07-07-2025
Test Driving The 2025 Toyota Sequoia 1794 Edition
The 2025 Toyota Sequoia is offered with a new trim level: 1794 Edition
Toyota has released a new trim for its largest SUV: the 2025 Toyota Sequoia 1794 Edition. The 1794 Edition trim has been available on the Tundra full-size truck for a couple years, but it was just introduced on the Toyota Sequoia. The 1794 Edition sits below the top-of-the-line Sequoia Capstone trim and above the Sequoia Platinum trim. It includes a lot of extra equipment that we'll dive into in a moment, but let's revisit what role the Toyota Sequoia serves first.
Toyota Sequoia: Does it Really Need a V8?
This is the biggest vehicle in Toyota's line up, acting as the brand's roomy, three-row, family-friendly, off-road capable SUV that utilizes on a body-on-frame chassis. It's got a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 combined with an electric motor, as reflected in the 'i-Force MAX' badging on the hood. This hybrid drivetrain delivers a total of 437 hp and an impressive 583 pound-feet torque. That peak torque number is quite a bump up from the peak horsepower number – thank you electric motor.
The i-Force MAX hybrid drivetrain benefits both power and fuel efficiency
The previous Sequoia featured a V8, and while it's easy to bemoan the loss of the V8 the reality is that the execution of this twin-turbo V6 + hybrid combination means the car accelerates with authority. It gets to 60 mph in about 5.5 seconds and through the quarter mile in around 14.4 seconds. The power is delivered through a 10-speed automatic transmission that picks gears quite well. The result: both solid power and solid throttle response, despite having only six cylinders.
The Toyota Sequoia 1794 Edition can be outfitted with the TRD Off-Road package
More impressive, and surprising, is that the hybrid drivetrain actually sounds pretty good, too, especially for not being a V8. I purposely avoided researching where the sound was coming from, though I have a strong suspicion it's coming from an amplifier and speaker as much or more than the exhaust system. But I'm going to embrace not knowing, and just say that between the drivetrain's power and torque, plus throttle response and deep exhaust note, the Toyota Sequoia's drivetrain is quite effective.
The Sequoia's interior features a digital gauge cluster and 14-inch touchscreen
Another Sequoia surprise-and-delight feature is a real-time oil pressure gauge. This is something I wasn't expecting in a three-row SUV in 2025, but I happen to be looking down at the gauge cluster while accelerating from a stop, and I saw the oil pressure gauge flare to life as the engine's RPM rose. Real-time oil pressure? That was common in older performance cars but is pretty much unheard of in modern family vehicles. Kudos to Toyota for serving drivers who still appreciate real time feedback.
Despite it's body-on-frame underpinnings the Sequoia offers a refine ride quality
Toyota Sequoia: Drives Smaller Than It Looks
While the 2025 Toyota Sequoia certainly isn't a small SUV (it's more than 17 feet long and 6 and a half feet wide), this is one of those vehicles that can have you forgetting how much SUV is behind you after a just few minutes of driving. It doesn't necessarily feel nimble or spritely, but if you're avoiding the Sequoia because you think it might feel unwieldy, don't. If you can handle a CR-V or RAV4, you can handle the Sequoia, though you'll likely want to leverage the 360-degree camera technology when it's time to park.
The 1794 Edition trim includes woodgrain accents with "1794" badging
This particular model is the Sequoia 1794 Edition. Just as Ford has the King Ranch and Dodge has the Big Horn, the 1794 Edition is named for a large ranch in Texas. And in the spirit of Texas, it's got a lot of features that proudly display its ties to the longhorn state. These include brown leather and wood interior accents, '1794' badging throughout the interior and exterior, a panoramic sunroof, second row captains chairs, massaging front seats that are also heated and cooled, and a tow package.
A wide range of off-road features and technology are available on the Sequoia
Because it's a large body on frame chassis, the Sequoia rides on Toyota's TNGA-F (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform. This platform serves many models, including the Land Cruiser, Tacoma, Tundra, and 4Runner. For the Sequoia application it offers standard rear wheel drive, with optional four-wheel-drive available on nearly every trim. Buyers can also get a two-speed transfer case and locking rear differential, plus crawl control (low-speed cruise control for off-roading) and hill-descent control. These features are part of the TRD Off-Road package.
