Toyota is one of the best car manufacturers today, with one of the best selling vehicles in the world (the RAV4) and a well-deserved reputation for cars and trucks that run forever. I've owned a number of Toyotas in my time, including a Supra, a Prius, a Sienna, and a Highlander, and all have demonstrated generally excellent design and engineering. But each also had its quirks, most frustratingly the Prius electrical system that frequently left me with a dead battery. Designing the basics of a vehicle is challenging enough, but getting every single detail right for all possible drivers is well nigh impossible.
That's what's happened with its new flagship full-size SUV, the Sequoia Capstone. Intended to be a luxurious option for a large family that needs some serious towing capacity, there's a lot to like, but some oddities and one downright baffling design choice. With the Capstone trim, the Sequoia is the most expensive vehicle in the Toyota USA lineup, anywhere from $90K-$95K. For a Toyota SUV.
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Introduced in 2001 as Toyota's entry into the full-size SUV market, the Sequoia has been part of the Toyota lineup for quite a while. It has gone through two complete redesigns in the subsequent decades, most recently with the 2023 model year. It shares a lot of its internals with the popular Tundra large pickup and has similarly had its engine keep growing in power: The Sequoia started out with a 4.7L V8 engine, bumped up to a 5.7L V8 with 381 horsepower, and is now powered by an i-FORCE MAX twin-turbo V6 hybrid producing an impressive 437 horsepower.
But is it comfortable? Is its luxury sufficient to justify the price tag?
Suffice it to say, when Toyota offered me the 2026 Toyota Sequoia Capstone Hybrid, I was quite intrigued; big 3-row SUVs can veer towards feeling like a truck with a lot of seats or they can be a more luxurious experience where they become a vehicular refuge from the chaos of the day.
In Celestial Silver with a Light Gray interior, the Sequoia Capstone was attractive, with a very on-brand appearance and lines:
With seating for seven, it's no surprise that it's got a lot of heft to the design and interior. Its curb weight is revealing, tipping the scales at 6,185 pounds. That's heavier than the Tesla Model X, heavier than the Ford Expedition, Chevy Tahoe, and Nissan Armada. It's not the heaviest three-row SUV, however. For example, the 2026 Rivian R1S weighs in at 6,500-7,000 pounds. The Sequoia is a hybrid, so it does carry along a stack of batteries, but interestingly, the hybrid system isn't primarily intended to improve fuel efficiency, but rather offer better towing capacity.
And it does just that, vying for top of its class with a rated 8,980 pounds of towing capacity. Heck, the Sequoia SR5 RWD is rated for 9,520 pounds. That's some serious pulling power with both models, plenty enough for a chonky trailer or a luxury boat, and that's exactly as Toyota intends. With the hybrid, the i-FORCE MAX Twin Turbo V6 offers 19 mpg city/22 mpg highway, though I saw considerably lower mileage at an average of 17.4 mpg.
Also worth noticing are the special 22-inch dark chrome alloy wheels, special to the Capstone trim. The vehicle I drove also had upgraded Power Tow side mirrors, which I actually found difficult to adjust so I could safely see the vehicles around me on the highway.
Let's jump inside the Sequoia and check out the interior...
It's a big interior, and has plenty of bells, whistles, buttons, knobs, and dials, though I did occasionally have to turn to the 14-inch Infotainment display screen to control specific features. The audio system, by the way, sounds great, powered by 14 JBL speakers that include a subwoofer tucked somewhere in the vehicle. The Infotainment system also supports both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and I had zero glitches during a week of driving and trying out various features and capabilities.
Indeed, this is one of the most comfortable vehicles I've driven in a while, with lots of headroom, a seat that has more adjustments than you can shake a stick at - and a massage feature! - and premium textured leather seats. It avoided what I call the Hummer problem too, where the vehicle has so much ground clearance that you have to climb up and into it, making it a lot more tricky for grandma and the little 'uns.
