Need a new daily/ epxo rig, looking at sequoia/ gx470

calicamper

Expedition Leader
The 50 / 50 2nd row split in the LC / Lexus was a a major disadvantage over the 60/40 regarding kids and 3rd row use. Also the space between the 3rd tow and 2nd row ment any kids in booster seats had feet resting on the shoulders of the 2nd row passenger. Sequoia that was a non issue even had 3 adults back there 3rd row shuttling to parties one adult sideways in the LC was it.
 

Clrussell

Active member
Somewhat outside of your preferences but I just answered this same dilemma for my family with a Suburban. I wasn't even considering one until it was recommended to me, I drove one, and enjoyed it so much I brought it home. I picked up one with the Z71 package and from the limited time I have had with it, it seems extremely capable.
As another forum member appropriately called it, "Lazyboy on wheels", it is a pleasure to drive on a daily basis.

Out of your two options I would definitely lean Sequoia. I thin the GX will be cramped after the new wears off. Good luck!

thanks for the suburban input, I’ve been there twice. Just not for me!
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
First gen Sequoia warning!!! Lots of washed registrations on totaled Sequoias out there!!!! Run the VIN at the service department at any Toyota dealer tell them your looking at the recall history. Get mileage and location vs dates while they are looking?. Carfax info is garbage btw!!!

I know two people who bought super clean looking first gens only to discover they were deemed not Road worthy completely rusted out frames by other state inspections. Total junk!!!

I caught 3 rolled back ODO examples running vins checking recall status at my local dealer. How a Sequoia that had air bags done 3 yrs ago with 230,000 miles on it now only had 120,000 miles should be a warning lol...

All the first gens had at minimum 2 separate air bag recalls and the 07’s with curtain air bags to 3rd row got a 3rd recall! Thats all dealer mandated stuff. So in the last 5 yrs all of them should have dealer history!! Outstanding recall is totally legit negotiable price reduction ??
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
First gens had junky low quality drive lines that caused vibration at highway speeds mine was right at 70mph, after a few yrs fooling with tires I had a Texas drive line shop build me a new one $400 delivered, swapped it in and bingo smooth as a cgi re rendered bikini models butt??
 

Clrussell

Active member
First gen Sequoia warning!!! Lots of washed registrations on totaled Sequoias out there!!!! Run the VIN at the service department at any Toyota dealer tell them your looking at the recall history. Get mileage and location vs dates while they are looking?. Carfax info is garbage btw!!!

I know two people who bought super clean looking first gens only to discover they were deemed not Road worthy completely rusted out frames by other state inspections. Total junk!!!

I caught 3 rolled back ODO examples running vins checking recall status at my local dealer. How a Sequoia that had air bags done 3 yrs ago with 230,000 miles on it now only had 120,000 miles should be a warning lol...

All the first gens had at minimum 2 separate air bag recalls and the 07’s with curtain air bags to 3rd row got a 3rd recall! Thats all dealer mandated stuff. So in the last 5 yrs all of them should have dealer history!! Outstanding recall is totally legit negotiable price reduction ??

thanks, frame rust is a concern. It makes traveling and buying one a pain if you don’t have an honest seller.
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
thanks, frame rust is a concern. It makes traveling and buying one a pain if you don’t have an honest seller.
Toyota service data dates back to day one btw. Any with frame rust notes will be in Toyotas system. I even had mine printed out 22 pages of history my 93 J80 had 10 pages of history.

5 pages of my Sequoia was prior owners wife claiming un intended acceleration a few times during those funny days a few yrs ago. Yep she had weather tech mats on top of stock mats yeah they hung up the go pedal?‍♂️. It was a umm specific type of vehicle outfitting behavior by a certain sub set of our population. It made the floors higher for short people of certain ethnic backgrounds. Anyway

Toyota system history!!!! Don’t buy or even look at one till you call and do a vin check with a dealer!!!
 

