Hope this isn't blasphemy here, but........

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dnp

dnp

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Like a lot of you, I've been considering both the new LC and LX; however, they really just don't "do" it for me (yet, anyway) That being said, I was cruising around on the net tonight, and I thought I'd cruise over to the Toyota site and compare an LC and a Highlander side by side.........well, when I got to the site, I was just about to click on the Highlander page, when lo and behold, it became known to me that they've redesigned the Sequoia....................I must've been asleep for a few months, because I had no idea............more importantly, the darn truck looks GOOD! And it can be had with the 5.7! And it looks good inside! And it's roomier than the LC and the LX! And a really nice one costs $15,000 less than a nice Land Cruiser........

Other than the fact that many of you don't like the IRS, am I missing something here? It's "reasonably" priced, it's got a 5.7, and it actually LOOKS good!!...........any comments on why this wouldn't be something to consider when I replace my '99 LX?

Granted, it's not a Land Cruiser or an LX, but considering the fact that I most likely won't go with a new model of either of them anyway, I'd be interested in hearing any comments anyone would like to offer.......................Thanks!
 
dnp said:
Like a lot of you, I've been considering both the new LC and LX; however, they really just don't "do" it for me (yet, anyway) That being said, I was cruising around on the net tonight, and I thought I'd cruise over to the Toyota site and compare an LC and a Highlander side by side.........well, when I got to the site, I was just about to click on the Highlander page, when lo and behold, it became known to me that they've redesigned the Sequoia....................I must've been asleep for a few months, because I had no idea............more importantly, the darn truck looks GOOD! And it can be had with the 5.7! And it looks good inside! And it's roomier than the LC and the LX! And a really nice one costs $15,000 less than a nice Land Cruiser........

Other than the fact that many of you don't like the IRS, am I missing something here? It's "reasonably" priced, it's got a 5.7, and it actually LOOKS good!!...........any comments on why this wouldn't be something to consider when I replace my '99 LX?

Granted, it's not a Land Cruiser or an LX, but considering the fact that I most likely won't go with a new model of either of them anyway, I'd be interested in hearing any comments anyone would like to offer.......................Thanks!
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As well as you can see the Toyota/Lexus brand have a great variety of vehicles to fill anyone desire.
In my case I prefer reliable , comfortable and safe SUVs and I look no further than this brand.
Recently I test drove the 2008 Land Cruiser which I found the driver's seat uncomfortable but the 5.7 engine is awesome.
I just don't see a justification to spend $72000 plus TTL and options on a Toyota Land Cruiser.
My wife and I are planning to test drive the Sequoia this morning, later today I will have better understanding of this new rig.
This a SUV has some good qualities that attract my attention specially the Platinum trim 4x4 with the 5.7 liter , hate to be rude but my " butt " will make the final decision.
Said that, I will like to test drive the LX570.
Please, do not compare the Highlander with the mighty Land Cruiser.
 
lexusrottie said:
As well as you can see the Toyota/Lexus brand have a great variety of vehicles to fill anyone desire.
In my case I prefer reliable , comfortable and safe SUVs and I look no further than this brand.
Recently I test drove the 2008 Land Cruiser which I found the driver's seat uncomfortable but the 5.7 engine is awesome.
I just don't see a justification to spend $72000 plus TTL and options on a Toyota Land Cruiser.
My wife and I are planning to test drive the Sequoia this morning, later today I will have better understanding of this new rig.
This a SUV has some good qualities that attract my attention specially the Platinum trim 4x4 with the 5.7 liter , hate to be rude but my " butt " will make the final decision.
Said that, I will like to test drive the LX570.
Please, do not compare the Highlander with the mighty Land Cruiser.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your response. Please be sure to post your impression of the Sequoia, as I'd really like to hear what you believe are the differences. I'm hoping that our local dealers will have one in stock soon, as I, too, want to see the difference.

By the way, in no way was I comparing the LC and the Highlander overall. It is just that I, like so many others in the 200 posting area, find the styling of the Land Cruiser and the Highlander to be painfully similar. In my initial post, I was doing nothing more than commenting that I wanted to see how the two LOOKED in comparison to each other.............no, I've had far too many Land Cruisers and LX's not to be able to understand and appreciate the differences between the two.

Again, please report your Sequoia opinions after you've had an opportunity to review it. Thanks.
 
calamaridog said:
The new Sequoia is a big SUV with impressive towing ratings. Probably a great choice for a large family that wants to tow some toys.

If you are comparing Highlanders to LC's then you are confused for sure!
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x2

The Sequoia's are great SUV's for their purpose.
 
