2003 Toyota Sequoia Limited - Stargazer's Garage @ istargazer.ca

Raves and Rants
about my 2003 Toyota Sequoia Limited

(listed in no particular order)

Things I like about the Sequoia

Things I don't like about the Sequoia/miss about the Passat

Things I like about the Sequoia

  • Heated power folding mirrors -- It even lets me fold them while I'm on the freeway...the Passat never let me do that!

  • Heated seats -- Great for winter, but unfortunately, they only seem to heat the bottom and not both the bottom and back like in the Passat.

  • Rear Seat DVD entertainment system -- I love this almost as much as my kids. With the remote control they can control what they want to watch and with the headphones I don't have to listen Winnie the Pooh for 4 hours!

  • Auto up/down front windows -- A convenience that all vehicles should have.

  • One touch sunroof -- Not as convenient as the dial in the Passat, but at least I don't have to hold the button down.

  • Four wheel drive and an extra low gear -- At least now I can take some forest service roads and explore the trails.

  • 4.7L V8, 240hp - 315 torque -- On the highway, the Sequoia is so smooth that it's too easy to explore the upper regions of the speedometer without realizing it. 

  • Vehicle Skid Control -- I took a curve on a gravel trail a little too hot and VSC allowed me to stay on track and not crash.

  • Radio reception -- The radio reception in the Sequoia (especially FM) is much better than the Passat and I can get a lot more stations very clearly.

  • Power Tailgate Window -- This is really convenient and I can put and take things out of the back without opening the hatch.

Things I don't like about the Sequoia/miss about the Passat

  • 4.7L V8, 240hp - 315 torque -- On the highway, the Sequoia is so smooth that it's too easy to explore the upper regions of the speedometer without realizing it. 

  • Vehicle Skid Control -- It's always on unless you lock the center differential in 4x4 mode. Without a defeat button, the driver has less control over driving (fun).

  • No reverse tilt mirror -- I really miss this in the Passat. It makes seeing the curb and backing up so much easier.

  • No mute button on the steering wheel -- The MPV had this. It was an easy way to silence the stereo quickly to hear someone talk.

  • Poor speaker performance -- The tweeters in the front door hiss (especially noticeable when listening at low volume and parked) and all the sound is concentrated at the front. If the radio is at normal volume, people sitting in the third row, can hardly it.

  • No telescoping steering wheel -- A minor thing, but it was nice in the Passat.

  • No rain-sensing wipers -- Some people disliked the feature on the Passat, but I really liked it. Now I find my self constantly changing the speed of the wiper intervals from slow to fast, to low, to high, and back again going from one light to the next!

  • No mist control on the wipers -- I figured at least there would be a one touch mist setting on the wipers. It's a pain having to turn the wipers on and off just to wipe the windshield once.

  • Alien Remote Window Controller -- One of the best things I liked about the Passat was being able to open and close the windows with the remote. Couldn't someone program something like this for the Sequoia? I'd gladly pay money for it!

  • Leather seats - The leather and the construction of the seats don't seem to be very high quality for a $61,000 vehicle. The leather looks stretched and saggy and the cushions don't return to the original shape.

  • Power Tailgate Window -- While it's convenient to be able to open the rear window with the remote, it would also be nice to roll up the window with the remote.

  • NEW: Fuel mileage -- I knew what I was getting into, but with fuel prices reaching 90¢ per litre (and predictions of over $1 by this summer) spending $60-70 every time I fill up is not fun. I briefly considered getting an econo box or a hybrid (like the Prius), but once I did the math I figured out the money I'd have to spend on extra car payments would be more than the extra cost of fuel for the Sequoia. So I'm still having fun driving the Sequoia and not letting the high fuel prices bother me (that much).