2007 LA Auto Show: 2008 Toyota Sequoia

I like the front, love the drivetrain and the features offered but I was really hoping for a slight altering of the driver portion of the dash. Also from the C pillar back, it strongly resembles a Sienna which is not a good thing for a "tough" SUV image...cough Durango cough.

Does he really believe that line about people who buy these things "need them?"
 
Really, I'm pretty sure all of about .01% of the population "needs" an SUV like this one.
 
Frankly, I find it offensive that Toyota, the folks who supposedly care so much about the environment, insist on producing such polluting vehicles. I guess the prius really is just a marketing stunt.

Did they have to use the Tundra's interior? That 3-tone doesn't look good no matter the vehicle.

I agree with beckcommar. Although I'm not sure the prius is just a marketing stunt. Vehicles like these are problematic with the amount of gas they consume.

Everyone I know with a full size SUV has a use for it (families and something large to tow mostly). Of course I don't live in LA but then most people don't.
 
It's actually produces very little pollution too. Even V8's are incredibly clean engines these days.
 
I agree about the interior. It just looks wrong.

There are people that use full-size SUVs, beckcommar, so please don't assume that only .01% of the population does. I do think, however, that full-size SUVs don't near have the purpose that full-size pickups do, and also think that there are more people driving large SUVs that don't need them than there are people driving large pickups that don't need them. Anybody agree with me on this?
 
As for the Sequoia itself, it doesn't look as bad as I thought that it would, anybody here know if it's going to offer a long version or a 4.7L V8 version by any chance? I think that the interior is just wrong, to be honest with you. The heavy duty pickups from Ford, Dodge, and GM have better looking interiors. This thing looks like it was designed by someone who lives twenty-five years in the past or something, to be honest with you.

Umm, I'm pretty sure lots of families get by without a full size SUV. Just "having a use for" a big SUV doesn't make it a "need."
 
Just because I can think of a use for a solid gold welcome mat doesn't mean I "need" one.
 
As far as the pollution, a Plug-in hybrid car would reduce the AVERAGE american driver's emmissions by 85 percent.
 
I guess that doesn't make V8 engines sound clean to me.

everything (exept the 5.7l V8) about this thing is absolutely ghastly!

In the Inside Line "First Drive" the author writes...
 
"The 4x4 Sequoia's 13 mpg/18 mpg rating is better than all its SUV rivals except GM's two-mode hybrids (20 mpg city/20 mpg highway)."
 
The non-hybrid GM 4WD full-sizers get 14/19 MPG, so the 4x4 version of the Sequoia is also second to the Tahoe.

"Umm, I'm pretty sure lots of families get by without a full size SUV. Just "having a use for" a big SUV doesn't make it a "need."
  
Just because I can think of a use for a solid gold welcome mat doesn't mean I "need" one. "
 
Awww, I don't buy that argument at all. If everyone just bought what they "needed" then 95% of us would be driving 3 cyl Geo Metros.
 
You don't need an expensive hybrid to get good mileage, just a simple light car. Nobody "needs" automatics, power windows and locks, nav systems, AWD, V6 engines, wide high performance tires, A/C and anyone of a dozen other things that work together to increase fuel consumption. People work hard for their money and want more then the basics, that's the way it is.
 
And while I like the idea of plug in hybrids, they will have little overall effect on emmisions as the electricity to charge the batteries has to come from somewhere. The clean and easy hydro sources are used up, the extra will come from nuclear and coal which is worse then oil.

One of the things that I love about hybrids is that you can have things like AC and a navigation system and still get great gas mileage. Hybrids aren't cheap but that's not my most important criterion in buying a car. I think the prices will come down (relative to other cars) as the technology becomes more common. With the rising price of gas, they may become the most economical choice.
 
What I really want, though, is a plug-in hybrid. It's true that if all the electricity comes from coal, it doesn't help as much with emissions. But a lot of electricity is now being generated with natural gas, which is cleaner than oil or coal. Increasing use of wind and solar will help much more. Since plug-in hybrids can usually be charged off-peak, they are great in an electrical system that makes a lot of use of renewable energy sources like wind.
 
I wish I was going to be in LA to see RAN convert a Prius to a plug-in in less than a day. I guess I'm going to have to be satisfied with the pictures in their blog, http://understory.ran.org/2007/11/14/ran-at-the-la-auto-show/.

