Light Off-road Vehicle

My wife and I have a 2nd gen Sequoia and Tundra. We have three small kids also. We are looking into trading in our Sequoia for something more off-road capable that can handle some light-moderate trails to do more camping, but nothing overly technical.

We have gotten stuck before with our Sequoia, mostly due to it being 2WD. I don’t really want to use the Tundra as it is just too long for some of the trails and don’t want to mod it as I use it for hauling stuff around and a daily driver.

On our list is either a 4WD Sequoia (2nd gen), waiting for the new Landcruiser or a Lexus GX460.

I’m not thrilled about the LC, as it is hybrid and a first year model. Also looked at the new GX 550, though it looks great, I think it'll be outside of our budget (as with the 3rd gen Sequoia).

I’m debating on a 4WD Sequoia, but with its size, I have a feeling we will still have issues.

I think on the top of our list is the GX460 and doing some mods to make it a bit more offroad worthy. My only concern is the lack of space it has compared to a Sequoia. Anyone have any input or similar situation?

 

We’re in a 200 series. It’s smaller than a Sequoia, even though it seats 8. Third row really only usable for pre-teens.

The 2nd Gen Sequoia was the other option for us. It’s 2” wider and 12” longer (if I recall correctly) than a 200 series. Yet it has a slightly smaller turn radius. Feels a lot bigger inside, too. And you can get it with captains chairs in the 2nd row. Very capable with a mild lift and some tires.

I LOVE our 200. The wife likes it, but coming from two suburbans, she thinks it’s too small. Lol

 

What’s your terrain like? How about a locker in the Sequoia?

 

We’ve mostly done ranch land in west and south TX that is rolling with rocky and sandy areas and some creek crossings. Other has been beaches.

However, we are looking to have something more capable to expand to some light and moderate trails in areas such as CO.

 

Unless you see lots of deep mud or sand, a locked RWD can take you almost anywhere. Ask @RUSTYNUTS and @alb1k

 

We have 3 kids as well and Tundra and Sequoia as well. All 4WD. I go with slightly tuned Tundra into all of my boondocking trips. It's paint is scratched, yes, but otherwise no problems. In my experience on the trail it is important to be in the vehicle like the rest of the folks who navigate there. Where I drive, everyone drives a truck, so Tundra has no problem. Or it can push bushes and add a couple of new scratches, I have no problems with that My old Volvo XC70 has had ground clearance (a bit too low, though not drastically) and curb weight (a bit too light for bushes) problems.

Wife's Sequoia is TRD PRO. Honestly I sometimes regret we bought TRD PRO, not a Platinum, since air suspension is very desirable for its height adjustment since Sequoia has independent rear suspension. I replaced the rear bump stops with Timbren's SES, it's got a bit better, but I may need to add a spacer to keep that camber right.

Space-wise Sequoia + Yakima LoadWarrior basket w/ 2 extensions and Yakima EXO hitch system with 2x 10 cu.ft boxes. was very comfortable both for people to be in and for access to stuff in our recent 2 week trip to Newfoundland. I would take gen2 Sequoia again, only a Platinum and had the wheels and front suspension upgraded to more adventure-friendly.

Oh, 26 gallon tank is miserable I'm spoiled by the 38 gal tank in my Tundra

 

GX 460 all the way. One of the best vehicles ever made for what you're looking for and often overlooked in favor of a 4runner. Price difference between the two is not much. Only problem is the space. I went from a Sequoia to a GX and my only complaint is the space. The third row is a joke. You can fit a 10 year old back there, but then you're left with 0 cargo space.

 

So go with the Sequoia? I (5'6") can comfortably sit in third row all the time. There's also trunk space enough for 2 twelve-packs

 

Same size as a 5th gen 4Runner. I traded mine in when my oldest was 9 because we ran out of space. We have 3 kids like the OP.

 

Not gonna lie, I still catch myself looking at Sequoias for sale, especially the TRD Pros.

 

It is nothing special. Nothing I miss in my SR5 Tundra. If you take it for serious offroad you throw out that flimsy skid plate and replace it with the steel one, as well as armor everything further down to fuel tank. FOX suspension is funny, but I see replacing it with a cheaper one. All struts/shocks wear, it makes no sense to me to buy FOX every so often. Roof rack is, eh. Not very useful. Nothing really worth it extra dollar in TRD PRO.

So, buy any Sequoia and bring it to your spec. The trims are not that different, to begin with.

