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2008 Toyota Sequoia

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Comments

  • gvasudevangvasudevan Member Posts: 43
    Your argument is very valid. People who have owned Toyota's have very high expectations because they are used to a vehicle which was practically bullet proof. When the quality goes down a little, there will be a very big hue and cry.

    On the flip side when a vehicle that had severe complaints or was below average shows improvements the response would be very positive since people had low expecations regarding the vehicle.
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    Good point. I've seen several examples on these forums of a Toyota owner being extremely upset about having a single, minor, easily repairable issue with their new vehicle. No one ever said Toyota is perfect, but it appears some buyers are really expecting that. We've all seen the reports of owners saying that they have never had to take their Toyotas back to the dealer for a warranty repair, ever, but that's simply not the real world for most owners even though the frequency of repair for Toyota overall remains low.
  • mittie1mittie1 Member Posts: 11
    If the Cold Kit was such a good idea then Toyota would include as part of the standard package. It is now included as an option but every Sequoia comes the Cold Kit at $200 extra. This is not really an option but a standard item and it should be included in the base price.

    If you don't care about the sunroof then when did you want to pay $810 for one. The sunroof again seems to be called an option when Toyota includes it as a standard feature on most Limited and SR5's which only to increases the price of the car.

    This extra $1000 could have easily been spent on memory seats and keyless ignition which everyone seems to have wished was inclulded with the Sequoia or at least as an option on the Limited.
  • trebor129trebor129 Member Posts: 176
    I paid for a sunroof because it was already on the car in the lot and had I special ordered the exact car I wanted I would have had to wait maybe 12 weeks and would not have been able to get as good a deal as taking one out of stock.

    I don't agree that options that are always included should be built into the base price (from a business point of view). Manufacturers do that on purpose so that they can advertise a lower standard price. Let me give you another example... on Friday I bought my son an Estes 'complete' rocket kit. It had the rocket, launcher, launch pad, etc. It did not include the engines or wading. I could see it not include the engines, but why did it not include the paper wading? Wading is just toilet paper which they spray fire-proof chemicals on and sell for $6 extra so they can sell the kit for $20 and then make another $6 on the wading. It was deliberate, and Toyota does the same thing. It makes sense for them to do that so they can claim a $35,000 base price in their ads. No one will ever buy the 4.7 engine either. Every one comes with the 5.7.

    The alternative is they claim a $40,000 MSRP base price and include the 5.7/6-speed/cold kit, etc. That makes fewer people go to the showroom to consider it. Lots of people need an upsell it seems.
  • keg97keg97 Member Posts: 189
    Glad you appreciated my "insightful comments" and "wisdom". I hope that "thousands more will be grateful for them"!
    ;)

    It does make you wonder though if Toyota has grown a bit too fast too quickly and is cutting corners on quality control or design/research. They established a very good reputation over the years bc of many excellent and reliable products. People likely do have very high expectations buying a Toyota compared to a Kia or Hyundai. Not meeting those expectations can be troublesome since you'd rather have a customer's expectations exceeded, rather than not met.
  • keg97keg97 Member Posts: 189
    No doubt that the lack of standard features is merely aimed at keeping a starting MSRP low. That gets folks into the showroom. After that, it is up to a finance person/salesperson to show "how little" the payment will go up if you add a couple of options.

    I would also imagine that the first run of Sequoias off of the assembly line was kept simple. Mack can probably address this better, but it seems that all of the Platinums that we saw all carried the same options. That might be just a regional thing though.

    The last thought is this....you do have the option of ordering your custom vehicle and just waiting for it. The question becomes whether the principle of not buying what you don't want/need and/or the saved $$$ is worth the wait for that custom vehicle. We have always purchased our vehicles out of "want" rather than "need", so we're able to pick and choose what we want and when we get it. We'll wait a month or two to get exactly what we want.