It isn't blasphemy at all. It is just good economic sense. I have driven both the LC and the Seq and I really have a very hard justifying the very large price difference between the two. I built a Seq online and it came to be $16,000 LESS than the LC. I am not blinded (as some are) by the LC nameplate. Hey, the Seq is a Toyota, thus, it must be fabulous, right ;) ?? The LC might be the more "hard core" off road performer than the Seq (with its IRS) but let's be honest folks...Just exactly how often do you really use and or need all of the ability of that LC? I will bet that 99.5% of us would be just as happy with a Sequoia. To each his own though !!

:cheers:
 
The Sequoia is great however it is too big for me and my family. Same goes for all the full size SUVs, Expedition, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, Yukon XL and Armada. I do not want to drive something that big everyday. Also, I do not want to see myself coming and going at every stop light. All these fullsize SUVs are a dime a dozen or more around here. I do not like the big slab sides on the sequoia. The 100 and 200 are like a large medium.
 
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dnp said:
Thanks for your response. Please be sure to post your impression of the Sequoia, as I'd really like to hear what you believe are the differences. I'm hoping that our local dealers will have one in stock soon, as I, too, want to see the difference.

By the way, in no way was I comparing the LC and the Highlander overall. It is just that I, like so many others in the 200 posting area, find the styling of the Land Cruiser and the Highlander to be painfully similar. In my initial post, I was doing nothing more than commenting that I wanted to see how the two LOOKED in comparison to each other.............no, I've had far too many Land Cruisers and LX's not to be able to understand and appreciate the differences between the two.

Again, please report your Sequoia opinions after you've had an opportunity to review it. Thanks.
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Hi DNP

I presently drive '06 LX470 that is my level of comparison.
We just arrived from the dealer; 2008 Sequoia Limited 2WD, MSRP $57800
We both sat inside the Sequoia a good 20 minutes before we rode off.
From the front seat you get a panoramic view of the road ahead, you could say that we were high and dry. I feel the Sequoia is much taller than my present wheels.
I also felt that is much bigger in every which way, more than what I actually need , behind the front seat is a huge cabin when all the seats are folded .
It rode very solid you can feel the strength of the engine, AC is very good , so is the radio speakers , most of the time I kept the sound off.
The salesman sat right behind us just like tour guide answering our
questions.
My butt ratio of comfort was low , my thighs were sore after 30 minutes of test drive. On the other hand my wife love it . She love the whole SUV all the gadgets , all the small cubicles to hide things, the i-pod connection, the seats we great , the easiness of folding seats, of opening the rear door. She felt secure inside.
I said honey is too big for you , her answer was I can get used to. WOW
This is from a woman over 60 years young who now drives a 2006 LS430 , this is scary to me. On a scale of ten being best I give it an 8 , yes she says is a 10.
One thing I notice is the gas door does not have an exterior lock.
 
lexusrottie said:
Hi DNP

I presently drive '06 LX470 that is my level of comparison.
We just arrived from the dealer; 2008 Sequoia Limited 2WD, MSRP $57800
We both sat inside the Sequoia a good 20 minutes before we rode off.
From the front seat you get a panoramic view of the road ahead, you could say that we were high and dry. I feel the Sequoia is much taller than my present wheels.
I also felt that is much bigger in every which way, more than what I actually need , behind the front seat is a huge cabin when all the seats are folded .
It rode very solid you can feel the strength of the engine, AC is very good , so is the radio speakers , most of the time I kept the sound off.
The salesman sat right behind us just like tour guide answering our
questions.
My butt ratio of comfort was low , my thighs were sore after 30 minutes of test drive. On the other hand my wife love it . She love the whole SUV all the gadgets , all the small cubicles to hide things, the i-pod connection, the seats we great , the easiness of folding seats, of opening the rear door. She felt secure inside.
I said honey is too big for you , her answer was I can get used to. WOW
This is from a woman over 60 years young who now drives a 2006 LS430 , this is scary to me. On a scale of ten being best I give it an 8 , yes she says is a 10.
One thing I notice is the gas door does not have an exterior lock.
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lexusrottie, thanks for the update!

Like you, I presently drive an LX470, though mine is a '99. Also, I, too, went and drove a Sequoia today. It was a 2008 Sequoia Platinum 4x2 with the 5.7 and 6-speed tranny and it stickered for a little over $58,000...........

I did the same thing you mentioned (sat in the truck for a long time before driving it). With my LX being a '99, it certainly has a lot more gadgetry than mine, but it also has a lot more than my wife's '03 GX470. Basically, it has every interior gadget that I believe the new LX570 has (not brands like the Levinson or wood trim like the LX, etc.). It even has climate controls on the steering wheel (the first I've seen a car with that) Furthermore, it has some REALLY nice additional features: electric folding 3rd row seats, electric open/close rear hatch, remote start, front, rear and 3rd seat climate zones, about a bazillion cup holders and storage areas, etc., etc., etc.

