Big Sequoia SUV ideal for those family adventures

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- Toyota proudly notes that its three-row Sequoia sport-utility vehicle was named for the massive, sky-scraping trees that are a California treasure.

The name fits, especially when walking up to the driveway-filling SUV and feeling significantly smaller than you did sitting on the family room couch.

The power liftgate on the tested 2020 Sequoia 4X4 TRD Pro yawned open to reveal nearly 70 cubic feet of cargo space with only the third-row seats folded.  Fold the second-row seats, and the open area balloons to 120 cubic feet.  This Sequoia can carry an object up to 11 feet in length.

Put all the seats up, and passengers are treated to plentiful room to spread out and relax.  And they can do so even when the Sequoia is motoring along at 70 miles per hour.  The tested Sequoia cruised easily and only somewhat noisily on the highway.

Power comes from a more-than-adequate 5.7-liter V-8 rated at 381 horsepower.  The engine is surprisingly robust off the line and barely labored on hill climbs.  I did not take the big brute off road, but given what the engine showed me, I believe those who sometimes venture off the paved surfaces will be more than pleased.

Toyota touts the Sequoia TRD Pro as the ultimate vehicle for "family adventures" and heartily encourages excursions "off the beaten path."  That makes sense to me as the big SUV can transport most of a campsite -- and the campers -- with no sweat.

The Sequoia's exterior styling is pretty traditional, but underneath the skin there's an impressive array of state-of-the-art safety technology.  Top-tier shocks and brakes are part of the deal, adding an extra layer of comfort and security.

Not surprisingly for such a big vehicle, fuel mileage comes in at a thirsty 13 miles per gallon in the city and 17 mpg on the open road.

For me, the Sequoia is indeed a family adventure vehicle that's best purchased when the kids are young and kept in service until said youngsters leave the nest.  If you're going to spend that kind of cash -- $67,829 was the sticker's bottom on the tested Sequoia -- you might as well get your money's worth.

If it was my call, I'd consider this Sequoia as a 10-year investment, minimum, and spend the next decade piling up the road miles, and plentiful family memories.