2022 Toyota Sequoia Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The Sequoia made its debut as a 2000 model and last got a complete makeover for the 2008 model year. The 2022 Sequoia continues that second generation into its 14th year, a very long time for an SUV to remain in production without substantial changes. There have been incremental changes over the years, to be sure, but the 2022 Sequoia is without question a mature design.

Designers will tell you that "good taste never goes out of style." The Sequoia's exterior bears witness to this maxim. While grilles and wheel arches have grown on other SUVs, the Sequoia manages a middle ground with a modestly sized grille, elegant wheel arches, and relatively unadorned body sides with proud, straight lines. The Sequoia looks big in person. It is 1,956 millimetres tall, 2,030 mm wide, and 5,210 mm long, riding on a 3,099 mm wheelbase. With 32 centimetres of ground clearance, its optional running boards are welcome for driver and passengers alike. 18-inch to 20-inch alloy wheels (depending on trim level) fill the wheel wells nicely.

Inside, it's not easy to be forgiving of this SUV's age, as design trends have left the Sequoia looking a bit dated. Where wrapped, stitched, and layered dashboards are now the price of entry, the Sequoia looks a bit flat and old-fashioned. Most 2022-model SUVs wear iPad-sized infotainment screens on their centre stacks. The Sequoia's 7-inch touchscreen looks like a token from another era in comparison. Some would say the same about the 4.2-inch TFT driver information screen in the centre of the analog instrument panel.

Time-warp complaints aside, the Sequoia's interior is typical Toyota. Every seam is tight, every gap even. Materials are of high quality and devoid of rough edges or careless installation. This interior is made to last and feels tough enough to withstand use by a growing family—precisely as a three-row SUV should.

Our test vehicle was a US-spec Nightshade Special Edition model (not available in Canada), a great example of how Toyota has worked to keep the Sequoia from being a time capsule of 2008. The Nightshade is based on the volume-trim Limited model, the entry-level grade in the Canadian market.

Toyota has honed the Sequoia to a fine edge. Part of that process has resulted in just one powertrain option: the 5.7-litre i-Force V8 engine. It's the same naturally aspirated engine the Toyota Tundra pickup used until its makeover for 2022. This familiar powerplant has double overhead cams, 32 valves with dual independent variable valve timing (VVT-i), and fuel injection.

The i-Force puts out 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission is the only gearbox option, teamed with a lockable Torsen limited-slip centre differential and two-speed transfer case with low range in 4WD models. This engine/transmission combination has an excellent reputation for durability and reliability and is a good match for the Sequoia.

Thanks to its truck roots, the Sequoia has a payload capacity of up to 608 kilograms (1,340 pounds) and a maximum towing capacity of 3,221 kilograms (7,100 pounds). Thanks also to its truck build, the Sequoia weighs in at close to or at 2,721.5 kilograms (6,000 pounds). To give you some perspective, that's over twice the weight of a 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE.

That weight contributes to the Sequoia's throwback Natural Resources Canada fuel consumption ratings: 18.5 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 13.9 on the highway, and 16.4 combined.

Despite the way it tips the scales, the Sequoia is quite pleasant to drive. It gets off the line neatly and builds momentum quickly. You won't find many vehicles with a smoother, more stable ride on the highway, and when the roads get curvy, the Sequoia is sure-footed and never tippy, at least with a reasonable driver behind the wheel. With three tons of Sequoia traveling down the road, you must calculate extra slowing and stopping distances, even with excellent anti-lock brakes and electronic brake-force distribution.

The Sequoia's robust body-on-frame construction and ample ground clearance have shown us in the past that the SUV can be a competent off-roader, taming dirt roads and trails and conquering modest obstacles without drama. Four-wheel independent double-wishbone suspension gives an excellent, controlled ride. For the Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro off-road model, the suspension gets special attention with Fox shocks, further enhancing the Sequoia's natural abilities. Anyone with a big family and a remote cabin would be able to take advantage the Sequoia's capability and capacity.

The Sequoia has a respectable 12.5-metre turning circle and excellent sightlines as a daily driver in suburbia, making it a decent parking lot cruiser. Watch out for that height when maneuvering in a garage or other low space, though.

