Toyota Sequoia

toyotatoys

How much, and how dirty is the running board? I don't care about the mileage, the color, or the scratches and dents. But you really have to be honest and tell me how dirty the running board is.

Yeah, right.

Back to the REAL issues, I wonder how much the dealers are discounting their SEQs now in other regions. There has not been very many posts about purchase prices. Where I am, the prices seem to have actually stayed only very slightly below MSRP. It might be a longer wait for me.

cliffy1

I can't speak for other dealers or other regions, but prices are actually on the rise here in DC. This vehicle is following the same pattern as the '96 4Runner. For the first few months, dealers tried to hold MSRP but ended up dropping to move units. Then, the general public caught on to what was available and demand surged. Most '96 Runners were sold long before they hit the lots and prices stayed very close to MSRP for a couple of years after the initial lull

We are approaching this with the Sequoia in the DC area. We have one SR5 in stock and it came in yesterday. We have 5 Limiteds coming in and three of them are sold already. We have been as low as $2000 off MSRP but now we are no more than $1000 off and we are looking hard at those offers.

Again, I can't speak for other regions or even other dealers in this region but here, demand is pushing things higher with no end in sight.

rruck1

I bought my Sequoia just before Christmas at $2000 under MSRP, which seemed to me to be a better than average deal at the time. This wasn't the optimal time for me to buy, but from what I've been reading/seeing it looked like deals wouldn't be getting better any time soon. The way I figure it is that the chances of dealers working off invoice on this is pretty small any time in the near future. The Sequoia keeps getting good press - see my previous post, actually very good press - and with increasing demand and limited production I thought prices might actually go up after the holidays. I would think that $2000 off MSRP could still be had, but I would be surprised to see much better than that.

gopman

I just picked up my SQ Ltd. Green yesterday. I paid about 7% over invoice which I thought was a good deal. I could have done a few hundred dollars better but would have to sacrifice color. But I am happy with what I got. I spend about 2 weeks researching the car, checking prices on the Internet and called almost all the dealers in my area. I was surprised how some dealers were not even willing to budge off the MSRP. I told some of the dealers that since I was not wasting their time in person, they should give me a great deal over the phone and if I like it, I will sign over the phone. I got the gold package added on in addition to what was on the car. These are the options I have - EJ,GY,RF,SR,CF,WL,GN and GP - price I paid was $42600 + tax + reg/title/documentation ($191). If anyone is interested in getting some good research in the NJ area, feel free to email me. Some of the dealerships here are RIP offs, be careful.

toyotatoys

I think the same trend is happening in the GST region. I actually got decent and acceptable deals last Christmas, but I decided to wait to see the HL to make sure it is NOT what I wanted. I hope I did not miss the boat on the Sequoia....

brillmtb

Your point on need for a large SUV is taken but....we dont always operate on need in the US. Oh I'm sure certain political parties and interest groups will continue to have us all drive electric vehicles.

I do know of quite a few people personally who just have a love for driving large SUV's. As the vehicle cost goes up, gas goes up this should get people to think a little more about their actual needs but technology may also help us in the future.

With Gore out I hope the push to regulate SUV will become more moderate.

thirdsuv

My SEQ is on order so I do not know how fog switch works. Since the switch is rumored to be $100 I can only assume it is part of some kind of multi-function switch. If not, then the chain is making about $99 profit.

RE: two wiring systems.
This most likely is NOT the case. There more likely is a single wiring system that is used in a maxed out Limited, and the SR5 model has a few wires (out of thousands) not utilized.

cheers

merlinti

With the assumption that the PM Package will not include heated seats, will the MSRP be reduced by the factory to account for this difference? I would certainly hope so, especially, if there are PM Packages which were sold with heated seats. If Toyota never installed and sold heated seats in the PM package, I could live with the misprint. However, if any were sold with heated seats, any PM packages without this printed option should be compensated for this factory error.

cliffy1

The PM package does not include heated seats. Every once in a while, there is a mis-print in the brochures. Two years ago, the alloy wheel was deleted from a package on the Solara but the brochure clearly stated it was included. It goes to show that you really need to ask a lot of questions or, better yet, actually look at the product you are interested in buying.

sender5

cliffy, did toyota compensate anyone for the packages that were sold already on the solara? My dealer had no idea the brochure said they were heated because on the invoice they weren't. I am assuming that this has happened to many people with this package because of the posting here in the past few weeks.

