pilot vs sequoia

[calgary]

i am so glad that i found this site. so exploerer and durango are out. this is going to be my first suv. has anybody considered toyota sequoia?

[DN325Ci]

If you have intentions of medium-to-heavy offroading or high payload towing, Durango wins versus Sequoia, Tahoe, Expedition & new Nissan Pathfinder, according to Car & Driver's new April 2004 edition which just showed up in the mail this week.

Overall, Pilot usually wins the "Large Sport Utility" class in most reviews, and even according to C&D's March 2004, which detailed the USA's "5 Best Trucks".

Why the difference? Reality remains that 99% of the buyers do not need more off-roading capability or towing than the Pilot can provide. Further, Pilot's driving dynamics and ride quality are way superior to the true body-on-frame types like the SUVs above.

So most reviewers seem to converge on recommending the Pilot unless there is a need for real extraordinary off-roading or towing. For most families it is the best product among the unit-body "soft-roader" crowd (Highlander, etc.) , and doesn't exact the on-road penalties of the truck-based crowd (Sequoia, etc.).

[RipRocK]

Hey calgary, welcome to the board! Have you test driven both the Pilot and the Sequoia yet? If you have, besides the obvious difference, the size, you probably would've noticed that Sequoia rides much differently from the Pilot.

And like DN325Ci mentioned, Sequoia also has a higher towing capacity and has more off-roading capabilities and more torque and a bigger engine (V8), thus comsuming more gas. Sequoia's also based on Toyota's truck, whereas the Pilot's based off of the Odyssey.

I think the Sequoia costs quite a bit more too. But I know they're pretty good cars. A friend of mine's dad drives it and loves the car. But when I was looking for an SUV, I didn't even consider it because I believe the Sequoia's in one class bigger than the Pilot.

I testdrove the Sequoia just for kicks after I had test driven the Highlander. I didn't like the ride, it was pretty sluggish, the engine was pretty noisy compared to the Highlander. I was all set to get the Highlander until I testdrove the Pilot Hope that helps.

Oh, and are you my southern neighbour?

[calgary]

thanks DN325Ci and RipRock, i know sequoia is much bigger and got more gut, to me this is the first suv, and just like the 3rd row seat, it is there when i need it. i have not driven neither of these two, but i am definitely going to try both.

BTW, RipRock, i am your southern neighbour.

[john802]

Welcome Aboard calgary. I agree with DN325Ci and RipRocK in describing the pros/cons of Sequoia vs Pilot. Try to test drive all the SUV that you are considering and good luck on your search.....

[RipRocK]

Originally posted by calgary
thanks DN325Ci and RipRock, i know sequoia is much bigger and got more gut, to me this is the first suv, and just like the 3rd row seat, it is there when i need it. i have not driven neither of these two, but i am definitely going to try both.

Don't quote me on this, but I recall reading somewhere that the 2004 Highlanders now do offer the third row seats, but just as an option. Might wanna look into it while you're there to testdrive the Sequoia.

BTW, RipRock, i am your southern neighbour.

Alright! Good to have fellow Albertans on this board. Good luck with your decision. I don't think you can go wrong with either a Pilot or the Sequoia and if the Highlander does offer an optional 3rd row seat, that too. Let us know how it goes.....Go Oilers! (Sorry, had to throw that in there )

[Sage_EX]

The Sequoia was out for us, based on gas mileage and capital cost. I wanted a V6 for economy. The Honda is unique, lots of room, decent towing capacity (no, it's not an F250), and third row seating when you need it. It was just right for us.

But if you are looking for the tax deduction if you are self employed, a bigger vehicle may be it, the Pilot doesn't qualify. I suspect we will see less Hummer H2's once this tax deduction goes away.

I also think the 2004 Higlanders offer the 3rd row seat, and a co-worker drove one, but said the cost was about the same and liked the Pilot better.

JW

[fireflock]

and decided on the pilot. In my mind, the Sequoia wins in towing, but that's about it.

