Tag Archives: three-row seating

2023 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD Hybrid

May 17, 2023 Mark Savage Leave a comment

Big Sequoia is improved, but has a couple Big issues …

Big, bold, beautiful?

It’s hard to argue beauty for any full-size SUV although the sparkling silver paint job on this motoring monster, the Toyota Sequoia, added some sparkle. But Sequoia, as its name implies, is big and the restyling for 2023 helps it fit into the attractive Toyota style mix, be it bold or just shapely.

Certainly this giant Platinum model that takes root mid-level in the Sequoia forest is much improved from its predecessor, yet has two major issues that might give one pause. More on those after this short commercial break!

Sequoia not only was restyled but a hybrid power system was added, something Toyota knows quite a bit about. And that leads to one of its substantial improvements, gas mileage. This 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 coupled with a mild hybrid system that helps power the body-on-frame truck to 18 mph, is a powerhouse, while being more efficient.

How much so?

Well, I had managed just 16.7 mpg in the previous generation Sequoia in nearly all highway driving. Here I got 18 mpg in a mix of city and highway, and actually saw 20 mpg in a highway stint. The EPA rates the hybrid at 19 mpg city and 22 highway. I know that’s still pathetic, but for a nearly 6,000-pound truck those numbers represent quite an improvement.

Note too that this powerplant generates 437 horsepower and a whopping 583 pound-feet of torque. That makes acceleration easy and almost spunky from a stop, plus Sequoia will tow up to 9,310 pounds, no small number, and up 2,200 pounds from earlier models.

Handling is decent here too as the truck is easy to maneuver and keep in its lane on a highway. I had this in particularly windy weather and it was simple to control, only mildly affected by our typhoonish spring winds.

Notably the Sequoia features three rows of seats, the third row powering down via buttons under the power hatch or on panels just inside the rear doors and next to the second row seats so one can reach them without crawling in back. Those second row seats also spring forward with the pull of a handle to allow easy access to row three.

But, and like all things Sequoia it’s a Big but, knee room and foot space is precious in the third row, even though those seats will slide 6 inches to and fro. Yet there’s a bigger issue.

Here’s the issue, an awkward cargo area that takes work to flatten out for cargo.

The hybrid batteries and a new live axle rear suspension, creates enough rise under the rear floor that when lowered the third-row seats stick up about 6 inches higher than the small cargo deck behind them. Thus, no flat floor for carrying luggage, lumber, or bags of mulch or top soil.

Oh, Toyota has a fix, but it’s inelegant.

A shelf that can be fitted in several slotted positions helps level the entire cargo area, but the shelf is awkward to maneuver and has two flaps on the back intended to lay flush on the backs of the third-row seats. They do if those seats have been pulled all the way back, otherwise you find yourself fiddling with the levers under those seats after the shelf is in place. Frustrating!

Watch our video: (186) 2023 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD Hybrid review by Mark Savage & Paul Daniel – YouTube

While whining, let me mention the other oversized problem, Sequoia’s vanity-cabinet-size rearview mirrors. These monsters seriously block side views as they extend out nearly a foot on either side of the cockpit, and that’s before a driver powers them out even further. This $290 option allows the mirrors to extend about 5 inches further, a useful feature when trailering, although Toyota includes a number of other trailering assists on Sequoia, such as Trailer Backup Guide and StraightPath Assist.

This is the monster mirror, NOT fully extended!

As a short driver I could barely see to the side at an intersection as the mirrors are so tall. I found myself boosting up with my legs to see over the mirrors. Dangerous for me, but a 6-foot something driver may be fine, especially if they have a long torso. For parking purposes the mirrors will power fold flat against the truck’s side.

But let’s return to the other improvements.

Gone is the old 6-speed automatic, replaced by a smooth 10-speed automatic tranny that helps create a bit of a luxury feel as it applies the power seamlessly. It also helps improve gas mileage.

Here you can see the power running boards unfurled, because the door is open.

The old truck had solid running boards, while this one adds power-retracting boards, a trend among high-priced SUVs. These cost $1,005. Why not just $1,000? That $5 seems petty on a luxury SUV. Note too that if this system ever fails you’ll likely need a step-ladder to climb aboard.

Standard now are heated and cooled front and second-row seats, plus a heated steering wheel. Wise move for a big luxury ute.

