Sequoia versus Highlander Hybrid

Hello

I am hoping to replace my aging, high-mileage Honda Odyssey and never
own another minivan. But I still have 4 kids and need something that
will handle at least 6 passengers.

The Sequoia seems big enough and I like the available two bucket rows
configuration. But the gas mileage is scary. However, is the
Highlander Hybrid big enough and is the mileage as good as EPA's
numbers (consumer reports provides a very low number, but all of their
numbers are absurdly low which makes me wonder who is test driving the
car and where?)

If anyone has owned both a Sequoia and Highlander and could comment,
that would be great. I can drive around the block in them but wonder
how'd they be for 12-hour fun-filled trips.

Thanks in advance.

Stan Plante
Chagrin Falls, OH

In article <1173623328.685375.295140@t69g2000cwt. .com>,
StanPlante@ wrote:

> I am hoping to replace my aging, high-mileage Honda Odyssey and never
> own another minivan.

Why not?

A minivan offers twice the interior room of any SUV. What is it you're
trying to accomplish?

<StanPlante@> wrote in message
news:1173623328.685375.295140@t69g2000cwt. o...
> Hello
>
> I am hoping to replace my aging, high-mileage Honda Odyssey and never
> own another minivan. But I still have 4 kids and need something that
> will handle at least 6 passengers.
>
> The Sequoia seems big enough and I like the available two bucket rows
> configuration. But the gas mileage is scary. However, is the
> Highlander Hybrid big enough and is the mileage as good as EPA's
> numbers (consumer reports provides a very low number, but all of their
> numbers are absurdly low which makes me wonder who is test driving the
> car and where?)
>
> If anyone has owned both a Sequoia and Highlander and could comment,
> that would be great. I can drive around the block in them but wonder
> how'd they be for 12-hour fun-filled trips.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Stan Plante
> Chagrin Falls, OH
>

We have a 2003 Sequoia. The third row seats in the Sequoia are very roomy
and are comparable to most minivans. We have had tall teens sit in the
third row for 12 hour trips with no complaints. Getting into the 3rd row
seat is a little more awkward than in a minivan because you have to flip the
2nd row seat forward, but once you get the hang of it, it is no problem.

While I do not own a Highlander or 4Runner, I have sat in the 3rd row seats
at the auto show, and there is much less leg room than in the Sequoia. I am
5'-7" and the 3rd row seat was uncomfortable for me, even for a few minutes
at the show.

The current Sequoia has a 5 speed automatic transmission; ours has a 4
speed. My wife gets around 12 - 13 MPG around town, I get around 14 - 15
around town and 17 - 18 on the highway. The transmission in the current
Sequoia should get around 1 -2 MPG better than ours. The torque and
horsepower of the 4.7 liter V8 are enough that you don't notice the engine
straining when it is fully loaded like we used to with our minivan.

We have around 48,000 miles on our Sequoia, and have had zero repairs, only
routine maintenance items. So far, we have replaced the tires at around
41,000 miles, the front brake pads & caliper pins at 48,000 miles, and oil
changes.
--

Ray O

On Mar 11, 4:14 pm, "Elmo P. Shagnasty" <e...@nastydesigns.com> wrote:
> In article <1173623328.685375.295...@t69g2000cwt. .com>,
>
> StanPla...@ wrote:
> > I am hoping to replace my aging, high-mileage Honda Odyssey and never
> > own another minivan.
>
> Why not?
>
> A minivan offers twice the interior room of any SUV. What is it you're
> trying to accomplish?

I guess it is because with kids ranging from diapers to college, my
wife and I have been buying station wagons and minivans since 1990 and
want something snobbier to drive.

Sad but true.

Stan

FWIW, I was talking early one morning with the sales manager about the 08
Highlander. Said he could make a heck of a deal on an 07 Hybrid 'lander.
What kind of driving did I do? When I told him he advised against the
hybrid as mileage is okay around town but not worth the extra money on
mostly higher speeds (was my thought also) - the 08 'lander looks very good
and probably worth a look for you.

