Wow, are you me? Thanks for the write-up and it’s uncanny how similar our situations/impressions are.
This all started for me with a Yukon XL rental. I felt exactly the same way, even about the 6.2, which was fine, but honestly nothing to get excited about. I can only imagine the 5.3 feels inadequate these days. I’m a Japanese car guy, but I was thinking the same - give the Yukon a shot. For exactly the same reasons though, I’m starting to look elsewhere. I’ve joined a bunch of Yukon/Tahoe forums and it’s honestly non-stop with lemon-law posts, lifter failures, and frustration. I’m on forums for other brands (Sequoias for instance) and it’s not as bad - mostly people talking about configuration and/or minor quibbles. The only one that seems to outdo the Yukon (anecdotally) is the the Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer - just a constant stream of buyback/lemon-law posts.
And yes, depreciation is the other factor - paying 80K+ and then having it worth 25K in 5 years is significant.
The fact that you bought the Sequoia TRD pro is also a commonality because I’ve been set on getting it since it came out. More recently though, the factors you mentioned have made me think twice because:
I live in the NorthEast and I don’t like the idea of instructing my wife/nanny/grandparent on how to use 4-Hi - I’m surprised it doesn’t have 4A.
I didn’t think the third row seats would matter as much but after renting the Yukon, it seems like a major miss on Toyota’s part to try and shoehorn a solid rear axle AND a hybrid battery there.
I currenty have a Ford Explorer Sport with an undersized gas tank and it’s annoying.
Interesting point about the seats. Is that all of their seats or just the third row? Do you guys use the third row?
I wish we had the LC300 here - that would always be my choice. I can’t get past the LX600’s looks tbh.
I’d be tempted to buy a used Ford Expedition Timberline if it took a huge depreciation hit, but I’ve already suffered once with Ford quality (had about $10,000 worth of warranty work) so why would I do it to myself again, especially as they seem to be competing with Stellantis for the ‘Worst of the Worst’ awards lately.
We rarely use the third row. Only when grand parents are in town or we have guests/kids’ friends etc. The seat cushioning is firm for all rows, with the third row being the most firm but that is not an issue for my kids or spouse. My pre-teen kids love sitting in the third row.
Reliability and resale value were huge factors for me as I just got my Cayenne Turbo S back from the dealer after they spent 10 months fixing the front air suspension which cost $10,000. If the rear suspension goes then that’ll be another 10M/$10k ordeal that I’m not looking forward to. I have zero faith in the domestic brands’ ability to stay out of the dealership service department, especially the Ford and Chrysler products. Buying them used at the end of their depreciation curve would not be a smart decision, to put it politely.
I understand the reluctance of not having AWD in snow country but honestly I think RWD mode is perfectly fine for most situations (spent almost 10 yrs driving RWD cars in Minnesota and Western PA). And if you feel the need to switch to 4hi then it’s literally just like flipping a switch.
The solid rear axle and third row on top of hybrid battery sucks but if you’re in the market for a roomy 7 seater 3 row powerful BOF SUV that can conquer off road, tow heavy loads, keep you out of the dealer service department and have good resale value then for better or worse, the Sequoia is your only option.
I bought the sequoia as an in betweener vehicle while I looked for something better because I knew I wouldn’t take a bath getting rid of it. My Cayenne Turbo S was almost $164k new and now 10yrs/90k miles later it’s worth $20k trade in. The sequoia on the other hand is still worth what I paid for it even after driving it a year and putting almost 10k miles on it.
If you don’t mind less power/space then I’d strongly recommend to try to get over the looks of the LX600 and buy it. It’s a very nice vehicle. Just wish it fit my needs. Now if Lexus comes out with an XL version of the LX600 and gives it the power of the Sequoia then I’d be the first in line to buy it. I know that’s not gonna happen, but one can wish.
Oh man, what an ordeal with the Porsche - sorry to hear. I mean 10K is one thing, but 10 months in the shop - that’s ridiculous. How does the Porsche experience make you feel about Euro cars?
Agree that I’m probably overestimating the importance of full-time AWD and the Toyota transfer case is probably a better heavy duty option for when the going really gets rough. I once had my the power-take-off in my AWD Explorer shut down in heavy snow because it overheated. Fortunately, I’d just made it to the crest of a hill, but it was a reminder that AWD suvs are not equal to a proper 4WD system.
I think you’re telling me what I need to hear. The Sequoia is probably what I need even if there’s a few compromises. Surprisingly for a Toyota, it’s not underpowered (they’ve been getting better at this lately which is a big consideration for me.
My question for you is that if this is an in-between vehicle, what have you got your sights on next? The Escalade V sounds like it would be right up your alley if it weren’t for, you know, GM
Also, how’s your fuel economy. Not what you buy these barges for but I’ve seen a lot of reviews and user comments that they’re getting around 15mpg combined, not the 19-21mpg rating.
I know you never get the EPA result unless you’re rolling downhill with a tailwind, but 15mpg combined is worse than a lot of the V8s.
Honestly, 14k a year over 10 years in depreciation is not too bad to drive a Cayenne Turbo S. If you had a base Cayenne it would have been a lot less. Toyota will definitely cost less to drive, but then you are driving a Toyota
QX60 - Good 2nd row space, decent 3rd row space. Good space behind 3rd row.
2nd row slides and folds forward, but if you have two car seats attached, not gonna work as intended, just sliding. Grandparents can still get into 3rd row after sliding 2nd forward or by going through middle between cptn chairs.
QX80 - Great 2nd row space, good 3rd row space. Limited space behind 3rd row. 2nd row just folds forward, doesn’t slide. With car seats only way to get to 3rd row is through middle between cptn chairs.
Palisade - Great 2nd row space, good 3rd row space, same issues as QX60. A ton of high tech for a 50k suv.
Pathfinder - Same as Palisade only a tiny bit bigger in 3rd row and cargo space.
EQS 450 - not enough 3rd row space so don’t look into it.
I briefly had a '22 Camry hybrid and safety tech was utter crap. I don’t know how new Sequoia’s are, but I have hard time trusting toyota’s safety features. For example Infiniti’s 2nd car ahead monitoring/alert saved me from a lot of headache on numerous occasions. Palisade’s backup camera has wider/better/clearer image than EQS 450, so there really are +/- to all cars. And while one might consider those just little things, they might add up if you use them on the daily basis.