The steering wheel had plenty of buttons and was reasonably symmetric. I did find it tricky to figure out the dynamic radar cruise control system, rather to my surprise. The Sequoia also doesn't have the newest Toyota Safety Sense 4.0 suite of safety systems, but rather TSS 2.5. Still plenty of smart features, including lane tracing assist, lane departure alert, and the pre-collision system, but no self-driving capabilities.
One thing I've noticed that car manufacturers are starting to quietly compete on is who has the coolest boot screen. You know what I mean: You start the vehicle and there's a splash screen before the standard instrument cluster appears. Toyota might have won this category with the Sequoia; this looks more like the opening titles of an action film than a car starting up!
It then settles down to the busy and a bit overwhelming 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, as shown. There's quite a bit of information shown on the display, enough that some drivers will tune out most of it in the interest of tracking speed, the speed limit, and how much gas remains in the tank.
The Sequoia includes its own nav system for drivers who don't want to utilize CarPlay or Android Auto; the above shows the map. As appropriate, it's focused on roads and paths, offering less 3D effects and nearby buildings than Apple Maps or Google Maps. Sometimes, though, you just want to know the route, not everything within 1000 yards. Note also the climate controls with plenty of buttons to dial in exactly the temperature you desire.
The width of the center console is where you can really get a sense of how big the vehicle is: There's space for a narrow passenger if this was just a seat, but, of course, bench front seats are a thing of the past. Instead, this highlights some of the many additions with the tow tech package and what Toyota calls 4WDemand part-time 4WD. It also includes a load-leveling rear height control suspension and tow/haul drive mode options. Before your first tow, allocate some time to study all the options and combinations!
As you would expect of a luxury three-row vehicle, the second row has a nice range of controls for both climate, seat heating and cooling, and power outlets, ranging from USB-A to USB-C to a 120V outlet.
Speaking of rear seat passengers, the second row legroom was decent for a full-size SUV, but that third row? You'll want to save those seats for the smaller folk on your team or they just won't fit. Part of the problem is related to the single biggest problem I had with the Sequoia, as clearly visible in this rear cargo space photo:
Tilt up the 3rd-row seats and there's surprisingly little cargo space, but fold down those seats and because the stowage space is so awkward, it feels like there's no cargo space at all. See those rails on the sides, though? There's a shelf you can add that can be the same height as the folded seats, allowing you to have some cargo space, but it's a far cry from other full-size SUVs I've reviewed that have capacious rear cargo space.
This impacts whoever sits in this third row too, because the seats are high up, higher than any other seats in the vehicle. The hybrid battery and rear suspension packaging contribute to the unusually elevated third-row seating and cargo floor. An engineering dilemma, but the result is that this is the clumsiest rear seat and cargo area of any car I can think of today. It's a definite limitation that you'll want to check out for yourself before plunking down $90K or more for what's otherwise a solid, enjoyable family SUV.
I found the drive experience very good, and the twin-turbo and hybrid contributed to it being surprisingly nimble for a big, heavy SUV. It can definitely handle a towing assignment, and while you might be challenged to stow all the gear, you could indeed take the basketball team out for ice cream. But is it worth the price? I'd have to say that it's really going to have to be exactly what you need because there are a lot of full-size SUVs on the market nowadays, and while this has some impressive specs, it's not an obvious category leader. Still, it's worth a test drive.
2026 Toyota Sequoia AWD Capstone Hybrid with 10-speed Automatic Transmission. BASE PRICE: $84,435.00. Options Included: Capstone Package with Power Tow Mirrors, Load-Leveling Rear Height Control Air Suspension, Tow Tech Pkg, Wheel Locks, Connected Services, All Weather Liners. AS DRIVEN: $87,438.00.
Disclosure: Toyota loaned me the vehicle for a week in return for this candid write-up. This article originally appeared on PlanetDave.com with the title The 2026 Toyota Sequoia Capstone is a Spendy 3-Row SUV and is republished with the express permission of the author.
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