    However if we were ever in a situation where we had to pick something up quickly, I highly doubt that a $200 cold weather package would influence a purchase on a 50-60K vehicle.
  • keg97keg97 Member Posts: 189
    In reference to your second point, I'm laughing to myself b/c I just remembered having an Impala as a rental car last year for a week. I distinctly recall thinking, "wow, this POS is not too bad. GM is getting better after all".

    Now reading the reviews of the Malibu, if I were in the market for a 4 door family sedan, I would definitely go check it out. It would need to do "more" to convince me to buy it rather than an Accord/Altima/Camry, but I would at least look at it and consider it.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I think we made a good decision on the 07 Limited. I really like driving ours. I am still not sold on the Toyota NAV. Rear seat entertainment has no value as I do not haul kids, only adults. It has more than enough power for me. Mileage is poor. I knew that when I bought it. Again the $10k under MSRP was the deciding factor. When I do buy a diesel SUV in a few years I will take less of a hit on resale. I have yet to drive an 08 Sequoia as they seem to be selling as fast as they get them at the dealers I checked here in San Diego. If Toyota brings a diesel Sequoia or Land Cruiser to market I will give them a close look.
  • hdfatboyhdfatboy Member Posts: 324
    "I would also imagine that the first run of Sequoias off of the assembly line was kept simple. Mack can probably address this better, but it seems that all of the Platinums that we saw all carried the same options. That might be just a regional thing though."

    I'm not sure what all the fuss is about with respect to options on the Sequoias that are arriving on dealer's lots. There's only 4 factory options to even choose from for the Platinum.
    Laser Cruise
    Cold Kit
    DRL on/off
    Rear Entertainment

    I think its reasonable thinking on the dealer's part to anticipate that the "Platinum buyer" wants a fully loaded vehicle, therefore he orders his Plats with all available options. If a buyer must have a "stripped" Platinum, he can always place an order.

    Same thinking applies with the Limiteds. The dealer is trying to acommodate what he thinks is the "average" buyer for a Limited. My guess is that more folks want a sunroof on their Limited than those buyers that don't want one. That makes a sunroof a good decision for the dealer to add on a Limited's option list.

    The likelihood is that the Limited buyer that is in a hurry and wants a Limited but doesn't want the sunroof, will utlimately take the sunroof resulting in a few more $s in the dealer's pocket. If you really don't want a particular option, place an order for the vehicle the way you "have to have it" and you'll get exactly what you want.
  • regrahamregraham Member Posts: 26
    Hi 3rd4rnnr
    I am still anxiously waiting for your pictures to see if you indeed were able to get a black Platinum with the sand beige interior. It seems that in some areas, including Canada, sand beige is n/a with black exterior on the Platinum.
    I am 6'1"; will I have enough head room? Sequoias won't be out until about Feb 25 in Canada, so still haven't seen one and no pricing until then.
  • trebor129trebor129 Member Posts: 176
    My father is 6'3" and he was in my Sequoia today and I looked at his head and it was not touching the roof. I mean, think about it -- Toyota would have to be braindead to make it not handle adults over 6 feet.
  • awj123awj123 Member Posts: 7
    regraham- I saw a Black Platinum with beige interior at a dealer outside of Boston. It was the first 2008 they received...not sure what (if any) limitations on Sequoia styles and colors will be in play in Canada. Good Luck- awj
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    " If you really don't want a particular option, place an order for the vehicle the way you "have to have it" and you'll get exactly what you want."

    Theorathically speaking. We really don't order from the factory. The distributors do and they load them up with every available option. For example, I tried preferencing (term used by Toyota to order vehicles) an Avalon in Mag grey with Ivory interior and I would get a flag saying "This configuration is not normally ordered for your area" I've yet to see the car and consequently lost a customer over it.
    So you may be able to get a Platinum without the cold pack, laser cruise, drl's, and entertaintment system but you will be waiting a while.
    Mack
  • mittie1mittie1 Member Posts: 11
    Trebor129

    I am 6'4" and with a sunroof there is NO headroom and I have to lean the seat way back. So I guess that Toyota is BRAINDEAD as you put it.