Here’s a look at the gray leather interior.

One should note that the Sequoia is based on the Tundra pickup platform, which is also used for the Lexus LX 600 SUV. Like all those it has multiple drive modes, with Comfort being the setting you’ll want 90% of the time. But Eco, Normal, Sport and Sport+ are here too. I laugh at the Sport settings for monster trucks, but they are here if you choose to use them.

There’s also a Crawl Control feature to alloy off-roaders to engage when navigating rocks and rough terrain. Think of it as off-road cruise control.

Additionally the test truck added a load-leveling rear air suspension for $1,045. That will help when towing, but ride while fairly well damped is bouncy as with most pickups and large SUVs. So hit a large crater and the Sequoia sucks it up pretty well, but over uneven roads there’s bounce like in a baby buggy.

That’s a big info screen, some might say too big.

I probably should have mentioned that AWD came on the tester at about a $3,000 premium. You wouldn’t be off-roading without it.

Sequoia’s interior has been modernized, meaning the tiny info screen has been replaced by a 14-inch mega-screen. That seems a bit much, but the good news, it’s an easy to use touchscreen, so no awkward touchpad on the console. Plus Toyota delivers a large volume knob and the big screen shows the 360-camera images in fine detail.

Because a $499 dash cam was added here the screen switches to a front view every time the vehicle stops, which seems unnecessary. I can plainly see out the front. It would have helped if the camera looked to the sides to make up for those blasted protruding side mirrors.

The dash also is button happy with a plethora of toggles and buttons for everything from climate controls to the heated and cooled seats (I like that), plus copious trailering and ride height adjustments. By my count there are 11 buttons on the dash left of the steering wheel, 12 toggles on the stack and 11 more buttons below the toggles. A few more buttons grace the thick leather steering wheel’s hub too.

Another new addition, a wireless charger in the console’s front is welcome. The console itself being trimmed in black gloss finish is often very reflective. The cupholders include a cover and the giant storage box/armrest between the front seats offers multiple layers for storage.

Sunroofs? Yes, there are two and they are big too.

Overhead are giant sunroofs, one occasionally generated mild wind noise. Inside, the black leather seats are fairly flat and along with the doors and dash include blue trim piping. The test truck also added a 10-inch color HUD for $600.

Standard, as it seems on all Toyotas now, is its fine suite of safety equipment, everything from smart cruise control to pre-collision warnings and pedestrian detection. Excellent!

A look at pricing shows the Sequoia jumped $8,000 from the earlier models, maybe a bit more than one might expect despite all the improvements made for 2023. Still, large SUVs are now mostly in the $60,000 to $100,000 range and the base Sequoia SR5 with rear-drive and just an 8-inch info screen starts at $59,960. A Limited starts at $69,300 and adds more features while the tested Platinum lists at $75,560 with 4WD. A rear-drive model is $3,000 cheaper.

A TRD Pro model is sportier and equipped more for off-roading with 4WD standard as is a roof rack to carry your kayaks, etc. It lists at $77,660.

The top-end Capstone model starts at $79,895, which is almost where the test truck settled, at $79,379. A quick check online shows a monthly loan payment of $1,297 with $8,000 down, no trade-in and a loan rate of 3.19%.

That was nearly my mortgage payment for 20 year, and for that I got a shower and kitchen sink. Don’t fret though, this powerful Sequoia will easily pull a trailer big enough to include both.

FAST STATS: 2023 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD (Hybrid)

Hits: Massive truck with three-row seating, improved gas mileage with hybrid, excellent power and AWD. Huge info screen, heated wheel and heat/cool front and rear seats, 360-degree camera, big sunroof, wireless charging, power running boards, hatch and power-down third row seats. Excellent towing power and acceleration, decent handling and good safety systems.

Misses: Massive mirrors seriously block side views, cargo area not flat initially with third row seats down, awkward panel adjustment to help remedy that, bouncy truck ride, uncomfy third row, a lot of dash buttons and toggles, and if power running boards ever fail you’ll need a stepladder to climb aboard.

Made in: San Antonio, Texas

Engine: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6/hybrid, 437 hp/583 torque

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Weight: 5,855 lbs.

Wheelbase: 122 in.

Length: 208.1 in.

Tow: 9,310 lbs.

