The Toyota Sequoia is a full-size, body-on-frame SUV that Toyota has built mainly for North America since 2000. The 2019 Sequoia belongs to the second generation, coded XK60, which went on sale in December 2007 for the 2008 model year and continued through 2022. It shares its basic underpinnings with the Toyota Tundra, and by 2019 it was offered in SR5, TRD Sport, Limited and Platinum trim levels.
Engine specs: one V8, not two
By 2019 every Sequoia used a single engine: a 5.7-liter V8, engine code 3UR-FE, producing 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque. It was matched to a six-speed automatic transmission and either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Unlike the Tundra pickup with which it shares its platform, the Sequoia uses a fully boxed frame and an independent rear suspension. Earlier second-generation Sequoias had offered a smaller 4.7-liter V8, replaced by a 4.6-liter V8 for 2010, but those engines were long gone from the range by 2019. A 2019 Sequoia has the 5.7-liter V8 only.
The 2019 Sequoia is EPA-rated at 13 mpg city and 17 mpg highway with four-wheel drive, and 13 mpg city and 18 mpg highway with rear-wheel drive. That is the official rating published by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, and it reflects the SUV’s weight and large V8.
The 2019 TRD Sport
The TRD Sport trim was added to the Sequoia range for the 2018 model year and carried into 2019. It brought an upgraded suspension with Bilstein shock absorbers, TRD anti-roll bars and 20-inch black aluminum wheels, plus black mirror caps, black exterior badges and smoked taillight lenses. TRD Sport cars also received unique front-end styling. Beyond that, the 2019 Sequoia was a carryover model with no major mechanical changes.
Dimensions, seating and towing
The second-generation Sequoia seats seven or eight people and uses an independent rear suspension, which allows a fold-flat third row and a tighter turning circle than a live-axle layout would. Maximum towing capacity for the 5.7-liter V8 is 7,400 lb (3,357 kg) in rear-drive SR5 form and 7,100 lb (3,221 kg) in four-wheel-drive SR5 form. The SUV rides on a fully boxed frame that Toyota said is stiffer than the previous generation’s.
| 2019 Toyota Sequoia | Specification |
|---|---|
| Engine | 5.7 L 3UR-FE V8 |
| Power | 381 hp |
| Torque | 401 lb-ft |
| Transmission | 6-speed automatic |
| Drive | Rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive |
| EPA economy (4WD) | 13 mpg city / 17 mpg highway |
| EPA economy (2WD) | 13 mpg city / 18 mpg highway |
| Seating | 7 or 8 |
| Max towing | 7,400 lb (2WD SR5) |
Cars.com listed the 2019 Sequoia TRD Sport with rear-wheel drive from $51,765. The SR5 was the entry trim and the Platinum sat at the top of the range, with four-wheel drive adding cost on every grade. Because the Sequoia was a low-volume, full-size SUV, equipment levels varied between trims rather than being sold as a single lightly specified model.
Buyers who needed the same 5.7-liter V8 in a pickup body could look at the 2019 Toyota Tacoma, Price, Interior and Release Date, although the Tacoma is a mid-size truck with smaller engines; the full-size Tundra was the closer relative.
Equipment and safety
The 2018 refresh that carried into 2019 gave the Sequoia standard LED headlights, daytime running lights and fog lights, plus Toyota Safety Sense with automatic emergency braking. Higher trims added navigation with a backup camera, a rear entertainment system, a 14-speaker JBL audio system, heated and ventilated front seats, and a rear air suspension that can lower the body for easier loading. Platinum models came with a power-folding 60/40 split third row.
Where the Sequoia sat in Toyota’s line-up
Up to the 2021 model year the Sequoia sat between the mid-size 4Runner and the premium Land Cruiser in Toyota’s North American SUV range, and it was sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica in left-hand drive only. It was the first vehicle from a Japanese brand in the mainstream full-size SUV class in North America and was aimed squarely at the Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon. The second generation was unveiled at the November 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show and, despite being derived from the Tundra, used a fully boxed frame and a rear independent suspension instead of the truck’s live axle.
Durability and recalls
In a 2019 iSeeCars study, the Sequoia was the vehicle most likely in the United States to reach 200,000 miles. Buyers should also know that the 2008–2010 Sequoias were included in Toyota’s 2009–2010 accelerator-pedal recall, which required a small shim to restore pedal movement. A 2019 model is outside that recall range.
What replaced the 2019 Sequoia
The second-generation Sequoia continued through the 2022 model year. It was replaced by a third generation unveiled on 25 January 2022 for the 2023 model year, which switched to a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 hybrid called i-Force Max and dropped the 5.7-liter V8. Buyers who want the V8 therefore need a second-generation Sequoia from 2008 to 2022, of which the 2019 model is one year.
2019 Sequoia at a glance
- Generation: second generation, XK60 (2008–2022)
- Engine: 5.7 L 3UR-FE V8, 381 hp, 401 lb-ft
- Transmission: six-speed automatic; rear- or four-wheel drive
- EPA economy: 13/17 mpg (4WD), 13/18 mpg (2WD)
- Seating: seven or eight
- TRD Sport trim: added for 2018, carried into 2019
- Replaced by: third-generation V6 hybrid Sequoia for 2023