    I have ordered a Limited without a sunroof.
  • hdfatboyhdfatboy Member Posts: 324
    "So you may be able to get a Platinum without the cold pack, laser cruise, drl's, and entertaintment system but you will be waiting a while."

    That was my point. If time is not an issue you can order the vehicle with just about any set of option combinations that are listed as available on the Toyota website...once again, so long as time of delivery is not an issue.

    For example, I ordered a Black Platinum with Red Rock interior and the Cold Kit, DRL on/off and the Rear Entertainment options but without the Laser Cruise option. The order was placed before Christmas. It is scheduled for production on Feb 20 with delivery in mid-March.

    If time is of no issue, order it exactly the way you want it. If you're in a hurry, you'll have to live with the builds the dealer ordered or the factory sent. Relatively simple choice. The only option not available is getting "exactly" what you want in a hurry, unless its already on the showroom floor.
  • gananganan Member Posts: 20
    There have been a few posts about reduced headroom in the 08 relative to previous years.
    I note the height of the 08 vehicle has increased over last year. Part of this may be due to a slightly larger diameter wheel/tire, but I am surprised to note that while the overall height has increased, the headroom has decreased.

    Does anybody know the cause of this ? Is the floor of the vehicle higher and is the windshield more raked to give a different profile for the roof line?

    Also, I have sat in a Tundra and felt quite high off the ground (significantly more so than my 08 Limited). Does the 08 Sequoia have the same feeling ? e.g. Do you feel higher from the ground while sitting in it compared to the previous years?
  • trebor129trebor129 Member Posts: 176
    I am 5'9 and I just measured 4 inches between my head and ceiling. We all have different upper-body heights relative to overall height, but my guess is that is good for people up to 6'3" So yeah, they probably should have made it 2 inches taller.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    The first thing I do when I get in a new vehicle is put the flat side of my hand between my head and the headliner. If the vehicle does not have at least that 4 inches of clearance I would not buy it. I am just over 6 foot. Most sedans fail the test and are off the list. The Accords are real bad for headroom with their sun roof. My 2007 Sequoia is just right. Sounds like I did good buying it over the 08.
  • raab4raab4 Member Posts: 3
    My son is 6'2" and it has plenty of head room for him. The seat is in a normal position and it is no problem.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    My point is that you cannot order a vehicle from Toyota the way you want it. It will only be built IF the options that are offered are selected or not. It's not like the domestics where you can pick and choose from a menu.
    :)
    Your vehicle was probably already in the pipeline as the Limiteds are being shipped with those options and some with the Laser cruise also.
  • trebor129trebor129 Member Posts: 176
    Only vehicle I custom ordered was a 1999 Mercedes SLK. I wanted yellow and a manual transmission. Car is still in great shape.
  • hdfatboyhdfatboy Member Posts: 324
    I guess I just got lucky. My dealer told me I could order any set of option combinations I wanted. Some might take longer to combine than others, but any combination could be ordered, particularly for the Sequoia since its made in the US. Getting certain option combinations may be a more challenging effort when ordering vehicles produced in Japan, like the LC & LX570.

    BTW, the option that appears to have resulted in the greatest delay for me was ordering the Red Rock interior vs any of the other options available on a Platinum..
  • 3rd4rnnr3rd4rnnr Member Posts: 67
    regraham - I really have no motivation to lie about having tan interior in my black platinum. when i have the time i will post pics.
  • gvasudevangvasudevan Member Posts: 43
    I am 6ft and I found the sequoia to have plenty of headroom. I also asked the salesperson who is 6ft 3 to drive the vehicle while I sat behind to check the ride/leg space. He was not stooping nor was his head touching the roof.

    I believe that the problem is that you can adjust the seat height. If you set it up too high your head will hit. It happens frequently with my avalon. If I drive after she has finished her drive my head hits the roof. I have to bring the seat down.

