Should you buy a Toyota Sequoia? Or wait for the 2023 model?

Summary

Highlights

• The Sequoia boasts a very old-school, massive, and intentional design. 🚙
• It has engines and transmissions that haven't changed much since 2008, offering proven reliability. 🚗
• Fuel economy is a major con that's hard to overlook – efficiency is not its forte. ⛽
• Loyalty among Sequoia owners is strong due to its robust build and reliability. 💪
• Its interior is fantastically roomy, with features perfect for big families on long drives. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
• Despite its age, the Sequoia has a certain charm that appeals to those who appreciate rugged, old-school vehicles. 🌟

Key Takeaways

• The Sequoia is a blast from the past and that's not all bad! 🕰️
• Massive in size, but also in character and reliability! 🚙
• Fuel efficiency? What's that? This SUV loves gas. ⛽
• It's built for big families and long adventures with its spacious interiors. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
• The Sequoia is a hidden gem with unparalleled durability if you can handle the fuel costs. 💎

Overview

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to the Toyota Sequoia This chapter introduces the Toyota Sequoia, highlighting its status as the oldest Toyota model sold in the US as of 2022, surpassing the Toyota Tundra, which was redesigned that year. The video intends to explore the features of the massive Sequoia and assess its relevance and value in 2022, posing questions about the differences between the 2021 and 2022 editions.
• 00:30 - 01:30: Powertrain Options The chapter titled 'Powertrain Options' discusses the various engine options available for the 2008 model of the Toyota Sequoia. The first engine option mentioned is the 4.7L 2z Fe V8, which is one of the three options available. The narrative hints at the car's traditional design and character, which is embedded in its powertrain configurations.
• 01:30 - 02:30: Transmission Details The chapter titled 'Transmission Details' discusses the history and specifications of the engine models available in 2008 and 2009, tracing their origins back to the 1998 100 series Land Cruiser. It highlights the 5.7 L V8 3UR-FE engine, which was consistently used until 2022, and mentions a smaller variant, the 4.6 L V8 engine (1UR-FE).
• 02:30 - 03:30: Four-Wheel Drive System The chapter titled 'Four-Wheel Drive System' discusses the technology used in engines from 2008, particularly the 4.6 and 4.7 L V8 models. These engines and their associated transmissions are noted for their lack of new technology at the time of release, emphasizing their robustness and old-school design. Specifically, the 4.7 L V8 is highlighted for having a 5-speed automatic transmission, recognized for its durability.
• 03:30 - 05:30: Exterior Design This chapter of the book focuses on the exterior design aspects of certain vehicle models. It mentions the 2009 models and draws comparisons to other long-standing models like the Toyota 4Runner, highlighting that it shares the same five-speed transmission. The narrative also touches on the 5.7 model, which features a six-speed transmission, necessary due to its higher power output. An explanation is provided on how the 4.6 model also comes equipped with a six-speed transmission, though it is noted that this is an updated version and not the same as the one in the 5.7. The chapter offers insights into the evolution of vehicle transmission designs over time.
• 05:30 - 09:00: Interior Features The chapter discusses the interior features of a four-wheel drive model, highlighting its antiquated design which has remained unchanged since 2008. The drivetrain, including the engine and transmissions, is described as old school, with nothing technological or advanced, emphasizing a very rudimentary and basic setup.
• 15:00 - 18:30: Infotainment and Technology The chapter "Infotainment and Technology" begins by addressing a major problem with the drivetrain mentioned, hinting that it will be explored further in the video. Attention is then shifted to the exterior design of the SeoA, described succinctly as "intentionally enormous and beautifully excessive." This characterization indicates a design that is not only large and bold but also aesthetically striking, suggesting a focus on luxury or a distinctive visual appeal.
• 19:00 - 22:30: Fuel Efficiency Issues The chapter titled 'Fuel Efficiency Issues' discusses the characteristics of a large SUV named the seoa. Despite its size and toughness, the vehicle is described as having a pleasant and amiable demeanor. The theme of American excess and an old-school aesthetic is prevalent throughout the design of the SUV, exemplified by its extremely large grill. The narrator expresses a fondness for these features.