JCMatthews

Tour Guide
Sequioa's / Tundras are not great off-road but you can fit a lot in them and the ride on pavement is pretty decent.
The Dollhouse 021-1.jpg


My Tundra may not be a GX, but it has been great. It hasn't let me down off-road. Here we are on the Doll House Rd. Maze district of Canyonlands. All I did suspension wise are add-a-leaves in the rear, and Bilstein 5100s set @ 2" in the front. It has the worn out LSD as a traction device. At the end of the trail the Tacoma guys were talking about switching to a Tundra.

Named Trails It's Been On:
Maze District twice
Elephant Hill (Needles Canyonlands)
Bobby's Hole-Butler Flat w/ a trailer (Needles Canyonlands)
White Rim Trail twice (Islands in the Sky Canyonlands)
Baby Lions Back (Moab)
Fins-N-Things (Moab)
3D (Moab)
Crystal Geyser (Moab)
South Coal Wash Rd. (San Rafael Swell)
Imogene Pass twice (Colorado)
Engineer Pass (Colorado)
Sections of the Transcontinental railroad Utah's west desert
and countless unnamed roads hunting and
exploring around Utah.
 
Last edited:

beef tits

Well-known member
View attachment 659760


My Tundra may not be a GX, but it has been great. It hasn't let me down off-road. Here we are on the Doll House Rd. Maze district of Canyonlands. All I did suspension wise are add-a-leaves in the rear, and Bilstein 5100s set @ 2" in the front. It has the worn out LSD as a traction device.

Named Trails It's Been On:
Maze District twice
Elephant Hill (Needles Canyonlands)
Bobby's Hole-Butler Flat w/ a trailer (Needles Canyonlands)
White Rim Trail twice (Islands in the Sky Canyonlands)
Baby Lions Back (Moab)
Fins-N-Things (Moab)
3D (Moab)
Crystal Geyser (Moab)
South Coal Wash Rd. (San Rafael Swell)
Imogene Pass twice (Colorado)
Engineer Pass (Colorado)
Sections of the Transcontinental railroad Utah's west desert
and countless unnamed roads hunting and
exploring around Utah.


I'm sure lots of trucks went on all those trails, but a 4Runner/GX that is comparably modified will always be a smaller vehicle and thus easier to maneuver over & around obstacles. I drive a Tundra also. It's a great truck that is very mediocre off-road. Simple fact.
 

Todd n Natalie

OverCamper
My Tundra may not be a GX, but it has been great. It hasn't let me down off-road. Here we are on the Doll House Rd. Maze district of Canyonlands. All I did suspension wise are add-a-leaves in the rear, and Bilstein 5100s set @ 2" in the front. It has the worn out LSD as a traction device. At the end of the trail the Tacoma guys were talking about switching to a Tundra.
I'm sure lots of trucks went on all those trails, but a 4Runner/GX that is comparably modified will always be a smaller vehicle and thus easier to maneuver over & around obstacles. I drive a Tundra also. It's a great truck that is very mediocre off-road. Simple fact.
But, would a Sequoia not be shorter overall than a Tundra? (Wheelbase and overall length?) Width would be the same...

What are the overall dimensions of the two vehicles in question?
 

beef tits

Well-known member
But, would a Sequoia not be shorter overall than a Tundra? (Wheelbase and overall length?) Width would be the same...

What are the overall dimensions of the two vehicles in question?

Sequoia's wheelbase is smaller than a Tundra. Both are larger than a 4Runner/GX. I don't think there is a single dimension or statistic on a Tundra / Sequoia that is smaller than a 4runner/GX except MPG.
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
But, would a Sequoia not be shorter overall than a Tundra? (Wheelbase and overall length?) Width would be the same...

What are the overall dimensions of the two vehicles in question?
Yes yes it is! Far better than the Tundra, also different rear end with better articulation. I took my Stock Sequoia out with the Gwag guys in Tahoe it was actually quite good. Its one weak spot was no rear locker.

