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I will definitely go and check.
toys: We have decided to wait til after March to get ours. I absolutely want the SCABs, and rare to find in Gulf States. GST is gouging people with their leather on SR5's, which I'd just as soon not have (leather), so they don't order with SCABs. That gives me plenty of time to sell the Trooper. Maybe on ebay, although I've never tried that, friends have bought and sold, say it's not overwhelming...again, any thoughts?
ALL: Happy New Year! I'm new to your board, been lurking awhile, but I appreciate EVERYONE's input. Thanks a thousand times...
cb19...sorry to hear about your situation with Tejas. I did do business there because they were the only ones to come off MSRP. $1,850 to be exact. They may have reversed that postion but if so, only to their detriment.
Mitsubishi is somewhere in the "below industry average" which means number 22 or worse and
rubbing shoulders with the Korean newbies.
JDP reccomendations for the 5 different categories of truck and SUV sizes lists Toyota as #1 in all five categories. Out of a total of 38 reccomendations for all cars and trucks finds not a single Mitsub (even GM squeked out a couple)
www.jdpower.com/global/jdpaawards/releases/110200.html
Cheers
I'm 31 years old and consider myself a responsible and safe driver. I don't think the timing of this particular merge was unreasonable. Thank God there wasn't an accident.
It was *not* in 4wd mode. If it *was* in 4wd mode, it probably would have done a better job of accelerating into traffic. I guess for safety's sake I'll have to keep it in 4wd mode except for driving on dry highways. This ought to suck up more gas than necessary. I'm pretty disapointed about this.
According to the trip computer, I'm averaging 18+ mpg (in 2wd mode). I'm on my 3rd tank of gas.
Another annoying thing about the system is that there is too significant a delay when it "transitions" to 4wd mode after hitting the button. I assume that the blinking orange light on the 4wd indicator means that it is still transitioning. This blinking took up to 20 seconds one time (it always varies). The manual states that one should never let the wheels spin while it is going into 4wd mode since damage could be done. This makes it very inconvenient to "snap" it into 4wd mode before entering traffic (assuming one keeps it in 2wd mode to conserve gas). If it is a busy street, you'll miss your chance to get into traffic due to waiting for the blinking to stop after hitting the 4wd button.
I'll keep it in 4wd mode until my next fill-up to see how much worse the MPG will be. I suspect it will be worse than the 18mpg I've been getting but will let everyone know.
This issue is can be a concern in any weather/season/location since slipage can easily occur when going from a stop into traffic (loose dirt, wet road, etc.).
Be careful! Give youself *plenty* of clearance from other vehicles when merging into traffic.
-------
DS SR5 4x4 w/alloy pkg, conv pkg, moon, elec seats
"thirdsuv": I agree with you implications about the Mitsu. I would like to have data on the new 2001 Montero specifically as it is completely redesigned. The problem is that they just dont have the same number of vehicles in service in the US as compared to the rest of the world. You may be interested to know that in Austrailia the Montero (2001) beat out the LC for 4wd of the year. They have a lot of experience with 4wd's over there so I think that is really saying something.
It was me who posted a ton of advance data here about colors, options, availability, pricing, and features well in advance of the Sequoia debut. It was me who offered even my first loads of Sequoias at way off MSRP right out of the gate while others were pointing to the window stickers and insisting you pay it, pay more than the sticker, or make tracks off the lot. ANd, it was my "joke" post citing the top 10 worst "cures" for the Hammertone trim in the Limited Sequoias a while back that finally convinced the top brass in Indiana to come up with a change for that, and soon.
So, puhleeze, I have tried to answer questions here for folks who I haven't done a whit of business with for the sake of answering a question or concern that I can. I have answered thousands of emails (yes, thousands, as I get at least 150 emails a day total + responses) on Toyota product from across the USA, especially Sequoia since the early fall, and those responses are never logged or noticed here.
Gimme a break. The time I expend here with the different forums far outweighs the monetary benefit to me personally, but this is a wonderful, insightful, and learned community that I enjoy reading and joining in with. If I can save folks a few bucks, or even thousands, then I will happily do so. If someone wants a special Sequoia, I order-build to meet their needs. That's something you can't get at other dealers... most don't care to try or care to bother.