Here are some things that I liked better in the Pilot

(1) The 2nd and third rows fold flat.
(2) The Pilot 'feels' smaller than it is while driving, the sequoia 'feels' as big or bigger than it is.
(3) Gas
(4) a 4WD Sequoia with leather costs quite a bit more than a Pilot EX-L. The Pilot transmission gives you the best of both worlds - FWD for everyday driving and 4WD when you need it.
(5) Who has that many pairs of sunglasses (you'll see what I mean when you drive a Sequoia)
(6) We thought the Pilot was quieter (road noise) and more comfortable to drive.

I urge a good test drive comparison. That was the final deciding factor for us.

[ck55]

We own both, I drive the Pilot and my wife the Sequoia. I am very happy with both vehicles, they are well built and suit our family's needs quite well. However, they are very different, so I encourage you to take a good hard look at both vehicles. The Pilot is a bargain when you consider all you get, plus the Honda quality. The Sequoia costs more, but you can see and feel the difference, and the additional money is well spent. If I had to pick the one I like best, I would choose the Sequoia, but you can't go wrong with either truck. Honda-Pilot.org is the best board for the Pilot, if you are interested in the Sequoia, check out www.tundrasolutions.com. Good luck with your decision.

[wmsoohoo]

I bought the Sequoia when it first came out....It was a mistake from the get go. It didn't satisfy my needs. It's definitly a TRUCK. My big problem with this is that it's not as much fun to drive and harder to park. It's not the type of car that you want to commute large distances with. For a car in this price range I was disappointed in the lack of toys that one could play with at a red light. The very best thing with the Sequoia is the respect that you get because of it's size. IMO the Sequoia is also a nicer looking car. I traded my Sequoia in for a brand new Pilot (Aug 2002) and got back 14k. Love driving the Pilot. It drives like a car and held the tough NE ice/snow storms well(I SWEAR THE CAR HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. it brakes well and the abs is absolutely working). I put 3000mi on the car last summer on a trip to PEI and loved driving it. Both cars carry a nice $$$. Make sure you know what you want to use the car for.

Peace
Bill

[ck55]

Here are my typical MPG averages for both vehicles:

Pilot: 16-17 in town, and 19-20 on highway

Sequoia: 13-14 around town, and 17-18 on highway

Others may get better or worse, these averages are based on my driving style and highway speeds.

[CMH-OHIO-Pilot]

Calgary,
If this is your first SUV, be sure and do a "garage check" if that is where you plan to keep it. Friends bought the Sequoia and were shocked when they first tried to park it. Bring them both home on the test drive and park 'em!

Brian

[PNW-Pilot]

Originally posted by ck55
We own both, I drive the Pilot and my wife the Sequoia. I am very happy with both vehicles, they are well built and suit our family's needs quite well. However, they are very different, so I encourage you to take a good hard look at both vehicles. The Pilot is a bargain when you consider all you get, plus the Honda quality. The Sequoia costs more, but you can see and feel the difference, and the additional money is well spent. If I had to pick the one I like best, I would choose the Sequoia, but you can't go wrong with either truck. Honda-Pilot.org is the best board for the Pilot, if you are interested in the Sequoia, check out www.tundrasolutions.com. Good luck with your decision.

I 'd like to get more detail on why you like the sequoia better. I'm curious on why you would pick it first,and why the money is well spend and you can feel a difference.

Not trying to start a flame war, i appreciate everybody opion, and thirsting for more knowledge.

[Jet-Pilot-64]

Although the Sequoia has a V-8, it has the same horsepower as the Pilot @ 240. Torque is better on the Sequoia though... 315lb-ft. Just food for thought...

[04pilot]

Originally posted by Jet-Pilot-64
Although the Sequoia has a V-8, it has the same horsepower as the Pilot @ 240. Torque is better on the Sequoia though... 315lb-ft. Just food for thought...

The extra torque on the Seuoia does not mean much, because it Sequoia is much heavier so it balanes out. On the outside the Sequioa is much bigger but in the inside the third row leg room is 30.? inches which is the same as the Pilot.


on the 2004 Pilot the second row seats can be adjusted to give the third row more leg room. I do not if you cannot do this on the Sequoia. Can Sequoia owners verify if the the second rowcan or cannot be adjusted ?