• 26:30 - 28:30: Owner Considerations and Market Position The chapter discusses the importance of the design elements in a truck that reinforce the perception of its massiveness. It highlights features like the oversized radiator and door handles, which are intentionally designed to emphasize the truck's large size. These elements not only serve functional purposes but also contribute to the truck's overall market position as a formidable vehicle.
• 30:30 - 46:00: Reliability and Maintenance Tips The chapter focuses on reliability and maintenance tips, highlighting features of Toyota vehicles like a significant handle and the importance of the back glass feature in models equipped with a smart key. This back glass can be lowered easily, demonstrating Toyota's attention to convenient and practical features across their vehicles. The functionality is appreciated for its practicality and design in Toyota trucks.
• 46:00 - 47:00: Conclusion and Final Thoughts The chapter describes practical advice on how to create airflow in a truck by opening the front and back windows. It emphasizes the theme of 'old school' design, especially focusing on the vehicle's interior. It highlights the optional power back door as an old school feature, mentioning the single motor mechanism controlling it. Overall, the chapter discusses both functional and design aspects, connecting them to the old school theme.

Should you buy a Toyota Sequoia? Or wait for the 2023 model? Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 the Toyota seoa is officially the oldest Toyota sold in the US gaining that title from the Toyota Tundra which got redesigned for the year 2022 in this video we're going to take a look at the massive seoa and we're going to kind of explore it let's see if this truck still makes sense to buy in 2022 because to me I am having a hard time seeing how this 2021 night shade Edition behind me is that much different from a
• 00:30 - 01:00 2008 model that launched this generation let's find out if that's a good thing or a bad thing right after this the Toyota seoa has old school engraved in its DNA let's take a look at the powertrain options and you'll see what I mean by it so the first engine option that was available out of three is the 4.7 L 2z Fe V8 that was only
• 01:00 - 01:30 available in 2008 2009 which believe it or not that engine takes its roots all the way back to 1998 in the 100 series Land Cruiser and then alongside it was the 5.7 L V8 3ur FE engine that was there from the beginning all the way to 2022 there was also a baby 5.7 L V8 it's it was the 4.6 L V8 engine the 1ur Fe
• 01:30 - 02:00 now all these engines when they came out back in 2008 and some the later one the 4.6 they're ancient they really have absolutely no new technology when they came out all the way back in 2008 then let's talk about the transmission options there's not a lot of transmission talk about the scoa because they are bulletproof and very old school so the 4.7 L V8 actually had a 5-speed automatic transmission that's only 20 in
• 02:00 - 02:30 2009 that 5-speed transmission is actually the same as the second oldest Toyota still being made which is the 4Runner which actually dates its roots all the way back to 2003 in the V8 4Runner then the 5.7 has a six-speed transmission because it has more power it needs one additional speed then the 4.6 also had a six-speed but it's actually not the same six-speed as the 5.7 it is an updated model of the
• 02:30 - 03:00 5-speed then the four-wheel drive system in four-wheel drive model seoa it is ancient and it is all the same all across the board it really have not changed one bit since 2008 and like I mentioned this whole drivetrain not just the engine even the Transmissions even the setup everything is extremely old school I mean there is absolutely nothing technological or super Advanced here everything is very rudimentary and basic there is only really one could be
• 03:00 - 03:30 major problem with this whole drivetrain we'll talk about that more as we progress through the video let's talk about the exterior of the seoa and I thought long and hard about how to describe it in a short sentence and here's the best I can come up with intentionally enormous and beautifully excessive the exterior of the seoa is not just the design it is a
• 03:30 - 04:00 statement I am big I am tough but I am also very nice cuz the aoya is actually a very nice big SUV and that theme kind of carries on throughout the truck everything about the seoa shouts American excess and super old school and I cannot tell you how much I love that about the seoa for example this Grill is excessively massive but actually it is
• 04:00 - 04:30 intentionally massive because if you open the hood the radiator is only this big this extra space on the side there's actually a spacer to force the air from this massive Grill into the radiator and then the door handles they're massive I mean they're enormous of course because this truck needs to remind you every time you open the door that you are climbing into something massive and even the door handle creates a statement they could
• 04:30 - 05:00 have put a tiny little handle would have worked great just like all other Toyotas but it had to be sooya massive and we cannot talk about a seoa exterior without talking about the most important feature which is the back glass that comes down on the models equipped with a smart key you just push the [Music] button and the glass comes right down this is a very important feature of the seoa and actually some other Toyota trucks as well it is a beautiful feature