jarmstrong2

I rea your post about Russell Wells and Tejas Toyota. I HAVE ONE ON ORDER FROM RUSSELL WELLS! Please let me know where you purchased your Sequoia from in my area. I am sure glad I read the back posts on this site. I look forward to hearing from you.

tbever

another mileage update: the trip computer continues to estimate 14.5 mpg. Actual calculated was 11.3 (4*4 LTD, city/freeway miles only, mostly in 2wd mode)This is a thirsty beast

jcnew4whlr

My Seq. is on order, so there's no turning back---but I'd like to hear more experience on mileage. Here and on sequoiasolutions some folks have occasionally said they get 17 - 20 mpg once engine is carefully broken in. Are they dreaming, believing the optimistic trip computer, or is there a wide variation in mileage results (yes, I remember the 'your mileage may differ' legalese in older car ads)?

rolliedogg

I am close to buying a sky silver SR5. I can only live with the single color look. Has any one seen the Sand Mica with Warm Silver trim or the Thunder Gray with Warm Silver trim. How close do the trim (fender flares etc) match the body color? Looking at the brochure you you could imagine that the two tone effect is minimized.

BTW - offer on the table for SR5 4WD (MSRP 39,900 incl destination fee) is 36,534.95. Need to sell my trade-in though. Anyone interested in a 95 LC.

rruck1

I initially liked the single color look better, but I ended up getting the Desert Sand Mica with the Warm Silver trim and it looks very nice! I liked this better than the Thunder Gray or Silver Sky. The difference is pretty subtle and blends nicely. The subtle difference actually looks nice on a vehicle this size. If you have a brochure, check out page 8 for a good picture. Don't go by the color selector on the web or the color palette in the brochure, they don't really give you a good idea how it looks.
My Sequoia: Desert Sand Mica SR5 4WD - Convenience package, alloy wheel package, power captain chairs, moon roof, roof rack.
Your offer sounds like a good deal for you!

toyotatoys

In which region are you in and what options does your SR5 have. That seems to be much better than the offers I'd been getting so far. I would be willing to travel (say, have a short vacation) to get a good deal.

Thanks for sharing.

movan

I believe that the trip computer is optimistic by 2 miles/gallon. It consistently states around 15.1, but I've NEVER seen that when I fill the tank and divide the trip odometer mileage. I average about 13 in two-wheel drive, 11-12 mpg in 4-wheel. I'm not complaining about that though, as I typically drive 75 on the highway, and don't baby it in street traffic either.

cliffy1

This is a difficult time of year for gas mileage. In many parts of the country, we are stuck with oxygenated fuel. This is supposed to cut down on ozone but it also hurts your mileage. I've seen it as bad as a 4 MPG decrease. Wait until after February 15th when we go back to normal fuel before you get too worked up on the fuel economy.

buzzgt

Can anyone tell me what the going price in the Atlanta area is for a Sequoia and which are the better dealers.

john1726

Anyone in the new jersey area looking for a sequoia, we have a few available, let me know what you are looking for and I will e-mail you a quote.

cliffy1

It might be a good idea to add to the discussion before asking for a sale.

movan

I don't know who you're suggesting "get too worked up about mileage", since there were several mileage posts--I explicity said I wasn't complaining about mpg in my post which immediately preceded your response. I was reporting on my actual mileage and talking about the inaccuracy of my trip computer's gas mileage calculation.

oac3

Someone did post about last Sunday's review of the Seq by The Boston Globe newspaper. For those interested in reading this review, you can find it at the link below:

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/014/auto/Automobilia+.shtml

cliffy1

Sorry if you took offense to my post. I didn't intend to seem harsh. I post in many different topics and gas mileage is frequently brought up and it bothers some people more than others.

salm

I've reported some time ago, that my Seq. Lmtd. was getting around
13 mpg, while the trip computer was calculating over 15 mpg.
This was in 2wd mode.
And Cliffy1, regardless of the fuel type, this is a gas hog.
But, it does not explain the discripancy between manually calculated gas mileage
versus Trip Computer Calculated gas mileage.
I'll almost guarantee that the "Miles To Empty" calculation is also incorrect.

joelis

I have yet to see ANY brand of trip computer work properly. This includes Fords, GMs and DCs. The mileage figures are always off by at least 2 MPGs.

