2012 Toyota Sequoia

The 2012 Sequoia is available in three trims, namely the SR5, Limited and Platinum. The three trims are well separated from each other in terms of price, features and will cater well to different types of buyers. All the trims come with refined engines and offer very good performance on road and off-road with available AWD configuration. 

Which trim should you buy?

We suggest going for the Limited trim as it gets most of the features of the top trim and is cheaper by about $7,540. You also get a more powerful engine than the base SR5 trim and larger 20-inch alloy wheels as well. You also get access to the JBL Synthesis music system. 

The 2012 Sequoia SR5 is powered by a 4.6L V-8 engine which outputs 310 hp and 327 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed shiftable automatic transmission and comes in a rear wheel drive configuration. The Limited and Platinum trims get a larger 5.7L V-8 engine which outputs 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque. 

It is also mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission and comes in RWD configuration as standard. You can opt for an available AWD configuration in all the three trims. The performance from the base engine is good and it does a 0-60 mph sprint in 8.6 seconds and a quarter mile drag is done in 14.8 seconds

The Suburban and Yukon are more powerful options in the comparison. However, they come with larger engines and accelerate faster than the Sequoia. The Sequoia comes with the smallest engine in its base trim, yet it offers similar power figures as that of the rivals. The Expedition comes with the largest engine in terms of cubic capacity and offers the same power output as that of the Sequoia. 

The 2012 Sequoia is a giant and a fuel guzzling one for sure. It offers 14 mpg, 20 mpg and 16 mpg, in the city, on the highway and in combined driving conditions respectively. With a fuel tank capacity of 26.4 gallons, it can travel up to 370 miles, 528 miles and 422 miles, in the city, on the highway and in combined driving conditions respectively. The efficiency is less compared to its rivals with a bigger engine. 

The Expedition offers the same efficiency as that of the Sequoia but owing to a larger fuel tank of 28 gallons, it can travel upto 448 miles on a full tank of gas in combined driving conditions. The Suburban is equipped with a fuel tank of 31.0 gallons and can travel up to 527 miles on a full tank in mixed conditions. The Yukon can travel only 442 miles owing to a smaller fuel tank capacity. 

The 2012 Sequoia is a large SUV and that translates into better interior space too. It can seat up to eight passengers across its three rows. The dashboard is well laid out with all the necessary controls but reaching out to them might be difficult for some people. We expected the quality of the parts to be more premium but sadly that's not the case. The materials are built to last but lack the soft touch and feel. 

The seats are comfortable and wide. Even the third row seats offer decent headroom and legroom. The good thing is that It gets many features like trizone climate control system, good infotainment system, fabric trimmed or leather trimmed seats, keyless entry system, optitron instrumentation system, rear seat DVD entertainment system etc. As you climb up the trim ladder, the list of features increase and pamper you.

The 2012 Sequoia is a full size SUV and offers good cargo capacity behind the third row seats. Even the legroom is decent across the second and third row seats. The Ford Expedition provides better legroom in the third row. The Suburban provides a very commendable cargo capacity of 45.8 cu-ft which is excess for most users. The GMC Yukon comes with the least cargo capacity and third row leg space. 

Some of the standout infotainment features of the 2012 Sequoia are:

• Keyless entry system
• Optitron instrumentation
• Leather trimmed seats (Limited and above)
• Power tilt/slide moonroof with sliding sunshade
• Leather-trimmed and heated front seats (Limited)
• Ventilated front seats (Platinum)
• Trizone climate control system

. How intuitive is the 2012 Sequoia’s infotainment system?

The infotainment system in the Sequoia is a pretty basic one and comes with some necessary features too. The features like AM/FM/CD player with MP3/WMA playback capability, SiriusXM satellite radio, AUX input, USB port with Ipod connectivity and bluetooth hands-free phone capability and music streaming are offered as standard in the base SR5 trim.

The Limited trim is equipped with a JBL Synthesis audio system with 14-speakers including subwoofer, 6-disc changer and remaining features of the SR5 trim. The Platinum trim gets support for voice-activated touch-screen DVD navigation system and integrated backup camera, in addition to the features on the Limited trim. 

Some of the standout infotainment features of the 2012 Sequoia are:

• AM/FM CD player with MP3/WMA playback capability
• SiriusXM satellite radio 
• JBL Synthesis with 14-speaker setup (Platinum and Limited)
• Voice-activated touch-screen DVD navigation system (Limited)
• Backup camera (Limited)

The 2012 Sequoia is the bigfoot of the SUV segment. It’s based on the Tundra pick-up truck and it seems very similar from its exterior dimensions too. The front fascia imbibes a bold trapezoidal grille and two subtle multi-reflector headlamps come with auto on/off feature. The front bumper incorporates fog lights for better vision in adverse weather conditions. The sides are a plain affair without any visual drama and the roof rails grant it a rugged look and it is functional as well. The rear profile looks good with a vertical opening tailgate and two well designed taillamps. 

The 2012 Sequoia is one of the bulkiest SUVs of the lot and it comes with class leading ground clearance of 9.9-inches. However, the Suburban is the longest one and comes with the longest wheelbase in its class. As a result, it can offer better cargo capacity than its counterparts. The Yukon and the Expedition are well balanced options too with respect to ground clearance and wheelbase.

Some of the standout exterior features of the 2012 Sequoia are:

• Roof rack
• Running boards
• Privacy glass
• Windshield wiper de-icer
• Power liftgate with jam protection 

The 2012 Toyota Sequoia is equipped with Toyota’s Star Safety System, an advanced suite of driver assistance features like vehicle stability control, traction control, ABS, EBD, brake assist and smart stop technology. The Toyota Sequoia also gets front and rear crumple zones and side-impact door beams surrounding the passenger cabin for added passenger protection. The available active and passive safety features work in conjunction to ensure a safe drive for you. 

Some of the standout safety features of the 2012 Sequoia are:

• Star Safety System
• Blind Spot Monitor (Platinum)
• Trailer sway control 
• Side-impact door beams
• Tire pressure monitoring system
• LATCH system
• Front and rear parking assist sonar (Limited and Platinum)

The 2012 Sequoia is not an ordinary SUV. Be it the size, engine, performance and fuel guzzling capacity, it’s all gargantuan for the Sequoia. The Sequoia doesn't try to show-off and does exactly what it's meant to do. It provides good comfort across all the three rows, drives well and is reliable as well. However, the interiors could have been better and more premium at its price point. It is equipped with many standard safety features from Toyota and ensures your peace of mind. So, the 2012 Sequoia is worth buying in our opinion.