The 2025 Toyota Sequoia 1794 Edition is Confidence-Inducing, But Enough to Win Me Over?
Are you looking at that empty space in your driveway and wondering, "Is a large SUV right for me?"
On the one hand, a big, hulking machine like the 2025 Toyota Sequoia can do quite a lot for one’s confidence on the highway. There’s also the immense towing and payload capacity that comes with a large SUV, thanks to whatever big motor’s under the hood. And of course, all that room for your friends and family, as nearly every large SUV on the market today has three rows of seating for everyone.
On the other hand, today’s large SUVs are quite difficult to park anywhere without a full 360-degree view of what’s there (not to mention the height of the hood towering over most pedestrians; the blind spot no one really asked for). And that big motor? It gulps gas. That means it’ll eat you out of house and home if your family’s bank account can’t keep up.
So, are the trade-offs worth having a large SUV like that in your driveway? To find the answer, Toyota sent a Sequoia 1794 Edition to my Appalachian home for a week long test drive. Dressed in Lunar Rock and starting with an MSRP of $80,385 ($87,025 as-tested), would Toyota’s largest SUV be the right fit for me?
This story is 100% human-researched and -written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. No AI was used.
How Much is the 2025 Toyota Sequoia 3-Row SUV?
As the biggest tree in Toyota’s forest, the 2025 Sequoia comes with a variety of price tags to match its sizable girth. Here’s what you can expect to pay to have this lumberjack in your garage before the $1,945 destination fee:
- SR5: $62,425, includes 18” alloy wheels, cloth upholstery, power-adjustable and heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, WiFi hotspot, an 8” touchscreen, a 12.3” digital driver display, eight-speaker stereo system, a moonroof, and a whole host of standard safety features such as a rearview camera, lane-keeping assist, a surround view camera system, and pedestrian/cyclist detection
- Limited: $68,825, adds 20” alloy wheels, synthetic leather upholstery, a 14” touchscreen, power-folding third row, a heated steering wheel, and a hands-free power liftgate
- Platinum: $79,570, brings a 14-speaker JBL audio system, as well as genuine leather seating, massaging front seats, wireless device charging, heated and vented second-row captain’s chairs, and a panoramic sunroof
- TRD Pro: $80,295, combines the Limited’s standard features with 18” wheels mounted in 33” all-terrain tires, skid plates, off-road drive modes, and a roof rack
- 1794 Edition: $80,385 ($87,025 as-tested, includes destination fee; new trim for 2025) offers the same standard features as the Platinum trim, adding only American walnut wood trim and special 1794 Edition badges to the mix
- Capstone: $83,195, has everything the Platinum trim has, plus perforated semi-aniline leather upholstery, a head-up display, and power-retractable running boards
Among the competition, the GMC Yukon outdoes the Sequoia in pricing, reaching into the $100k range at the top of the line. Meanwhile, the Toyota Grand Highlander, a smaller crossover with more passenger space, offers a better price even when every option is checked-off for that model’s top-tier trim level (not to mention the better fuel economy). The rest of the pack, like the Nissan Armada, Ford Expedition, and Jeep Grand Wagoneer, all offer something for everyone in the same price range as the Sequoia.
Watch: Our tour of the Toyota Sequoia 3-Row SUV
This Big Boy Brings a Bit of the Texas Prairie to the Driveway
For the 2025 model year, the Toyota Sequoia gains a new special trim: the 1794 Edition. What does that mean? There’s a nice backstory: The Sequoia is built at Toyota’s plant in San Antonio, Texas, as are its truck siblings the full-size Tundra and midsize Tacoma. The land that the plant is built upon was once owned by King Charles IV of Spain, who issued a land grant to Spanish nobleman Juan Ignacio de Casanova in—you guessed it—1794. He established a cattle ranch on this land, one that his descendants would continue to work through the centuries. In 2003, the family sold the land to Toyota to build its truck plant.
And what does all of this mean for you? The 1794 Edition is Toyota’s King Ranch trim level. Thus, it offers a very Western experience, filled with saddle tan leather seating for up to seven passengers with dark brown accents and white contrast stitching. It also comes with American walnut wood trim and special 1794 Edition badging on the front doors and just above the glove compartment.
