Is a Sequoia bigger than a Land Cruiser?

The Sequoia and Land Cruiser are two premium vehicles that are powerful, spacious, and sophisticated. These full-size SUVs definitely have a strong presence on the roads. Just by looking at them, they do seem fairly similar, so it may be hard for a prospective customer to decide which one to get. This comparison will go into the details of how the Toyota SUVs differ from each other so that hopefully the decision will be much easier.

Size and Styling

Both vehicles are quite large, but the Sequoia has the size advantage over the Land Cruiser. The Sequoia has a length of 205.1 inches, a height of 77 inches, and a width of 79.9 inches. This makes it about three inches taller, two inches wider, and ten inches longer than the Land Cruiser is. This doesn't mean that the Land Cruiser is small by any means; in fact, it's significantly larger than average SUVs.

Another thing that makes the Sequoia seem larger is that it has a ground clearance of 9.9 inches. This is more clearance than what some pickup trucks have, and it's an inch more than the clearance on the Land Cruiser. Both SUVs sit high off the ground, so they should be able to easily clear many types of obstacles.

Interior space can play an important role as customers decide which SUV to get. This is especially true if they will be loading up passengers in all of the available rows. Note that the Sequoia can have room for either eight or seven passengers. To fit eight, it would have a bench seat in the second and third rows, with each bench having room for three people. If the Sequoia has room for a total of seven, it would have a pair of captain's chairs in its middle row. Some people prefer this arrangement because it makes it easier to access the third row and it gives rear-seat passengers a little more space to spread out.

With a slightly different configuration, the Toyota Land Cruiser can be set up to accommodate five or eight passengers. It doesn't have the option for the middle-row captain's chairs, but it can come with or without the third row.

Overall, the Sequoia has the more comfortable cabin. First-row passengers in both SUVs will have plenty of room, having over 42 inches of leg room. The distinction between the two models can be seen most clearly when comparing leg room in the second and third rows. In the Sequoia, the middle row has 40.9 inches and the third row has 35.3 inches of leg room. In the Land Cruiser, those numbers drop to 34.4 and 28.3 inches, respectively.

Likewise, the Sequoia has more cargo space. When all of its rear seats have been folded down, it has an impressive amount of space. Its maximum cargo capacity is 120.1 cubic feet. Behind its second row, there's 66.6 cubic feet of space, and the dedicated cargo hold in the back has a volume of 18.9 cubic feet.

That rear cargo area in the Land Rover is comparable, having a volume of 16.1 cubic feet. Cargo space behind the Land Rover's second row is 41.4 cubic feet, and its maximum cargo capacity is 82.8 cubic feet. This still allows for a lot of gear to be transported, but it doesn't come close to hitting the mark that the Sequoia has set.

Other than the size difference, the two SUVs have comparable exterior features. They have the same rugged nature to them, with big front grilles, roof racks, and running boards. Both can have a full array of LED lighting, including LED fog lights. Also, the two models come standard with power moonroofs and heated side mirrors, and they can either have chrome or black accents to make them further stand out.

There are some trims that are available with the Sequoia but not the Land Cruiser. They include the TRD Sport and TRD Pro trims, which have special skid plates and logos.

However, the Land Cruiser is going to have nicer features than what any of the Sequoia trims have. For instance, it comes standard with special LED stop lights that have light-pipe taillights with vortex generators, side mirrors with cameras and a reverse tilt-down function, rain-sensing wipers, tow hooks on the front and rear, and heavy-duty mudguards. The Land Cruiser can even be set up with a Yakima MegaWarrior roof rack to make the SUV ready for any kind of adventure.

Drivability

Under the hood of the Sequoia, there's the exact same engine that the Land Cruiser uses. Both Toyotas are equipped with 5.7-liter V8 engines. These massive engines can make 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. The Sequoia can tow up to 7,400 pounds, and the Land Cruiser has a maximum towing capacity of 8,100 pounds.

Though they have the same engines, the SUVs have some mechanical differences. First, the Sequoia can either have rear-wheel or four-wheel drive while the Land Cruiser comes standard with four-wheel drive. The Sequoia's 4WD system has a Torsen limited-slip center differential with a locking feature. The Land Cruiser has that same type of differential, and it has a full-time 4WD system with Active Traction Control.

Toyota has given these vehicles slightly different transmissions. In the Sequoia, there's a six-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. In the Land Cruiser, it's almost the same system, but it has eight speeds. Both transmissions have sequential shift mode to give drivers more control over shifting, if they prefer it.

The Sequoia may have the upper hand when it comes to suspension. It has many available trims and many available suspension systems. Its TRD Pro trim has TRD Fox shocks, and its Platinum trim has an electronic modulated air suspension as well as an adaptive variable suspension. This suspension can make adjustments when it senses changes in the road surface conditions.

In the Land Cruiser, there's a high-quality system as well. It comes standard with a four-link suspension in the back, and it uses coil springs. Plus, it has a stabilizer bar for support and a semi-floating axle. The two trims of the Land Cruiser have smooth rides, thanks to a kinetic dynamic suspension system.