    The comments here indicate that some very tall people have no problems while other have their head touching the roof. My guess is that the seat height needs to be adjusted.
  • trebor129trebor129 Member Posts: 176
    "I guess I just got lucky. My dealer told me I could order any set of option combinations I wanted. "

    That does not mean if you actually tried it it would work.
  • trebor129trebor129 Member Posts: 176
    We just got snow. Our Honda minivan was stuck at the bottom of the driveway and could not get up. I towed it up with the Sequoia by myself -- without the Honda engine running. That is impressive considering the all-season tires.
  • hdfatboyhdfatboy Member Posts: 324
    "The comments here indicate that some very tall people have no problems while other have their head touching the roof. My guess is that the seat height needs to be adjusted."

    I have to agree as I'm 6'4" and was able to adjust the seat to a proper driving position without difficulty. I will say that the opening to get into the driver's seat of the Sequoia is a lower opening compared to my Denali as I recall slightly bumping my head as I was getting seated in a Platinum for a test drive. Just a matter of getting used to a new vehicle's dimensions in my opining. However once I was seated and the seat was adjusted for my normal driving position, the headroom was fine for my needs.

    More headroom is always better but not if the overall height of the vehicle needed to be raised since that would have caused more issues with low ceilings in some parking garages. I suspect the design of the seats ended up taking away some of the headroom of the previous model.
  • hdfatboyhdfatboy Member Posts: 324
    OK...I guess the dealer was lying...... Why are you guy's having so much difficulty believing that you can order a Sequoia exactly the way you want it so long as you're willing to wait?

    Please tell me which combination of options (or lack of options) you believe can't be ordered on a Sequoia?
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    I also saw a Black Platinum with saddle interior over the weekend. It was in Vermont, although the truck had dealer plates from Monsey, NY.
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    Perhaps the cold kit is optional because in certain warm weather areas, such as South Florida, there is little demand for the cold kit? Is anyone here from South Florida? Do the Sequoias that South Florida dealers have in stock generally have the cold kit? Believe it or not, back in the 50's and early's 60's heaters were optional on many cars, and many cars sold there did not have them.
  • trebor129trebor129 Member Posts: 176
    "OK...I guess the dealer was lying...... Why are you guy's having so much difficulty believing that you can order a Sequoia exactly the way you want it so long as you're willing to wait?

    Please tell me which combination of options (or lack of options) you believe can't be ordered on a Sequoia?'

    Your dealer might be correct. I am just saying he could also just be wrong. I have seen it many times. My dealer was wrong on many things about my Sequoia. He even said it was going to have a black interior and it came with Red Rock.

    The Toyota brochure says that some combinations of options are not available.

    My guess is you probably can get what you want or very close to it. But you never know until you try.
  • trebor129trebor129 Member Posts: 176
    'Perhaps the cold kit is optional because in certain warm weather areas, such as South Florida, there is little demand for the cold kit? Is anyone here from South Florida? Do the Sequoias that South Florida dealers have in stock generally have the cold kit?"

    If I lived in South Florida I would certainly want the cold kit. Why not want a higher amp battery? Batteries never die in Florida?

    Why not want headlight washers? No mud in Florida? $200 is not much.
  • gvasudevangvasudevan Member Posts: 43
    I agree with your comment on the beige interior. My dealer has identified a couple of platinums, black with beige and I am hoping to get one this week. He told me that they are only making 2% with that combination.
  • jabcjabc Member Posts: 20
    Would you comment on this if you have compared 2008 Sequoia and the previous Sequoia.

    For Trunk Space (2nd and 3rd down/3rd down/3rd up) :

    2007 Sequoia - 128.1/65.3/26.6
    2008 Sequoia from Toyota e-brochure - 120.8/79.4/28.4
    2008 Sequoia from Edmunds full test - 120.1/66.6/18.9

    Who is correct ?
    I would like to believe that the 3rd-row-up space to be 28.4 as provided by Toyota.
    Since it’s difficult to understand that with the bigger exterior/interior dimensions and the rear independent suspension, 2008 Sequoia ends up with a smaller trunk space (18.9) than 2007’s (26.6).

