Toyota Highlander vs Toyota Sequoia

If you have a family and need a spacious, three-row vehicle to haul around the kids and all their gear, the choices can seem overwhelming. This includes SUVs and minivans. There are also a lot of gimmicks, like built-in vacuums and intercom systems—as if yelling back to the third row isn’t the least bit satisfying. The 2022 Toyota Highlander might be guilty of offering some of these gimmicks, but where it really shines is by covering the basics. This three-row midsize SUV offers tons of versatility, a stout V6 engine, and it comes standard with safety features buyers are looking for.

There is a wide range of trims, features, and prices that make up the Highlander lineup. Depending on your needs and budget, there might be an ideal setup for your family. Read on to learn more about the Highlander and where it stacks up in an all-important family-hauling vehicle segment.

The Toyota Sequoia gained a standard hybrid powertrain when it entered its third generation, just last year. While the tech updates were widely celebrated and the facelift considered unobjectionable even by its harshest critics, the move to hybrid power proved to be something of a mixed bag. Increased towing and hauling power bolstered the obvious advantage of improved fuel economy, but impact was somewhat dampened by the reduction in cargo and third-row space to accommodate the new battery.

Verdict: The Sequoia may not be the most capable full-size SUV in the segment, and it’s certainly not the most spacious. It is, however, the only hybrid in its class, and it offers a blend of seating capacity, towing power, and fuel efficiency you won’t find elsewhere—at least, not if you don’t want to go diesel.