the dashboard. Pressing it will put the vehicle in 4 Hi, good for driving on snowy or slippery roads. It can be engaged on the fly without having to stop the vehicle. A traditional-looking shift lever between the front seats activates 4 Lo, a creeper gear used for extreme off-road use, such as descending a very steep hill.

Speaking of steep hills, Sequoia's active four-wheel traction control (TRAC), which comes standard on four-wheel-drive models, made it easy for us to drive straight up a set of moguls on a dry, gravel-covered ski slope at Big Sky, Montana. Instead of modulating the throttle, we simply held the gas down, and the Sequoia walked right up the hill, transferring torque to the tires with the best grip. Drop it into 4 Lo, and the system automatically locks the center differential for go-anywhere capability. Two-wheel-drive Sequoias come standard with rear-wheel traction control, though, obviously, they won't offer the mogul-climbing abilities of the four-wheel-drive models.

The skid-control feature, which is standard, helps the Sequoia maintain stability should it lose traction and begin to slid sideways. This electronic stability program selectively applies braking force to individual wheels to stop a skid, and it can really help you avoid an accident.

A two-wheel-drive Sequoia is rated to tow up to a 6500-pound trailer, while a 4x4 is rated to pull a 6200-pound trailer. Yet another new option for 2003 is a seven-pin towing connector that is compatible with electric trailer brakes.

Sequoia's luxury and comfort come with a price at the gas pump. The EPA says to expect only 14 mpg in city driving and a paltry 17 mpg on the highway. Forgoing 4WD ups the highway figure to 18 mpg. As you'd imagine from a vehicle of this size, the Sequoia is not easy to park. Parallel parking this hulk in downtown Austin, Texas, proved to be a humbling experience.