    THX !
  • trebor129trebor129 Member Posts: 176
    I believe there is less interior room because the fold-down seats do not really fold into the floor. They just raised the stuff around it to create a new false floor that is higher.
  • 3rd4rnnr3rd4rnnr Member Posts: 67
    2% ?? Dealers say the funniest things when they don't know the answer to something.
  • hdfatboyhdfatboy Member Posts: 324
    "My guess is you probably can get what you want or very close to it. But you never know until you try."

    Agreed.....I tried and ordered exactly what I wanted and in fact considered several combinations prior to my final order. The Toyota system would have accepted any of the combinations I was interested in on the 08 Sequoia.

    Until someone suggests they tried a combination and it wasn't accepted by the system, I think its fair to say that any combination of options available at the Toyota website can be placed on the Sequoia. The only limitation is likely to be how long you're willing to wait.

    Obviously there are some options that cannot be combined because they are replacements for one another. You can't get the 6cd changer with the rear entertainment because the JBL system that goes with the rear entertainment already has a 4cd changer. Other than this example I'm not aware of any options listed as available at the Toyota website than cannot be combined.

    In reality, there aren't even that many 08 Sequoia options to consider compared to a Chevy Suburban or Yukon XL. http://www.toyota.com/sequoia/options.html
    http://www.chevrolet.com/suburban/features/
  • hdfatboyhdfatboy Member Posts: 324
    Does anyone know the exact interior floor dimensions for the 08 Sequoia when the 3rd row is down and the 2nd row is also folded down? I assume a 48" X 96" sheet of plywood does not fit inside with the hatch closed (as it did in the previous gen Suburban and the current Honda Odyssey).

    Anyone have a current 08 Sequoia that could post the floor dimensions from their vehicle? Take the shortest point between the wheelwells and from front to back with the hatch closed and seats down as if the object were lying flat on the floor and only an inch or 2 high.
  • sbell4sbell4 Member Posts: 446
    Cold Kit is available and in good supply for Sequoia in the southeast.
  • jd08limitedjd08limited Member Posts: 19
    This forum has been really helpful. I have(now had) a 2001 SR5 Sequoia that had 52,000 miles on it, but my wife and I started to look for a new one and wanted to upgrade to the Limited. Started contacting local dealers including the one where we bought our first Sequoia and was not getting any real deals, but a post I read here suggested a dealer in NJ, which I contacted and while I did not buy from them, it did help me to negotiate locally and we just picked up our 2008 Limited in Silver Sky Metallic this past Friday. We love it in every respect. Comparing it to what we just traded in is no contest, the upgraded engine, interior, ride feel, steering feel, fold down flat seats(probably the best feature of all since we have 2 BIG dogs and hated to have to keep taking out the old style seats), this vehicle is great. Because of the help found here, we paid less than $1000 over invoice and got the features we wanted and more. We bought it on a sunday and we were called on Wed. that our vehicle had been found and delivered. Got the color we wanted, with the options we asked for + the Sonar parking assist which we did not even ask for, but it is pretty cool.

    Thanks again to this forum for helping us work a good fair deal.

    Just waiting for some more snow here in CT to really put it to work!
  • jd08limitedjd08limited Member Posts: 19
    We got the cold air kit without any problem. Actually none of the things we wanted were any issue.
  • jabcjabc Member Posts: 20
    Could you comment on the trunk space behind 3rd row ?

    Your 2001 vs. your new 2008.

