The Toyota Sequoia SR5 is the entry trim of Toyota’s full-size, body-on-frame SUV, a vehicle built mainly for the North American market since the 2001 model year. For 2019, the SR5 was part of the second-generation Sequoia (model code XK60), which had gone on sale back in 2008. That means a 2019 Sequoia SR5 carried the same fundamental platform, engine and dimensions as the model that had been on the market for more than a decade.
What the SR5 Trim Is
The SR5 sits at the bottom of the Sequoia range, below the Limited and Platinum trims, and is the version most buyers encounter at a lower price point. Despite being the base model, the SR5 uses the same 5.7-liter V8 and six-speed automatic transmission as the more expensive trims, so its performance is essentially identical to the Limited and Platinum. The differences between SR5 and the higher trims are mostly in equipment and materials rather than in the drivetrain.
Like the rest of the second-generation Sequoia line, the SR5 could be ordered with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive and with seating for up to eight passengers. Toyota added a separate TRD Sport grade for 2019, which sat alongside the existing SR5, Limited and Platinum models rather than replacing the SR5.
Engine and Performance
The 2019 Sequoia SR5 was powered by the 5.7-liter 3UR-FE V8, an engine shared with the Tundra pickup. It was rated at 381 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 401 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm, and it drove through a six-speed automatic transmission. Both rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions were offered. In earlier model years the Sequoia had also offered a smaller 4.6-liter V8 rated at 310 horsepower, but that engine was available only from 2010 to 2012 and was gone by 2019, leaving the 5.7-liter V8 as the sole engine across the SR5, Limited, Platinum and TRD Sport trims.
| 2019 Sequoia SR5 | Specification |
|---|---|
| Engine | 5.7-liter 3UR-FE V8 |
| Power | 381 hp at 5,600 rpm |
| Torque | 401 lb-ft at 3,600 rpm |
| Transmission | 6-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | Rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive |
| Seating | Up to 8 passengers |
| Maximum towing | 7,400 lb (2WD SR5) |
Exterior
The Sequoia SR5 uses the same body as the rest of the XK60 range, a large three-row SUV with a boxy silhouette and a tall, upright front end. For the 2018 model year, which carried into 2019, Toyota refreshed the exterior with new standard LED headlights, LED daytime running lights and LED fog lights. The 2019 SR5 was offered in colors that included Shoreline Blue Pearl, Midnight Black Metallic, Toasted Walnut Pearl, Magnetic Gray Metallic, Silver Sky Metallic, Blizzard Pearl and Sizzling Crimson Mica.
Interior and Seating
Inside, the Sequoia SR5 provided three rows of seats and, in its standard layout, room for eight passengers. The front row was wide, the second row could slide to free up legroom, and the third row was a three-across bench that folds away to increase cargo volume. Toyota offered second-row captain’s chairs with a removable center console as an option, which reduces seating to seven and improves access to the third row.
Standard interior equipment included a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, power windows, power door locks, dual sun visors and keyless entry. Toyota’s Entune infotainment system had been standard on the SR5 since the 2012 model year, and the Sequoia’s audio systems gained USB connectivity with iPod integration in 2010.
Cargo Space
Cargo volume in the second-generation Sequoia ranges from 18.9 cubic feet behind the third row to about 120.1 cubic feet with both rear rows folded. That is a large maximum figure for the class, but the space behind the third row is modest for a vehicle of this size, which is a common criticism of the XK60 generation.
Fuel Economy
U.S. EPA figures for the 2019 Sequoia are 13 mpg city, 17 mpg highway and 15 mpg combined for rear-wheel-drive models, and 13 mpg city, 17 mpg highway and 14 mpg combined for four-wheel-drive models. These ratings are low even by full-size SUV standards, reflecting the 5.7-liter V8 and a curb weight of roughly 5,700 pounds.
Safety Equipment
Standard safety features on the Sequoia included Vehicle Stability Control, traction control, anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution, front side torso airbags and roll-sensing side curtain airbags covering all three rows. Knee airbags for the driver and front passenger became standard for the 2010 model year. Note that NHTSA did not re-test the Sequoia for many of the later second-generation model years, so current crash-test data for a 2019 example can be limited.
What’s New for 2019, and What Did Not Change
For 2019 the main addition to the Sequoia line was the TRD Sport grade, alongside a handful of new colors. The SR5 itself carried over largely unchanged from the 2018 refresh. There was no new platform, no new engine and no redesign for 2019; the XK60 Sequoia remained in production until March 2022, and its genuinely redesigned replacement, the third-generation XK80 with the i-Force Max hybrid V6, arrived for the 2023 model year.
Toyota quoted a starting MSRP of roughly $49,050 for the 2019 Sequoia SR5. Because the model was aged by 2019, shoppers cross-shopping the Sequoia SR5 typically compared it with newer full-size rivals such as the Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Tahoe, which had been redesigned more recently. For the full breakdown of the model line-up and drivetrain, see 2019 Toyota Sequoia Specs and Rumors.
