2008 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4x4

You would expect a sport-utility that measures 17 feet long, stands 6 feet tall, carries eight passengers and is hooked up to a 5.7-liter V8, four-wheel drive and 20-inch wheels to be called Sequoia. Talk about full-size! Talk about lumbering! There was a time when the Sequoia felt like a 7/8ths-scale SUV, but now that this all-new edition is based on the full-size Tundra pickup, the 2008 Toyota Sequoia is a 6,000-pound, card-carrying member of the elite ExpeNaviBurbaLade club.

That's why we didn't expect that this 2008 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4x4 would ride so comfortably and handle so delicately, or that it would prove so quick with its 381-horsepower V8. It's a major accomplishment to get something this large to drive like something small.The new Sequoia might have the backbone of a simple pickup truck, but it could be the perfect full-size luxury sport-utility.

Big Power
To motivate the 5,985-pound, four-wheel-drive Sequoia Limited, Toyota went to the correct parts bin. Step one was to install the potent 381-hp 5.7-liter V8 and six-speed automatic from the 2008 Toyota Tundra. In fact, the Tundra and Sequoia have been developed in parallel, so nearly everything from the Sequoia's front bumper to the B-pillar is structurally identical to the Tundra.

Not only is the 5.7 a more powerful and capable V8 than the Sequoia SR5's standard 276-hp, 4.7-liter V8, but also the combination of the big V8 and its six-speed automatic is actually more fuel-efficient than the 4.7-liter V8 and its five-speed automatic. Our Sequoia Limited 4x4 (which runs on 87-octane fuel) earned a combined average of 14 mpg, backing up the EPA's official rating of 13 mpg city/18 mpg highway.

With few exceptions, the 2008 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4x4 appears to be the best all-around eight-passenger SUV available. Its roots may go back to the truck-based sport-utility vehicle, but the 2008 Toyota Sequoia has all the comfort and conveniences of a minivan and it doesn't drive like a truck. This is a huge step forward in SUV evolution.

Sure, this test truck wears a $56,000 price tag, so it will leave some people wondering why it doesn't wear a Lexus badge, and indeed maybe it should. If that's the case, keep in mind that $24,000 separates a base SR5 2WD, at just under $35,000, and the fully optioned Platinum for $58,795.

© Source: edmunds
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