Long-Term Test: 2002 Toyota Sequoia

Toyota's rise to prominence in the auto industry has been fueled largely by its success in the U.S. market. Close attention to American tastes has resulted in a diverse lineup that now includes everything from the compact Corolla to the full-size Tundra pickup. These vehicles haven't always hit their mark right off the bat, but subsequent fine-tuning has turned many of Toyota's products into best sellers in their segments.

Full-size trucks and sport-utility vehicles have traditionally been the domain of the big three domestic manufacturers, but with the introduction of the T100 truck way back in 1993, Toyota signaled its intention to carve out a niche for itself in this lucrative segment. Undersized and underpowered, the T100 didn't satisfy American truck buyers who value power and payload above all else. Undaunted by its initial failure, Toyota returned for a second try with a bigger V8-powered truck called the Tundra. This time Toyota got it right, and it sold more than 140,000 Tundras in the first year and a half.

Confident in its ability to compete with the Big Three's trucks, Toyota turned its attention to sport-utilities. Built on the same platform as the Tundra, the Sequoia is Toyota's answer to Chevrolet's Tahoe and Ford's Expedition, two of the most popular sport-utes on the market. With their large seating capacities, high driving positions and rugged appearance, these monstrous vehicles have become the "cool" carpool alternative to the matronly minivan.

Our initial road test of the Sequoia left us with the impression that not only could it compete with the domestic competition, it could beat them in many respects. But since a seven-day test barely scratches the surface when it comes to fully appreciating the best, and worst, aspects of such a vehicle, we've decided to add a Sequoia to our long-term fleet and see how our initial impression holds up over the long haul. Our search for the perfect Sequoia test vehicle led us down a long and sometimes tortuous road of decisions on options, colors and trim levels, but in the end, we found a Sequoia that is well suited to our daily needs.

The Sequoia comes in just two trim levels, SR5 and Limited, and both can be ordered with either two- or four-wheel drive. Limited models come fully equipped with a short options list that includes a moon roof, premium audio system, daytime running lights and a barbaric-looking rear spoiler. SR5 models can be similarly equipped, but you must specify multiple options packages to get things like the automatic climate control, roof rack and tinted windows that come standard on the Limited.

Considering our mild climate and the fact that we rarely venture off road, a 2WD Sequoia seemed like more than enough truck for our needs. Its status as a minivan alternative also swayed us to keep the costs down, so we went with the base SR5 trim. This led us to the next all-important decision -- the color. Since all SR5 Sequoias come with black wheel moldings, we picked Silver Sky Metallic paint as our first choice, as it provides a nice contrast to the dark wheel moldings.

When it came to picking options, we hit a bit of a snag. Leather seating was at the top of our list, so we began a search for an SR5 with the Preferred Package, as it includes leather as one its many additions. After calling around, we were unable to find any SR5s with the Preferred Package in Southern California. Upon inquiring at the local regional sales office, we found out that Toyota could special-order the vehicle with the Preferred Package, but we would have to wait 3 to 4 months to take delivery -- much longer than our schedule would allow.

In an attempt to understand why the local Toyota Regional Office hadn't ordered SR5s with such an obvious consumer demand item as leather trim, we contacted them again. We came to find out that the local regional office made the decision to differentiate between the SR5 and the Limited by limiting all SR5s to cloth seats and including leather only on the Limited. Their hope was to sell more of the higher profit Limited models and according to them, that strategy is working.

Good for them we guess, but not so good for consumers who don't want to pay the extra cash for a Limited model just to get leather seats. We came to the conclusion that we would be better off getting leather through an aftermarket supplier, and we were referred to a well-established national company called Classic Soft Trim. The company has a solid reputation in the industry and has done some original equipment for several manufacturers in the past, so we had little doubt it would look just as though it came from the factory.

To round out the vehicle specs, we looked for two sets of options packages: the Alloy Wheel Package (running boards, rear door privacy glass and a tow hitch), the Convenience Package (HomeLink, dual-zone air conditioning with front and rear controls, fog lamps, JBL stereo system, power sunroof remote keyless entry, carpet/cargo mats, roof rack) and last but not least, captain's chairs for the driver and front passenger. We managed to locate a Sequoia that fit the description at a Toyota dealership in Torrance, Calif. It was equipped with all the options mentioned above and also included power driver and passenger seats and driver/passenger side and head curtain airbags. We decided to go with the aftermarket leather as noted above, and it turned out great. We were able to pick out the exact color that we wanted, a rich slate gray, and it complements the interior beautifully.