No doubt about it, the Sequoia is a big truck. Before I bought my current 100, I drove Suburbans for several years, so a bigger truck feels sort of "normal" to me. Yes, it's certainly bigger than my LX, but it didn't feel nearly as big as a Suburban. Power was "adequate" (the Sequoia doesn't have 1,500 h.p., so I can't say it has "enough" power lol), and the ride was very pleasant. I was very comfortable in the seat, though I only drove it for about 15 minutes. Brakes were outstanding and the variable power steering was great as well.

Overall, I was very impressed. It has the same safety "system" that's found in the LX, and it has every gadget I can think of (I don't know if a 4x4 will have DAC, hill assist, crawl control, etc., but while those systems are certainly nice, I wouldn't use them enough to justify their additional cost(s) )

The ONLY concern I have about the truck is what you mentioned above: I wouldn't want to see myself coming and going, but at $50 - $60K per copy, I think the numbers on the road will most likely be less than a Tahoe, Expedition, Suburban, etc. .....................I'm going to give this truck some serious consideration!

On a related point, do any of you know if the 1st year, up-to-$25,000 depreciation deduction on over-6,000 GVWR vehicles is set to expire at the end of 2007? I was told (by the salesman) that it was, but this may have just been a sales pitch..........anyone know?
 
I was asking about the drive off price because of the big discounts being offered on the Tundra's. Basically following the GM/Ford model of giving $7k to $10k off msrp every other day around here. My wife stopped driving the 100 because it was too big and now drives the smaller to her, gx.
 
The other question one must ask themselves is are they going to take the vehicle off-road. Is the sequoia going to be as good as the LC or the LX off the road?
 
The size issue is a good one. For my needs my present '01 LC is pretty much perfect. It is bigger (at least it feels much bigger) than midsized SUV's, explorer, etc but not too gargantuan like the expedition and the suburban. I will say this though. It is much easier to go from a smaller vehicle to a bigger one than vice versa. I went from an expedition to a grand cherokee a number of years ago and I never felt comfy in the jeep. Ironically, I had gone from a GC to the expedition and had no trouble fitting in the Ex. I am sure I would adapt to a present Sequoia if I got one but I do really like the size of my LC, no too big , not too small, just right !!

:cheers:
 
I went from a 100 to a GC and it felt small. I think I kept the GC 2 weeks. I about killed myself in that v8 with active 4wd when I went to do a u turn and punched it and the back end came swinging around before the front axle kicked in. That was enough of the small v8 jeep for me.
 
twstrchasr said:
The size issue is a good one. For my needs my present '01 LC is pretty much perfect. It is bigger (at least it feels much bigger) than midsized SUV's, explorer, etc but not too gargantuan like the expedition and the suburban. I will say this though. It is much easier to go from a smaller vehicle to a bigger one than vice versa. I went from an expedition to a grand cherokee a number of years ago and I never felt comfy in the jeep. Ironically, I had gone from a GC to the expedition and had no trouble fitting in the Ex. I am sure I would adapt to a present Sequoia if I got one but I do really like the size of my LC, no too big , not too small, just right !!

:cheers:
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I agree with your position on the LC/LX size. I really like the size of my LX...........That being said, I guess it's either a function of getting a little older or the fact that I had a good friend get killed in a car accident that, had he been in something different (i.e., safer), he may have survived (or both), that I want to drive something with the latest safety features. If it were not for that motivation, I could drive my LX for another 100,000 miles. (I say "could," because I get the something-different-itch every so often)

I can tell you that, from my brief encounter with the Sequoia, it really didn't seem that large to me. Yes, it's larger than the LX, but it didn't seem "too" big. Actually, I think I could get used to the slightly larger size with no problems. As for off-road ability, unless you're really pushing things hard (lift, bigger, more aggressive tires, winch, etc.), it's been my observation that most of the new traction control systems will get one vehicle about as far as another. Granted, a larger vehicle will not go as many places as a small one, but I'm not comparing the Sequoia to a Samurai. I've got to believe it would go 99% of the places I take my LX.

By the way, the interior of the Sequoia is easily as nice as the LC (and MUCH nicer than the gray interiors with that gray/black wood looking stuff); however, it's not as nice as the LX. Likewise, the Sequoia interior is MUCH more functional than either of the others. If you're like me and you spend a great deal of working hours in a car, you'd like some of the features (a multitude of storage areas, a center console that can accommodate hanging files, large cargo area behind the second row bench/captain chairs). I didn't really like the "wood" in the truck, because it looked like plastic...and may be. I've got to think that someone will come along with a genuine wood in the aftermarket.