My being here with as much information and honesty as possible matters to a lot of folks, regardless of whether you want it here or not. You can read whatever posts you want to.
-Dianne
dianne@earthlink.net
I remember the soapy tarp demonstration that somebody posted a couple of months ago, but I assume that was to simulate making a right turn from a full stop on an icy road. If merging into traffic on a dry pavement is a problem, I would be outright scared. Here in Texas, we have a lot of those very short merging lanes, with essentially non-existent separates lanes to accelerate.
By the way, Id also been waiting for a DS SR5. I've seen one a couple of weeks ago, but no running board. If your "test results" confirm what you've already experienced, I might change my mind about the Seq.
Happy New Year (and don't hang out at the bar too long).
-Di
They are looking at an suv for the 4 wheel drive and sporty qualities. They want 3 rows of seeting, so they are looking at the MDX (my favorie) and the Seqouia. The MDX seems is a much better value in my eyes because an equal seqouia is 10 thousand dollars more, and gets worse mileage.
I would like to know what kind of mileage people are getting in there Seqouias. It seems to be more pinned down than the Acura and it gives us the quality feel of the Previa, but our only fear is the mileage. By the way its late so excuse me for rambling.
-Steve
http://wallet.lycos.com/cgi-bin/nph-tbproxy-4663/1/1000438730/http/www.usatoday.com/money/columns/healey/0038.htm
and
http://www.autoworldweekly.com/roadtests/roadtests.cfm?instanceid=7309
These two reviews highlight the reviewers' opinions of the Seq viz many aspects of its performance. I was interested to read these articles to see if any of the current problems/issues that some of us are having may have been noticed/corroborated in these articles.
You make your own judgements !
On another front, the traction control problem reported here by was mentioned on the MDX board and the comments were generally very informative. It is refreshing to find such insightful people out there, who don't gloat over the problems of others but offer helpful suggestions. I suppose that new model releases will have teething problems that may be fixed in future releases.... Let us hope that Toyota reps are reading these articles and rushing to find fixes for some very important issues we are all hearing about....
Happy Holidays everyone !
I'm sure you know more than I about the Seq 4x4 hardware. I think the Sequoia has a 'real' 4WD system, like say a Jeep or a Chevy Tahoe, rather than the AWD drive or 'full-time 4WD" some cars, eg Escape, Acura MDX, Toyota Highlander?? are trying to pass off as 4x4.
If this is the case, I would be reluctant to leave it in 4WD mode all the time on dry roads. Definitely could do some damage to the drivetrain. Check the owners manual and please excuse me if you already have and found no restrictions like this.
MDX is really a modified minivan. It is based on the Honda Odyssey minivan.
Sequoia is really a modified fullsize truck. It's based on the Toyota Tundra truck.
You would expect the minivan to post better gas milage than a fullsize truck, and probably even softer ride feel, but you can't expect it to do the same job that a truck can.
So if you are planning to use it like a better looking minivan, MDX probably fits the bill better. But if you need something more rough or heavy duty, you probably want to go for a Sequoia.
We got 8" of heavy wet snow today in Mass. I was out having a blast driving around town in the snow with the plow boys. The traction control in 4wd mode is rather nice in the snow since it basically provides for brainless driving. You just hit the throttle and it figures out when it has the traction to pull you through the snow. No need to worry about spinning wheels. The vehicle pushed through 2 foot+ plow drifts into parking lots with no hesitation at all. I was able to go up very steep snowy hills with confidence.
The VSC kicked in as I went sideways on some roads. This only happened when I really pushed it. It does an admirable job of ABS work and whatever else it does to regain control of the vehicle automatically.
Correction to my earlier post: The amount of time it takes to go *in* to 4wd mode is only a couple of seconds. It takes it's own sweet time coming *out* of 4wd mode though (which is really no big deal).
I don't think that the traction control on dry pavement should be a big concern. Its just a matter of getting used to the vehicle and using 4wd mode if you think you'll need to pull into traffic in a hurry.
The snow driving tonight was a real pleasure. I hope you all get the opportunity that I did to really enjoy this vehicle in the snow.
I'm freaking out! help me!!!!
Rosemarie
All of these quotes were obtained either over the phone or via email from the fleet or internet sales managers, and did require a little haggling, but not much. This is where you'll get to a "best price" most efficiently, not on a showroom floor with a regular salesperson.
