Sometimes the cars I test drive raise more questions than answers. This month’s tester—the 2026 Toyota Sequoia Hybrid TRD Pro is definitely one of those. Huge SUVs are not unusual, though it’s fair to question the functionality of a three-ton, six-or-seven-passenger vehicle for everyday use.
We had the opportunity to give the big Sequoia a thorough testing, doing more than 1,000 miles of city and country driving. That showed us a couple things about the car that is just an option or two short of being the most expensive Toyota sold in America.
The Sequoia is a great cruiser. The comfort driving on the highway is top of its class. Passengers in all four front seats praised the smooth ride, although conversations at freeway speeds were difficult, although that might have been in part because of the off-road tires that were part of the TRD Pro package.
The toll for the easy cruising came at the pump. The Sequoia is a hybrid, but at best it’s a mild one. We struggled to top 18 mpg on the highway even though the official numbers are 19 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway (of course, those EPA ratings come from testing at well below real highway speeds).
The Sequoia is not a happy city vehicle. Navigating the traffic and crowded streets of Chicago was not the Sequoia’s (or the driver’s) happy place. It’s just too big. Then there’s our third point.
The TRD Pro trim was designed for something we really didn’t have the opportunity to test. We found some dirt roads, but this is a serious off-road package that adds ride height control, suspension upgrades and a locking rear differential. It was way more than what we needed, but also made us question how likely it is that an owner would take an $85,000 six-passenger SUV off-road enough to put all this technology to use. Heading up to the mountains to ski is the only likely scenario we could imagine.
Another key feature for the big SUV market that we didn’t get a chance to test is its towing capacity. The Sequoia’s rated to tow up to 9,500 pounds, which is a lot of trailer. Ours had the tow tech package and power tow mirrors—which I found very useful for normal driving given the breadth of the car. The twin-turbo V6 engine puts our 437 horsepower and a healthy 583 pound-feet of torque at a low rpm, perfect for towing.
We never questioned the power of the rig, which found grunt to pass even at top freeway speeds, though sometimes with a bit of hesitation.
Even though its near six-figure price implied luxury, as did some of the interior accoutrements like three-zone climate control and the full Toyota Safety Sense collection of advanced driver-assistance technology, the Sequoia sits on the same body-on-frame structure as the Toyota Tundra and Land Cruiser. It feels as large and heavy as it is.
While the car’s multiple cameras made sure you were positioned properly, the sheer size of the vehicle made those cameras necessary. The question this posed was—make sure you really can put this big vehicle to use before you seriously consider purchasing. It’s a lot to handle.
The Toyota Sequoia is a specialized vehicle. It’s big, heavy and very capable. In the trim we had, it could be a serious off-road machine and/or towing champ. More docile rear-wheel drive versions start at around $67,000. Big vehicles raise big questions. Make sure you’ve got the answers before you head to the dealer.
