2023 Toyota Sequoia hybrid outlasts SUV rivals with 22 mpg

The redesigned 2023 Toyota Sequoia scores a key win over full-size SUV rivals. The EPA rates the new Sequoia and its standard hybrid powertrain at 21 mpg city, 24 highway, 22 combined, Toyota disclosed Monday. That’s 3 mpg better than the next most efficient full-size SUV. 

Sharing a hybrid engine with the 2022 Toyota Tundra full-size pickup truck, the 2023 Sequoia uses a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 hybrid powertrain that makes 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque. A motor generator sits between the engine and 10-speed automatic transmission for low-speed EV driving below 18 mph. 

Rear-wheel drive comes standard, while 4WD costs $3,000 more on all but the Sequoia TRD Pro, where it is standard. Four-wheel drive costs it 2 mpg across the board, to 19/2/20 mpg. The Sequoia’s twin-turbo V-6 hybrid powertrain is a big improvement over the abysmal 15 mpg combined in the predecessor’s 5.7-liter V-8.

The 2023 Sequoia outlasts the competition as well. The Ford Expedition’s twin-turbo V-6 gets 19 mpg combined, while the 2023 Chevy Tahoe has an 18 mpg combined rating with its base engine, a 5.3-liter V-8. GM’s 3.0-liter inline-6 turbodiesel variant rates as high as 21/28/24 mpg, but it gets expensive on the lot and at the pump. 

The Sequoia is one of 10 hybrid Toyota vehicles, and along with the Tundra, the largest passenger vehicle. A longtime leader in hybrid engine development, Toyota has been bearish on its launch of electric vehicles, employing hybrids as a bridge between internal combustion and full electric vehicles. While the legendary Prius launched back in 1999, and Toyota has two plug-in hybrids including the excellent RAV4 Prime, the brand didn’t launch its first electric vehicle for sale nationwide until summer 2022, with the 2023 Toyota BZ4X.