Honda and Toyota are starting to recognize that many of us buy SUVs because we like to travel on some rough roads. An SUV is perfect for going into the forest because you can equip one with all-wheel drive, a longer suspension, and of course you can bring lots of friends and camping gear. Now, there’s the new 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport and Toyota Sequoia TRD Off-Road Pro seven-seater. But are these new SUV packages the real deal, or just a set of off-road tires?
Honda Pilot or Toyota Sequoia: Which is more expensive?
Let’s get the price out of the way first. The 2023 Sequoia TRD Pro costs $76,000 before options That’s a lot of scratches for an SUV. The 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport’s $48,350 sounds like a comparative bargain. Again, before that option. Fortunately, both of these SUVs in off-road trim have most of the options you already want, like heated seats and wireless connectivity. Both the SUVs are all-new for 2023.
In base off-road trim, the Sequoia TRD Pro costs $28,000 more than the Pilot TrailSport, and for that money, you can buy a two-year-old Jeep Wrangler if you really want to go off-roading. But, these two SUVs are much more refined than the Wrangler and will make your commute much easier.
What does off-road tuning mean in Honda Pilot and Toyota Sequoia?
Honda says the TrailSport has an off-road-tuned suspension In other words, it has a factory lift. In the case of the TrailSport, that means it has about 8.27 inches of ground clearance. This extra height will definitely help you get over big rocks and through ruts.
The Sequoia is a bit taller, and it has 9.1 inches of ground clearance. But it has coil-over Fox brand shocks that include a remote reservoir, so they rebound quickly and keep your wheels planted during high-speed driving. Both SUVs also have skid plates under the engine.
Also, the TrailSport gets new 18-inch wheels with inset spokes. The deep dish of the wheels should keep stones and other debris from dinging their black finish. Sequoia, also, has similar off-road design wheels. Both have knobs that set these SUVs into different modes. Toyota, however, adds crawl control that uses the on-board computer to get you out of the stickiest situations.
Mall crawler or rock crawler?
These two SUVs have two basic, but important differences that can be important when off road. The Honda is a unibody, so it’s built like a car, meaning the roof is part of the frame. The 2023 Toyota Sequoia is a traditional body-on-frame design, and is based on the larger Tundra truck. This means that its frame, under the SUV, can be strengthened. This translates into greater towing capacity and a different structure to modify it for off-road duty.
The Honda has all-wheel drive. All-wheel drive systems spin all four tires, but they’re designed to handle adverse weather and off-roading. The Sequoia has a four-wheel drive system with a locking differential at the rear and a low-speed gear for overcoming obstacles. Of course, not all of us need that extra stuff to hit the campsite, and Car and Driver says the TrailSport is more capable than the specs suggest. But on paper, the Toyota has more off-road capabilities.
Is the Sequoia worth $28,000 more than the TrailSport?
The Sequoia in TRD Pro trim is a very serious off-road machine, designed to tackle the desert like a larger 4Runner. The TRD package, like the Tundra truck, adds several key off-road features that are important for profiling in the woods or around town.
But for most of us who only go off-road occasionally or never tackle the hard stuff, but still want an option, the Trailsport can be a great option. Both SUVs seat seven, safety features are plentiful and both look the part. But the Toyota will probably be more capable.