THE MOST SPACIOUS HYBRID SUV THAT YOU CAN BUY

If you're in the market for a practical, spacious vehicle that offers a commanding view of the road, a hybrid SUV is probably on your radar. You're also a part of the majority since SUVs and crossovers have become the default vehicle of choice of many American car shoppers.

However, while hybrid SUVs and crossovers are popular, not all models are created equal. Some are faster than others, while sizes and spaciousness vary from cozy to outright palatial. Now, if pricing isn't your concern, but space is, you have to remember that the more spacious the vehicle, the more expensive it'll be. Of course, you clicked on this article with the expectation of finding out which is the most spacious hybrid SUV that you can buy, and so without further ado, this is the model that you should get.

The Toyota Sequoia Is The Most Spacious Hybrid SUV

You Get 157 Cubic Feet Of Cabin Space

Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know that the brand with the biggest number of hybrid offerings is Toyota. The Japanese automaker makes such a diverse range of hybrid vehicles, that there's practically an option for various budget and space needs. Toyota also makes a plethora of hybrid crossovers and SUVs, and among its offerings, we've narrowed down the biggest and most spacious models in its stable.

As Big As A Sequoia

Sequoias are massive ancient redwood trees that are mostly found in northern California. They're the largest trees on Earth, and it's an appropriate name for Toyota's biggest hybrid SUV--thus also the biggest hybrid SUV by any automaker in the United States. The 2025 Toyota Sequoia is a large three-row full-size SUV that competes with the likes of the Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Tahoe. The Sequoia Hybrid, however, holds the distinction of being the only full-size SUV to have a hybrid drivetrain in the United States.

Thankfully, its external dimensions reflect a very spacious interior despite being a body-on-frame SUV. These kinds of SUVs tend to be less space-efficient than unibody crossover SUVs like the Toyota Grand Highlander or Lexus TX due to the ladder frame chassis raising the cabin floor, and for the most part, the Grand Highlander and TX are still more space-efficient relative to their external dimensions. However, due to its sheer width, the Sequoia still ends up being the more spacious than any of Toyota or Lexus's offerings.

Up To 89 Cubic Feet Of Cargo Area

The vehicle we consider to be the most spacious is based on passenger volume, and in this case, that is 157 cubic feet. That's because, depending on how a vehicle was designed, you simply can't add together the total passenger volume and maximum cargo area to form one solid number. Besides, you can't simultaneously fill all three rows with passengers whilst fitting cargo that maxes out its interior volume when the seats are folded, right?

Anyway, the 2025 Toyota Sequoia may be the most spacious for people, but it's not the most spacious when it comes to carrying cargo. It offers 89 cubic feet of cargo area, which is around nine cubic feet less than the Grand Highlander Hybrid. Part of the reason is where the batteries for the hybrid system are stored.

Unlike in a unibody crossover SUV, where the battery can easily be positioned within the chassis, the body-on-frame Sequoia has meant that the batteries were placed under the third-row seats, which reduces its cargo capacity behind the third row significantly. Oh, and it isn't even mounted flushed under the floor, and you'll indeed see the battery pack sticking out of the cargo floor as a result.

Living With A Sequoia Hybrid

If you've decided on getting the 2025 Toyota Sequoia, then these are some of the traits that you'll have to know about the vehicle, especially if you'll be living with one long term.

Excellent Resale Value

Out of the top 10 SUVs with the best resale values from 2024, unsurprisingly, only one of them isn't from Japan, and most of the vehicles on the list are models from Toyota. The Sequoia Hybrid, in particular, is the sixth best since it's able to hold 66.1 percent of its value in five years. This also makes it the second-best hybrid SUV on this list in terms of value retention.

The outright best, however, goes to the Toyota RAV4. Though this takes into account all RAV4 versions, the RAV4 Hybrid is expected to perform similarly or even better. The RAV4 is able to hold as much as 73.1 percent of its value in five years, and combined with the fact that it's far cheaper than the Sequoia, then it's no wonder that the RAV4 is such a popular vehicle both as brand new and for used car shoppers.

Top-Notch Ownership Experience

A contributor to the strong resale values of the Toyota Sequoia is its reputation for reliability and customer service. This is a Toyota, and though its engine in non-hybrid form faced a major recall in the Tundra and Lexus LX, the Sequoia isn't suffering from the same fate. The recall wherein Toyota is replacing the engines of the two aforementioned models is due to the possibility that "certain machining debris may not have been cleared from the engine when it was produced". Nevertheless, this isn't something that the Sequoia Hybrid is facing, and is proving to be quite a well-engineered vehicle from a drivetrain perspective.

Also, core to the brand's reputation that leads to strong resale values is the brand-dealer-customer relationship. Dealers have a two-way relationship with the brand, and because of this, it leads to optimized dealer operations, which then makes dealers able to provide top-notch customer service.

What Else A Sequoia Hybrid Offers

If you've read up until this point, you're probably close to deciding on your 2025 Toyota Sequoia purchase. Well, to help you in your decision-making, you're now probably keen to find out how it drives. Thankfully, the TopSpeed team has extensive experience with this three-row SUV, which means you can vouch for us in our opinions on what life is like with a Sequoia Hybrid.

Premium Price, Premium Appointments

Granted, the model we tested was a range-topping Capstone trim, but even with the lower trims, the Sequoia exhibits qualities that you would normally expect from a Lexus. From the well-trimmed interior, even in the base SR5, to the palatial levels of space that this SUV offers, the Sequoia is a versatile yet premium-feeling three-row hauler. Granted, it may not be the most generous on a per-dollar basis, but it's still pretty well-equipped with stuff like a 12.3-inch fully-digital gauge cluster, power-adjustable front seats, a sunroof, and the Toyota Safety Sense suite of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) being fitted as standard.

Then again, that's something you expect from a hybrid SUV that starts at a whopping $65,425. What you also expect is copious amounts of power despite downsizing from a 5.7-liter V-8 to a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V-6 parallel hybrid system. With 437 horsepower, it's slightly more powerful than the V-8, but with 583 pound-feet, the torque bump is even more significant. Yet, with a combined 20 MPG or 22 MPG without the four-wheel drive (4WD), the new Sequoia is also far more efficient by at least 6 MPG. Oh, and did we mention that the V-6 hybrid sounds throaty like a V-8?

Toyota Sequoia Hybrid Specifications

The Ride Quality Isn't Its Strongest Suit

Unfortunately, while the overall package is excellent, the Sequoia's chink in its Capstone armor is its ride quality. This is despite switching to a more sophisticated independent multi-link rear suspension versus the previous model's solid rear axle. Granted, even with this switch, body-on-frame SUVs tend to be more stiff and unsettled than their unibody crossover SUV counterparts, but the new Chevrolet Suburban may have something to say about that. The American behemoth rides far more settled and smoothly over road imperfections, which is a shame considering how powerful, yet serene and peaceful the Sequoia is on other aspects.

2025-01-14T11:02:10Z