2008 Toyota Sequoia to start at $34,150
Toyota has released pricing for its new 2008 Sequoia SUV, a vehicle that was savaged recently by The Boston Globe as little more than a pollution-spewing monster. The attack was so severe that it prompted a rebuttal from Irv Miller, Toyota's Group VP of Corporate Communications, on the automaker's Open Road blog.
Prices for Toyota's newest and biggest SUV -- which is hitting showrooms now -- range from a two-wheel drive 4.7-liter V-8 SR5 model at $34,150 to a Platinum 4x4 Sequoia with the 5.7-liter V-8 at an MSRP of $55,600. Prices do not include destination fees. The incoming vehicle's base price is $990 more expensive than the 2007 model, an increase of some three percent.
The new Sequoia -- especially with the 5.7-liter V-8 also found in the Tundra -- is more of everything. At 381 horsepower, the 5.7-liter has 108 more horsepower than the carryover 4.7-liter, yet it gets about 12 percent better highway fuel economy and is certified as a ULEV-II engine. The 5.7-liter-equipped Sequoia can also tow 10,000 pounds, up from the base Sequoia's 6500. That 10,000 pound towing capacity bests the maximum 9200 pounds the Ford Expedition can haul. Initial EPA mileage estimates are 14 city/19 highway -- comparable to vehicles such as GM's Tahoe/Yukon and the Expedition.
Longer, wider, and taller than the last-generation Sequoia, the new Toyota gets a sliding-type seat adjuster, helping to ease access to the third-row. All passengers are protected by roll-sensing side curtain airbags as well as a lengthy list of safety systems: Vehicle Stability Control, some form of traction control, an anti-lock brake system with Electronic Brake-force Distribution and Brake Assist, as well as driver and front passenger side airbags.
Step up to Toyota's Platinum trim level and you can enjoy a plethora of fun toys and technology including rear load-leveling air suspension, heated and cooled front seats, a navigation system with a backup camera, front and rear parking sonar, and power retractable and heated mirrors.
Although the full-size SUV segment is shrinking, it still provides huge profit margins. And while Toyota has certainly enjoyed its status as a green-thinking automaker, thanks in large part to the success of the Prius, that clearly isn't going to stop it from competing in all viable vehicle segments in the U.S. -- even if some backlash results.