1) Very few vehicle purchases have ever been made strictly based on need. Style and image have ALWAYS been big factors for most buyers. Until Big SUVs go out of style, which they probably are in the process of doing, folks will keep on buying them.
 
2) Need comes in many forms. I've talked to a lot of families in my neighborhood, and the need for safety drives many into big SUVs. OK, perhaps its perceived safety, as these giants aren't that nimble, ESC or not. And they more easily tip over thanks to a high(er) center of gravity. Then again, reports regularly come out saying that bigger vehicles fare better in car-to-car accidents. The visibility aspect of seeing the road better weighs in here too.
 
Car companies are not in the business of changing behavior, whether they have a Prius in their lineup or not. Consumers choose what they buy. Automakers build what consumers choose. Until a large number of people start making different choices, large SUVs will continue to sell. The minute they fall out of favor, they're dead. How many families do you see in full size vans or station wagons? They were hot once too.

These are need vehicles.
Plenty of upper middle class, upper class families own enough equipment that needs towing and hauling.
I know quite a few of them.
And remember, when you see one on the road not towing, that's normal. Do you expect an owner to attach a boat to the truck 24/7, and get 8 mpg at all times?
mpg drops way below what the EPA lists when towing, especially an object that wasn't meant to be aerodynamic above water.
 
Other than that, the fullsized and midsized CUVs are also available, and are taking over the market.

If people made automotive choices on need there would be no "middle-class crunch". People buy what they want. What families need is space for 4 or 5 with luggage. What they want to fill that need is a big ole SUV. I try to show people with this need a minivan, and the younger couples look at me like I just sprouted a third arm out of my head. Minivans have become the new station wagon. Which is a shame as the Sienna is a fantastic van, and the best riding vehicle in Toyota's fleet.
 
Toyota will be bringing a plug-in hybrid to market, it's not a matter of "if" but "when". What I would really like to see is a diesel plug in, and I'd like to see more cars produced for American buyers with diesel motor options.
 
On the Sequoia, Toyota is trying too hard to appeal to younger buyers. That's the reason for the highly contemporary interior which is not a favorite among any of the buyers. Hopefully, a redesign is in the works.

Okay, Toyota is now officially on my Sh!t List.
 
Banned for life.

Bob is also pretty hostile to tough questions about CO2 emisssions. Here's a video featuring him batting a camera out of my hands instead of answering a question: http://youtube.com/watch?v=D-8kv44EI5Q

Really, I'm pretty sure all of about .01% of the population "needs" an SUV like this one.
  
I disagree and agree. There are a lot of people outthere who need a full size SUV. Or else GM wouldn't be doing so well. But I'd guess 1 out of every 5 who pushes that Armada/Yukon doesn't do anything more than the typical minivan driver would. They drive full sizers for flash. Those people could be driving a GMC Acadia.
  
Do the Americans have anything to worry about? For starters, this thing is UGLY! And the interior pales in comparison to the Tahoe/ Yukon. The GMs don't have the independent rear suspension, and the Expedition doesn't have the power, but they both look better. And I heard this is HUGE. Can't wait to read the comparion test.

Most of the people I see with SUV's in my neighborhood really dont need them as a minivan or larger sedan would suite most.
 
My mother is one of them. She is 50 years of age, single, retired, ownes a liquor store, has nothing to tow or haul yet drives a 2002 Lexus LX470. She tells me that she likes the added feeling of safety over a car and she wouldnt be caught dead in a minivan. On the contrary, she does drive our 2005 Odyssey Touring from time to time as she keeps our 5 children occasionally on the weekends. I think she secretly likes it but shes not going to admit it.

Yea this thing is ugly just like the camry,and i bet it will not sell just as the camry have a hard time selling, Wait!........ Never mind.

This blog entry is too carefully written, and off base. Any other gas hog that comes out gets the third degree but somehow this one dodges the bullet.
 
"As expected, the 5.7-liter V8 engine from the Tundra and Land Cruiser is underhood. Even though it makes 100-plus horsepower more than before, its fuel economy is 12 percent (2 mpg) better"
 
The 5.7 compared to what? How about the base 4.7 has worse gas mileage. While I'm at it, why no mention of the 4.7 at all?
 