I hope no one mistakes what I'm saying here as "the Sequoia is better than the LC/LX." I'm not saying that. What I AM saying is, for some, me included, it may be a viable alternative to the new, expensive LC/LX about which many remain ambivalent. I think the Sequoia is going to be worth my serious consideration. Heck, for a couple of years anyway. If they're on every corner by that time, the new LC / LX will be a couple of years old, and spending $45-$55K won't seem so bad, right?
 
uzj100 said:
Did you buy it? If yes, what did you end up paying for it?
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No we did not buy it.

Now that I have read other posts reviewing the Platinum I think my wife and I should benefit by driving the Sequoia again but this time in the Platinum trim with 4x4. Maybe most of my complain will squelch.
This morning a salesman mention that it will be a long while before the allocation of Platinum arrives here in Florida.
 
I agree with both twstrchasr and dnp about the size of the LC/LX. I drive my LX like I am wearing a second skin , the only thing that is lacking is the extra torque and HP.
Probably in order for me to venture into the waters of the new LX570 will be leasing it. Yes , I would love to own one.
I am not in the habit of making rush decision , I will be going back and forth till I am totally convinced that I'm taking the correct road.
The folks here at ih8mud are very knowledgeable and will expedite my decision.
 
lexusrottie said:
I agree with both twstrchasr and dnp about the size of the LC/LX. I drive my LX like I am wearing a second skin , the only thing that is lacking is the extra torque and HP.
Probably in order for me to venture into the waters of the new LX570 will be leasing it. Yes , I would love to own one.
I am not in the habit of making rush decision , I will be going back and forth till I am totally convinced that I'm taking the correct road.
The folks here at ih8mud are very knowledgeable and will expedite my decision.
Click to expand...

As far as HP is concerned, I have never felt my 100 was underpowered. I am a hp junkie and sure, the more the better but I am satisfied with my 100's power.

I am just the opposite, I tend to make rash decisions and be sorry for them..Until now. For once I am going to give all considerations as much time as I can. I'm definitely not one who "has" to be the first one on the block to have something. In fact, I really do not like to buy a car in its first year of production.

I never gave the previous Seq a second look or ever even considered it at all. I do feel that the '08 really is a viable alternative to a LC. At least for my needs. I really do like the interior. In fact, I liked its "truckiness" feel . I guess that is inherent since it is truck based !! My hard -core off roading days are long gone so the Seq will meet my needs just fine. Anyway, my FJ62 and RR (:eek:) are quite capable off road if I ever need something along those lines !!
 
twstrchasr

I used to make rash decision till old age crept on me.
Always had a fascination with the LC , finally in 2003 I was able to afford my first one , followed by the LX470 three years later. Now, I think I may have raised my sight a little bit too high aiming for the LX570.
 
twstrchasr said:
..........I never gave the previous Seq a second look or ever even considered it at all. I do feel that the '08 really is a viable alternative to a LC. At least for my needs. I really do like the interior. In fact, I liked its "truckiness" feel . I guess that is inherent since it is truck based !! My hard -core off roading days are long gone so the Seq will meet my needs just fine. Anyway, my FJ62 and RR (:eek:) are quite capable off road if I ever need something along those lines !!
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I agree with your assessments of both the 1st and 2nd generation Sequoias. That being said, I went and drove another Sequoia at another out-of-town dealer. I spent a great deal of time with the salesman and with the truck (this one was a black, Platinum, 4x4 version with what the salesman kept calling the special "Red Rock" leather - the leather color was much more of a brown tone than the tan leather....sort of had that Ford King Ranch or Audi brownish/red tint to it.....I thought it looked GREAT!) Bottom line: I could easily live a long time with this truck. It's quiet, refined, has MUCH more power than my LX, has ALL the gadgets, has all of the safety features, etc. The downside is that I'm concerned, even with the price, that there will soon be gobs of these things running around. Likewise, even with a sticker price of +/- $55K, every third or fourth car in my town is a Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/Denali/Escalade/etc. By comparison, even though it is manufactured as a true off-road vehicle, the Land Cruiser / LX is still perceived as an expensive, high-end vehicle; accordingly, they're not on every corner. I think the Sequoia won't be seen in the same light (not for long, anyway), and they'll soon be everywhere (my prediction)........BTW, at least at the dealerships I visited, there are NO incentives and NO dealing going on. On a $58.5K sticker, they said they'd be willing to come off of it a maximum of $1K......said "these things are too rare for us to start discounting them"........yeah, until they churn out the next 100,000 or so of them!

For all of those reasons, I bought an '03 LX instead. I'm really reluctant to purchase new vehicles anyway (I agree with Dave Ramsey on almost everything), so by buying an updated "familiar" replacement, I saved nearly $30K, got virtually all of the safety features of the Sequoia, and retained some semblance of exclusivity (plus, I know the LX "fits" me, ergonomically, just right!)
 
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