We’re a road trip family. It’s our ideal vacation type. And we’re kind of seasoned vets of the long haul at this point. I’ve traveled around the world (literally) overland. For our honeymoon, my wife and I took a six-month backpacking trip across Asia. We’ve taken the kids on month-long treks across China.

Needless to say, we’ve also driven thousands of miles with our family cars across this country – to California, Key West, Maine, and lots of places in between. Last year, we even kicked the tires on the Toyota RAV4 and took it nearly 5,000 miles from Washington, DC, to the extremes of Newfoundland and back.

So when spring break rolled around this year, we of course ended up on the road – though it was comparatively “closer to home.”

The plan was to take the in-laws (recent immigrants to the U.S.) on a whirlwind tour that incorporated a bit of U.S. history and local(ish) scenic spots: Philadelphia, New York City, and Niagara Falls.

And since we would be six people and three generations on the road for over a week, we needed a vehicle that was up to the task. On paper, the Toyota Sequoia seemed to fit the bill.

Toyota even markets the vehicle as perfect for family road trips. “Rule every family road trip” is how they phrase it. So how did it measure up in reality? Let’s dig in, shall we?

Size Matters Not… Or Maybe It Does?

First off, you need to understand that this is a huge vehicle. It was our first and lasting impression. It gave our Honda CR-V an inferiority complex just by standing beside it. The running boards aren’t simply for show; you’ll likely need them just to heave yourself into the car.

Admittedly, there was more than enough room for all six of us to sit comfortably inside the Sequoia, but the first issue we had with its size was when it came to parking. The Sequoia is 77 inches (a whopping 6’5″) high. Finding a parking garage in the city that accommodates a vehicle that large takes some work.

Thankfully, I’m a regular user of the SpotHero app, which tells you the height restrictions of each garage. So it was a lifesaver, but simply put, you cannot park this bad boy just anywhere. You need a garage with enough access (tricky in New York City) and even then, you might end up paying an oversize vehicle surcharge.

And for all you parallel parking gods? Good luck finding street parking big enough to safely and successfully get the Sequoia in.

However, in open-air parking lots or in more rural areas? Golden. You won’t have any issues.

Riding in Style (and Not On Top of One Another)

As I said, though, six of us (four adults, two kids) fit in the Sequoia with plenty of room. The 4WD Limited trim we were driving had three rows and room for 7 – including a second row of captain’s chairs.

I’m about 6′ tall and felt fairly cramped in the third row, but the second row was surprisingly comfortable and spacious. As long as you send the kids to the back row (likely where they want to be anyway), you shouldn’t have any complaints.

second-row captain’s chairs

optional third row

I had a wee bit of room in the second row; nearly none in the third row.

OK, there’s plenty of room for the people. But what about your stuff? Road trips tend to be heavy on stuff, especially if you’ll be doing any camping or hiking or whatnot. We weren’t carrying a tent or sleeping bags on this trip, but we were still six people packed for over a week.

With the third row of seating up, there’s not a ton of space in the trunk – which is kind of a big deal when it comes to road trips. We managed to make it work, but we used almost every inch of space and had to do a lot of “creative packing.” And it didn’t leave any room for purchases made along the way (a blessing in disguise, maybe).

There’s a shallow “hidden” storage compartment in the trunk.

The silver lining here is that the third row has a 60-40 split, so if you’re just 5 people or have two kids who don’t mind cozying up to each other, you can gain some storage space by putting one side of the row down.

And the best part of that feature BY FAR is that the third row is power reclining and lays flat. (The power reclining feature isn’t standard on all models, though, so keep that in mind.)

And I have to admit, with the third row down, there’s ACRES of space in the back. But let’s be honest, that defeats the entire purpose of having the third row.

We needed the third row. With six people, we didn’t have the option of putting the seats down. And neither will you if you’re going on a multigenerational road trip.

Comfort, Cup Holders, and Doodads

Let’s start with the obvious. The Sequoia has a ridiculous 17 cup holders scattered around the car. SEVENTEEN! Even if you’re maxed out at 7 passengers, that’s almost THREE DRINKS PER PERSON! It’s completely unnecessary, but at least you’ll never lack a place for your water bottle.

There are also several USB jacks and even a standard 120V power outlet, which are great features for when you’re spending hours in the car.

Separate climate, A/V, and power controls for the second row.

The Sequoia also sports dual climate zones, a 4.2-inch touchscreen display, and a rear-seat Blu-ray player with 9-inch screen (which felt like the height of luxury to the kids as it’s something neither of our cars has).

However, when the screen is down? It’s… kind of hard to see what’s behind you.

I… guess I don’t NEED to see the cars behind me.

What about Toyota’s famous safety features?

We were really impressed with the number and variety of safety features that came standard on the RAV4: a blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, a back-up camera with a bird’s-eye view and projected path lines, lane departure alert, dynamic radar cruise control, and more.

The Sequoia… well, the website claims the Sequoia actually has many of these same safety features, but they’re certainly not as intuitive as they are on the RAV4, and I never noticed any of them in action. Whereas the RAV4 would alert me when I started drifting into another lane and would gently nudge me back into my own lane, the Sequoia didn’t seem to even notice.

Maybe we’re banking on the size of the Sequoia to keep you safe, but the suite of safety features available seems to pale in comparison to the smaller, much more affordable RAV4.

Hope you like paying for gas.

The 4WD Sequoia Limited we drove has a V8 engine, and boy, does it sound like it. The engine roars and reminds you – as if you needed reminding – that you’re in a BEAST of a vehicle.

You’ll feel the power, but so will your wallet. The Sequoia averages a mere 14 mpg combined city/highway and ranks as low as possible (1 on a 1-10 scale) in fuel economy.

Again, on a road trip, this adds up. Fast. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to take the Sequoia on an extended trip for this reason alone. You’re spending a small fortune in gas, and you’re absolutely murdering the environment in the process.

Who’s the target audience here?

In the end, I’m left scratching my head about who the target audience is. The Sequoia Limited is a $60,000+ vehicle that Toyota markets as a family car, but sixty grand is a LOT to drop on a car. And if you’ve got that kind of money to burn, I’m not sure you’d be looking at a Toyota SUV.

If you’re in the market for an SUV, that price tag puts this in the same league as higher-end luxury models from Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, and Land Rover (though maybe not with seating for 7 or 8).

If you’re in the market for an affordable family vehicle with seating for at least 6, you’re probably going to be looking at a – gasp! – minivan.

Even if you’re NOT looking at the Limited, the Sequoia base model starts around $49,000. That’s still a good chunk of change.

Conclusions

So does the Sequoia “rule every family road trip”? Well, it certainly wouldn’t be my vehicle of choice. It served our relatively brief trip adequately, fit six people (including kids and grandparents), and gave everyone enough space so there were no fights.

But it’s an enormous vehicle that carries a hefty price tag. I’m not sure if I’d classify this as a “family car.” There was a significant part of me that felt guilty driving this gas-guzzling giant for almost 1,000 miles.

No doubt, this is not the car I would personally choose to drive someplace far flung like Newfoundland. The RAV4 handled that assignment phenomenally well and had PLENTY of space for our tent, sleeping bags, and three weeks’ worth of supplies.

The Sequoia sure is pretty, and it sure is powerful, but it leaves me with a bunch of questions for which I don’t have answers.

(Thanks to Toyota for their generosity in providing a loaner vehicle. All opinions remain my own.)