"Even though the overall length is only 1 inch longer than the outgoing model, the space for passengers and their stuff has grown 4 inches longer."
 
How about there's more interior space in the outgoing model.
 
Not saying at all that you need to trash the Sequoia - It doesn't deserve it and would you ever anyway? - but keep your talk straight. Report it all and let's not hide the details that may show the weaknesses of a particular vehicle. I feel you're misleading the public here to increase the interest of a devoted following. No one should have to comment with a question of whether the 4.7 is still being offered. I'm a bit unnerved at this post.

Whoa there. The blog post is but a first impression of the particular Sequoia unveiled and talked about by Toyota at the LA show - a 5.7-liter model. Another editor had driven the 2008 Sequoia a few weeks before and had written a more detailed Inside Line first drive article.
  
Even so, we won't be able to fully scrutinize, test and pass judgment on this beast until we know what they cost and we get one back on home soil. Stay tuned.

WHO NEEDS A LARGE SUV?? People like me, and I'll explain why so all you LA greenies without families can understand. I have a family of 6 which rules out ANY type of car, I must have 3rd row. We enjoy outdoor activities such as camping and dirt biking as a family which requires pulling a trailer to the destination. That rules out a minivan. My ONLY choice is a large SUV and this Sequioa not only gets the best gas mileage of all the large SUV's but it's also got the most room and has an ULEV engine with the most power available in any SUV which really comes in handy pulling a trailer.
 
Hybrids are a joke to me. My Toyota Corolla gets nearly the same gas mileage as a prius, has more room, more power, doesn't require a $3000 battery after a few years, and looks a lot better...oh and it's a lot less expensive. You can never make up the extra money you spend on a hybrid, so financially it's irresponsible which is why I won't own one any time soon if ever.
 
The way many families such as mine are buying large SUV's yet still being environmentally conscious is by offsetting a large SUV purchase with a small 40MPG car such as my Corolla which we drive 80% of the time. We only drive the large SUV when we need to take the entire family or lots of stuff. It's a great compromise that many people are starting to adopt.
 
BTW...all you people thinking a plug in car is so much better for the environment aren't thinking about the big picture. The majority of our electricity comes from coal which not only pollutes, but the means to getting the coal is extremely dangerous killing many people every year. And think about this, if tomorrow everyone went out and purchased a plug-in car we wouldn't have enough elec to power our homes and businesses any longer and this country would have serious problems. As it is California often needs to steal elec from surrounding states because it cannot produce enough to meet demand.
 
Like everything there is a balance to it all. I'm glad people who recognize they don't need a large gas guzzling vehicle are willing to spend the extra money on a hybrid. For the rest of us we have our own ways to minimize our gas consumption while still owning the vehicles we need/enjoy. And of course there will always be the people who have to drive the biggest, most powerful, gas guzzling vehicles just because they can. And that's fine too, to each their own.

You can fit your family in a Highlander Hybrid.
  
(or even a Tahoe Hybrid)
 
As far as greenhouse gases released, a plug-in car (hybrid or full electric) is a far less polluting than a straight ICE car.
 
13 mpg is an embarrassment.

Looks good.
 
They could have made the interior nicer, but the rest looks nice.
 
Highlander is nice, but the 3rd row doesn't split fold and is tiny. It also can't tow the way a Sequoia can.

The highlander hybrid is much smaller than this vehicle and cannot tow squat. Its not a replacement for a large SUV. 7 can barely fit in the Highlander and with the 3rd row up you wont be able to fit squat behind that row on a road trip.
 
The only replacement for a vehicle like this is a Tahoe/Yukon hybrid- period. Not a PRius, not a CR-v, not a Civic hybrid or Escape hybrid.

This is one vehicle that manages to be both offensive and offensively boring, style wise. Not to mention, from the looks of Toyota's record with the Tundra, its durability might not stand a chance next to the Tahoe and Expedition (check the latest surveys). Sure it's powerful as all hell, but that's not all that matters to some. Oh...and yeah how did Toyota let GM beat them to a sophisticated hybrid full-sized SUV??? This is the market that needs fuel saving technology the most.

Wow. There are a lot of whack jobs trying to spew their environmental drool on this forum. Take it elsewhere, because if I want to buy a Sequoia, I will, even if it gets 2 gallons per mile.