Road test: 2010 Toyota Sequoia 4×4

AT A GLANCE

FOR

• Easy to drive
• Comfortable
• Masses of space

AGAINST

• Plasticky interior
• Challenging to park
• Very fuel thirsty

SUMMARY

The Sequoia is a massive SUV that’s surprisingly easy to drive. It’s very family-friendly with loads of space inside. We’re impressed with its practicality and performance, and although the quality of materials inside is slightly disappointing we’ll forgive it as there’s so much car for the price. As long as you have a big garage and don’t mind a fairly hefty fuel bill, the Sequoia is an admirable full-size SUV and with its 4×4 features should be able to cope with some off-road action too.

PERFORMANCE

On the road, the powerful 5.7-litre V8 propels the Sequoia along nicely even though it weighs a substantial 2,260kg. The gearbox is an unremarkable six-speed automatic that does the job without being particularly impressive or awful.

The big change in this Sequoia is the four-wheel drive function. The driver can switch between rear wheel and four-wheel drive in high or low ratio and there’s a locking centre differential, as well as adjustable ride height  – it’s certainly got the kit to be able to venture away from the tarmac.

Confession time: we didn’t have the opportunity take it off road, but we did talk to someone that had. They described it as capable, but said there was no hiding the bulk, which occasionally caused it to bog down in heavy sand. Hopefully in the future we;’ll have a chance to try the car on the rough stuff; if so, we’ll update this article.

HANDLING AND RIDE

For a car of this size, handling is really good – the Sequoia feels solid and stable on the road and around bends, although there’s a fair about pitching and rolling during cornering, even with the air suspension set to the stiffest Sport setting.

The ride quality is brilliant – the Sequoia will soak up anything you run over. We took it on a route that encompasses one of the worst speed bumps we’ve found in Dubai and there was barely a ripple.

The turning circle is also impressively tight; our fears about how easy such a massive vehicle would be to pilot around town were unfounded. The only thing to keep in mind is the car’s weight; should you have to brake suddenly, its considerable bulk suddenly makes itself known, which can be a nasty surprise. It’s a compliment to the Sequoia’s engineering that its mass is so well disguised most of the time.

COMFORT

Part of the Sequoia’s raison d’etre is comfort and it’s very good at being a nice place to spend time. The seats don’t have a vast amount of lateral support, but don’t be fooled by the Sport suspension setting – this is not a sporty machine. It’s a car to waft around in and it has a massive interior.

The dashboard design is unremarkable and the quality of materials leaves a little to be desired. While it’s well screwed together, the interior is largely comprised of hard, scratchy plastics that feel a bit cheap. On the other hand, the car is so massive and so much material is needed that the cost cutting is entirely understandable. Everything’s very easy to use.

There’s plenty of space in the back. Our test car had two captain’s chairs on the second row, with space for three on the third row. The car is also available as an eight-seater in the lower-level SR5 and Limited grades, with a three-person bench on the second row.

PRACTICALITY

The Sequoia’s sheer size means that it’s hugely practical in terms of hauling people and belongings around. Even with all three rows of seats in action there’s still boot space, and each row folds flat to give you loads of room for transporting goods or equipment.

There are storage spaces all over the car, most notably an enormous space under the centre armrest, where you can even hang files should you so wish. The lid has space for pens, tissues and other day-to-day items. There are two large cupholders up front, spaces in the dash, massive door pockets and a table between the two second row seats. We couldn’t ask for much more.

The downside to this space is that the car is very bulky – if you’re considering buying one, check the size of your garage and practice your parallel parking.

FEATURES

Toyota has done its best to fill the Sequoia with equipment – if you’re looking for a particular feature then it’s probably here. We drove the top-of-the-range Platinum Luxury model which rides on 20-inch alloy wheels, a sun roof and powered tailgate, as well as air suspension and a remote engine start, which proved useful in firing up the air conditioning before we got in.

Our only main complaint would be that the included satellite navigation screen is too small and hard to see, especially when wearing sunglasses. It is easy to operate, however.

The stereo has an auxiliary slot for MP3 player connection and other features include Bluetooth phone connectivity, cruise control and a parking sensors front and rear. Triple zone air conditioning and ventilated leather front seats are greatly appreciated during the Arabian summer.

Other trim levels available include the SR5, Limited and Platinum Premium.

SAFETY

The Sequoia comes as standard with front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist as well as VSC (electronic stability control) and traction control.

Crash test information wasn’t available for the Sequoia at the time of writing, save for a four-star rollover test rating from the US, which puts it towards the top of the SUV range in that category of safety.

COSTS

The entry-level Sequoia starts at 159,000AED, although the fully Platinum Luxury we tried is 225,000AED. That’s quite pricey when compared to other behemoth SUVs like the Nissan Armada (181,000AED) and Chevrolet Tahoe (185,000AED) but exactly the same as the not-as-good Cadillac Escalade EXT. Indeed, we’d rate the Sequoia as a better car than all of those.

With a combined fuel economy of 16.8 litre per 100km, the Sequoia is not exactly frugal on the fuel. But what else did you expect from a V8-powered, four-wheel drive behemoth? Such economy gives the Toyota a range of around 600km from its 100-litre fuel tank.

Toyota offers a three-year, 60,000km warranty on the Sequoia. Major servicing is due every 20,000km and will cost between 1,000AED and 1,500AED at the time of writing.

2010 Toyota Sequoia 4×4

Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Max power (bhp/rpm): 381/5,600
Max torque (Nm/rpm): 544/3,600
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
riven wheels: Four-wheel drive
Kerb weight: 2,660kg
Price (AED): From 159,000 (225,000 as tested)

Tags: 2010 Toyota Sequoia 4x4, Road Test, Sequoia, SUV, Toyota