 

Love my Sequoia, 1.75" Dobinsons lift, goes anywhere, I have gotten 6 adults, their stuff & 2 80lb dogs on trips no problem (roof rack for big bags)

 

Same size. A little more head room in the GX. I also have three kids, but one just started driving so he's not with us most of the time now. The GX is a no for 5 adult size people especially on long trips, but it drives much better than the sequoia and that's why I don't plan on getting rid of it. I feel like a million bucks driving this thing.

 

Is it? TRD PRO Sequoia is superb in terms of comfort. We switched over from Volvo, don't miss any "luxury" amenities. We basically lived in Sequoia for 2 weeks and almost 4k miles. No one complained. Being in a Sequoia was a big part of the whole journey.

 

Oh yeah, much smaller than a sequoia. I had a 2011 sequoia I bought new and sold it last year when I bought the GX so I'm very familiar with Sequoia. No complaints on the sequoia, we just decided to change it up with something just as reliable.

 

I have not been in a GX but just did a 700 mile fatigue-free round trip PHX to L.A. It is very comfortable, now the 13mpgs OTOH lol (my fault, 295/70/18's & a SC will kill mileage.

 

Another vote for the sequoia. We love ours for pretty much all the same reasons mentioned above. I don’t mind parking the tundra one bit to take the fam around in the sequoia. It pulls the camp trailer just fine, too. Tons of room, slightly better ground clearance because of the independent rear (which is STOUT), tighter turning radius, better break over angle, and very comfortable ride. Plus, you can shoehorn 37’s on it if you really want…

If you really want to off road the thing, check out this thread..

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/its-finally-happening-2nd-gen-sequoia-locker.1235988/

 

I’ve only been stuck twice, both times burying our Sequoia in mud.

 

I would just get a 4wd sequoia. I would not dump money into a 2wd to try and make it more capable.

 

Yea, I would never do that. To be clear, I’m saying we would trade in our 2WD Sequoia for a 4WD Sequoia (or other vehicle).

 

My wife drives our GX460 and I'm always amazed when I check her gas and it tell me she's averaged 18 mph on 265/65/18 Michelin Defender LTX's, and I'm always yelling at her for speeding, so no light pedaling going on!
Can't wait for her to get tired of it so I can build it out, but even stock with some good skid plates and aggressive AT tires, I have no doubt it would take you just about anywhere you'd want to go. Definitely less storage than the Gen 2 Sequoia though.

 

Unfortunately they are aging, too, and don't want a crappy fancy new unknown reliability vehicle every couple of years anymore Mine claimed she's done with new vehicles for life.

 

Not sure there’s more headroom in the GX. It’s the same thing. Unless yours didn’t have a sunroof. Mine didn’t. The 4R is not a Tacoma with a bed. It’s a GX with a v6.

I wouldn’t advise the OP to downsize when he wants to do more camping with his family of five. I loved my 4Runner, but we just flat ran out of room to put stuff. Granted, we had a dog with us, but we pack light (we’re backpackers mostly). I definitely prefer the LX, but if my wife wants more space, we’ll move up to a Sequoia. I have told her I am not buying her another GM product, but I think she really wants a new Suburban. No thanks!!

If they made a Sequoia XL, I’d be all in. But for now, I vastly prefer the 2nd gen over the 3rd gen.

 

https://www.lexusofmerrillville.com/research-gx-460-vs-toyota-4runner/ I've sat in both. Definitely more rear headroom and according to this more legroom. Anyways, if OP does not want to sacrifice space then go with 4x4 Sequoia. Both are solid.

 

LX570 would be high on my list, but they are few and far between and command a hefty premium where I’m at. Dealer doesn’t keep them long and apparently they ship and sell them overseas.

Trying to keep vehicle + mods under 60-65K and I’m not sure I can do that with a 570.

 

I paid $24k cash for an immaculate 2009 with 149k miles. Spent $1200 on parts, and I will be replacing the AHC globes, radiator, water pump, serp belt, hoses, idler pulley, etc over the next month or so.

They’re out there. But I think you should probably just mildly build a good 4wd Sequoia.

 

Nice, I’m not in a huge rush and am being patient. Thanks for all the advice guys, lots to consider.

 

I looked for almost two years til we found our '15 with 87k miles. I paid more than I wanted to, but nowhere near what a lot of them were going for ($40k+ for 100k+ miles). But it was totally worth it. I did brakes and suspension right after I bough it, so less than $1000 and it's being running like a champ. So, I agree - they are out there. You just have to look for them. And everybody I know that owns a sequoia flat refuses to sell it unless they find one with fewer miles or more features than their significant other wants.