I've never needed a larger rig than my Highlander but no kids at home and
usually no more than 2 or 3 grandkids at a time.

Ron (in Ca)

In article <1173649762.167574.190870@n33g2000cwc. .com>,
StanPlante@ wrote:

> > A minivan offers twice the interior room of any SUV. What is it you're
> > trying to accomplish?
>
> I guess it is because with kids ranging from diapers to college, my
> wife and I have been buying station wagons and minivans since 1990 and
> want something snobbier to drive.
>
> Sad but true.

wow....wow............

So what makes a Sequoia or Highlander "snobbier"? Do members of your
social circle truly rank a Toyota SUV, and by extension its driver,
higher on their "snob" list than a Toyota minivan that's outfitted like,
and drives like, a Lexus?

And....and....these people would be in your social circle....why?

Can you possibly compete with those people? Or will you get the
Sequoia, only to be trumped a week later by one of them buying something
else?

Let me guess--you have at least one friend who bought a Prius simply
because it was a Prius and gave her bragging rights, not because it
solved any problem in her life.

You'd struggle with the relative lack of room in an SUV compared to the
Sienna, and the difficulty in getting people into that third row, and/or
the difficulty in parking the silly thing, AND the fuel bill, for the
"pleasure" of....what? Will your current friends dump you if you get
yet another station wagon/minivan? (Friends, not acquaintances.)

What sort of message does that deliver to your kids? You know kids are
smart; you know they're going to ask you why you bought that big silly
SUV that you can't park, that they can't get into the third row without
Cirque du Soleil contortions, that they hear you gripe about the fuel
costs. And you know they're going to say out loud, "I don't know why
Dad bought this thing, I liked the minivan better".

I'm floored.

<StanPlante@> wrote in message
news:1173649762.167574.190870@n33g2000cwc. o...
> On Mar 11, 4:14 pm, "Elmo P. Shagnasty" <e...@nastydesigns.com> wrote:
>> In article <1173623328.685375.295...@t69g2000cwt. .com>,
>>
>> StanPla...@ wrote:
>> > I am hoping to replace my aging, high-mileage Honda Odyssey and never
>> > own another minivan.
>>
>> Why not?
>>
>> A minivan offers twice the interior room of any SUV. What is it you're
>> trying to accomplish?
>
> I guess it is because with kids ranging from diapers to college, my
> wife and I have been buying station wagons and minivans since 1990 and
> want something snobbier to drive.
>
> Sad but true.
>
> Stan
>

For us, the switch from mini van to the Sequoia was more power. Big kids
weigh more than infants, and with frequent camping/climbing excursions on
rough, unpaved roads that are sometimes unplowed or muddy, towing the
troop's trailer, hauling the contents of the kids' dorm rooms to college,
the SUV made sense for us. Once the youngest is done with college, we'll
probably move to a Highlander or RX size SUV because I still plan on camping
and climbing, just with fewer kids.

BTW, unless you are hauling 4x8 sheets of plywood, the Sequoia has more room
than our minivan did, with room for 8 passengers in the Sequoia vs. 7 in the
minivan.
--

Ray O

StanPlante@ wrote:
>
> I guess it is because with kids ranging from diapers to college, my
> wife and I have been buying station wagons and minivans since 1990 and
> want something snobbier to drive. Sad but true.

It's refreshing to see such honesty.

A friend of mine has a Highlander Hybrid, but without as many kids as you.
He and his wife like it, although gas mileage on the highway is somewhat
disappointing. Fully loaded (with roof rack) they averaged only 24 MPG
driving from Texas to California. However in-town, gas mileage is vastly
better than a conventional vehicle.

As someone (Ray O?) mentioned, the Highlander is being updated this spring
so you might wait a bit. Fuel economy will be improved, Toyota says.

