2019 Toyota Sequoia

Toyota offers the 2019 Sequoia in 4 trims: SR5, TRD Sport, Limited, and Platinum. RWD comes standard along with an available 4WD. Even the base trim comes packed with a generous amount of practical features like High and Low Beam with Automatic on-off, LED headlights with integrated Fog lights, 18-inch alloys, tri-zone climate control, power tilt and slide moonroof with sliding sunshade, 8-way, and 4-way adjustable driver and front passenger seats, multi-function center console, and much more. 

The flagship Platinum trim is packed with 20-in. diamond-cut-finish alloy wheels, JBL Premium Sound System, perforated leather seats with 10-way power-adjustable driver seat, and Captain’s chairs. All trims come with an option of either a rear-wheel drivetrain or a four-wheel drivetrain. The 4WD version costs about $3000 extra and proves to be quite practical for people living in snowfall-prone areas.

Which Trim should you buy?

As all the trims are powered by the same 5.7L V8 engine, the Limited trim offers better value as it comes fitted with many modern-day features. It adds features like a Power Liftgate with jam protection, Premium Audio System, Leather-wrapped 10-way power-adjustable driver, and 4-way front passenger seats. More importantly, it adds Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) and Lane Departure Alert (LDA).

The 2019 Sequoia is powered by a 32 valve DOHC 5.7L V8 engine mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission. This duo generates 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque. The 5.7L V8 engine helps the car reach 60mph from rest in just 6.6 seconds, and covers a quarter-mile at 15.5 seconds. Moreover, it can tow a hefty 7400 lbs.

Talking about the engine’s behavior, the power delivered by the capable 5.7L V8 blows you away and makes it so fascinating to drive. Inside the city, the SUV is friendly, calm, and functional. Also on the highways, it can munch miles all day long. At high revs, the engine throws a throaty note which can be heard inside the cabin but never gets annoying. One of the reasons why the engine feels so potent is because of its rugged nature. The 4WD system opens up and shows excellent off-roading potential.

The Expedition is the most expensive car in comparison while the Armada costs the least. All the cars are offered in RWD configuration as standard along with V8 engines. The Expedition is an exception as it comes with a twin-turbo V6. The Sequoia leads the pack as it gets the largest engine, followed by the Armada and Tahoe. However, the 2019 Expedition offers the best performance figures on paper as well as on-roads.

How well does the 2019 Toyota Sequoia handle?

If you happen to look at the Toyota Sequoia, acknowledging its muscles, curves, and hefty body, it's natural for you to think about the challenging maneuverability and handling. Well, yes, the big boy weighs 5,695 lbs. which is more compared to all its rivals. The hefty weights tend to show its demerits in handling; it has excessive body roll because of its weight and body-on-frame design. 

This affects it in taking uncomfortable curves and corners as the body roll becomes more noticeable. However, in off-road conditions, the SUV excels as it comes blessed with an elevated 10-inches of ground clearance, approach and departure angles of 27 and 21 degrees respectively. The steering feels light at slow city speeds and gains good heft at highway speeds. However, the steering wheel does not provide much feedback to the driver.

2019 Toyota Sequoia Braking Performance

The 2019 Sequoia comes equipped with 13.6 and 13.9-inch disc brakes. Nevertheless, the braking performance of the Sequoia is poor, with noisy and delayed emergency stops. It is hardly as good as its rivals. However, for daily commutes in the city traffic, it is responsive and efficient. The brakes come fitted with ABS, EBD, and Emergency Brake Assist and can bring the car to stop from 60 mph at a prolonged 130 feet.

The Sequoia is the heaviest car in the comparison and its bulky weight shows its drawback in the 60-0, despite being equipped with decent-sized brake rotors. While on the other hand, the Expedition leads in braking despite being similarly heavy, followed by the Chevy. The brake pedal offers good and progressive feedback but can feel wooden under hard braking situations.

The 2019 Sequoia is offered in 4 trims and all the trims come fitted with the same engine. It offers 13,17,15 MPG in city, highway, and combined driving cycles respectively. Acknowledging the engine performance the SUV offers, the mileage is on the lowers side but the presence of a large tank helps it with an admirable range. 

There are a couple of factors that affect the fuel economy of the Toyota, first the engine power, which is on the higher side, and secondly the high curb weight. In terms of mileage, Ford and Chevy are the joint winners. Thus, if you are looking for an efficient family SUV, the Sequoia is not meant for you.

The 2019 Sequoia can seat 8 people and the materials used on the inside exude good levels of quality. The seats of the SR5 are wrapped with premium quality Easy Clean Fabrics. You also get an 8-way power-adjustable driver seat and 4-way manually adjusted front seats. The seats are wide, supportive, and well-cushioned. Moreover, the rear seats can be folded in 40/30/40 splits which increases more cargo space. Additionally, as you buy the higher trims, the seats come covered with Premium Leather. 

You also get heated front seats in the Limited trim and Perforated leather, heated and ventilated front seats in the Platinum model. The cabin also features an Optitron instrumentation cluster, a Multi-functional center console with two cup holders in the front and rear, two 12V power outlets, armrests, and storage compartments. The SUV offers 18.9 cubic feet of trunk space which are accommodating enough to house all the passenger’s belongings and other essentials. The seats can be folded to get additional cargo space of 120 cubic feet.

