Review: The 2024 Toyota Sequoia is a beast — and very hairy

Oh, Toyota, where art thou? 

So much has changed with the brand, it feels hardly recognizable anymore. Where naturally aspirated, simple machines once stood, turbocharged, hybridized and electronically controlled beasts now stand. And honestly, we’re not sure how we feel about it. 

We’ve driven just about all the new Toyota trucks at this point. And here’s the truth: Every one of them has had issues, including lights on in the dash. That’s something a Toyota from 2015 would have never dreamed of. One Tacoma straight-up died on us in the Rocky Mountains. Cut power, dead. A paperweight at 9,000 feet. 

Photo by Jason Bell

The new Tundra is fantastic but very loud, and it drinks just as much gas as its former V8 generation. The new Tacoma likewise is excellent, but it’s also smaller inside and less efficient than the previous generation. The new Land Cruiser is also awesome, but it’s tiny inside and isn’t any more efficient than a fifth-generation 4Runner. Are you catching a theme here? 

The same can be said for the new Sequoia. To quote Paul Hollywood, “It’s a bit stodgy.” For the past two years, we’ve spent more than two weeks with the new Sequoia, and it's a head scratcher. It looks amazing, but it still feels raw and questionably conceived underneath the skin.

Here are some things we loved and were puzzled by about the 2024 Toyota Sequoia Platinum. 

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Pros

So much power

The No. 1 selling point of the new Sequoia is the motor. All Sequoias are only available with Toyota’s hybrid iForce Max twin-turbocharged V6 engine, and woof, it’s burly. It produces 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque.

The torque is just always there and a joy to exercise. And boy, if you like engine sounds, this is the motor for you. Perhaps never before have we heard so much whooshing, whistling, blowing and whining. It's a cacophony of mechanical noises that some will love and others will loathe.

Photo by Jason Bell

Brutal, beefy styling

Most people I meet who tell me they want a new Sequoia do so because of how it looks. This thing looks fantastic. It’s big, but not too big (more on that in a minute), and looks uber tough, burly and aggressive — perfect for those carpool drop off lanes. Regardless of trim, there’s no doubt that Toyota did a great job with this truck's exterior styling.

Nice seating position

Whenever we drive a new generation Sequoia or Tundra, we love the seating position. It just feels right. The height of the armrests, steering wheel and buttons — everything feels great and natural.

Photo by Jason Bell

Good room for four

For four people, this is a good rig. There’s a lot of space up front and in the second row, and with the third row folded down, there is plenty of space for gear and groceries. However, this is a vast SUV just for four people, and that’s where the Sequoia starts to show its cards.

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Cons

Third row and cargo space is limited

Unfortunately, the third row is best reserved for smaller humans. There’s a decent amount of legroom, but due to the higher floor (the hybrid battery is mounted beneath) and lower ceiling, even an average-sized adult body brushes the ceiling. It’s not ideal for adults, but it is doable. 

Photo by Jason Bell

However, the third row's most disappointing aspect is its effect on storage space. With the third row up, there is virtually none. Toyota provides a shelf you can use to make the most of the limited space, but still, if you need the constant use of a third row and hope to use the cargo area for more than a few small bags of groceries, this is not the SUV for you.

Poor fuel economy

Much ado has been made about manufacturers leaving their V8 motors behind for more efficient offerings. And perhaps, in ideal circumstances, these new motors are more efficient. But in real-world driving, motors such as the new Sequoia’s sip a lot of fuel, and in some cases more than their old V8 counterparts.

During our week with the Sequoia, we drove it all over, putting 280 miles on it. While the estimated combined fuel economy rating is 20 mpg, we only averaged 15.7 mpg. The best we ever saw was 20 mpg on a commute to Cottonwood Heights from Bountiful. That number is disappointing and will only net you about 320 miles on a full tank.

Photo by Jason Bell

Harsh ride

The Bilstein shocks included in the TRD Off-Road package contributed to the Sequoia's puzzling driving experience. It rode rough and wasn’t all that pleasant around town or on the freeway, and it’s a far cry from the comfort that something like a Tahoe or Suburban offers. 

Uncomfortable seats

Springing for the Platinum trim gets you genuine leather seats, but after 9,000 miles of testing, it was evident these seats had seen better days. The leather was already very creased and the cushions were compacted flat, offering little comfort or support. It was disappointing to see and feel seats that looked 10 times older than they were. 

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Photo by Jason Bell

Flimsy interior materials

For just about $84,000, the Platinum Sequoia felt much more like an SUV costing $40,000 less. The interior is full of plastic, and much of it jittered and rattled about during testing.

It’s enormous 

While the Sequoia may be shorter than some of its rivals, it certainly makes up for it in width. It’s substantial. Compounding the width problem is the absolutely enormous optional tow mirrors. They are huge and create significant blind spots. Unless you are towing regularly, do not buy the tow mirrors. Visibility is already enough of a challenge in this rig. The last thing you need is a moose antler tow mirror obscuring what little view you have.

High price 

Our Platinum tester priced out at just over $84,000. That’s a lot of dough for a compromised, three-row family hauler. And the truth is, there are other family haulers for the same price or less that do the job much better in almost every category. 

Even with the optional TRD Off-Road package, which adds a bunch of fabulous off-road goodies, the Sequoia is impossible to take off-road thanks to the low-hanging front air dam, which offers mere inches of ground clearance.

Final thoughts

The new Sequoia is a complicated machine, both literally and figuratively, and a bit of a tough sell. If you only need space for four people, love the exterior styling, don’t mind the poor fuel economy and material quality and are willing to pay a premium for it, you’ll really enjoy the Sequoia. 

The new Sequoia isn’t a bad car, it’s just in some serious A-list competition. Its engine and styling are incredible, as is the hope for Toyota reliability. And for many buyers, that will be enough.

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Highs

• Powerful motor

• Capable of towing up to 9,520 pounds

• Spacious interior for four people

• Off-road capability, if you remove the front air dam

• Advanced safety technology

Lows

• Limited cargo space

• Tight third-row seating

• High price point

• Rough ride

• Gigantic tow mirrors

*KSL Cars does not endorse any vehicles. The views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views or opinions of KSL.com or its employees.