What I did on one vehicle in the past was to take a 5 gallon can of fuel with me and drive until the tank was dry (NOTE: don't do this on your new car - wait until you don't care for it anymore - running the tank dry is not good for the engine).

This particular test told me that I still had 14 miles to go before empty. Hmmm.

vondrlm1

I don't know if cb19 answered but I turned him on to Russell Wells. I bought my Seq 4x2, Ltd., moonroof, other stuff, no SCAB's and rear spoiler. Russell Wells was very nice and informative. He also came up with the best price, including cliffy from this forum and other internets dealers from coast to coast. I picked it up Dec. 28 for $2K under MSRP. Write back if you want to talk more and we can connect up offline.
Most comments here are "right on" and correct about the vechile. One thing that has been discussed before here and is happening on my Seq. is 2-3 clicks after starting it and putting it in drive. Some have said this is an ABS or VSC self-check. Any comments for anyone?

krisbeck

Okay, I sense a little anger about having too much of a car for a soccer mom. Well, as the mother of four children under six (all in carseats), there aren't too many vehicles that will fit my family's lifestyle. Sure, I could spend $10k less and get an American minivan (we traded in the Sienna - too small), but I'll have my Sequoia for years to come -- and it won't be in the shop. Do I NEED a $40k+ car? No, but tell me one person who does?

thirdsuv

Joelis said:
"What I did on one vehicle in the past was to take a 5 gallon can of fuel with me and drive until the tank was dry"

I don't want to sound patronizing, but
I've read too many posts talking about convoluted methods to calculate a simple MPG. Therefore...

Simply keeping track of your gas usage and mileage over serveral (the more the better, 4 or more would probably encompass a mix of your driving routines) tankfulls will reduce the error due to variable pump shutoff to insignificance. Whatever you do, never attempt to nurse the gas in at the end to try to top the tank off. If you do you'll stand a chance of damaging the modern-day venting apparatus which will cost you $$$ and may not be covered by your warranty because everybody knows that it broke due to operator error and not reading warnings in owners manual.

Lastly if you calculate over multiple tanks it does not matter if you fill up the intermediate tanks or not. Just fill up the first and last tank, and keep track of your starting and ending mileage and the total gallons used after the initial fillup.

Thus:
1) fill up tank until pump shutoff (do NOT top it off)
2) do NOT count the gallons you just added
3) note your odometer reading
4) Do multiple gas ups and you do NOT
have to fill it up. Keep a running total of gallons added. Ignore odometer.
5) Do final fill up until pump shutoff
6) add the running total of gallons to your final gallonage in this last fillup
7) Read odometer and subtract initial odometer reading
8) Divide miles driven by gallons used

cheers

offrdr

Hello everyone! This is my first post, although I have been reading for quite a while. I have enjoyed the information on the new Sequoia. I will probably be in the market for one later this year.

I am one of the 5% or so (manufacturers' studies show) that actually intends to use the vehicle off road. Therefore, I am interested in setting it up with that in mind. I wish that Toyota would offer the TRD Off Road Package on this vehicle. I think there would be more interest than they realize. The new Chevy Tahoe Z71 is coming out soon. I do want to check it out, but will probably lean more toward the Sequoia because of quality and reliability issues.

I am interested in an SR5 with most of the bells and whistles. I don't want running boards because they can be easily damaged off road. I notice you have to get them with certain packages. I will probably have to look aftermarket to get the vehicle more in line with what I want. A tubular step would probably be appreciated by my wife and would work acceptably off road.

Most of my off roading will be on dirt roads, however, I have gotten into serious four wheeling at times on bad roads. I am an experienced four wheeler with lots of off road miles logged. I still realize that most of the time you are on paved roads and a comfortable ride is extremely important as well. I am not into the rock crawling and winching over boulders that some of the more radical jeeps are set up for. Therefore, I don't intend to raise the vehicle or get too radical. Any thoughts from people that have done this sort of thing with the Sequoia would be appreciated. Thanks for your input.

siennaguy32

Same thoughts about Sequoia as "offrdr".

Need a 4x4 SUV for actual off-road use. We live in the desert Southwest and will use primarily for dirt access roads but with some arroyo driving to reach remote areas (no rock crawling but difficult terrain). Currently hitching rides to area in a friends stock Chevy 4x4 truck (off-road LT tires & Blistein shocks being the only upgrades).