• 05:00 - 05:30 just open the front windows open the back window and you're going to have a really nice breeze going through the truck and when it comes to the interior of the seoa old school is the name of the game let's open the back door and let's take a look the first old school feature is actually the optional power back door now this arm right here is actually a single motor back door
• 05:30 - 06:00 which is something goes all the way back to 2004 when the Sienna got remodeled from the first generation to the second generation the best thing about this design is when this truck has 350,000 Mi and this motor decides to break you can actually just disconnect this little rod and now you have a manual door that opens and closes and life is good unlike the newer cars which you really can't do that when the motors spray cuz they're integrated into the shock that opens the door this is actually a very nice old School touch here now the interior of
• 06:00 - 06:30 the Sequoia is extremely roomy it this is a three row truck but not tiny little third row this is an adult siiz three row truck it either has seven seaters or eight seaters depends on the trim but another thing with the Sequoia is if you have a kid that is going to college and you want to transport his favorite couch this is actually the perfect truck for that because on some models this is a manual seat that folds down but on this
• 06:30 - 07:00 one in the limited trim it's actually a power seat let's just fold it down and with a seat folded down like this you have a very large area to transport things like a couch or anything that your family needs if you're not using the third row seat you can fold it down you have all this space to transport anything that you need then
• 07:00 - 07:30 we move to the front where everything here is old school excessively large and very functional for example the radio location is actually more towards the passenger than the driver because this truck is designed not for a solo driver this is designed for a large family that's going to be doing long road trips Adventures camping whatever the case may be that is something actually very interesting you don't see a a lot of cars usually all newer cars are moving
• 07:30 - 08:00 toward the radio being very close to the driver where they can control it all the steering stuff this still have the steering controls for the radio but the radio is facing almost facing the passenger and then the HVAC controls they're excessively large I mean there was an intentional attention to detail here to make them very large and take up so much space but again space is not at a premium here it is abundant and it's
• 08:00 - 08:30 everywhere and in case when you look at the HVAC controls that are massive you forgot that you are in something extremely large there are two glove boxes because of course a large family is going to need a lot of stuff to put in their glove box you're not going to just have two pairs of gloves you're going to have potentially eight pairs of gloves so you have two glove boxes and of course since space is not at a premium the center console is possibly one of the largest center consoles I've
• 08:30 - 09:00 ever seen in any car to date if you know a car with a bigger center console do comment down below I'd love to know but this thing is extremely large you can fit so much stuff in here you will not find something this big in any other Toyota now let's talk about a few other additional old school stuff since we are in the interior starting with the headliner the headliner material is actually very soft and extremely 2000 8
• 09:00 - 09:30 because Toyota switched to more solid Headliners where they don't have that soft feel to them but this is extremely old of course and they're very soft and you'll find more materials like this in Alexis actually today and the other thing is the dash there is absolutely no attempt to make this fancy leather and soft nope it is just a giant blob of plastic but you know what that is perfect because this is extremely functional it's very durable it's very
• 09:30 - 10:00 strong and it's very easy to clean very easy to maintain because you don't need to add more chores to your life when you have this large family you got to take care of them the last thing you need is start to do some special leather cleaner nope this is just a big old blob of plastic that worked actually not just the Plastics and the D Everything You Touch in this truck is old school very 2008 all the buttons all the switches especially the steering wheel and my
• 10:00 - 10:30 personal favorite the cruise control stock I mean there is less and less Toyota models with the old school very traditional and iconic in my book cruise control stock from Toyotas this will bring back memories of Toyotas in the mid 2000s all the switches the arrangement of things the materials everything nothing got changed and everything remained exactly the same kind of like a time capsule let's talk about a small hidden feature in the seoa
• 10:30 - 11:00 that most people might know about but there's one thing to it that you might not know about in the Center Council there's a little lid that you can pull exposing a small hidden compartment most people might know about this but did you know if you grab the cup holder and pull it up it actually comes off and now this small compartment becomes again a massive compartment and it's actually helpful if you want to take your cup holder and clean it after a long trip and a lot of better is spilled here and
