He said:

"We chose not to have an automatic transfer case because when we were doing our customer studies, most customers didn't need that capability to do an auto transfer case for Sequoia, they weren't driving in 4WD situations all the time. As long as they had the option to be able to put it into 4HI or 4LOW, that was enough."

I actually laughed when he gave that excuse. No duh very few people are driving in 4WD situations "all the time". That's not the point. If you asked my mother if being able to put the car in 4WD when you need assistance in slippery conditions is enough, she'd say yes not thinking about when you suddenly are grateful for auto 4WD or AWD (suddenly changing conditions or rain).

 

yea it was surprising to hear, I think they are looking largely at the Texas market; where the full time 4wd is not really needed. I also think they might give us the full time 4wd in a mid refresh if more of us complain.
I wonder if you can just leave in 4Hi all the time and able to drive more than 60mph?

 

Leaving it on 4HI on a dry surface will destroy the 4WD system fairly quickly. You can really feel the mechanical resistance and binding.

 

Lame! Cheapskates. This is why the Made in Japan stuff is always superior

Thanks,

 

Thanks for the explanation. That's really too bad for those who would want a full time 4WD system.

You can go over 60 mph, but you can't use it in dry conditions.

 

One should probably not be doing much more than 60 on anything BUT dry pavement to start with. Even with good tires, on a wet surface, you can risk hydroplaning.

In fact, since you are a aeronautical engineer, you are probably aware that is one reason why anti-lock brakes were developed for aircraft before autos.....landing at higher speeds, on wet runways, with flaps adding lift and taking weight off the tires, lowering traction.

 

It rains 9 months a year here. No way can everyone slow down to below 60 when the roads are wet. There's nothing wrong with driving over 60 on a wet road.

 

Just the PR team trying to spin the lack of multi-mode. Just like when they claimed the Tacoma's rear drum brakes are because it goes off-road.

 

I believe drum brakes are superior/preferred off road because they are protected from water/mud…but I’m not really positive about that. Would have to find more from a hard core off road expert to be sure.

 

At least at 4:50 where you told me to go.....

This guy is lying through his TEETH. I feel like I'm watching the news. Like I and others have pointed out, I remember Auto 4WD in 1990s Explorers and my 19 year old GMC has it and it still works great. "Auto" buttons (for the most part) are good things, and luxurious. Mom or Dad with 6 kids in the car when the roads get nasty, she/he's gonna want that auto button.

Has to be cost-cutting, that is a horrendous excuse "people don't want it". This guy should be fired. I'm not buying one of these but it would be almost/probably be a dealbreaker, what a shame because I love it otherwise.

 

more reason to appreciate our LX

 

Hydroplaning can start at speeds as low as 45 MPH.

https://www.crashforensics.com/papers.cfm?PaperID=56

 

That's what Toyota engineering trying to push as the story why.

But come on, your beloved Land Cruiser and 4Runner use 4 discs all around, as do Wranglers, G-Wagens, Range Rovers, pretty sure even the Hummer H1s.

Sequoia becomes a target of cost cutting. Toyota USA just can't seem to get the full budget to deliver truly leading products anymore.

Don't get me wrong, so much of the new Sequoia is great and has been sorely needed for years, but just some pretty critical elements around the build and configuration that leave it less than stellar.

 

Drum brakes are usually more affected by water than discs, because water can get inside the drum, get the brake-shoes/linings wet, and severely affect the friction/stopping-ability of the brake-linings. One usually has to drive around a little, air the brakes out, pump the pedal repeatedly to create some heat, and dry them out with the heat to get them effective again. With discs, that usually does not happen, because there is not enough space between the pads/rotors for water to get in and get the pads wet. The water is pushed away by the spinning rotor/pad-assemby/caliper.

One area where drum brakes DO sometimes work better than discs is use as a parking-brake. Some vehicles with 4-wheel discs and rear axles have a separate small inboard drum-brake on the rear axle, although that is obviously not the cheapest way to do it.

 

I totally agree with you…but I do wonder if I’m correct about the off road

Totally Agree. My 4R is literally like a toy. So dumb but so cool

Only thing I dislike is the push button start…a key is so much better and safer.

everything else I just love


I agree. Personally, I’ve allowed liked Japan Toyota designs and build better than the US designs