MPG: 19/22

MPG: 18.0 (tested)

Base Price: $75,495 (includes delivery)

Invoice: $68,903

Major Options:

10-in. color HUD display, $600

Power extending mirrors w/convex spotter mirror and light, $290

Load-leveling rear air suspension, $1,045

Power running boards, $1,005

Dash cam, $499

Ball mount, $87

Carpeted floor/cargo mats, $358

Test vehicle: $79,379

Sources: Toyota, www.kbb.com

Photos: Mark Savage

SUV/Truck Reviews

2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD

May 25, 2022 Mark Savage Leave a comment

Boxy, gray, two-tone, 3-row Pathfinder a trend setter …

Sometimes when I write my reviews I feel like a broken record (remember those?) repeating the same info over and over.

Part of that is because trends develop fast in the car world and once one manufacturer does something for style, color, features, the others soon fall in line. Sometimes too I test a vehicle as a pre-production model, then get the standard production model a few months later.

That was the case with Nissan’s new 2022 Pathfinder. Plus it was a top-end Platinum 4WD version, same as I’d tested last fall.

For the most part, all was the same, save for a better driver’s seat butt pocket that was not as hard as last time. That or my tush has softened. Whatever!

Now I also see the trends that Pathfinder exhibits that I wasn’t as aware of previously.

First, two-tone SUVs and crossovers are now a thing, a good thing I might add. The trend is giving the roof a different paint scheme than the body. In this case, the roof was black and the body a destroyer gray. That’s another trend, blah gray paint like a battleship, jet fighter or a utility truck. Funny though, the trendy two-tone paint scheme costs $350 extra.

Boxy styling is back for SUVs too. It’s what carmakers call “muscular” and means wheel wells are more pronounced, hoods flatter and fenders squared. This counteracts the more streamlined styling with rounded edges of recent years, although I’d argue SUVs nearly all look pretty boxy, always have.

Another trend? To improve fuel economy and smooth shifts for a more luxurious feel, carmakers have moved to 8- to 10-speed automatic transmissions. Nissan’s is a 9-speed and silky smooth. That helps keep the 3.5-liter V6 calmed even as the 4,672-pound SUV runs up to highway speeds. So engine noise is modest and the cabin remains quiet, so as not to disturb the family’s social media experiences.

Watch Mark’s video: Mark Savage reviews to 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Edition – YouTube

Luxury interiors, often even in the $35,000-$40,000 price range (that’s about $10 grand short of the average vehicle price now) are trendy too. That means leather with various names taken from Italian fishing villages to California wine country counties. Nissan’s are semi-aniline leather and were a handsome medium brown with black trim on seats, doors and dash.

This makes sense. I mean, where do you spend hours and hours? Inside your vehicle, naturally. So make it as comfy and lounge-like as possible.

The Pathfinder really looks posh with its quilted leather all around and brushed metal look trim on the outer air vents, door armrests faces and then piano gloss black trim around the various screens and as console trim. Downside to the gloss finish? It’s very reflective on sunny days.

The better news is that these seats are well formed and supportive and as hinted at before, the butt pockets are much softer than the pre-pro model, so fine for long drives with the fam aboard.

Third row seat is tight, but easily accessed.

That’s easier now too due to the trend of adding a third-row seat to every SUV beyond compact status. Nissan proudly states this third row has more legroom than some competitors, but let’s be realistic, nearly all third rows are meant for kids younger than 8. Leg and knee room is tight unless the second row seats are moved as far forward as possible.

More good news, these row two seats are one-touch, meaning punch a button on the back and the second row seats backs fold forward and the entire seat slides forward for easier access to row three. That’s appreciated.

Note the flat-bottom wheel, which Nissan and I love.

Also a trend, a bench seat is optional for row two, which would allow a family to haul eight, one more than a minivan. Practically speaking, most folks will opt for captain’s chairs in row two and limit seating to seven. That creates four very comfy seats, which is how many folks populate most vehicles, including midsize and large SUVs.

Other interior trends include dual-pane panoramic sunroofs and fancy stereos. Both are standard on the Platinum model, the stereo being a Bose premium model with dual subwoofers.

Nissan, wisely, is fond of flat-bottom steering wheels which are good at creating more room for a driver’s knees when exiting and also look sportier, a double win.

