2023 Sequoia TRD Pro Off Road Test: The Most Capable Yet!

[@JustChillingNahhhhMean]

That was fun to watch. Good stuff

[@EngineAdventures]

Thanks for the support, glad you enjoyed it!

[@smittysmitty481]

Real nice & love the Solar Octane color!

[@EngineAdventures]

Thanks for watching!

[@giolats8179]

Back to the great EA off-road reviews! On road and towing reviews great as well! Do you think the more expensive lx600 (lc300) 4wd system would perform better if it was applied on the sequoia chassis?

[@EngineAdventures]

Thanks Gio! I'm finally getting some more vehicles from the fleet, but the recent snow storms have caused some delays. What I really want is the old Sequoia transfercase, with 2wd ,4hi, 4 low, and a separate center diff lock. The LX600 has the 4hi and 4low with center diff lock, but no 2wd mode. As far as outright capability I'd say they are both equal as far as system capability. The LX600 with the adjustable suspension and adjustable shocks is better for the additional ground clearance and articulation.

[@Coloradohiker658]

Great review!

[@EngineAdventures]

Thanks again Mark!

[@Aperturexplorer]

There is no center locking diffs on Toyotas that have 2wd. They are only on AWD models like the land cruisers

[@EngineAdventures]

Correct, center diffs are only on vehicles with power that is sent to all 4 wheels. The vehicle in this test has 2wd and 4wd positions in the transfer case.

[@LuwigChannel]

Just found your channel and love your reviews. I just got a 23 sequoia trd pro and wanted to learn more about the off road capabilities of the truck. You mentioned how the 4H on this sequoia is not meant for on pavement driving. Do you think it'd be okay to drive with 4H on freshly plowed roads?

[@EngineAdventures]

Thanks for watching! Just depends on how slick the roads are. Where I am they hard salt and brine the roads like crazy to keep them clean and 4wd is rarely needed. The new Sequoia is shift on the fly, so under like 55 or 60 mph you can go back and forth between 4 hi and 2wd as needed. It just means that you as a driver have to be aware of the conditions and adjust the 4wd as needed.

[@paultruesdale7680]

The problem with the Japanese manufacturers, is that they want to break into the area of the big three, but are not willing to build a 3/4 or 1 ton chassis. Most of the customers at the sixty thousand plus and upward are buying vehicles of this type. Superior towing and interior cargo volume is were it is at. This new sequoia is a superb upgrade from the last generation, minus the center differential. The motor promises stonking power for a 1/2 ton chassis and I’m sure the Toyota faithful will love it. Nissan tried to bridge the gap with the XD series, but the American market didn’t quite get it. Heavy duty is 3/4 and 1 ton. So we have a new hybrid high power/torque Sequoia bigger than the 4Runner and not as capable as its Lexus/Land Cruiser siblings. Damn, gotta find a better location for those batteries. Not a fan of those lookalike Falcon tires. Real all terrain tires please. Miss that crawl control sound as well. 👍EA

[@EngineAdventures]

Thanks for watching and commenting! The US is a different market that they seem to struggle in for full size trucks. They make medium duty trucks elsewhere, but those have limited use for the US market. The XD just wasn't any more fuel efficient than the 3/4 and 1 tons and while it's much more stable when towing than the 1/2 tons it wasn't rated high enough to be worth it for many. Hopefully the Sequoia will be very durable long term over rough terrain. Otherwise I don't see it being a better choice than the others.

[@imnotusingmyrealname4566]

They should at least offer it without the hybrid to give it better interior space.

[@EngineAdventures]

The LX600 based on the same platform is non hybrid only. The Tundra is based on the same platform as well and has both hybrid and non hybrid layouts. So clearly the capability is there.

[@Cisco13]

Toyota says all its cars will have an electric or hybrid option by 2025

[@imnotusingmyrealname4566]

@@Cisco13 Option, the only car that should be hybrid only is the Prius

[@EngineAdventures]

And a big reason for this push is the government, not consumers. Toyota has said multiple times that battery electric vehicles don't make sense (hybrids are a little different) in the long run. Many people bagged on Toyota for being so slow to the BEV game, even though they really championed the hybrid with the Prius.

[@imnotusingmyrealname4566]

@@EngineAdventures true

[@Marchisthefirstmonthoftheyear]

Если ваш интеллект велосипедика не садитесь за руль внедорожника

[@frimatt5355]

$90,000 C'mon wtf?

[@EngineAdventures]

This is the top end for the Sequoia, others are close to that as well. I agree though, way out of my budget!

[@ImOldGregg]

Based off the image for the video, that articulation is pretty weak-worse than a basic 4runner

[@EngineAdventures]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Check out my LX600 video. I was expecting the Sequoia to be closer to that (I know the LX has KDSS which will give it better articulation, but I definitely thought the Sequoia would do a little better with articulation than it did). The TRD Pro lineup is definitely geared more toward high speed over decently maintained dirt and gravel roads than rock crawling.

[@ImOldGregg]

@@EngineAdventures I’ve always had mixed feelings about the pro line up. It’s great for most folks who have no interest in modding, but for the tacos and 4Runners you can do so much better through the aftermarket often for less $ than pro msrp. Went though this with my last vehicle being a 4runner. Don’t think it’s fair to expect a family vehicle like the sequoia to be a beast of an off-road vehicle, but I do think Toyota kinda screwed the pooch here given that the American competition has more room interior wise for the exterior dimensions being comparable. I feel like the sequoia will really only appeal to brand loyalists.

[@EngineAdventures]

It has a lot to offer that the others don't. I'd guess that the durability and reliability of the Sequoia will out pace the others if off-pavement travel is a regular thing. For people very rarely leaving the beaten tracks then the Sequoia isn't the best choice. As you mentioned the others have better interior layouts (except the Armada) with more space, the same or better mpg, and as much as I don't like it, the independent rear suspension every competitor has makes for a better ride.

[@ImOldGregg]

@@EngineAdventures yeah the reliability thing is really the best use case for these besides the better off-road capability. Time will tell on reliability given that these are Japan produced

[@EngineAdventures]

I misspoke earlier, I forgot the LX600 doesn't have KDSS but it does have the hydraulically controlled dampers and height adjustment. While maybe not quite as good as KDSS, it's still a great system. The other area where this Sequoia did really well is towing. All these full size SUVs do pretty good, but I feel like the sequoia was just a little better. I still haven't been in a Wagoneer (highest tow rating of any SUV currently available) so that one may be better. I agree on the reliability front, it's a basic system overall. Yes it has turbos, yes it is a hybrid, but they are designed in a very basic manner that will hopefully have good longevity.

[@enkrypt3d]

I dont think the 2023 Sequoia has a center diff.... front & rear only.

[@EngineAdventures]

That is correct

[@enkrypt3d]

@@EngineAdventures I bet with some better tires you could make it up that hill if that mount of dirt wasn't in the middle!

[@EngineAdventures]

@@enkrypt3d yeah I wasn't worried about getting on the hill, but if it was too icy/slick to summit I didn't want to have to back over that bump and damage a bumper or something.

[@NicholasT-f9n]

Unless you own Yellowstone and a billionaire, nobody's gonna drive this $100K truck off road like this.

[@EngineAdventures]

You may be surprised at how many $100k jeeps, trucks, and buggies are out on the trails. At least here in the West.

[@vman8835]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