Tundra is far more challenging to navigate in tight areas and the leaf sprung rear no locker makes it even less capable than the 1st gen sequoia ?
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
Sequoia's wheelbase is smaller than a Tundra. Both are larger than a 4Runner/GX. I don't think there is a single dimension or statistic on a Tundra / Sequoia that is smaller than a 4runner/GX except MPG.
Mileage is mostly better than the GX so that isn’t really correct either ?
 
Neither the 1st Gen Sequoia nor the 470 has any cargo room whatsoever when the 3rd row is in use. The 470's 3rd row is for kids 12 and under. It's so small.

Might I suggest a 2nd gen (2007-current) Tundra? Tons of space, power to spare, easy to build, and the cargo room is light years beyond either vehicle mentioned in the OP. I take a family of 5 plus a Labrador retriever off-roading and camping. We have room for all our food and gear in Plano trunks plus a couple kayaks in my short bed.

I fully object to the idea that the Tundra is not a great off-road vehicle. The downsides of width and wheelbase have never been an issue for me with the places I go. Mine eats up everything I throw at it. Like anything else, a 2-3" lift with increased suspension travel and some 35s go a long way. The Tundra has a tight turning radius for a full-size. I do forest trails and dispersed camping in the southeast US. Will my truck crawl the Rubicon like a Jeep? Not without 40s, haha. But I run it with 35s and don't have any issues on mild to intermediate trails. The Tundra's ATRAC (which I believe the 470 also has, but not the 1st gen Sequoia) is awesome.

There are a lot of videos of Tundras off-roading on YouTube. Check out what a bone stock TRD Pro Tundra is capable of in this video: Border 2 Border! Epic American Road Trip in a Toyota Tundra TRD Pro - Dirt Every Day Ep.41
 

Clrussell

Active member
Neither the 1st Gen Sequoia nor the 470 has any cargo room whatsoever when the 3rd row is in use. The 470's 3rd row is for kids 12 and under. It's so small.

Might I suggest a 2nd gen (2007-current) Tundra? Tons of space, power to spare, easy to build, and the cargo room is light years beyond either vehicle mentioned in the OP. I take a family of 5 plus a Labrador retriever off-roading and camping. We have room for all our food and gear in Plano trunks plus a couple kayaks in my short bed.

I fully object to the idea that the Tundra is not a great off-road vehicle. The downsides of width and wheelbase have never been an issue for me with the places I go. Mine eats up everything I throw at it. Like anything else, a 2-3" lift with increased suspension travel and some 35s go a long way. The Tundra has a tight turning radius for a full-size. I do forest trails and dispersed camping in the southeast US. Will my truck crawl the Rubicon like a Jeep? Not without 40s, haha. But I run it with 35s and don't have any issues on mild to intermediate trails. The Tundra's ATRAC (which I believe the 470 also has, but not the 1st gen Sequoia) is awesome.

There are a lot of videos of Tundras off-roading on YouTube. Check out what a bone stock TRD Pro Tundra is capable of in this video: Border 2 Border! Epic American Road Trip in a Toyota Tundra TRD Pro - Dirt Every Day Ep.41

while I do believe the cab space in a tundra is possibly larger than my current crew cab gmc. It’s negligible with the biggest being leg room. Something im not overly concerned about right now.

Going to another crew cab truck won’t give me any advantages. Currently in a 2006 gmc 2500 crew short on 35s, camper shell etc. I’ve got enough room now per say as I have 5 seats. But the dog rides in the front so he occupies a seat in the back. With a fridge, drawers, bags, fuel tank and being enclosed I don’t want to put him in the camper shell.

I haven’t found a sequoia locally to look at yet and drive, but I have found some deals on them in a distance I’m willing to travel if I decide that’s what I want. (Which I’m thinking is what I need more than want) Bring able to put the dog in the third row and still have storage will be a huge help. At least then he will be in the ac instead of cooking in a bed cap.
 

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