Best Toyota 3 Row SUV?

I'm considering adding a SUV to the family motor pool, preferably something suited for occasional off-road driving. The two top contenders at the moment are a Sequoia or Lexus LX570, but I'm interested to hear what TW has to say. What is your preferred Toyota 3 row SUV and why?

 

Personally if I reach the point of needing a third row, it might be a minivan. Sienna or Odyssey.

The Highlander is also a nice vehicle.

 

I was hoping the new Sequoia would fit this bill, but the poor fuel economy and 3rd row not being removable has got me searching still…

 

Sienna. Lifted. Big ole tires Oh, Hells yes

 

We have a Highlander AWD that works well.

 

I would drive that.

 

We just got a Sienna last year for my wife, and absolutely love it. Completely agree, its a great van, especially with the hybrid fuel economy and AWD.

I don't want to give up my Tacoma, but sometimes it would be nice to have another row for our kid's friends, grandparents, etc. We have a remote cabin, which is why occasional offroad capability would be handy. But you might be right, I might be looking at a Highlander.

 

If it’s an occasional people hauler, I would look into the Highlander/Pilot/Ascent class. Plenty of space for people/stuff, plus a little towing power and ground clearance.

 

Same. And the solid rear axle limiting cabin storage, too..

 

GX 460 LUXURY 5
MULTI-TERRAIN SETTINGS
In addition to the only body-on-frame construction in its class,* the GX offers an Off-Road* Package to make the adventure more civilized even when the road isn’t. It tackles multiple terrains, including snow-covered roads, dirt trails, and rock with features like Crawl Control,*Multi-Terrain Select and more.

 

I think newer 4Runners have (optioned) 3rd row

 

Yeah. Plus the way the designed it to store the batteries made 3 different levels for the cargo area or something like that. Might be the same thing your talking about.

 

Now we're talking!

 

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/9XpkPQDN/2004-toyota-sienna-xle-limited-awd

 

Good to know! I think that's the direction I'm headed.. I really wanted to like the Sequoia, and a used LX570 has some appeal, but in the end I think it's going to be hard to beat the Highlander for our purposes.

 

I've heard this too, but I've also heard the optional third row is pretty cramped and feels more like an afterthought - which, to be fair, it kind of is. Not to say it wouldn't work for shorter trips (we have a tall family).

 

Yeah I think so - I thought it was the batteries, but then I saw a review that mentioned the solid axle - might be a little bit of both.

 

I have a 2020 4Runner with the third row and can confirm it is a tight fit back there. It works well for our family of 5 because we can have the kids seated three across in the second row and only use the third if we have my parents in town. It's a great solution if you only occasionally need a third row for short trips but if you plan to regularly use the third row I would recommend something else. The Highlander with captain's seats was my pick if our third kid had been twins!

 

Grand Highlander. Why because I believe the hype. Since I wouldn't be going off road and 3rd row is the reason for the purchase, I'd go with a Tahoe or Suburban. Best offroad Toyota SUV will always be a Land Cruiser.

 

Wow, I didn't know about the Grand Highlander. That thing looks great, and it fits my estimated timeline of when we would be ready to add a vehicle to the fleet. Very interesting...

The Tahoe is in the running as a non-Toyota option, and does have an off-road package. Although 95% of my driving will be on paved roads, I like having the capability when that other 5% happens. But it's not absolutely necessary. I'm not 100% sold on sacrificing gas mileage for size and performance, though.