That said, if the overlanding life calls to you, you can add the TRD Off-Road Package ($2,135) to the 1794 Edition for extra ruggedness, as was done with my friend for the week. That package includes 20” alloy wheels mounted in all-terrain tires, skid plates to protect the underbody, off-road suspension, and plenty of off-road tech to ensure a good time away from the pavement.
READ MORE: 2025 GMC Yukon First Look: This Great Full-Size SUV Just Got a Great Makeover
There’s Plenty of Tech Inside This Big Boy, Too
While the lowest trim level of the 2025 Toyota Sequoia lineup delivers plenty already on the tech side of things, the higher trims deliver even more. The 1794 Edition offers several items from the Platinum trim, including a Texas-sized 14” touchscreen, wireless device charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a three-month trial of SiriusXM satellite radio, several USB ports throughout the cabin, and a 14-speaker JBL system. That’s more than enough to keep everyone entertained on a long trip or two.
On the safety side, the Sequoia has a healthy list of standard features via Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 with Pre-Collision, including forward collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and a surround-view camera system. The only options left on the table include a digital rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers, and a head-up display.
READ MORE: Why So Many People Love the 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander 3-Row SUV
The Footprint May Be Lookin’ Texas, But That Third Row is Feelin’ Rhode Island
So, there’s a 208.1” Sequoia getting plenty of sun in your driveway. Surely it can hold everyone you hold dear comfortably, right? Especially since it can hold up to eight passengers depending on trim level (the 1794 Edition seats seven, thanks to the pair of second-row captain’s chairs inside).
Alas, not really. The first four or five occupants will have plenty of room to stretch out their legs, as always, but the those in the third row will may find it cramped if they are on the taller side. With legroom ranging from 28.1” to 33.7” thanks to moveable seats, plus the low seating position and super-flat, stiff seats, the 2025 Sequoia isn’t quite as big on the inside as it looks on the outside.
READ MORE: The 2025 Ford Expedition Is Still All That, But Now, Even More
What it Lacks in Legroom it Makes Up in Flexible Cargo Space
For cargo, that’s another story. In early April of this year, my grandmother left this mortal coil after suffering dementia, the last two-and-a-half years in a nursing home. For Mom and me, that means slowly (very slowly) moving Mema’s several decades of assorted things from our home. Here, the Sequoia’s cargo space was helpful.
With the second and third rows down, I made use of all 86.9 cubic feet for a trip to dispose or donate more of Mema’s things. With the 3rd row up and pushed forward there’s 22 cubic feet of space; with the seats pushed all the way back it squeezes down to 11.5 cubic feet. If I had a trailer to haul more, it can tow up to 9,520 pounds of memories to the recycling center.
Read: My Whirlwind Romance With the Toyota Sequoia 3-Row SUV
Of Course, A Texas-Sized SUV Will Have a Texas-Sized Appetite
No matter which trim level of the 2025 Toyota Sequoia you choose to plant in your front yard, they all come with a big twin-turbo 3.5-liter hybrid V6 delivering a combined 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque. The two lower-trim models come standard in rear wheel drive adn offer 4WD as a $3,000 upgrade; my 1794 Edition included4WD standard. And with all that power, you definitely won’t have to worry about passing by big rigs and left-lane bandits on the highway.
That was the good news, though. Here comes the bad: it will never be a Prius. Sequoia’s hybrid system is built for power, not necessarily for fuel efficiency. Rear-drive models get an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in-town and 24 mpg on the open road, while 4WD models lose a few MPGs, falling down to 19 mpg city/22 mpg highway. Because most of my driving is done in-town for short distances, though, my real-world total after 160 miles on the road amounted to a peak of 14.7 mpg combined. Good thing this guy likes regular gas for its 22.5-gallon fuel tank, because the pain at the pump will be all too real for more than a few who choose this massive SUV for their driveway; it’ll also accept higher grades for better performance, too.
Final Verdict: Unless This Fits Your Specific Needs, There Are Better Options
My final verdict on the 2025 Toyota Sequoia: Unless you and yours really need what this large SUV offers, including cargo space, towing and off-road capability, and unless you’re really sold on Toyota’s stellar reputation for reliability, it might offer more compromises than confidence, especially in accommodating both passengers and cargo. .
If you’re set on a Sequoia, though, it’s a capable machine that can do about 90% of everything around the home and more. It’s tough-looking, it can go just about anywhere when properly equipped, and with the right trim, it delivers a fairly premium experience for everyone lucky enough to ride along in Toyota’s largest SUV.
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