The Sequoia knows which side its bread is buttered on, and it's the side with the passengers. All three rows of the SUV are comfortable and roomy with plenty of headroom and legroom. Three-zone climate control caters to the driver, front passenger, and rear compartment passengers. A standard one-touch tilt/slide power moonroof with a sliding sunshade lets the light and air in when desired. Heated front seats are standard on all trim levels, and heated rear seats in the outboard second-row positions are offered on the Platinum grade. Ventilated seats are not available in Canada.

The centre console and glove compartment can swallow an impressive store of supplies, and pockets on each door add to the haul. Rear passengers get cup holders and access to power, along with some storage of their own.

The Sequoia's cargo compartment has an auxiliary 12-volt outlet, great for tailgating and camping activities. 535 litres of luggage will fit behind the third-row seats. Standard power-fold for the third row opens 1,886 litres of cargo space. Fold both the second and third rows flat, and move into the Sequoia for the weekend, with 3,401 litres of space.

One of the problems with keeping a vehicle like the Sequoia in the lineup without a redesign for so long is out-of-date infotainment system. After spending time in current SUV competitors, seeing the Sequoia's 7-inch touchscreen is a jolt, and the operating system behind it feels clunky. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility can help here, and both are standard, so that's good. Bluetooth connectivity is standard as well. However, the 4.2-inch TFT driver information screen in the middle of the analog dash is hopelessly outclassed by the proliferation of digital dashboards on the market right now.

SiriusXM satellite radio is standard with a free trial, while the Sequoia Platinum and TRD Pro add navigation and a 14-speaker JBL premium audio system (12 speakers are standard).

Similarly, the technology under the hood lags the competition (and Toyota's best available powertrains). The industry has moved to smaller displacement gasoline engines with turbochargers as the standard, achieving sufficient power and superior fuel efficiency in the process. Electrification, either mild-hybrid, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid, has taken over, and Sequoia has none of these features, leaving it as a bit of a dinosaur.

Give Toyota credit, though, for updating the Sequoia where it made sense. All of the SUV's exterior lighting is LED, including high and low beams, daytime running lights, fog lamps, turn signals and taillamps. A rear backup camera is standard (as mandated by law), as is front and rear parking sonar.

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have released crash-test ratings for the Toyota Sequoia. Many drivers are convinced bigger is better in a collision, and by some measures, they are correct.

But there's more to surviving an accident than mass. There's also what happens inside the cabin—passenger restraints, airbags, side-impact beams, and more—and what happens under the hood and chassis—crumple zones, energy absorption, and more. Vehicle compatibility factors in, too, as does the issue of how your vehicle's mass affects other vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, animals, and other things you might hit. Accident-avoidance matters, too. The best accident is the one you don't have in the first place.

Toyota has equipped the Sequoia with several standard safety features. The Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) suite of pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, and automatic high beams, helps keep you from having an accident in the first place. Standard blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert is another great feature in a large SUV.

Toyota's STAR safety system is also standard on every Sequoia, including stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, and smart-stop technology. A full complement of airbags, including a driver and front-passenger advanced airbag system, LATCH connectors in all second-row seating positions and in the centre position in the third row, front energy-absorbing crumple zone, side-impact door beams, energy-dissipating interior trim, front and rear parking-assist sonar, child-protector rear door locks, and power window lockouts come on all Sequoia models.

You'd think after all these years of building the Sequoia, Toyota could have figured out how to build it for less money, but apparently not. Pricing starts at an MSRP of $70,850 for a base 2022 Toyota Sequoia Limited model and goes up to $80,030 for the top TRD Pro. An $1,890 destination charge is extra.

Full-size, three-row, body-on-frame SUVs are thin on the ground. General Motors has several in their mainstream brands, the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban (starting at $57,748 and $60,748, respectively), and the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL (starting at $59,468). The Nissan Armada still sails, starting at $69,198. Crossover SUVs like the Jeep Grand Cherokee L (starting at $52,495) and Honda Pilot (starting at $46,120) retain enough rugged ability to match up with the Sequoia, too.

Its stablemate, the Toyota Tundra, just underwent a major reworking, including a new platform, new engines, new suspension, and more. The Sequoia will benefit from these improvements when the next generation launches as a new vehicle for the 2023 model year.

The 2022 Toyota Sequoia manages to be a very solid choice for a big, adventurous family. What it lacks in up-to-the-minute technology, it makes up for with a reputation for durability and longevity.

Note: Images show a US model.