Recommended reading:carbuyingtips.com
Happy hunting!
A guy from the LC message board, Kurt Leyendecker,(kleyendecker@usa.net) is organizing a list of people, and has filed a complaint with Toyota...drop him an email.
Her email is there as well, although she might not be able to respond right away; remember, she's busy selling 650+ happy Toyota owners, all over the US!
I'm sure after you read the posts about her, you'll decide to head to Carson Toyota. Email her now. (We're planning to order one from her in March, by the way, a silver sky 7920 (4WD SR5).)
http://www.4x4abc.com/4WD101/need.html
http://www.4x4abc.com/4WD101/tractionturn2.html
http://www.4x4abc.com/4WD101/tractionturn4.html
As you can see, full-time 4WD will dramatically improve handling, especially in emergency maneuvers. This is all the more important with such a large and heavy truck like the Sequoia. Since the engine power is equally routed/distributed to all four wheels instead of just two, the traction control/stability control is much less likely to intervene since four tires have less torque (individually) and are less likely to be overwhelmed.
I don't think that leaving the system in 4WD mode all of the time will decrease your fuel economy significantly (I'm guessing at most 1mpg). Consumer Reports tested their Jeep Grand Cherokee with the SelectTrac 4WD system in 2WD and 4WD full-time modes and found no difference in fuel economy.
Hope this helps!
Drew
Host of Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Just read your new post and YES it helped, drew, perhaps this whole dry pavement issue, as cliffy says is a nonissue. Now probably no reason not to get Seq - Thanks again!
As I think Steve (cliffy1) explained before, part-time 4WD systems cannot be used on dry pavement or even just a little slippery pavement because engaging the 4WD locks the front and rear axles together mechanically. Imagine you are going around a curve in 4WD mode, on a dry surface, with a part-time 4WD vehicle. The front wheels (since they're turned) follow different arcs around the bend. Since the front and rear wheels are mechanically bound together, the wheels don't want to be turned and you'll will feel a tremendous amount of steering resistance. This is what is damaging to the components...the binding. On slippery/snowy/muddy surfaces, part-time 4WD is okay since there is enough of a reduction in surface friction that the wheels can slip around when turned. However, once you hit drier pavement, you have to shift out of 4WD again if you have PT4WD. As you can see, this process is cumbersome and requires quite a bit of driver interaction particularly if you have mixed surfaces, or worse, a split-mu surface (i.e. half of the road covered with snow, and the other half dry; "mu" is the Greek word for co-efficient).
Full-time or permanent 4WD systems add centre differentials which allows the front and rear axles to spin at different rates. This is why these systems do not have any problems whatsoever running on all sorts of surfaces. For the Sequoia, you just set the switch/lever into 4WD full-time High range mode and drive. You never have to touch the controls again if you don't want to. For the Land Cruiser, there's no 2WD switch, so you just drive.
I should mention though, that the Low range mode (low gearing which multiplies the torque by 2+ times, mainly for slow off-road use) in both the Sequoia and Land Cruiser locks the centre differential. As such, when in 4WD Low Range mode, you must act as if you have a part-time 4WD system and use it only on slippery surfaces. To engage Low range, most systems require that you stop the vehicle, put the transmission into neutral, shift into low range, and then move the transmission back into drive. Reverse the steps to disengage low range. Steve, Diana, or the owner's manual should have more detailed information about this.
Best of luck and happy new year!
Drew
Host of Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
P.S. I highly recommend the side curtain airbags since they're available as an option on the Sequoia
Since the center differential plays a key role in 4WD, I found the following article did a good job explaining the role of center differential.
Differentials (Open, Locked, Limited Slip, EDL, quattro)
Anything in the future of Townhall that would lend itself to an FAQ? You know you'll be explaining this again in another forum in a few months, just like I remember most of the above from the MDX forum.
Having the 2WD mode accessible is common among many full-time 4WD vehicles. Taking the 2WD option away would change a full-time 4WD vehicle to a permenant 4WD one (ex. Land Cruiser or LX470).