    THX !
  • hdfatboyhdfatboy Member Posts: 324
    Congratulations. Sounds like you got an excellent deal and that being an educated consumer using info from this site helped in keeping money in your account instead of the dealer's. Glad to hear the info I shared earlier was helpful. Good luck with your new Sequoia.
  • jd08limitedjd08limited Member Posts: 19
    Well, funny you ask that as I just got off the phone with a cargo liner company trying to order a liner. In my 01, I was able to get a liner to cover the entire space behind the 2nd row of seats, but in this one, so far they only offer a liner for the space behind the 3rd row-so to answer your question, there is roughly 31 inches of space beyond the 3rd row. To be honest I can not remember how much space there was in my 01 to compare. The 08 does seem quite adequate though-we will usually have the seats down though, so we would have a lot more space.

    The cool thing(which you probably know), is that you can fold the 2nd row flat as well and on the back of the 2nd row seats, there is a flap that extends to meet up with the 3rd row to cover the gap that would normally be left in between. Makes it very usable.

    Someone asked about plywood earlier and it would not fit as it is only 42.5 inches wide.

    Are you in the process of purchasing an 08?
  • jabcjabc Member Posts: 20
    Thanks a lot for your information.

    Yes, I am planning to replace our 02 Odyssey for a bigger and more capable vehicle. The ground clearance of Odyssey is terrible.

    We have 4 kids, so the 3rd row will be up all the time.
    Therefore the trunk space is a critical factor.

    I really don’t want to go for Sienna or GM’s XL SUV.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    He was lying. To prove my point go to www.buyatoyota.com and input your zip code, then go to "build your Toyota" and pick Sequoia. Pick any trim level and you will see what "options" are available for that particular trim. They will probably show option package A , option package B, etc. As long as you pick what they offer then you can say you "ordered" the vehicle. Toyota won't let you pick and choose like a buffet. They build a batch of Platinums without the laser cruise and a batch with it.
    Mack
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    He probably meant 2% for that month. There is a document that we print out every month that's called a TVO which stands for Toyota Vehicle Order. It breaks down every model's trim level, the options that will be on it, color/combination, and percentage of built units in a particular trim or color combo. So he may have looked at this document which I highly doubt since most dealerships don't want their salesman looking at important stuff that the customer may use against them ;)
    Hope this clears it up.
    Mack
  • hdfatboyhdfatboy Member Posts: 324
    Mack,

    I doubt the dealership was lying. Maybe just the dealership you work for is more limiting to its customers. As you can see from this dealership's website, they can and do put together the options the customer wants. I met with the dealer to put my order together and there was no combination I asked for that couldn't be built into their ordering system (granted I didn't test every imaginable combination but enough combinations for me to take them at their word).

    Here's the website and you're welcome to see how any combination can be put together.

    http://www.caldwelltoyota.com/new/index.cfm?go=build&get=Veh&sEDYear=2008&sEDMak- e=Toyota&sEDModel=Sequoia&iEDID=USB80TOS132D0&tab=overview&CFID=19400849&CFTOKEN- =88202262
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    These are the options that the Platinum is being built with. Try leaving the all weather package, or some of the other three out and this website will "let you do it" However, submit the order or preference and the Dealer Daily computer will say "This configuration is not normally ordered in your region." That's why I trust the buyatoyota.com website since they only list what is available in your region.
    Mack

    Here's what I mean:link title
  • hdfatboyhdfatboy Member Posts: 324
    "This configuration is not normally ordered in your region."

    As you appropriately noted the Toyota system did not say you couldn't place the order, it just stated that it was "not normally ordered". The dealership I worked with made the same reference and essentially said that different combinations can be ordered however they may take longer.

    As originally stated, you can combine any set of options listed as available from the factory however some may take longer if they are not common combinations.

    Could it possibly be that some dealerships prefer that customers stick to the most common combinations since that's what's most likely to already be on the dealership's showroom floor, while other dealership's place a greater emphasis on meeting the customer's needs.

    Sounds like your dealership is far less interested in helping a customer purchase what they want and instead would prefer that they stick to what their dealership has on the floor or already on order. Interesting approach to giving the customer what they want. I'm glad I purchased from a dealership that was more interested in finding ways to meet my needs versus their own.
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