“It looked good on paper” is a phrase you hear when the reality of an idea doesn’t live up to its potential. This past August, Toyota announced that it would offer its Texas-themed 1794 Edition trim for the Sequoia, which was great news because it adds bright exterior accents, real wood trim, and several comfort and convenience features. It also was exciting to learn The ClassicCars.com Journal would have the opportunity to test an $85,630 2025 Sequoia 1794 Edition with the TRD Off-Road Package, a seemingly natural pairing of Lone Star State luxe with rugged hardware. So how was it? It looked good on paper; in the real world, the Sequoia 1794 hybrid did a lot of things right, but it was also disappointing in several other ways.
IDENTITY CRISIS
The 1794 Edition trim level first appeared on the second-generation Tundra full-size pickup and referred to the founding year of a particular ranch, the land for which went on to become the site of the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas plant. That history brings to mind pastures full of horses and longhorns, barbed wire between fence posts, blue jeans, and dirty boots—and the colors associated with them. But our Sequoia 1794 test vehicle arrived in a greenish-gray color Toyota calls Lunar Rock (perhaps the folks at Toyota are big fans of the 2011 movie “Cowboys & Aliens”). On paper, the TRD Off-Road Package was a very Texas thing to add. In addition to Multi-Terrain Select, Multi-Terrain Monitor, Crawl Control, and Downhill Assist Control, it includes skid plates, off-road suspension with Bilstein shocks, 20-inch wheels with all-terrain rubber, and locking rear differential—the kinds of things you’ll find on many trucks and SUVs traveling down Texas highways and trails. The reality is that the Lunar Rock paint, 1794 Edition trim, and TRD Off-Road Package have distinct visual identities, none of which go together. Forced to coexist, they’re an optically awkward bunch. The 1794 bright grille and trim fit a “Cowboy Cadillac,” but the black TRD wheels seem better suited to a performance off-roader. The proximity of the front air dam and running boards to the ground below make the Sequoia more vulnerable to challenging terrain, which is what the TRD Off-Road Package is meant to conquer.
INTERNAL STRUGGLE
Toyota made another attempt to mix the design equivalents of oil and water inside our press loaner. All 1794 Edition Sequoias come standard with Saddle Tan leather and genuine American walnut wood trim. That yee-hawesome combination of colors and textures only made the TRD Off-Road Package’s sporty red stripes on the steering wheel and shifter, aluminum pedals, and red engine start button that much more glaringly out of place. There was no harmony between those two wildly different visual personalities and there was nothing strangely likeable about the contrast between them.
THE GODFATHER TRILOGY
In terms of features, there was plenty to like about the Sequoia’s cabin. It was thoroughly modern, thanks to the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, 10-inch head-up display, digital rearview mirror camera, and 14-inch infotainment display. Next to and below the 14-speaker JBL audio system’s chunky volume knob were easily accessible controls for the heated and ventilated front seats (the massage function was in a menu on the touchscreen), tri-zone climate control system, and off-road features.
The spacious second row was just as pleasant with heated and ventilated captain’s chairs, its own automatic climate zone, manual side sunshades, and a variety of charging options, as well as power controls for raising and lowering the third row. Just like the final installment in the Godfather trilogy, that last third of the Sequoia left something to be desired. There was enough legroom for me to sit comfortably behind one of the second-row seats adjusted to my five-foot-ten height, but my knees were raised. The biggest drawback was that no matter how much I slid and tilted the third row, I couldn’t sit without the top of my head being too close to the headliner or the crown of my head brushing its rear hump.
Dimensions were also an issue in the rear cargo area. The Sequoia’s 1.87-kWh nickel-metal hydride battery pack is under the third row, raising the height of the split bench seat; when lowered, the seatbacks prevent the entire load floor from being completely flat. To make the best of that less-than-ideal situation, Toyota equips the Sequoia with a removable shelf that can be set at multiple levels, including one which helps the shelf extend the flat surface formed when the third row is folded down. The problem is that whatever you put on that platform is still elevated—and that much closer to the side windows and the heads of the people riding in the second row, which made for a worrisome drive home from Costco with two cartfuls of large, heavy items.
TEXAS-SIZED POWER . . .
The switch from the previous-generation Sequoia’s 5.7-liter V8 and six-speed automatic to the current model’s twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6, 36-kw electric motor, and 10-speed auto brought a substantial increase in output. Horsepower shot up by 56 to 437; torque rose by 182 lb-ft to 583. Boy, can you feel it! The Sequoia’s size and roughly three-ton curb weight were more than matched by its grunt. Every deep push of the gas pedal showed just how hard the Sequoia pulled.
. . . AND THIRST
According to Toyota, a four-wheel-drive 2022 Sequoia with the old V8 is capable of achieving 13 mpg in the city, 17 on the highway, and 14 combined. Our 2025 Sequoia hybrid was rated at 19, 22, and 20, respectively. We only managed to average 16.6 mpg across 456 miles of mixed driving, some of which included filming the video review below. Watch it to learn more about how the 2025 Toyota Sequoia 1794 Edition performed in the real world.
Click above and watch our full video review on YouTube!
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