Curious to how Sequoia does in actual off-road use. The Tundra has a TRD package which stiffens up the ride for off-road use. I am assuming the Sequoia has a softer ride then the Tundra (similar to how the Expedition rides compared to the F-150) so wondering how it will hold-up off the beaten path.

Any owners taken their Sequoia's off-road (fire roads, beach areas, etc.)?

Any owners considering adding heavier duty shocks and LT truck tires to their Sequoia to stiffen ride?

Thanks.

slickrock

It's nice to know that there are others who plan to go off road with a Sequoia. I have spent a lot of time on rocks and sand in the Moab area, and am looking at a Sequoia as a vehicle that could serve that purpose. Not anything rated 4 or 4+, mind you, but certainly 90% of the terrain out there should be doable with a stock Sequoia.

The tires are the one thing I would change -- I would get light truck tires. Michelin LTX would be a good choice, but they do not seem to make a 265x70 tire. The do make an LT245/75R16E (same height, but a 3/4" narrower) in an E load range that would work. That would stiffen up the sidewalls (and the ride). For my purposes, an M/S tread is just fine, but they would work better at 15 psi.

I believe that the frame, shocks, and springs would be OK as is. I think they are a little more rugged than the Tundra parts (the frame has an extra cross member and the vehicle has skid plates in all the right places). I'm assuming the running boards are bolted on and removable, but I can't figure out where to put a winch.

mlg2

I live in Houston and ordered a loaded SR5 from a dealer in Louisiana (to save $$) mid December. The dealer is small and very customer service oriented, however he called today a stated that the order was not moving in the computer because the Preferred Package (PM - Leather seats, Premium Sound, 6 CD, Captains) is not available in the Gulf States.

I was told the Convience Package was not available when ordering, but not option PM. He is as surprised as me and stated the the distributor at the Houston Port won't allow this option. He said that leather seats would have to be a "port add" and that the premium sound and 6 CD would not be available. I know why the distributor and dealers "unbundle" these.... to make a profit on their own "port adds".

I wonder why Toyota allows them to continue this practice. I complained to Toyota directly and further stated that their web page does not show any restrictions by region. Has anyone else had this same experience? Any advice would be appreciated.

john1726

I am sorry that you took offense to me asking for a sale so quickly but I just started reading the posts in here yesterday and I noticed quite a few people looking not only for pricing but looking for a dealer that would take care of their needs(real customer service). You obviously work for a dealer similar to mine and I was just offering those interested that there is at least one Toyota dealer in the new jersey area who appreciates repeat and refferal business.

gottscdj

I feel your pain. Not only do they not allow certain packages but they tack on alot of unwanted extras ie extra mile package just to jack up the profit margin. Dont give them the pleasure of your business, order from Dianne in Ca. I live in San Antonio and have mine ordered exactly the way I wanted, no extras, due in Feb. Contact her at dianne@earthlink.net and if you cant fly out, you can have it shipped to Houston for around $650. and I bet you would still save $$
good luck. dj

werf

I read a message, #728, posted in December from Mike. You said that you have found a couple of dealers outside of Atlanta that would sell you a Sequoia $1000 over invoice. I am VERY interested in finding out what dealers to go to for that kind of deal. I am in the Chattanooga area. Thanks

offrdr

Thanks for the thoughts, siennaguy and slickrock. It seems that we are thinking along the same lines.

I will consider other tires, however, I would prefer to go slightly wider. The LC uses a 275/70/16 and I believe it is about 1/2" wider. I would have to find out if there is clearance for the larger tires. I will probably stick to a combination mud and snow tire that is quiet and offers a good highway ride with acceptable off road performance. I am still deciding on whether to get the stock alloy wheels, which look good, or go to an after market set.

If the shocks are too soft, a stiffer gas shock might be better off road. I checked the running boards and it appears that they could just be unbolted. I would like to avoid buying them in the first place because I wouldn't want to bother taking them off and putting them back on.

I might consider some type of grill guard or brush guard to give more areas to mount additional lights. I like to have fog lights and some type of long range driving lights (off road use only). I don't anticipate much need for a winch, myself, with the type of stuff I plan to do.

I agree that the Sequoia should do well off road without any major modifications.

I also live in the south west and have done most of my four wheeling in California, Nevada, and Utah.

toyotatoys

I would like to know where you got this good offer. That price is almost too good to be true.

