Test Drive: 2008 Toyota Sequoia Platinum - 2nd Drive

I went back for another test drive of the 2008 Toyota Sequoia Platinum today. It was slightly rainy and we were given a black one (instead of the white we got last time). I'm glad I got to see this colour scheme because it made the interior look way better (less cheap) than I remembered.

I also confirmed my initial impressions about the Sequoia's ride quality: the Platinum trim level definitely makes the Sequoia feel much smaller than it really is. The difference in ride quality between it and the Limited is noticeable and significant.

While the Limited handled well, it still felt like a truck. I'd say that with the adaptive suspension set on the Comfort, the Platinum is slightly better (has less lean) than the Limited. I liked the Sport setting the best because it made the Sequoia flat in almost all turns. Maybe the way it handled made me....

...believe that throttle response was better.

We also fit all four kids and 3 car seats (1x forward-facing in 2nd row plus 2x high-back booster in 3rd row with a child in middle) and found that passenger room and comfort in the Sequoia was indeed more than our Odyssey. What I also found interesting was that it was actually easier to fit the forward-facing car seat in the Sequoia because the LATCH setup is much easier to access than in our Honda Oddity. In the Sequoia the tether anchor is on the seat back, but in Honda it's on the floor under the seat and the anchor bar itself is thicker making it difficult to actually make the connection without forcing/bending the hook. Our Peg Perego Pliko P3 stroller fit no problem behind the Sequoia's third row. There is also a recessed area in the back that would allow us to stack more things on top if needed.

One more thing in Canada, the Limited is NOT available with a back-up camera which makes a HUGE difference in the ease of parking.

So because of the handling and the rear-camera, I would sacrifice the 8th seat to choose the Platinum over the Limited.


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