Speaking of steep hills, Sequoia's active four-wheel traction control (TRAC), which comes standard on four-wheel-drive models, made it easy for us to drive straight up a set of moguls on a dry, gravel-covered ski slope at Big Sky, Montana. Instead of modulating the throttle, we simply held the gas down, and the Sequoia walked right up the hill, transferring torque to the tires with the best grip. Drop it into 4 Lo, and the system automatically locks the center differential for go-anywhere capability. Two-wheel-drive Sequoias come standard with rear-wheel traction control, though, obviously, they won't offer the mogul-climbing abilities of the four-wheel-drive models.
The skid-control feature, which is standard, helps the Sequoia maintain stability should it lose traction and begin to slid sideways. This electronic stability program selectively applies braking force to individual wheels to stop a skid, and it can really help you avoid an accident.
A two-wheel-drive Sequoia is rated to tow up to a 6500-pound trailer, while a 4x4 is rated to pull a 6200-pound trailer. Yet another new option for 2003 is a seven-pin towing connector that is compatible with electric trailer brakes.
Sequoia's luxury and comfort come with a price at the gas pump. The EPA says to expect only 14 mpg in city driving and a paltry 17 mpg on the highway. Forgoing 4WD ups the highway figure to 18 mpg. As you'd imagine from a vehicle of this size, the Sequoia is not easy to park. Parallel parking this hulk in downtown Austin, Texas, proved to be a humbling experience.
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