Our trucks VS Toyota Sequoia???

[TahoeFL2017]

Curious how we hold up against Toyota's reputation for quality and reliability? Saw a recent post from some0ne who said their Sequoia was marginally better.

Wife likes the Sequoia, but I personally don't like the hybrid crap or the battery, extra things to break, etc. (I've owned Toyotas but never past 80k miles, so not a real test for quality)

Not knocking GM, just wondering - the internet and public perception is Toyotas are bulletproof, but I've seen some crazy mileage on Tahoe's and Silverado's , so let's hear it!

Are Toyota's better, or is that all a matter of perspective/opinion?

 

[Vladimir2306]

There was a car reliability rating in the USA, and there Tahoe and Yukon took some of the top lines in terms of reliability. At the same time, the hybrid installation on Toyota has already been tested for more than one decade on the Prius, Lexus RX, a friend of mine has already driven 250 thousand km on the RX hybrid. and is not going to change it, having a fuel consumption of 10-11 liters per 100 km in the urban cycle. But my personal opinion is that Sequoia and GM are slightly different philosophies, these are slightly different consumers. And they don't really overlap with each other.

 

[swathdiver]

...the internet and public perception is Toyotas are bulletproof,

They're not. They used to eat ball joints for breakfast and have other issues with their brakes and motors. I noticed their low payload ratings and they got worse gas mileage than GM trucks.

My SIL was driving a Prius until it needed a new main battery. She dumped it for a conventional RAV4.

 

[OR VietVet]

Yea, two different vehicles completely. Plus, the hybrids are a different animal if do have to get to a garage. Lots of shops cannot diagnose correctly and so the vehicle owner heads to the dealer where they think the dealer techs are better and sometimes, those techs use a parts cannon on the vehicles too.

 

[TahoeFL2017]

I've often wondered if Toyota was considered more reliable simply because they are so slow to update - thoughts?

Seems like the easy was to keep reliability is to just keep what works, but I prefer some updates, hence my Tahoe - old Sequoia looked outdated as hell when I was looking.

 

[swathdiver]

I've often wondered if Toyota was considered more reliable simply because they are so slow to update - thoughts?

Seems like the easy was to keep reliability is to just keep what works, but I prefer some updates, hence my Tahoe - old Sequoia looked outdated as hell when I was looking.

They are riding the wave of the misconception that they have better cars than the competition; so they didn't have to compete until sales started to slip.

If we look to history, especially with GM, it takes 3-4 years for a new design to become mature and the bugs ironed out. Generally speaking of course.

 

[adventurenali92]

Toyota puts out great products. My first car was my moms 1999 Camry XLE that she kept even after buying a big 4x4 after moving to the mountains, specifically so I could drive it when the time came. Not sure what particular engine it had but I know it was a 6 cylinder mated with a 5 speed manual trans. Learned to drive in the snow in a front wheel drive manual trans sedan. Those were some wild rides lol. But I can do it with confiedence should I ever need to, and that camry never let us down. That being said I see drawbacks in the way toyota designs their vehicles.

So before I bought my 2006 Denali, I was dead set on buying a 4x4 limited trim sequoia in the year range of 2003-2007 as that was the body style I wanted. On the 4.7 V8s that those came with the starter is buried under the intake manifold. To replace it the entire top of the engine basically has to be taken apart. On top of that you may as well throw in a new timing chain since you’re gonna be in that exact area taking everything apart. There’s one other major component there as well that should just get replaced if the mileage is high and I can’t remember now what that was. It’s close to 1,500 dollars in parts and labor if the starter goes out. Now replacing the timing chain isn’t a must when doing a starter but why pay the mechanic twice to do the exact same labor two separate times. Every sequoia I looked at to potentially buy had starter issues and I had no desire to deal with that right off the bat in ownership of one. Plus I couldn’t find one trimmed the way I wanted. All my experience as a detailer has made me absolutely despise cloth interiors. I’ll never own cloth ever again. Either I found a cloth interior SR5 trimmed 4x4 or a leather interior limited trimmed 2 wheel drive sequoia. 4x4 is non negotiable for me since I live in a ski town but I wasn’t willing to go back to cloth seats so I had to give up the search for a sequoia. I was disappointed but after buying my Yukon I’d do it again in a heartbeat. My factory starter in the Yukon died in the back parking lot of our local DIY car wash one evening after a quick post snow bath. I walked over to the NAPA parts store that’s literally across the street from the car wash, bought a starter and with basic hand tools that I had in the truck, I had the starter replaced in under an hour in fading daylight. Because on GM vehicles most major components are stupidly easy to access. I think at least with the older generations of GM, they’re designed with the DIY mechanic in mind. It’s just easier to work on. I can’t speak to the difficulty level of working on modern Toyotas or GM for that matter since I don’t own either but from 8 1/2 years of owning a an older GM all my DIY mechanic experience has been from my Yukon simply because it’s so easy to work on. And I’m confident enough now because of that fact to tackle even big repairs and maintenance items myself.

