And the answer is: Toyota Sequoia?

Since the demise of The Mighty Tacoma I've been exhaustively considering and reconsidering what to get to replace it. I began with Ford e350 7.3 diesel 9-passenger club wagons, preferably 2003 to get better brakes. Well, there aren't any, and they're freakin' huge. I briefly flirted with the notion of GMC gas engine 4x4 Express and Astro vans, then looked at Suburbans and Yukons. Then I backed up and considered what I liked and didn't like about my old '01 Tacoma 2WD, SR5, pre-runner, 3.4 V6.

Likes:

• Toyota build quality and serviceability.
• As reliable as a hammer.
• Very easy to live with.
• Worked OK as a race support vehicle.
• Was excellent for carrying my 24' rowing shell, bikes, big RC planes and stuff to the dump.
• Wasn't a big, showy, new pickup or SUV.

Didn't like so much:

• 3.4 V had to work fairly hard pulling my small open trailer and 1000# car over the hills towing to VIR and Charlotte.
• Towing gas mileage was pretty poor for 3.4 liters.
• Braking performance while towing was so-so. Maybe worse than so-so, since if the thing had been able stop I'd no be writing the post.
• As a race support vehicle for an over-50 adult, a mid-sized pickup bed w/ a shell gets ~really~ old when you've crawled in and out for the 50th time of the weekend.
• It had lived a fairly hard 132k miles and while it burned no oil it was looking a little rough.

So, I was at Suburbans/Yukons and was just not thrilled at the early 00's GM design/build quality.

I ran the numbers for 5k miles of $3.60/gal gas at 14mpg and $4.20 diesel at 17 mpg and found that my fuel costs would be essentially equal. Diesel maintenance in the long run would be higher 'til the gasser needed a short block at 275k - but I'm only driving this thing 5k/yr, max. Towing, snow, rowing, moving big stuff.

So, I ask myself:

• "Did Toyota make a Suburban based on the Tundra?"

...Yep, the Sequoia. A big-ass suburban mom luxo-barge SUV. The very antithesis of everything I think is good in cars. So I start searching, and around here were the luxury wears off fast, they're pretty cheap. Across the country I see plenty being sold w/ well over 200k miles, so if I get one around 100k I've got enough car left forever. W/ the 3rd-row seat removed and 2nd row folded forward the cargo area is bigger than the Tacoma and is secure, dry and climate controlled.

I've driven 2 now - an '04 and an '07, both w/ limited package. They drive pretty well. Very solid, much nicer ride than my 'Taco, and the 4-valve 5.7 V8 makes solid power and sounds cool. They'll pull 6500 pounds, and the tow package has a burly-ass factory hitch, 7-pin socket, 150-amp alternator and oil/trans coolers. There's a 4.10 rear but I'm not sure if it's only on the limited or if SR5 pack get it as well.

The leather/DVD screens/fake burled walnut/bluetooth headsets in the rear seats are a bit much, so I'm pretty much decided that an '04-up SR5 w/ a cloth interior, 4x4, tow pack will be perfect. I should be able to get this from a private party for maybe 12.5-13k, dealer a grand or so higher. Payout on the totaled 'Taco was $9200, so it's not a stretch.

What say y'all?

you wont here me disagree....

Wow, they have depreciated fast. I don't know of any particular weak points on those, I'd probably pick one over a Suburban or Tahoe, too.

Just add soopachahgaaaah! 500+ hp. berkeleying ridiculously fun sleeper...that you can sleep in...while watching pr0n on the dvd player.

My brother's makes me laugh berkeleying hysterically every time I drive it.

I've been strongly considering this route as an "upgrade" over our 4Runner, which is kind of tight inside with 2 kids, wife, and dog and all the crap they they collectively require for any kind of road trip.

Plus having the V8, which I SHOULD have gotten on my 4runner (dammit).

That said, I've towed e30s/e21s (~2500lbs) on open deck trailers a few times now with the V6 4Runner and it tows just fine, even in the hills. We just did 4 hours to north of Pittsburgh and back, through the Appalachians on highways and I never had to take it out of 4th. Plus we got 15mpg solid towing both ways.

I have the SportEdition which has MUCh beefier brakes than the SR5 (and the standard Limited brakes), and they were more than up to the task in the mountains, even with a few emergency stops (trailer had electric brakes and I was using a controller, btw). We had ZERO problem with trailer sway or any other control issues, even with the 4Runner not being a huge truck. But it's like your Tacoma with more weight and better brakes, basically.

And if you go for a V8 SportEdition (5th gen body style, not the current one), you get the big brakes, V8, and 6500 tow capacity as well. Perhaps also the rear leveling suspension?

ANyhow, just throwing it out there in case you don't need "HUGE" interior space and can get by with "decent", and teh 4runner doesn't have all the luxury crap inside it. And less of a "soccer mom" mobile :)

Sequioa and armadas fell into the reasonably priced tow rig option quite quickly

I have had a generally good impression of the Sequioias ive been around which have all been 4.7s.

I drove a first-gen example that had awful brakes, they felt severely undersized for the application. Not sure if there was something specifically wrong with the one I was driving, or if it was an across-the-board issue. It's especially relevant since you're towing.

You may want to investigate the Lexus version, whaterever that was called. I know you're not looking for a lot of the luxury gear, but I suspect that the mechanical stuff might be top of the line. Plus, you're pretty likely to find something that a dealer serviced by the book.

I don't think there is a Lexus version of the Sequoia...

The LX is a worked over Land Cruiser.

The GX is a rebadged Land Cruiser Prado, at least it was the last time I checked, maybe this changed?

The RX is just a E36 M3ty crossover.

In reply to Datsun1500:

You are correct sir

Datsun1500 wrote: the GX is a 4runner.

I don't think so. The old one was definitely a LC Prado (not sold here, but very popular in some of the sandier regions of the world) and the new one doesn't look much like the 4Runner either. If you look at the Land Cruiser that's sold here and then look at the corresponding year Lexus LX, they look very similar, so I think the GX would look more like the 4Runner if it was based on it.

Of course, I wouldn't be shocked if the 4Runner/Prado/GX are all basically the same truck under the skin. They are all about the same size.

One thing to note on the Sequoia. If it has the JBL upgraded audio system, make sure that the speakers are in good working order. They are in such a compact location that there are few if any aftermarket replacements available, and Toyota thinks that they are worth their weight in gold, or platinum. There may be a work around, I just don't know how much work it will be. I know that I get at least a call a week from someone that has one new off the used lot, unhapppy that I don't have speakers to fix their truck.

According to Wiki, you are both correct. The first gen GX was a Prado. The second gen is a GX, a Prado, and a 4Runner.

Back OT, Lexus has NO Sequoia equivalent. Whoo, glad we got that sorted out