Thanks for the info.

mlg2

Thanks DJ! That is a good idea. I thought I was getting a deal at $1,500 over dealer invoice, but now that seems to have vaporized. I will definitely drop Diane a message. Have a great day!

nsantos

I read John's note about pricing on Sequoia.
I'm in the market for a Sequoia SR5.
Email me your price.noelnj@yahoo.com
I have been reading all the comments and suggestions and I've been learning a lot. Keep up the discusions..
thank you.

rolliedogg

I want to add some updated info to my previous post. I am considering a 4WD SR5 that stickered at 39,9xx including destination fee. When I test drove the vehicle at the end of Dec. it had just arrived at the dealer. A un negotiated cash deal was for $37K. Several days ago a inquired about the vehicle and said it was still available. The "best" price was for 36,534.95. Keep in mind that this was over the phone.

I wanted to verify the mileage as it has been several weeks since the vehicle has been on the lot. Well - it now has over 700 miles on it. The manager has been using it. I informed that this might be a deal stopper. Response was that this was why the deal was so good. My response was that I would have a brand new one for $37 vs. saving ~$460 for a vehicle with over 700 miles.

I have not yet decided yet. What is the concensus on how much the 700+ miles should affect the price. I'm thinking about a $/mile.

joelis

You are either a smart [non-permissible content removed], or just don't know how to read a whole post properly.

Its very obvious that I was talking about how I tested the useless TRIP COMPUTER - MILES TO EMPTY function after a year of not trusting what it was telling me.

I'm sure that 99.9% of the people here know how to manually calculate gas mileage.

cliffy1

You'd be shocked to learn how many people don't know how to calculate mileage. On other topics, people have stated that they take the total miles drive and divide by the fuel capacity of their car. Ease up on thirdsuv a bit.

cliffy1

I really didn't take offense. This is a free topic and you're welcome to post here any time. I would actually welcome other dealers to post comments here but it would be nice to see a little contribution before getting into the deal. I'll look forward to seeing your participation here.

Oh and yes, I do sell Toyotas at a very nice dealership in Northern Virginia. You're not really competition for me so join on in.

thirdsuv

Joelis,

When I make samrt [non-permissible content removed] remarks there usually is no doubt. I'll apologize anyway.

BTW, I did misread your miles to dry because it was tagged at the end of your note while the beginning of your note lead off about MPG.

Lastly, over the last couple years I've read multiple overly-complicated methods of methods to try to get an accurate MPG. The best one was someone trying to rig up a gallon jug of gas into his fuel intake.

cheers

werf

Hello Everybody:
I have been researching the sequoia for the last month. I have been really bad in the past in negotiating on my vehicals. I am looking for some coaching on this one. I am not going alone.. IF anybody is knowledgeable in this art of buying cars. Please e-mail me at btvander@aol.com

The ultimate plan is to purchase a Sequoia $1,000 over invoice.........Hey, I'm I dreaming?????????

ctwo

I have an opportunity to purchase an SR5 2wd Silver sky Sequoia at 2100 under invoice from a dealer in CA. What do you think? Option pkg AC, AC, CC, CQ, V2, CF, GN, DR, DJ, WL & GY

oac3

ctwo:

are you kidding ? 2100 under INVOICE ? with all of those options and the much sought-after silver sky color ? and you are asking if it is a good deal ?? somebody hold my head while i think .... uhmmm ....

i think... NOT...

do you want this car or you are simply window shopping ? if the latter, you are wasting your time (and ours by bothering us)...if the former, well .... !!!!

my .02 cents worth

ctwo

Price with the above pkg is $34090. I must of been drugged to write "2100 under INVOICE"

oac3

the dealers here (dianne and cliffy1) can help you evaluate this much more than i could. but from edmunds.com site, the 4x2 sr5 with the specs you listed, msrp at $36,147 (incl. $480 destination charge). if your negotiated price is at $34K, you are doing well under msrp and i'd say it ain't that bad of a deal. but you have to make that decision yourself. someone once said here that if you buy something and you still like it after 2 weeks, you have not overpaid for it. i bought a slightly less loaded sr5 silver sky for $33.2K before xmas when the car was still hot at only $500 under msrp, and liked the deal (and still do) bcos the car is simply worth every cent i paid for it. but, you don't have to listen to me, its your call...

good luck with your purchase and check out those "ticking sounds" when you test drive the vehicle. if there are more than 2 ticks right after the other, then something may be amiss with that particular vehicle...