All the SUVs come in an 8 seater configuration, with the Chevrolet Tahoe offering the best passenger head and legroom, while the Sequoia trailing at the bottom. However, the 2019 Sequoia offers the best additional trunk space, and the Expedition offers the best standard space. Standout interior features in the 2019 Toyota Sequoia include:

• Automatic three-zone front and rear climate control with an air filter.
• Perforated, Heated, and Ventilated 10-way power/4-way manual leather-wrapped front seats.
• Second-row perforated captain chairs
• Perforated Leather-wrapped 60/40 split seats.
• Optitron instrumentation cluster
• Leather-trimmed tilt/telescopic steering with essential controls.
• Multi-function center console with two front and two rear cup holders

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The Infotainment Unit of the 2019 Sequoia now looks a decade old. You get an antique 6.1-inch touch screen; what’s worse is the lack of Android Auto and Apple Carplay support. However, it is offered with a straightforward UI and the presence of control knobs makes it easy to operate. 

The standard features include satellite radio, HD radio, an audio system with an 8-speaker configuration, voice recognition, Bluetooth, and a couple of USB ports. As you go up the trim ladder you get a premium audio system that supports navigation with Entune App Suite, Siri Eyes free, JBL Audio System, and 9” rear seats display with audio system and Blu-ray Disc player. Standout infotainment features in the 2019 Toyota Sequoia are:

• 6.1” touch display
• Satellite and HD radio
• Premium Audio System by JBL
• 9” display with Blu-Ray CD player and Audio System at the rear
• Bluetooth hands-free
• Entune Navigation System
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio with 3-months trial

The 2019 Sequoia doesn’t flaunt anything new, the overall exterior looks decade old and conservative compared to the modern design silhouettes of the Expedition and Tahoe. Despite trailing a decade in terms of styling and appeal, the 2019 Toyota Sequoia is well appreciated for its muscular looks. The chassis is mainly made of galvanized steel sheets which offer a Herculean appeal to the SUV.

Gossiping about the features, the exterior comes fitted with a high-low beam LED headlight with an auto on-off feature, integrated Fog Lights, 20” diamond cut finish alloy wheels, Power tilt/slide moonroof with sliding sunshade, TRD Sport Performance shocks and sway bars, power liftgate with jam protection, and many others.

In comparison, the 2019 Sequoia is the heaviest, tallest, and has the best ground clearance while the Armada being the lightest. The Sequoia and the Expedition are built with large wheelbases and ground clearances which make them both great for off-roads and adventures. Standout exterior features:

• LED high- and low-beam headlights with auto-off feature
• Integrated LED fog lights.
• Power tilt/slide moonroof with sliding sunshade.
• TRD Sport performance-tuned Bilstein shocks.
• TRD Sport performance-tuned sway bars.
• Power liftgate with jam protection.
• 20-in. diamond-cut-finish alloy wheels.

The Toyota Sequoia is based on a rigid and well-constructed chassis, which is mainly made of high-grade steel. The main body consists of a frame that is further strengthened with side impact beams and pillars. The wheels come fitted with ABS, EBD, and EBA. Apart from these, some best-in-class Active Safety and Driver Assistance techs play a crucial role in safeguarding the vehicle and the passengers. It has received four out of five stars from the NHTSA while the IIHS has not crash tested the Sequoia yet. Standout safety features:

• Star Safety System.
• Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection.
• Lane Departure Warning with Sway Warning System.
• Automatic High Beams.
• Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.
• Blind-spot Monitoring System with Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
• Front and Rear Parking Sensors.

2019 Toyota Sequoia vs 2019 Nissan Armada

Both the SUVs come with a similar capacity engine with similar performance figures, the 5.7L V8 and 5.6L V8 respectively. However, the Nissan Armada trails in cabin space and features. The cabin of the Toyota feels more well-made, airy, and practical. Additionally, the Sequoia has more safety tech and better off-road capabilities than the latter making it more preferable.

2019 Toyota Sequoia vs 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe

There are attributes where both the SUV shines and are distinct. The Toyota offers better performance, better standard and additional trunk space, and an airy cabin. Whereas, the Chevrolet Tahoe offers better standard features, sophisticated looks, better entertainment, and mileage. The Sequoia still feels like a more polished product out of the two.

2019 Toyota Sequoia vs 2019 Ford Expedition

The Ford Expedition is worth every dollar you spend, because of the superior towing capacity, better features, comfortable cabin, powerful twin-turbo V6 engine, and superb-looking chassis design. The 2019 Expedition is the class-leading winner here and trumps every other SUV in the segment. Thus, the Sequoia stands no chance against the Expedition.

The Toyota Sequoia comes unchanged with no improvements whatsoever. The decade-old chassis design looks pleasing but it’s a matter of choice. Also, the 5.7L V8 performs well and is capable enough. The Sequoia is a popular choice when it comes to interior space and off-road potential. However, the Expedition is priced at just $3000 more than the latter and offers better looks, a more refined engine, superior mileage, better safety make it the most preferred SUV in the market.