We completed all the negotiations over the telephone, leaving the actual in-dealership sales process short and efficient. We financed the vehicle through a leasing partner on our site, Automobile Consumer Services (ACS), and the whole process went off without a hitch. All we had to do was go to the dealership, sign the sales contract for the agreed-upon price (Edmunds.com True Market Value^®), and the new Sequoia was delivered right to our offices. ACS then simply cut Torrance Toyota a check to pay off the vehicle and we handled the rest of the paperwork through the mail. It was completely painless and even enjoyable.

And then we finally got down to the real business of this test: the driving.

"This beast is huge," exclaimed the wife of one of Edmunds' executives the first time she got behind the wheel. With exterior dimensions nearly identical to Ford's Expedition, the Sequoia has a prominent footprint. To her surprise, however, the Sequoia proved to be quite nimble for its size, easing into a parking space at the local Foster's Freeze was little problem at all. Unfortunately, the Sequoia's diminutive feel on the road didn't translate to the driveway, as it was too tall to fit in the family garage, and this in spite of the fact that it's 2 inches shorter than either of its domestic competitors.

Despite our problems with the Sequoia's dimensional limitations, we quickly came to appreciate the powerful i-Force V8 under the hood. Displacing 4.7 liters and rated at 240 horsepower at 4,800 rpm and 315 pound-feet of torque, the engine lives up to Toyota's tradition of buttery-smooth powertrains that deliver seamless power with minimal apparent effort.

One of the main reasons why consumers find full-size sport-utes so practical is their cavernous interiors. We found out just how practical when a friend asked us for assistance with some moving chores. The Sequoia swallowed up enough furniture and boxes to make a moving van nervous about being put out to pasture. We, and our friend, were very impressed.

After its tour of duty as the neighborhood moving van, the Sequoia proved its worth as a comfortable family hauler. The split climate control system allowed driver and front passenger to stay cool in the sun-soaked front seats, while rear passengers stayed comfortably warm in the shadier second row. We also liked the one-touch down and up front windows and the huge storage compartment centered between the captain's chairs. The deep center console incorporates a built-in CD rack, handy flip-up writing pad and large cupholders that swallow just about any size drink with ease.

Although our initial driving experiences with the Sequoia have been positive, there have been a few glitches along the way. From the moment it was delivered, we noticed discoloration on some of the rear trim pieces. We took the vehicle to the local dealership to have the spots inspected, and technicians quickly confirmed that it was a factory defect...maybe a bad plastic run. Even after four trips back to Irvine Toyota, we still are waiting for the correct parts to be replaced -- a little too long a wait in our minds.

Another problem cropped up just two weeks into our ownership, as the driver-side exterior mirror started vibrating so much that it rendered the mirror useless at highway speeds. A trip to the local dealer cured the problem for a short time, but it reappeared. The service advisor could offer no explanation as to why the interior screws in the mirror keep working their way loose or why the affliction seems to be limited to the driver-side mirror. In any case, they tightened the screws and added a touch of Locktite, but you can be sure we'll keep a close eye on the problem after this band-aid fix.

Another observation for the month concerns the Sequoia's paltry gas mileage. Since it weighs in at more than 5,000 pounds, we aren't expecting much from the massive sport-ute. Its EPA mileage ratings are 14 city/18 highway, but the onboard computer has indicated a more believable 11.7 miles per gallon during around-town driving. Strangely enough, however, the computer hasn't budged off this figure despite some lengthy trips on the highway, so we're going to have it checked at its next dealer service to make sure it's reading correctly.

Two other minor annoyances have come to our attention. The first is that the mirror adjustment button has given way and now resides sunken down in the console. Our service advisor tells us that the mounting bracket has come loose, and he'll have to order a part. Again, we'll address this during our next service.

The other annoyance is more of a design issue. The nose of the vehicle is flat and appears to be susceptible to rock chips. After two weeks of ownership, it was apparent that some sort of front-end protection might help keep its good looks in tact. Other owners have caught on to this, as well, as there is hardly a Sequoia driving around that doesn't have a "bug shield" prominently displayed on its nose.

From the driver seat, the Sequoia is performing quite well, but six trips to the dealership is hardly the Toyota experience we expected. We're hoping that once these minor problems are licked, our initial quality impressions will improve, but we're taking a wait-and-see attitude for now.

Is the Sequoia a legitimate minivan alternative? Stay tuned for the next 12 months to see how this plays out.

Current Odometer: 3,200 miles
Best Fuel Economy: 11.7 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 11.7 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 11.7 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: $22 for an oil change
Problems: Trim discoloration, driver-side mirror shakes loose, trip meter malfunction, mirror adjustment button, chipping front hood.