Like the giant sequoia trees of the Sierra Nevada with which it shares a name, the outgoing version of the Toyota Sequoia is big (over 17 feet long); it’s old (last redesigned for the 2008 model year); and it converts a whole lotta one gas into another (with a maximum 15 mpg combined fuel-economy rating). Well, coming this summer is an all-new-for-2023 version of the behemoth SUV — just in time for your family’s next road trip to the Pacific Northwest to see those majestic trees, ironic though it may be.
In one of Cars.com’s most popular articles of the past week, Cars.com reviewer Brian Normile recounts what he found while climbing around in the new Sequoia at the 2022 Chicago Auto Show to see how many boxes it checks on our wishlist of interior-luxury upgrades for the redesign. The verdict: quite a few, though perhaps not all. The range-topping Capstone trim prototype at the show is well-appointed in terms of materials quality, with premium-feel wood and leather, high-grade physical controls and a 14-inch multimedia touchscreen display, in addition to fold-and-tumble second-row seats that make the wayback much easier to access. On the other hand, cabin quality declines as you get closer to the floor and rear headroom feels compromised for taller riders.
(Oh, it also bears noting that gas mileage is expected to improve by as much as 7 mpg because of a standard hybrid powertrain, so there’s that.)
For Normile’s full first impressions of the 2023 Toyota Sequoia, follow the link below to the No. 2 news story on this week’s countdown. And for more on the Sequoia straight from the Chicago Auto Show floor, bop on down one spot to No. 3 for an on-the-spot interior-impressions comparison with the 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe High Country trim, where the latter marginally edges out the Toyota SUV on account of its tech friendliness.
The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, also on display at the Chicago Auto Show, may not have reached the altitude of the Sequoia, but it certainly isn’t for lack of power. The all-new Z06 — a higher-performance variant of the mid-engine C8 Corvette — is motivated by the new LT6 5.5-liter V-8, which cranks out an astounding 670 horsepower at 8,400 rpm (180 hp and almost 2,000 rpm more than the current base Corvette’s best efforts) with an 8,600-rpm redline, propelling America’s supercar to the sixth-place spot on this week’s countdown.
Impressive as its powertrain specs may be, Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek didn’t get to mash the pedal to the floor and do hot laps around Chicago’s McCormick Place; all he could really do was get a load of the Z06’s physical attributes alluding to the beast concealed within. Those include wider fenders, enlarged body air intakes, wider wheels and tires, bigger brakes, and a new aero-enhancing spoiler and ground effects.
“The list of what’s changed is impressive, but the Z06 at the auto show doesn’t have the menacing presence of its forebears versus the base Corvette,” Bruzek notes. “The wider stance doesn’t appear very different, even though the car is 3.6 inches wider, and the crazy-wide 345-mm rear tires (up from 305 mm) are tucked into the car so well that the steamrollers are practically hidden. Perhaps this perception will change once we see one on the road.”
In the meantime, get Bruzek’s full first impressions by following the link below to Cars.com’s No. 6 news story of the week. And, if you happen to be in the Chicago area, you still have through Monday, Feb. 21, to drop by the Chicago Auto Show to see the Z06, Sequoia and a convention center’s worth of other new models for yourself.
Beyond all that, we’ve got headlines on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, used cars, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and much more — so don’t stop reading till the digits double. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:
1. When Will Used-Car Prices Drop? 3 Things Car Shoppers Should Know
2. Up Close With the 2023 Toyota Sequoia Capstone
3. 2023 Toyota Sequoia vs. 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe: Comparing the Interiors
4. 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Review: Grander Across the Board
5. What’s the Best New-Car Deal for February 2022?
6. Up Close With the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
7. 2022 Chicago Auto Show: Everything You Missed
8. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: Where Are They Now?
9. What’s a Catalytic Converter and Why Do People Steal Them?
10. What’s New With Ford for 2022?
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Keyword: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Toyota Sequoia Fells Chevrolet Corvette Z06