• 11:00 - 11:30 if you want to put it back just line it up give it a tug and it's back but there's more in case you use this little storage thing all the time if you actually flip it and read it will tell you store under Center armrest lid there's actually a place for this to go right here and it just clips and now it's out of your way permanently so you won't lose this cuz you know 100 years from now when this thing is going down the Auction Block at make him auctions
• 11:30 - 12:00 this is going to make or break the originality of the seoa so you might want to store it here so you won't lose it let's talk about some things I actually do not like about the Toyota seoa and starting with the biggest one the price you're going to have to pay for that massiveness and excess efficiency and specifically fuel efficiency folks there are cars that have bad fuel
• 12:00 - 12:30 mileage then there are cars that have very poor fuel mileage then there is a large gap then there is the Toyota seoa I mean the fuel mileage is horrible and the advertised number and something that is rare for Toyota the advertised numbers are actually very optimistic in reality it's actually a lot worse because usually with Toyota Land you know you get a Prius it's advertised as
• 12:30 - 13:00 something you easily can go higher than that but with the seoa you will easily get a lot less than the advertised mileage and it is horrible the fuel mileage is probably the worst disadvantage of the seoa and something that makes current owners want to get rid of it because of gas prices going up and potential interested parties not consider the seoa because of the gas mileage then there are the attempt Ed updates or attempts to modernize the
• 13:00 - 13:30 seoa and kind of cover up some of its old school nature things like the update in 2018 so there has been many updates to seoa here and there small stuff over its very long life which is still going into 2022 but the major one was in 2018 when they facelifted the seoa basically a cosmetic and trying to appeal to more younger body ties with some more
• 13:30 - 14:00 features and cool stuff but in my opinion they were not actually very good let me explain the first problem is the radio and for example in this 2021 model behind me the radio has Apple carplay which is great I love Apple carplay I own an iPhone and I love it the problem is this truck was designed with an Old School radio and told you that passenger leaning radio well with Apple car play you got to operate this touchcreen so now the
• 14:00 - 14:30 touchcreen is so far away from your reach as a driver and maybe that is just me I am short I have short arms maybe a taller driver will or someone who's taller have taller arms will be able to reach it but I had a really hard time I basically have to stretch every time just to operate the radio cuz it's so far from the driver it just doesn't doesn't feel right and the other thing is the screen size now we have this massive Behemoth behind me and it has
• 14:30 - 15:00 the smallest screen you can possibly put and the radio feels completely out of place it just looks like an aftermarket add-on doesn't fit the gaps don't feel it just doesn't flow with the whole with the whole desk design and yes I understand that we're trying to put the new radio in an old truck but it has been done better because if you look at the fifth generation 4Runner when they updated with apple carplay everything flow more smoothly and that is still still a very old school truck but they
• 15:00 - 15:30 did it better it seems like the seoa didn't really get too much thought into the update of the radio and then the other thing is the adaptive cruise control situation now the adaptive cruise control in theoa is very old school doesn't really work the best but it's an option it's nice for long trips after all this is what the truck is designed for but the problem is where they put the radar sensor it's not a big problem but let's talk about it for a
• 15:30 - 16:00 bit see in modern Toyotas ones that were that are not ancient like this one the radar sensor sits behind the Toyota emblem the way you know this is just pass your hand over the emblem if you feel the physical emblem it's a physical logo there's no sensor behind it if it's just a flat that looks almost looks like an image of a logo there is a radar sensor behind that that actually is used for the adaptive cruise control but in the seoa because it's so ancient for some reason Reon they decided not to put
• 16:00 - 16:30 it behind the emblem and they actually put it down below in the middle of the bumper like that just a front R seat to rock chips small accidents after all there's a very large truck you know you're going to run into a little pole that you didn't see from your giant High Hood so not the best place I wish they would have spent a little bit more effort to put it behind the emblem but after all it's a nice feature to have
• 16:30 - 17:00 so what is the final verdict should you consider a Toyota seoa in 2022 folks this is the god honest truth the TOA seoa is a Hidden Gem that most people glance over and not consider it as an option just because it's old and just looks big and massive and they don't see it here is the ideal buyer for seoa in my opinion if you have a large family and you looked at minivans like the