On another note, in twelve years of detailing I’ve only had a very small handful of clients with full size Toyotas. A client a few years ago had a 2013 tundra, and since the exact month I bought my Yukon, I’ve had a client with a 2004 4x4 limited trim sequoia. Literally spec’d exactly how I’d wanted one. I was a lil salty when I first showed up to that clients house and saw the exact type of sequoia I’d wanted sitting in the driveway like two weeks after buying my Denali haha. Anyways while many full size toyotas are on the road around me, most of the mountain folk won’t touch them and the majority of full size pickups and SUVs and that we drive are either GM or ford. Lots of clients with small Toyotas like Ravs, Camrys, my sister in law has one, a 2018 I believe. And lots of clients with Tacomas and forerunners. The big Toyota stuff just isn’t as popular in my region. But then again we are a weird A-S-S breed of mountain folk lol.

 

[gapost]

I considered a Sequoia before my Tahoe. Saw there have been some oil leak issues with the 5.7. Then I looked at the mpg ratings and never looked back, lol. Of course, those were like 2014-16 era. The newer ones are much better. But they are solid overall.

 

[TahoeFL2017]

The 5.3 has some crazy high mileage examples out there

If I can get to 250k to 300k easy miles, that's my goal.

Toyota just seems to have an excessively long update schedule, and GM looks easier to work on based on the replies..

(My current Tahoe is being babied, one day I want to be the old guy on the block that all the kids ask if they can buy his "classic Tahoe 4x4)

 

[ZKWBQD]

Curious how we hold up against Toyota's reputation for quality and reliability? Saw a recent post from some0ne who said their Sequoia was marginally better.

Wife likes the Sequoia, but I personally don't like the hybrid crap or the battery, extra things to break, etc. (I've owned Toyotas but never past 80k miles, so not a real test for quality)

Not knocking GM, just wondering - the internet and public perception is Toyotas are bulletproof, but I've seen some crazy mileage on Tahoe's and Silverado's , so let's hear it!

Are Toyota's better, or is that all a matter of perspective/opinion?

I have owned many Suburbans, and Tahoes and a Sequoias as well. I find the NON-hybrid Sequoia to be vastly superior. That would limit you to a 2022 or earlier. Sequoia's do NOT have Forced Lighting (Daytime Running Lights that you cannot turn off). Sequoia also does not have engine stop-start technology. (Easy to permanently defeat on GM products.) You can depend on a Sequoia to go 300K miles minimum. I switched over from Sequoia to Tahoe because I did not want hybrid. If you get a hybrid vehicle plan on replacing the battery at 4 to 7 years. General Motors goes to extreme measures for maximum gas mileage. Toyota goes to extreme measures for reliability.

 

[SpyShops212]

Japanese car and American Truck! I always kept a Camry in my driveway as an extra car since 2011 when we bought our first fully loaded Camry. In mid-2012 we traded the 2011 for a 2012 Camry SE because of the body style change & now we still have our 2018 Camry XLE hybrid that gets 44 mpg & 600 miles on a tank. I do have to say that the 2018 Camry is built better then the k2xx as far as leather quality and workmanship. The 2018 and up Camry really came up in the world and looks better than the ES300H. The hybrid battery comes with a 10 year 150k mile warranty. The Camry actually comes with more options than the k2xx as well. Now if Toyota made a good looking suv like Cadillac or GM with the hybrid I might consider but Toyota & Lexus trucks are flat out ugly and unmanly. The hybrid battery is nickel metal hydrate which means it has been around since the early 2000’s. The battery is great in cold weather and could be replaced in cells vs the Li-ion that has to be replaced as a whole and not good in cold weather.

 

[SpyShops212]

I have owned many Suburbans, and Tahoes and a Sequoias as well. I find the NON-hybrid Sequoia to be vastly superior. That would limit you to a 2022 or earlier. Sequoia's do NOT have Forced Lighting (Daytime Running Lights that you cannot turn off). Sequoia also does not have engine stop-start technology. (Easy to permanently defeat on GM products.) You can depend on a Sequoia to go 300K miles minimum. I switched over from Sequoia to Tahoe because I did not want hybrid. If you get a hybrid vehicle plan on replacing the battery at 4 to 7 years. General Motors goes to extreme measures for maximum gas mileage. Toyota goes to extreme measures for reliability.

The hybrid batteries comes with 10 year 150k warranty btw. There are Toyotas with 600k and still using the original battery. The battery is not expensive and could be replaced in cells. Hybrid Toyotas have great batteries that last forever.

 

[SpyShops212]

The 5.3 has some crazy high mileage examples out there

If I can get to 250k to 300k easy miles, that's my goal.

Toyota just seems to have an excessively long update schedule, and GM looks easier to work on based on the replies..