And many drive modes, here controlled on the console by a rotating dial, are as necessary as giant wheels and tires these days. Pathfinder touts seven drive modes from Mud/Rut and Snow, to Eco and Sport. Yes, Sport firms the steering effort some and mildly aids acceleration.

Supposedly the more muscular styling for Pathfinder (and others) insinuates it is more off-road rugged and certainly I splashed around some sloppy tall grass and muck in a field to assure the Nissan was up to it. It is, but as the SUVs approach the cost of a home it seems less and less likely owners will torture them in rough terrain.

I must admit the tested gray Pathfinder Platinum is not as costly as, say, the giant new Jeeps I recently tested, but still, at $50,665 the monthly payments are going to be substantial.

A base rear-drive S model lists at $34,855 and adding 4WD to any of the Pathfinder’s four trims adds $1,900. The popular SV trim rolls at about $37,500 and the SL at about $42 grand. This Platinum model started at $49,265, including delivery.

For the record I got 23.3 mpg in a 60/40 mix of highway to city driving and the EPA rates this model at 20 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. One hopes a hybrid version is in the works to help boost those numbers, although I must say filling the tank was not as shocking as with the previous week’s Jeep Grand Wagoneer that managed just 12.3 mpg. Pathfinder is way more family budget friendly.

Other pluses include the full bevy of safety equipment. Nissan wisely makes Safety Shield 360 standard on all models. That includes lane departure warning (vibrates the steering wheel and buzzes a bit), blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and front and rear emergency braking plus high-beam headlight assist.

Moving up to the SV trim adds ProPilot the adaptive cruise control and semi-autonomous driving aids, and by the Platinum level there’s also a 10.8-inch head-up display. Sadly that smart cruise system only works with the semi-autonomous system, so you can’t shut off the buzzing, vibrating lane warning system that can annoy during the lane dodging of construction season.

Standard too are a 9-inch infotainment screen (up from 8 in the two lower trims), a WiFi hotspot, 360-degree camera, that flat-bottom steering wheel, Nissan Connect Services via Sirius XM, wireless Apple Car Play, but not wireless Android Auto.

Goodies added in the Platinum model are heated and cooled front seats and heated steering wheel, plus heated rear seats, that dual-pane sunroof, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless phone charger, driver seat memory, power tilt/telescope steering wheel and memory, that the HUD.

I’m also a fan of the power hatch, under cargo floor storage and the fact Pathfinder can tow up to 6,000 lbs., when properly equipped.

Not a fan though of the stiff ride in what should be a luxurious family SUV. I would never call this a severe ride, but it’s more than firm. All road imperfections are felt as the ute seems to not soak up the rises in the pavement, but deliver a bump to the rump.

Take a ride though to assess how the ride affects your derriere. If you’re after a large compact ute with luxury leanings inside the Pathfinder offers a roomy quiet interior and plenty of power and amenities.

Others to compare include Toyota’s Highlander, Kia’s Telluride, Hyundai’s Palisade (recently reviewed here), the Ford Explorer Timberline, and Subaru’s Ascent.

FAST STATS: 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD

Hits: Roomy 3-row interior, stout power, 7 drive modes, flat-bottom steering wheel, solid standard safety equipment plus heated/cooled front seats, heated steering wheel, dual-pane sunroof. Big instrument display and easy-to-use info screen, storage under cargo floor, power hatch and tilt/telescope wheel, along with quiet, stylish interior.

Misses: Stiff ride, limited foot and knee room in third row, smart cruise engages semi-autonomous driving feature, which can’t be disengaged while in cruise mode.

Made in: Smyrna, Tenn.

Engine: 3.5-liter V6, 284 hp / 259 torque

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Weight: 4,672 lbs.

Wheelbase: 114.2 in.

Length: 197.7 in.

Cargo: 16.6/45.0/80.5 cu.ft.

Tow: 6,000 lbs.

MPG: 20/25

MPG: 23.3 (tested)

Base Price: $49,265 (includes delivery)

Invoice: N.A.

Major Options:

Carpeted floor mats, captain’s chairs, $255

Lighting package (illuminated kick plates, welcome lighting), $795

2-tone paint, $350

Test vehicle: $50,665

Sources: Nissan, www.kbb.com

Photos: Mark Savage

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