My friends dubbed it Grape Ape because of its pretty plum color and generous proportions. I simply called it The Tank. But either way you look at it, the 2008 Toyota Sequoia is a very large vehicle.
In fact, it’s one of those vehicles that looks large from afar and seems to grow larger the closer you get. Inside, it’s downright cavernous.
2008 Toyota Sequoia
Engine: 4.7-liter V-8; 5.7-liter V-8
Horsepower: 276 (4.7-liter); 381 (5.7-liter)
Peak torque: 314 lb-ft (4.7-liter); 401 lb-ft (5.7-liter)
Drivetrain: 2WD or 4WD
Seating capacity: 8
Length: 205.1 inches
Wheelbase: 122 inches
Width: 79.9 inches
Height: 74.6 inches
Cargo volume: 18.9 cubic-feet (behind third-row); 66.6 cubic-feet (behind second-row); 120.8 cubic-feet (behind first-row)
MPG (city/highway): 14/17 (4.7-liter, 2WD); 13/16 (4.7-liter, 4WD); 14/19 (5.7-liter, 2WD); 13/18 (5.7-liter, 4WD)
Base price: $49,135 (with destination)
As tested: $52,195
Which is why the nimble handling and quick acceleration surprised me. I expected the Sequoia to be cumbersome and slow. Not so much.
Then again, the test vehicle was Limited model and came equipped with the up-level 5.7-liter V-8 engine that delivers 381 horsepower. I thought this was the perfect amount of power for a full-size SUV that weights nearly 6,000 pounds. The base engine in the SR5 model is a 4.7-liter V-8 that only delivers 276 horsepower. I can’t imagine that’s anywhere near enough power for daily driving, let alone towing.
The Sequoia is all new for the 2008 model year, and though the styling, chassis and interior are all-new, it’s that new 5.7-liter engine that impresses me the most. And that smooth, fluid power is only part of the story. In addition to having one of the highest horsepower outputs in the full-size SUV class, it still manages to be somewhat fuel efficient. For a full-size SUV.
For example, if you compare it to the 4.7-liter engine, it gets not only more than 100 extra horsepower but also an extra 2 mpg on the highway. EPA estimates city/highway consumption to be 13/18 mpg for the 5.7-liter engine with four-wheel drive and 13/16 mpg for the 4.7-liter engine with four-wheel drive. I averaged a solid 16.1 mpg in the test vehicle with combined city/highway driving.
The Sequoia with the 5.7-liter engine also delivers 401 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm and has a standard towing capacity of 9,100 pounds. That bests the Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition by about 3,000 pounds, and it bests the GMC Yukon by about 2,000 pounds. To be fair, however, it should be noted that the Tahoe and Yukon do get better gas mileage than the Sequoia.
Being a city person through and through, I’m just not sure what you do with a vehicle of this size and capability. It seats eight, and it has a length of 205.1 inches, a height of 74.6 inches and a width of 79.9 inches. It completely filled my parking space at home, and maneuvering through the garage at work was a chore because you always have silly SUVs who park in the spaces for compact cars. I had to haul myself into and out of the vehicle using the handgrip, and those running boards are not just for looks. All of my passengers needed them during the test week.
The first day of the test period had me tip-toeing through the streets and into my parking space. Slowly and gingerly. But I had gone from a mid-size sedan into this full-size beast, and getting used to the sheer proportions of the Sequoia was a challenge.
Day two, however, had me pushing the barriers, testing the turning radius in my small parking lot and punching the accelerator. On day three, I was a pro, swinging Grape Ape around like I owned it … and had owned it for years.
Of course, I couldn’t have done any of this without the optional backup camera and the front and rear parking sonar that was standard on the Limited model. It helped me learn where the edges of the vehicle were and gave me confidence while driving and parking. I even managed to parallel park the Sequoia on a crowded stretch of Logan Boulevard when my sister and I were trying to check out a new Italian restaurant in Logan Square. The space was only a tad larger than the Sequoia itself. I have to admit I was very impressed -- both with myself and the vehicle.
The interior is incredibly spacious, and it seems like everything from the steering wheel to the door handles is oversized. The center console is about a foot wide and held just about anything I needed it to during the test week. At one point, I shoved my purse, running belt and running jacket inside, and the top still closed perfectly.
The seats were also huge, almost too large for my petite frame. The 10-way power adjustable seats on the Limited model helped, but I did find myself slouching so that I could get the back of my knees over the lip of the seat. The center stack was not within easy reach, and if I needed to reach anything on the right side of the optional navigation screen, it was a definite stretch.
Interior appointments in the Limited model were luxurious with nice leather seats and attractive chrome-colored finishing touches. I liked the overall interior scheme and was pleased to note that the interior materials, from the seats to the ceiling, match.
Since the Sequoia is such a beast, you might not immediately think about safety features. But Toyota did. The standard STAR Safety System includes vehicle stability control, traction control and anti-lock brakes. Additionally, standard side-curtain airbags hit all three rows of seats. Not all the competitors can say the same.
The test vehicle was in the middle of the model pack at the Limited level. Sequoia also comes as a base SR5 model starting at $34,834 or the Platinum model with a base price of $56,285. The test vehicle had a base price of $49,135 but added a good dose of options and topped out at $52,195.
While I have a hard time supporting any full-size SUV as fuel prices continue to rise, I do have to say I grew rather fond of Grape Ape, I mean the Sequoia, during the test week. It may be oversized, like the 40-foot-tall Hanna-Barbera cartoon character, but it’s also loveable in a large kind of way. Consider: Comfortable seating for eight (the third row has 35.3 inches of legroom), the ability to tow your boat to the lake and an incredible total cargo volume of 120.8 cubic-feet.
If you need such things, a loveable beast isn’t a bad way to go. Just choose a color other than purple (aka Cassis Pearl). Otherwise, you’ll hear faint cries of “Grape Ape!” every time you hit the gas pedal. I know I did. Once my friends planted the idea in my head, it stuck.
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