(My current Tahoe is being babied, one day I want to be the old guy on the block that all the kids ask if they can buy his "classic Tahoe 4x4)

You should because it is the last model with the solid rear axle which doesn’t require to be made taller and wider to fit the independent rear suspension components that hangs down 6” to the ground.

 

[K2 Kaiju]

I've often wondered if Toyota was considered more reliable simply because they are so slow to update - thoughts?

Seems like the easy was to keep reliability is to just keep what works, but I prefer some updates, hence my Tahoe - old Sequoia looked outdated as hell when I was looking.

100%. The tech on my wifes Lexus ES350 (same year) is old as hell. We call her ride granny panties. It has been as reliable as my burb though (zero issues).

 

[shock]

100%. The tech on my wifes Lexus ES350 (same year) is old as hell. We call her ride granny panties. It has been as reliable as my burb though (zero issues).

Agree. Their “slow to update” philosophy is absolutely the reason.

With the exception of my 2002 corolla (fantastic car) I quickly grew to hate every Toyota I’ve owned. Things like weird shifting patterns, uncomfortable seats, rattles in a brand new Land Cruiser, tires that won’t balance (refused tire warranty from dealer). I’m a never Toyota again person.

I somewhat recently rented a 2020 gas camry. That was perhaps the most undrivable car I’ve ever been in. And the road noise was absurd (lack of sound deadening).

I have gone back to Chevy over and over mainly because I like my dealership.

I’m lucky to be older now (higher income) so I likely won’t deal with cars that are very used, but I’m already feeling sorry for the folks that will have to buy today’s cars as older models and have to pay to maintain them. I also fear its going to lead to more cars being junked more quickly—and that’s certainly not good for the environment.

And more to original post, I test drove the last gen sequoia and found the seat’s uncomfortable and that it drove more like a minivan than a truck—which is not my personal preference.

 

[Bill Barnes]

The 5.3 has some crazy high mileage examples out there

If I can get to 250k to 300k easy miles, that's my goal.

Toyota just seems to have an excessively long update schedule, and GM looks easier to work on based on the replies..

(My current Tahoe is being babied, one day I want to be the old guy on the block that all the kids ask if they can buy his "classic Tahoe 4x4)

I have a 2005 Yukon XL SLT /5.3 E85/4L80E with 236K miles. I purchased it new. The transmission was replaced at 83K because the dealer showed me metallic sheen in the pan. Then at 130K the 3rd-4th pack went out, but since I had a Lifetime Service agreement with the dealer, they repaired it at no charge. I use the oil minder for changes, but never go more than 7500 miles. Other fluids are all changed by the regular service schedule. I use about 1 pint of oil between changes. I have no damage, no rust, and no incentive to buy a newer vehicle. I love my Yukon!

 

[TahoeFL2017]

Looking at old/previous generation Sequoias on the road around me now, I remember why I went for the Tahoe

Sequoias have a wimpy, soccer mom look, just not a truck look, and definitely not my style. Looks like a stuffed toy animal if you look at it really good.

Tech is old, if you think about it, it's cool if your old Toyota doesn't look "dated" inside and out, if it's 9 years old, but not nearly as cool if your *new* Toyota looks like it's 9 years old because it's not updated.

I looked at an old Land Cruiser 10 years ago, and while it ran like a champ, was also very out dated compared to GM trucks.

(I'll take my 2017, solid rear axle, no hybrid battery crap, and run this rig forever, i think old Tahoe's will increase in value like old Broncos one day - so I'm going to be that guy who's obsessively changing my oil every 2500 miles and seeing how long a 5.3 can go)

 

[OR VietVet]

If my girl ever gets tired of her TrailBlazer, I think I will get her a Toyota FJ Cruiser. One of my American Legion buddies bought one and I have done some work on it for him and I am liking it more and more. A long time ago, about 12 years, I owned a Toyota T100 pickup and that thing ran like a top and was easy to work on. If I was ever to get out of the GMT800 platform, I would get a Toyota of some sort. One vehicle I will not get is a Honda. Decent vehicles but just not for me.

 

[TahoeFL2017]

Agree on the FJ, and those things have a cult following too.

Very rugged looking trucks!

 

[smokey_mountain]

In reading 2023 Sequoia is not well accepted by consumers and journalists alike. In fact there are more complaints about this new Sequoia from reviewers that one gets to wonder that only the power of brand carries it forward. I owned many Toyota and Lexus SUVs and they were reliable but all of them were Japanese-built. Sienna was not as reliable and certainly was not quiet (rattly, noisy at speed) just not a comfortable cruiser. My 2018 Yukon was a lemon, my 2020 Tahoe was not without a problem but both were the most comfortable highway cruisers that I ever sat in, quiet and superb seats. I have an order coming for 23 Duramax Tahoe but reading that seats are a big let down for the cross country rides. It is irrational but I keep coming to GM full size SUVs. Fingers crossed my Duramax will serve us well.