2025 Toyota Sequoia Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Our test unit for this review is a U.S.-only trim, the Sequoia 1794 Edition. It’s equivalent to the Canadian Sequoia Platinum trim, but our version has dark grey painted 20-inch wheels and less exterior chrome, and the Saddle Tan leather upholstery and open-pore walnut wood trim are not offered in our market.

In Canada, the Sequoia lineup includes the base SR5 TRD Off-road, Limited (in Nightshade Edition as standard, with an available TRD Pro package), Platinum, and Capstone. The latter two trims are offered with available towing mirrors. Prices range from $87,174 to $106,175, including the $1,930 destination charge and other fees. Note that the federal government’s luxury tax, which applies to the portion of a vehicle price above $100,000, will be additional on the highest Sequoia trims.

Dipped in Lunar Rock paint (offered only on lower trims in Canada), our Sequoia grabbed attention everywhere we went. That was surprising since the current-generation Sequoia has been out for a few years. However, it is a rarity on the road, and the test vehicle looked pretty cool. Apart from the leather upholstery in our tester, the rest of the cabin is covered in typical Toyota-grade plastic, which is not a compliment.

The Sequoia comes standard with what Toyota calls an i-Force Max hybrid powertrain. It includes a twin-turbocharged 3.4-litre V6 engine, an electric motor, a 1.87-kilowatt-hour nickel metal hydride battery pack, and a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Output measures 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque. In Canada, a part-time four-wheel-drive (4WD) system with 2-Hi, 4-Hi, and 4-Lo settings is standard. In addition, drivers can choose from Eco, Normal, Sport, and Tow/Haul driving modes.

Weighing 2,790 kilograms (6,150 pounds), the Sequoia requires plenty from its twin-turbo hybrid drivetrain. Still, it is undeniably muscular, offering quick acceleration and a terrific engine note. However, this hybrid is about supplying competitive power, not getting good fuel economy.

In our experience, the fuel economy falls short of expectations. According to Natural Resources Canada, a Sequoia should average 11.7 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. However, when running the SUV in rear-wheel drive (RWD) 2-Hi and the Normal driving mode, the test vehicle could only manage 14.5 L/100 km on the evaluation loop.

Maximum towing comes from the base SR5 TRD Off-road trim in Canada and comes in at 4,137 kilograms (9,121 pounds). Peak payload is 640 kilograms (1,411 pounds) across all trims. Those figures beat several rivals, and Toyota offers a digital rearview mirror, Trailer Backup Guide system, and Straight Path Assist technology on the Platinum and Capstone trims, along with extra-cost towing mirrors. A self-leveling rear air suspension is also equipped on the Platinum trim only and is recommended for towing.

But the Sequoia suffers from compromised packaging and, in turn, driving dynamics. The battery pack is mounted under the rear seats, adding weight at the rear. And Toyota elected to use a solid rear axle, which cuts into rear-sear room and cargo space.

When driving in urban areas, the added mass at the rear axle produces unwanted body motion when traveling over speed humps and through drainage dips. On smaller and sharper bumps, the ride is jittery and truck-like. Mid-curve undulations on two-lane roads produce excessive lateral weight transfer. You might want to upgrade to the Platinum trim for its adaptive suspension with rear self-leveling to reduce these undesirable characteristics.

Ground clearance is 22.1 centimetres across the board, but the standard front air dam limits the approach angle to 15 degrees. The base SR5 TRD Off-Road trim and the Limited’s TRD Pro package install black 18-inch TRD Off-Road wheels, an off-road-tuned suspension, a 2.8-centimetre lift, a locking rear differential, and all the off-roading tech Toyota can put on a Sequoia. But with that silly air dam and less ground clearance than a base Subaru Crosstrek, this writes a cheque the Sequoia can’t cash.

Due to that air dam, we thought it was a bad idea to venture anywhere a RAV4 couldn’t go. Therefore, we can’t comment on any of the trick tech, such as Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select. However, as with the Toyota Tacoma pickup, owners can remove the air dam and chuck it into the garage to collect dust. It’s not like it’s helping much with fuel economy.

Steering is light and fluid like a Lexus, and the Sequoia boasts a tight turning radius. Switch to Sport mode, and the steering firms up but doesn’t offer much feel.

We didn’t like the brakes, which offer poor initial bite and are hard to modulate. Specifically, the pedal feel is too firm sometimes, requiring extra effort to depress. In heavy traffic, the pedal just doesn’t feel good underfoot. Also, after a hard braking test from a high speed, fade was a problem as we wound down a mountain. It’s best if you always leave yourself some extra room.

Like other full-size SUVs, the Sequoia carries up to eight people (seven with the second-row captain’s chairs available on Limited and standard on Platinum and Capstone). However, seven (or six) will be happier, and the people riding in the third row should be shorter in stature.

10-way power adjustable seats with heating, ventilation, and massage are standard on the Platinum and Capstone trims. Heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated outboard mirrors are standard across the board on the 2025 Sequoia in Canada. Both the driver and front passenger are sure to find their accommodations comfortable.

Long rear doors make it easier to access the second- and third-row seats, but only when you have plenty of room on either side. The doors were a liability in cramped parking situations. Platinum and Capstone trims have standard second-row heated and ventilated captain’s chairs, which proved comfortable. They do not slide forward and back or offer a console between them. Instead, middle-row occupants get a floor-mounted set of cupholders and a tray. Toyota carves additional storage space into the rear door panels, and rear window sunshades cover most of the glass.

