Compare the2024 Toyota SequoiaVS 2023 Cadillac Escalade

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Sequoia have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Cadillac Escalade doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Toyota Sequoia has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Escalade doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Sequoia has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Escalade doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Sequoia has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Escalade doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Sequoia has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sequoia has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Parking Support Brake automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport offers Rear Cross Traffic Alert and the Escalade’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

The Sequoia’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Escalade doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sequoia and the Escalade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, around view monitors and available four-wheel drive.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Sequoia for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Cadillac only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Escalade.

There are over 2 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sequoia’s warranty.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Sequoia has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Escalade.

The battery on the Sequoia is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Sequoia’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Escalade’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Sequoia’s reliability 20 points higher than the Escalade.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Cadillac is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Cadillac is ranked 17th.

The Sequoia’s 3.4 turbo V6 hybrid produces 17 more horsepower (437 vs. 420) and 123 lbs.-ft. more torque (583 vs. 460) than the Escalade’s 6.2 V8.

As tested in Car and Driver the Toyota Sequoia is faster than the Cadillac Escalade:

On the EPA test cycle the Sequoia gets better mileage than the Escalade:

Regenerative brakes improve the Sequoia’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Escalade doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

For better stopping power the Sequoia’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Escalade:

For better traction, the Sequoia TRD Pro’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escalade (285/65R18 vs. 275/50R22).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sequoia’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the Escalade (122 inches vs. 120.9 inches).

The Sequoia Capstone 4x4 handles at .76 G’s, while the Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD pulls only .67 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Sequoia has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Escalade (8.6 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Sequoia to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Sequoia is 3.8 inches shorter than the Escalade, making the Sequoia easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Sequoia has .9 inches more front hip room and 1.5 inches more third row hip room than the Escalade.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Sequoia’s middle and third row seats recline. The Escalade’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Sequoia’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Escalade’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The Sequoia’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escalade’s (9120 vs. 8000 pounds).

While the Escalade 4WD Diesel can only tow 7800, any Sequoia can tow a minimum of 9120 pounds.

The Sequoia has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Escalade (1730 vs. 1647 lbs.).

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Sequoia to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Escalade doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Sequoia Limited/TRD Pro/Platinum/Capstone has standard front air conditioned seats and the Sequoia Platinum/Capstone also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Escalade doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sequoia first among large suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Escalade isn’t in the top three in its category.