• 17:00 - 17:30 awesome Toyota Sienna which now got updated and got a lot more efficient with the hybrid model but you just you're not feeling like the minivan person but you still have a lot of kids you have a large family and you need a large SUV well this thing will actually impress you because this is not just a massive Bland boring truck once you start driving the seoa and get past the excess image that it presents it actually has a personality and a
• 17:30 - 18:00 beautiful one because it's just a lively truck you go drive it on the highway you would think it's all over the place and swaying and horrible it's actually pretty composed and I like it because for something this big and this ancient it actually dries very impressive of course it has a big V8 it'll take off and it'll take out your wallet with it with gas mileage is horrible that's one of the biggest disadvantages of it but it is very composed driving wise and the
• 18:00 - 18:30 people who are going to sit in this thing are going to be in extreme Comfort the truck is very nice on the inside has the important features for families doesn't have million gizmos and all the new car stuff it has everything you need to transport your family efficiently and reliably because trust me you're going to have a very long time to grow fond of your Sequoia because it's going to be around for very long time which is
• 18:30 - 19:00 really the party piece and the Hidden Gem part of the Sequoia the reliability which right now we're going to turn off the review and we're going to move into another world where I come from I'm not going to tell you this is a reliable truck because this study said this and this and that no I'm actually going to share my other side of my life which I work on these trucks for a living I'm a technician that's what I work on specialize in Toyota Lexus and
• 19:00 - 19:30 cion products this is what I do for a living and I deal with these trucks and I know them inside and out so right now let me share with you some of their common things and if you're considering buying an older one what you should be looking for what are the best years to buy folks here is the real world information about reliability of the seoa seoa are really good I mean I rank them in the top 10 Toyotas was made because they are really that good
• 19:30 - 20:00 they've had such a long span of production that even the tiniest little details that every car has common issues nothing is perfect let's start with the first one which is actually the biggest thing that you need to be aware of especially when you go looking at the older one 08 09 10 the older stuff rust rust is not kind to any car especially the seoa If the previous owner did not take care of this truck didn't wash it
• 20:00 - 20:30 be careful with the salt that's being used on the streets they do tend to develop more issues than the ones that are taken care of or didn't see salt used on the road so that's something you really need to hone in and look for when you're going to buy an older one or actually this applies to any car you're buying and speaking of seoa owners let's talk about something very important with the exception of perhaps Land Cruiser owners and now Forerunner owners to a degree seoa owners are some of the highest most
• 20:30 - 21:00 loyal owners to their trucks because once you buy one of these things and they can be a little expensive you will fall in love with them in a way that no matter what they need you will do you will take care of them and that's how I see owners take care of these trucks they love them they take care of them whatever they need they will get it fixed so finding examples out there that are taken care of is actually abundant and there's a lot I cannot really remember the last seoa owner that didn't
• 21:00 - 21:30 take care of them they just neglected it and there's not a lot of them that's why when you go shopping for a used one you'll notice their prices are pretty high because they're usually in good condition so one one thing with the engine the engines are generally very reliable as long as you take care of them all three but specifically the 5.7 and the 4.6 they did have one common issue with oil leak from the cam Tower this is a very common oil leak so common on the tundra which shares the same
• 21:30 - 22:00 engine the old Tundra now the old Tundra it's a very simple oil leak to detect but here's where it applies from my experience 2008 we've seen a few 2009 they're not as common as the tundra you might read about this when you're doing your research but as you get to 2012 2013 it really starts decline I have never seen a 2014 an up league so these were the years that you want to check if you're buying something over 14 and up I
• 22:00 - 22:30 don't think this would be an issue because I've never seen a single one leak after that year even by 13 they got really less and things got much better and that iconic back window if you live in a rusty area and the truck is not washed not taken care of they actually can develop rust on the rails for the glass and then the glass will fall off the track and things can get a little expensive with the back door so if you're buying one whichever year this really applied more of the older semi neglected ones on the car wash
