2025 Toyota Sequoia TRD: 4 reasons to love it, 2 reasons to think twice

Not that long ago, the Toyota Sequoia's future was in doubt. Fortunately, with some creative redesign, Thankfully, Toyota gave it a fresh lease on life by creatively redesigning it and adapting it to use the new Toyota Tundra's platform.

Doing so meant that they would have a much less expensive vehicle to build, albeit with a few needed compromises. Fortunately, the end result has been well received, and sales are better than ever.

New for this year is the Sequoia 1794 trim, mixing luxury components with the Texas-themed 1794 swagger. This trim was only offered on the Sequoia’s cousin, the Tundra, and price-wise, it slots next to the TRD Pro and well under the Lexus-like Capstone. The TRD also gets a new color called “Mud Bath.”

Reason to love it #1: Gobs of power

Long gone is the chunky V8, replaced by a lean-and-mean twin-turbocharged, 3.4-liter V6 that merges its power with a hybrid electric system. This combination is good for 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque. Those are impressive numbers, and this power is channeled through a smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission.

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Being that the TRD Pro is heavier due to its meatier tires, it’s a hair slower from 0 to 60 mph but still manages to do it in around six seconds. Impressive as those figures are, many of you will be pleased with its efficiency of 19 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. Sure, a hybrid powertrain could be more efficient, but Toyota is using the electric motor more for performance than economy.

Reason to love it #2: It looks cool, especially the TRD Pro

It’s a funny thing: I’m not a huge fan of the Toyota Tundra’s design, and the Sequoia is closely related. Still, I find the Sequoia to look manly, burly, and other kind words that end in “ly”, especially in the TRD Pro trim. While it looks similar to the Tundra and shares a shortened frame with the pickup, the proportions, cladding, and trim give it a distinctive swagger.

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Reason to love it #3: Easy to daily drive despite its bulk

There’s no getting around the fact that the 2025 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro is a beefy truck, especially given its hefty width of just under 80 inches. It won’t fit in compact parking spots but it’s still quite graceful around a shopping mall parking lot (where it will mostly roam) and its highway ride is impressive as well. That is helped by the excellent TRD suspension tuning, which is a great compromise between off-road capability and on-road comfort. 

Reason to love it #4: It’s a fantastic all-rounder

This SUV is built to tow, flexing a competitive maximum towing capacity of 9,020 lbs. It’s also designed to haul, comfortably accommodating a family of seven, or up to eight with the right trim, and supporting a payload of up to 1,435 lbs. It’s highly capable in all weather conditions and can tackle rugged off-road terrain with ease.

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Reason to think twice #1: The third-row seating is not great

An odd thing happened when Toyota switched from the old platform to this new platform: they went from an independent rear suspension to a solid rear axle. This was done for cost reasons, to line up with the Tundra's parts, but it had an adverse effect on the third row. Between the solid axle’s components, and having a battery for the hybrid system, rear space has been compromised. Only shorter people or children will be comfortable back there.

Reason to think twice #2: For $82,000, there are more capable competitions

Competitors from Ford, Chevrolet, and GMC are just as good in most conditions and seem to exceed off-highway as well. The Sequoia has an electronically locking rear differential at least, but it’s very low to the ground. Off-road, it struggles with a heavy body, low clearance, and a lack of enough factory armor.

Honestly, if you’re serious about off-road prowess and simply must have three rows, a Land Rover Defender 130 base model might be right for you. On the other hand, if you want something powerful, well-put-together, utilitarian, and capable of towing a lot, the Sequoia is worth a look. 

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