The 20-inch wheels features off-road tires when the TRD Off Road package is ordered
For buyers needing to tow heavy trailers, the 2025 Toyota Sequoia can handle between 8,900 and 9,500 pounds, impressive numbers and yet another reflection of the extra torque emanating from its hybrid drivetrain. Fuel efficiency also benefits, with the i-Force MAX engine giving the Sequoia a 22 mpg rating for rear-wheel-drive models and 20 mpg for all-wheel-drive versions. Not bad for a 6,200-pound, three-row SUV with 157 cubic feet of passenger space.
A mere 12 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row reduces the Sequoia's utility
Toyota Sequoia: A Long Lasting SUV
But perhaps the most impressive Toyota Sequoia figure is its expected lifespan. My company, studies the predicted lifespan of every model sold in the U.S., and the Sequoia consistently lands near the top of that list. The list looks at models most likely to get to 250,000 or more miles, and the Sequoia, along with the Tundra, 4Runner, and Tacoma, often make up the top four spots. The latest list shows the Sequoia in slot number 2 (behind Tundra) with a 36.4 percent chance of getting to 250,000 miles, or 4.2 times more likely to get there than the average vehicle.
Straightforward controls make it easy to enjoy the Sequoia's many features
Sitting in the Toyota Sequoia's driver's seat presents a user-friendly set of controls, despite the SUV's wide spectrum of capabilities. The 14-inch touchscreen uses an intuitive interface, with dedicated climate controls beneath it. The Sequoia's off-road controls are in the center console, and include two- and four-wheel drive settings, high- and low-range gearing, a knob for drive mode settings, plus buttons for tow mode, crawl control, and multi-terrain select.
The surround-view camera eases the challenge of maneuvering the Sequoia
For storage space there's a relatively shallow bin on top of the center console, along with a much larger, deeper storage area under the console's hinged lid. There's also a USB-C and a standard USB plug in the big bin. The top of the console and upper dash area feature woodgrain with '1794' badging above the glovebox. The woodgrain is offset with brown leather panels featuring tan contrast stitching, all of which is unique to the Sequoia 1794 Edition trim that's new for 2025.
The Sequoia 1794 Edition includes standard second-row captain's chairs
Toyota Sequoia: Interior Space Reduced
Despite its body-on-frame underpinnings, the 2025 Toyota Sequoia delivers confident handling and a refined ride quality. However, while the advantage of using a body frame structure is increased chassis strength and durability, it comes at the cost of interior space. Specifically, having a live axle running between the two rear wheels impinges on the packaging in the third row and cargo area. It means a higher floor back there, which reduces third-row headroom and legroom.
Third-row space is compromised by the Sequoia's live-axle underpinnings
The only way to avoid this is to use a front-wheel-drive based, unibody structure that doesn't have a live rear axle, like the Toyota Grand Highlander. That model offers more third-row passenger space and better cargo space behind the third row. If you're buying a three-row SUV and you genuinely plan to use the third row for adults, as well as the cargo area for hauling things, you'll want to go with the Grand Highlander instead of the Sequoia. Of course the Sequoia is better off-road and it's got that ultra-durable body-on-frame design, but it is not as good for maximizing third-row space and cargo capacity.
The 2025 Toyota Sequoia has one of the longest predicted lifespans
Pricing for the Sequoia starts around $65,000 for the base SR5 trim and tops out around $87,000 for the Capstone version. This 1794 Edition costs $83,000, though adding the TRD Off Road package brings the price to just over $85,000. With that configuration you'll have an SUV loaded with both luxury and off-road features, and while those numbers may seem high, they represent pricing reality for large, luxurious SUVs in a post-Covid world. And in that world, the 2025 Toyota Sequoia brings not just luxury and off-road capability, but exceptional long-term reliability.