• 22:30 - 23:00 department or rust proofing or whatever you want to call it but always check the back window do not forget it because it is such a cool feature that I highly advise you use it but make sure you check it before you buy a used one especially the older ones and you will read a lot of Reports online of ticking noises noises from the engine and all this stuff especially the 57 this is actually for the most part is bad maintenance I told you it's rare but it still Happ happens here and there you're going to find that one that ticks away
• 23:00 - 23:30 and people will complain and is it the tensioner is it this and you'll come up with all these answers on the internet most of them apply to the tundra but not to seoa the only time you're going to see this engine sound loud is when it's bad maintenance I have not really seen other cases and for your reference here is our completely and absolutely healthy tooa engine 5.7 should sound like
• 23:30 - 24:00 and also for your reference they are normally loud don't confuse that with problems this is a chain engine it's old school it is not heavily insulated this whole truck is not heavily insulated cuz it is after all from 2008 so it is a little bit on the loud side the engine but that's the norm this this is how it should sound like and in case you're
• 24:00 - 24:30 shopping for the really old ones 2008 9 and 10 they did have a common issue with secondary air injection the pump would go out and the valves so I actually issued a campaign to fix these to take care of people and then after 2010 it already had the new design and the way you know that is when you shut off the truck it'll make that whooshing sound that's actually a secondary air injection pump anything over 2010 don't think about
• 24:30 - 25:00 this if you're going before 2010 especially if the check ju light is on you're going to want to investigate it don't just say oh it's a reliable let should jump in it these can get expensive however most of them if not all were actually fixed and last but not least let's cover two more items and these have more to do with owner maintenance so you're aware of this the four-wheel drive system on the Seas will easily last well over 300,000 Mi and really not have any issues other than just fluid changes and that's it but one
• 25:00 - 25:30 thing you need to know and this is actually in your owner's manual you you need to operate the four-wheel drive system once a month just switch it to four high switch it to four low kind of cycle through them because the only issues we've seen is when here is a 10-year-old Sequoia that this is the first time the owner puts it in four-wheel drive and it gets seized well that's normal and it's actually something the owner Manu is telling you you need to operate it monthly just every month every two months even two months is fine put in four high put in
• 25:30 - 26:00 four low kind of cycle through them just to keep everything moving and prevent anything from seizing up and another one here is the flex fuel ones Flex Fuel ones are not ones that I actually recommend you buy because yes E85 is cheaper but still this thing will guzzle gas so bad it's not really going to make much of a difference but here is here's where you need to know something very important about Flex Fuel trucks in case you have one you're considering buying one there is a very
• 26:00 - 26:30 specific fuel change requirements that you need to comply with they are in your owners manual you can't just switch between E85 and regular gasoline on the fly without thinking about it there's a specific conditions that need to be met otherwise you go into this cycle where the calibration of the fuel density goes out and now you're back forth to the dealership and the thing doesn't want to start in the morning and it runs horrible until it warms up and there's actually no problem with them it just if you don't follow these Specific
• 26:30 - 27:00 Instructions in the owner's manual to switch between fuel types you could go down this maze which doesn't end well because multiple trips to the dealership to figure it out until you figure out you cost this just follow the instructions and one thing I will tell you and this is a common mistake we see a lot of owners do and enter this Maze of the Fuel Flex Fuel confusion is do not fill these cars with fuel especially the flex fuel this is every every car but especially the flux fuel with the
• 27:00 - 27:30 engine running or the key in the on position do not do that because that's how the problems usually start folks the Toyota seoa is really a darling of a truck and with the right owner you'll easily get two 300,000 Mi or even more and keep going with very basic maintenance they're not exactly difficult to work on if you want to consider do diying some of the maintenance they're really durable the only thing is owning a seoa you
• 27:30 - 28:00 shouldn't mind your very frequent trips to the gas station and you shouldn't mind really missing your mechanic cuz you're not going to see me much owning a seoa because they're really that wellmade and having this long lifespan really added to that even more Toyotas are generally extremely reliable but this thing is an absolute Hidden Gem as long as you don't mind the U Gas gozzling part I hope this video was helpful informative I hope you learned
• 28:00 - 28:30 something new if you like it consider giving it a thumbs up if you're not a subscriber consider subscribing to the channel check out some of my other videos and until the next video folks may the Lord bless you and keep you and you have yourself a wonderful day