Perhaps one more question (I left post #324 on the TLCIII site, maybe you could look at,please) Comparing the Seq to to the TLC/LX ($ is not my main concern) it seems to be bigger, side airbags, reclining seats - better, but have you driven both? Why get TLC/LX?? ( I am not a planning on going off roading, just skiing, mountain driving sometimes - you know, regular mom stuff)Is the TLC/LX quieter? Vans are too noisy and have too many reliability probs. Have considered getting GMC Denali xl, Cad, Gator, EB Exp - you name it big luxo SUV- but am afraid of getting AMerican car because I do not want to deal with problems. I am used to my RX ( and am very happy with it because no problems,its so easy to drive, easy in and out, and quiet lux - but its too small now - I want safety,reliability,quiet luxury - have an infant and all her gear, a four year old and plan on having another and will probably lease for 3 yrs. Concerned about size of TLC, I will be using at least one of the rear, 3rd row, seats all the time for my 4 yr. old - and fold up 3rd seats, no side air bags but it has been in production longer. Any Thoughts? Thanks again, Stacy
Our Seq. arrived this AM but unfortunately was not the color we were promised. So....started back at square 1 almost. Ended up with a decent deal although still not as far under MSRP as some of you have posted. The color ended up being Chestnut Pearl (Or something to that effect) It is beautiful but significantly darker than we had hoped for in the Desert sand (or whatever it's called) color. Anyway, darker is not better in cars for us. I don't like the dirt. So I complained and raised a fuss and ended up with this deal:
500 off MSRP (MSRP was 38,245)
"Touch of Class" interior/exterior protection which essentially warranties your upholstery/paint for 5 years. Any stains or problems toyota can't remove equals new paint or upholstery.
4 fill-ups for the gas tank
4 complete auto details
I figure that this deal is equivalent to about $1,500 off MSRP and I'm happy. We drove about 75 miles on the freeway this afternoon and the readout said 16.5 MPG so far. Not bad, since my Trooper was getting about 12 after being well broken in. This car is HOT! Even the toll booth attendant was oohing and ahhing over it. I'm soooo spoiled!!!
Rosemarie
Bob
Can anyone offer experiences/opinions on dealer price flexibility in the southern New England region (e.g. MA, CT, RI)? Have roughly 40 Toyota dealers I/ in 50 miles so we've lots of dealer options, but would appreciate any insight anyone here could offer.
Thanks in advance!
To
The postings on the board were very useful in my decision making.
Best of luck to you all.
I bought a loaded SR5 a couple of weeks ago from Woburn Foreign Motors. They did a "locate" and had the Seq I wanted shipped from Herb Chambers in Boston. One of my mistakes was to pick up the vehicle at night. Apparently I didn't inspect it close enough because after I handed over the check and came back out to drive away in the new vehicle, I noticed masking tape on one of the fog light caps. The dealer insisted that it comes from the factory this way and started to pull the tape off. The next morning in good light further examination showed evidence of a repair to the corner bumper. There was about a millimeter of overspray along the rubber molding where the fenders meet.
Delivery Tips:
1. Don't hand over the final check or sign anything before a thorough inspection and (additional) test drive. Is the mileage what you anticipated?
2. Do not pick up your vehicle at night. If you do, have them pull it into the show room for you to inspect.
3. Bring along someone with good eyes to help you inspect every inch of the vehicle... inside and out. Look at all the moldings closely and look for overspray on anything. Feel areas that look dull. Is the paint as smooth as nearby areas?
I have witnesses and pics from the following morning. Supposedly, my dealer is going to talk to Herb Chambers to try to get an explanation of what happened. I'll be negotiating some sort of compensation this week since I paid MSRP. I'll post the outcome... negative or positive.
I know I am too late to this Discussion group.
I am shopping for a Sequioa Limited 4x4. I plan
to use it for long long years to come. I want to
choose Limited with all Options rather than SR5
with other add-ons. Can dianne or cliffy1 or
yoss or hookey or volkov could give me some tips on choosing this vehicle. I never owned a SUV or any Power machine. All I had was Nissan Sentra (while in middle east), Toyota Camry (now). Can someone tell who is the nice dealer near Richmond, VA (I don't mind travelling here and there like NC, DC, Northern Virginia to get a best deal). I have nothing to tow, so I don't care about towing power(or should I?).
Thanks you guys in advance for your valuable
thoughts.