A Week With: 2026 Toyota Sequoia Capstone

It’s a rare occasion that one thinks of any Toyota vehicle as lagging the competition in any segment. The automaker known for quality and fuel economy for so long has been expanding its areas of competency for decades now. Perhaps nowhere has it come further than in the large SUV segment with the 2026 Toyota Sequoia Capstone edition.

To be clear, that opener might be interpreted as thinking that the Sequoia has been a bad vehicle for a period of time, and that’s not true. However, it plays in an extremely tough league where the top players are the Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Suburban — and they have been for a long while.

And while they’re still impressive vehicles, it’s safe to say the Sequoia in Capstone trim is running a tight race.

Looking the part

There are no tapered roofs in the full-size SUV segment, so these big rectangles on wheels need to find ways to differentiate themselves from one another. And I’d say the team at Toyota’s done a fine job of making the Sequoia look strong and capable without going overboard. Our test vehicle came in a color it calls Blueprint, which is a really dark blue with a tinge of metal flake in so it really stands out on a sunny day.

The Sequoia’s nose features a large but not cartoonish grille that ensure plenty of air gets in to cool the big ute’s engine effectively. The headlights are square-ish, but feature slit-like daytime running lights that give you a great balance of aggression and scale.

Moving along the side you see some slightly flared wheel wells, which again gives is some stature, but it’s not over the top. The rear liftgate is simple with the name Sequoia in all capital letters under the taillights that begin on the side of the SUV and almost meet in the middle. Toyota’s design team’s done a fantastic job of making its utility vehicles look simple and clean without making them boring.

Acting the part

Our Sequoia was powered by Toyota’s i-Force Max hybrid twin-turbo V6 engine, which puts out 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque. I didn’t spend much time out in the woods with it, but I can say around town, it’s responsive and easy to drive. It gets off the line quickly — for a large vehicle — and handling suburban traffic wasn’t any problem.

However, I did find some curvy, dirt roads with elevation changes and it tackled those with aplomb. I don’t own a boat, camper or horses and neither do any of my friends — who would trust me enough to tow them anywhere. But if you own any of these things — or have friends who do — the Sequoia can be equipped with Load-leveling Rear Height Control Air Suspension and offers a max towing capability of up to 9500 pounds, when properly equipped. I don’t for one moment doubt it couldn’t do it.

Of course, if you own a vehicle that CAN tow any of those things, it’s safe to assume that you’ll pay for that at the gas pump. However, the beast does reasonably well when it comes to fuel economy, getting 19 mpg city, 22 mpg city and 20 mpg combined in four-wheel drive. If you get the two-wheel drive version of the Sequioa, you’ll pick up a couple of mpgs, but I think four-wheel drive is worth the extra gas money.

The part that shines

What’s really worth the money is the cabin, starting with the Shale premium textured leather-trimmed seats. They’re gray with brown trim pieces giving them a premium look reminiscent of a steamer trunk. Plus, they’re really comfortable, especially if you add the massaging seats as an option. You can get an upper or lower body massage in a range of intensities. If you’re spending the money to get the Capstone trim, treat yourself and spend the extra to get these seats.

The second row seats offer plenty of legroom and are heated to booth. Access to the third row is … fine. The space is fine for kids or short teens and adults. I’m a little over 5’9” and I wouldn’t want to spend too much time back there … but I’m a bigger guy …not tall, bigger. It feels bright inside the cabin due to the windows and the moon roof.

Of course, it comes a with a slew of technology that begins with the 14-inch touchscreen that controls the multimedia system. It’s not just “multimedia” because of the different entertainment functions, but also how you can use the system. There are the requisite dials and buttons, plus the steering wheel-mounted controls. However, you can equip it with Drive Connect and simply utter, “Hey Toyota” and use a variety of voice-activated functions, including navigation, climate controls and more.

All Sequoia grades come standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5. This active safety system includes Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection that features multiple enhancements over the previous generation, including not only detecting the vehicle ahead but also a pedestrian in low light, bicyclist in daytime, an oncoming vehicle and a pedestrian at intersections when making a turn.

Sequoia will be equipped with Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC). Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist is designed to notify the driver via audible and visual alerts and slight steering support if it senses the vehicle is leaving the lane without engaging a turn signal. When DRCC is set and engaged, Lane Tracing Assist uses visible lane markers or a preceding vehicle to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane.

Would I?

It’s a great looking vehicle that’s comfortable and tech forward. The cabin may be the best part of the whole vehicle, and I don’t say that too often about Toyota products. But it is a pretty penny with a starting price of $86,135.

The Ford Expedition King Ranch starts at $84,360 and a quick search of available vehicles near me in metro Detroit found Platinum MAX models for nearly $90,000, and the Chevy Suburban High Country starts at $89,495 so it certainly drifts into the $90,000 range. I’d think about it for sure. If I wasn’t towing anything near 9,500 pounds, it would definitely be in the conversation.