Our test vehicle had step rails, which are helpful primarily for accessing the third-row seats or tying things down to the roof rack. To enter the third row, you can fold and tumble the standard second-row bench seat or crawl between the two captain’s chairs, if so equipped. The Sequoia’s high floor and low roof make it awkward for adults to enter and exit this seating area, though.

Due to the high floor, the third row’s stadium-style seating offers a good view forward, but headroom is in short supply. Also, passengers can easily bounce when the SUV goes over a speed hump or a drainage dip, hitting their heads on the roof. Adults can fit, but the shorter they are, the happier they’ll be.

With the third-row seats in use, the Sequoia offers no more than 325 litres of cargo space. An adjustable shelf helps you make the most of it, but there simply isn’t much space. The rear window glass opens independently of the liftgate, and with the shelf in a high position, you can load the upper portion that way.

Most Sequoia owners will fold the third row down and slide it forward to enjoy the resulting 1,387 litres of cargo space. The maximum cargo volume, with both the third and second rows folded, measures 2,460 litres. All three figures are less than rival full-size SUVs, and even Toyota’s own Grand Highlander midsize SUV offers more room. The more affordable Toyota 4Runner is on par with the Sequoia in five-passenger format, and the Land Cruiser is not far behind.

Our test vehicle was equipped with a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, which is standard in Canada, and a 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which is equipped beginning at the Limited trim. Four different connected services plans are available, with complementary trial subscriptions ranging from three to ten years.

Many of the Toyota Audio Multimedia system’s advanced features depend on active subscriptions to these plans. For example, the cloud-based navigation system with natural voice recognition relies on Drive Connect. Safety Connect provides an emergency assistance button and automatic collision notification. Remote Connect offers remote engine starting and the ability to find where you parked the SUV. The tech also supports a subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio.

If you’d rather not pay for these subscriptions when the free trials end, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. In addition, you can charge your device on the wireless charging pad, which comes in at the Limited trim, but it doesn’t hold phones securely. A 14-speaker JBL premium sound system is included in the Limited’s TRD Pro package and on the Platinum and Capstone trims.

Toyota provides an oversized volume knob on the dashboard, making it easy to adjust sound levels. Opposite the volume knob, there isn’t a tuning knob. That’s maddening. Not only does it throw off the visual balance, but the USB port located there could move to any number of places. You can tune radio stations using the steering wheel controls, the touchscreen, or the voice recognition system, but we still want a simple, easy knob to twist without looking away from the road.

Drive Connect’s natural voice recognition system, Intelligent Assistant, responds to a “Hey Toyota” wake command. From there, you can request different things. It is reasonably capable but cannot execute some commands. We asked for a different cabin temperature to no avail, and the Intelligent Assistant could not activate the driver’s seat massage. It also did not respond to a request to listen to reggae music on SiriusXM. An urgent request for directions to a hospital was mostly successful.

In addition to the Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system, our tester had a surround-view camera system and a digital rearview mirror. Both were helpful, particularly the surround-view cameras when parking in close quarters.

Every 2025 Sequoia has Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 (TSS 2.5), a collection of driving assistance features. They include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, lane-centring assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are also standard but aren’t branded as part of TSS 2.5.

In short, TSS 2.5 provides everything you expect to find in a modern vehicle without any frivolous extras. The tech is helpful, but as is often the case, the lane assist features cause aggravation. The Sequoia suffered many false lane departure warnings vibrating through the steering wheel rim, and the lane keep assist is frequently too obvious about its activity. Turn those off, and you might find the Sequoia more satisfying, if not as safe, to drive.

Neither the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) nor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had released crash-test ratings for the Sequoia at the time of publication.

There is one reason to choose a Sequoia over a Toyota 4Runner, Grand Highlander, or Land Cruiser, and that reason is towing capacity. If you’re not planning to tow anything, Toyota’s other, smaller, SUVs are better bets.

Let’s start with the 4Runner. In its five-passenger configuration, it offers just as much cargo room as the Sequoia and a rear window that powers down into the liftgate. The 4Runner is narrower and its optional third-row seat is less accommodating, but it is nimbler on trails. The 4Runner is also substantially more affordable than the Sequoia.

Similarly, the five-passenger Land Cruiser offers nearly as much cargo capacity wrapped in a retro design at a lower price. Like the 4Runner, the Land Cruiser is off-road capable, and its smaller dimensions make it better to drive on a trail.

If you aren’t heading off-road, consider the three-row Grand Highlander. It offers more cargo room than the Sequoia but limits maximum seating capacity to seven people. On pavement, the ride and handling are more agreeable, and the Grand Highlander is more efficient, especially with its optional hybrid powertrain, which returns an estimated 7.0 to 8.8 L/100 km in combined driving. If you require more than 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of towing capacity, then the Sequoia is the only Toyota SUV that can deliver. But it competes against numerous rivals that also tow significant weight without its packaging compromises. The Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, GMC Yukon, and Jeep Wagoneer all boast more comfortable third-row seats and significantly more cargo space. The redesigned 2025 Nissan Armada is also an appealing alternative.

Overall, the 2025 Toyota Sequoia is synonymous with compromise, making it a rare miss from an automaker known for best-selling home runs like the Camry, Corolla, RAV4, and Tacoma.