On Mar 12, 12:00 am, "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom>
wrote:
> <StanPla...@> wrote in message
>
> news:1173649762.167574.190870@n33g2000cwc. o...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Mar 11, 4:14 pm, "Elmo P. Shagnasty" <e...@nastydesigns.com> wrote:
> >> In article <1173623328.685375.295...@t69g2000cwt. .com>,
>
> >> StanPla...@ wrote:
> >> > I am hoping to replace my aging, high-mileage Honda Odyssey and never
> >> > own another minivan.
>
> >> Why not?
>
> >> A minivan offers twice the interior room of any SUV. What is it you're
> >> trying to accomplish?
>
> > I guess it is because with kids ranging from diapers to college, my
> > wife and I have been buying station wagons and minivans since 1990 and
> > want something snobbier to drive.
>
> > Sad but true.
>
> >Stan
>
> For us, the switch from mini van to the Sequoia was more power. Big kids
> weigh more than infants, and with frequent camping/climbing excursions on
> rough, unpaved roads that are sometimes unplowed or muddy, towing the
> troop's trailer, hauling the contents of the kids' dorm rooms to college,
> the SUV made sense for us. Once the youngest is done with college, we'll
> probably move to a Highlander or RX size SUV because I still plan on camping
> and climbing, just with fewer kids.
>
> BTW, unless you are hauling 4x8 sheets of plywood, the Sequoia has more room
> than our minivan did, with room for 8 passengers in the Sequoia vs. 7 in the
> minivan.
> --
>
> Ray O
> - Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful replies. We looked at all of the
Toyotas (Highlander, 4Runner, Sequoia) and none of them had the space
of the 3rd seat in a typical minivan. Same with the Honda Pilot.

We are going to end up with a Mazda CX-9. Nice looking, not as much
room overall as a minivan but not too bad, and with a sliding middle
row you can balance the space between the second and third row.
Supposedly 22 mpg on the highway in the AWD which we like for snow
belt in Ohio. Priced similar to the 4Runner and probably less than the
Sequoia.

The Ford Freestyle is also a good choice but just not as nice, as one
might expect. I couldn't sit comfortably in the third row and my boys
are going to be bigger than me in 1-2 years, 1 already has longer
legs.

So, still no Toyota. Maybe next time.

Stan

On Mar 13, 7:23 am, "C. E. White" <cewhi...@remove>
wrote:
> "Bill Tuthill" <ccree...m> wrote in message
>
> news:45f585e7@news.meer.net...
>
> > A friend of mine has a Highlander Hybrid, but without as many kids
> > as you.
> > He and his wife like it, although gas mileage on the highway is
> > somewhat
> > disappointing. Fully loaded (with roof rack) they averaged only 24
> > MPG
> > driving from Texas to California. However in-town, gas mileage is
> > vastly
> > better than a conventional vehicle.
>
> This is exactly what I would expect from a hybrid. The "hybrid" part
> is little more than extra weight when doing a steady state cruise on
> an open highway. The big advantage for a hybrid is in town driving
> where the regenerative braking can recover some energy when braking.
> Consumer Reports did not achieve especially good mileage with the
> Hybrid Highlander - 16 city, 28 highway, 27 on 150 mile trip, 22
> overall. One telling comment was - " Buyers interested in hybrids only
> to save money may be disappointed." As a comparison, the conventional
> V-6 Highlander's mileage was - 13 city, 25 highway, 22 on 150 mile
> trip, 19 overall. They have not tested a 4 cylinder Highlander
> recently, but I doubt the mileage would be much better. For the RAV4
> and Camry, the 4 cylinder models only got about 1 mpg better than the
> V-6 models.
>
> Ed

Personally, I think that consumer reports drives around with the
parking brake
partially on. They get 11-12 mpg on almost every car they drive in the
city.

Has any company considered building a "Tri-brid" where they also
recharge from solar
power? Just curious.

Stan