Fuel efficiency is not a strength of either the Sequoia or Land Cruiser. They can only earn 17 miles per gallon on the highway and 13 miles per gallon in the city. Those looking for efficient SUVs will definitely want to search elsewhere.

Comfort, Options and Performance

Being a pretty pricey vehicle, the Toyota Land Cruiser has a lot to offer. This SUV has a climate control system with four different zones and a second-row control panel. It comes standard with a bird's eye view camera that can take the guesswork out of parking, and its two available trims have auto-dimming rearview mirrors, interior LED lights, wireless charging, and heated and leather-wrapped steering wheels.

All seats in the Land Rover have perforated leather upholstery. The driver and front passenger get to enjoy heated and ventilated seats, with the driver's seat having a memory function and power lumbar support. The second-row seats are heated, too, and they can be reclined so that passengers can get more comfortable. This row has a 40/20/40 configuration to allow for maximum versatility.

Things are quite nice in the Sequoia as well. The Toyota Sequoia has a three-zone climate system, and its seats can be covered in fabric, leather, or perforated leather. Higher trims can have heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, and a multi-function center console. Even the third row can have a power-reclining function. A heated steering wheel, though, is not available, nor are interior LED lights or wireless charging.

One component that the Sequoia can have is a rear-seat entertainment system. It comes with a Blu-ray disc player, a pair of wireless headphones, and a wireless remote. This is something that families with young children may appreciate.

Whereas some companies have focused on making their touchscreens larger, it doesn't seem like Toyota is worried about this, at least with these models. Toyota has given the Sequoia and Land Cruiser somewhat impressive technology packages, but the sizes of the touchscreens aren't as large as what many competitors offer.

In the Sequoia, there's a seven-inch touchscreen that has Bluetooth, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, SiriusXM, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Navigation is available on the lower trims and standard on the higher trims. Those higher trims can also have up to 14 JBL speakers and dynamic voice recognition.

The touchscreen on the Land Cruiser measures nine inches. Unlike the Sequoia, the Land Cruiser comes standard with integrated navigation and a premium JLB sound system. Unfortunately, the Land Cruiser lacks Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though it does have Bluetooth, Siri Eyes Free, and SiriusXM. For some reason, Toyota has not bothered to update the technology package on the Land Cruiser with smartphone connectivity, and this may turn out to be an important factor for some consumers.

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Safety

As mentioned previously, only the Land Cruiser has the bird's-eye-view camera. For some drivers, this is an important safety component because it can greatly reduce the chances of getting any scratches or dings on one's vehicle. For others, having a sonar system (which both SUVs have) is enough. This system can alert drivers when they're getting too close to objects, making it useful when parking.

Otherwise, the safety packages in the two models are pretty much the same. They have blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert to help drivers when they can't necessarily see other vehicles. They both have the Toyota Safety Sense P package, which includes pre-collision braking, pedestrian detection, and lane departure alert. This package also comes with high beams that can turn on and off depending on the light situation as well as adaptive cruise control. Multiple airbags that have been placed all around the cabin, the LATCH system for child seats, and strong and sturdy frames contribute further to passenger safety.

When driving in rugged conditions, the Land Cruiser has some additional features that can be useful. It has a multi-terrain select function and something called Crawl Control. These can play a role in keeping the SUV moving forward at the right pace when the terrain is particularly challenging. The Sequoia doesn't have those components, but it does have Trailer Sway Control to make it safer to tow cargo.

Which Model to Choose?

These vehicles may look the same from the exterior, but they actually have some significant differences. Most importantly, perhaps, the Sequoia is the much larger vehicle. If people are going to be transporting a handful of passengers on a daily basis, it could be the right SUV to pick. With the Land Cruiser, there's just not very much space in the third row. Adults and teenagers would probably not be comfortable riding in the back seat, even on shorter trips around town.

In terms of cargo capacity, the Sequoia has the advantage as well. However, the Land Cruiser has a higher tow rating and can come with a special roof rack. Truthfully, both SUVs can get the job done if it involves hauling large equipment or gear.

Since they have the same engine, one has to examine their mechanical components closely. Again, it's a close matchup, especially since there are so many trims of the Sequoia that have different benefits associated with them. Likewise, the two SUVs are evenly matched in terms of technology and safety. In some ways, the Sequoia has more to offer, but the Land Cruiser has some nice elements, including standard navigation.

Finally, the Land Cruiser has the more sophisticated cabin with its perforated leather seats and numerous amenities. However, remember that this all comes at a cost. The Land Cruiser is quite expensive. Its base trim costs $85,665, and its Heritage Edition trim has a price tag of $87,995.

In contrast, the SR5, which is the base trim of the Sequoia, costs $50,200. This certainly isn't cheap, but it is much more affordable than the Land Cruiser. The TRD Pro tops of the list of Sequoia trims with a cost of $64,325. This is still far short of what the Land Cruiser costs.

When deciding between the two models, a customer will have to think about several factors. If interior space or budget is going to be the deciding factor, then the Sequoia wins the battle. If someone is primarily looking at towing capacity or the number of premium components in the cabin, then the Land Cruiser would be the right pick.

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