From the umbrella holder in the B6 Volkswagen Passat to the soda can chiller optional in several Cerberus-era Chrysler products, I love it when a car offers an unusual feature. The new-for-2023 Toyota Sequoia recently piqued my curiosity thanks to an unusual set of appendages that make it the only new full-size body-on-frame SUV available with factory-installed tow mirrors.
We’re all familiar with the concept of tow mirrors, right? Larger side mirrors so you can keep an eye on your trailer and everything offside of it. While virtually ubiquitous on full-size pickup trucks, tow mirrors aren’t a common option on full-size SUVs. The Ford Expedition, Jeep Wagoneer, and GMC Yukon, and Chevrolet Tahoe don’t offer massive fold-out mirrors from the factory, which seems shortsighted given the towing capacities those vehicles are rated for. However, Toyota is offering the new Sequoia with a set of tow mirrors, and the design is interesting to say the least.
Ram truck owners like to flip their tow mirrors up (they’re flippable from horizontal to vertical) and make their trucks look like moose, but at least those mirrors can be folded back into a slimmer profile that’s more practical in parking lots and less dorky. GM uses big vertical mirrors but the bases are below the greenhouse to minimize blind spots, while Ford uses vertical mirrors with two thin supports each. In contrast, the optional tow mirrors on the Sequoia are always enormous, and that applies to the supports as well.
Just look at these mirrors. It’s like the whole SUV is doing a Cornholio impression, and that’s even with the mirrors retracted. They actually whir out on electric power to extend even farther from the door for visibility around really big trailers (as seen above), or to signal that a particular Sequoia needs TP for its bunghole. Is it an effective design? Absolutely. Is it elegant? Not exactly, but it’s a case of function over form, especially when you go further up the range.
Play around with Toyota’s configurator by loading up a high-spec Sequoia and you’ll realize that these optional tow mirrors aren’t painted or chrome-trimmed on any trim level. You can pay an extra $290 on the top Capstone trim Sequoia for power tow mirrors and still get black mirror caps. While the bare black trim attempts to hide the sheer bulk of the mirrors, it’s still incredibly odd that a top-trim full-size SUV is available with unpainted mirror caps.
For reference, here’s what the optional tow mirrors on a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country look like. Sure, they aren’t painted, but they do feature partial chrome caps to emphasize the cowboy Cadillac status of the High Country trim level.
This lack of adornment on the Sequoia’s tow mirrors might explain why a set of tow mirrors costs the same on every trim from the base SR5 to the flagship Capstone. No matter which Sequoia you choose, you’ll have to pay an extra $290 to get tow mirrors. On the plus side, they are powered and come with integrated lighting, so they should be able to help illuminate a campsite.
How’s this for a useful piece of consumer advice? If you want your full-size SUV to have comically-large mirrors, go with a Sequoia. It’s not the most practical full-size SUV nor the most efficient, but it should do the trick for mirror fetishists. While I can’t speak to how the mirror supports impede forward visibility, you’ll certainly know what’s behind you with that much reflective glass hanging off the sides of the vehicle.
(Photo credits: Toyota, Chevrolet, Jason Torchinsky)
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It’s a great option. I loved the mirrors on my F-350. They were huge, had a large convex section at the bottom to eliminate blind spots, extended out for towing, and folded in when parked. Got rid of the 5th wheel so traded it in for a Maverick and wish it had better mirrors.
It’s really frustrating the the Sequoia is only available with the hybrid. In base trim, you’re looking at $65k+ with 4WD after delivery. Looking at the Tundra, it looks like the hybrid powertrain adds about $7500.
I’m sure it’s a blast to drive, but I’d be willing to give up 50HP to bring the price down a decent used Honda Civic amount.
You ever been thwacked by the mirror of a city bus while standing peacefully on the sidewalk? I have, and it’s all I can think of when I see this.
Wish toyota dropped the price a bit, everyone I know who is considering cars like the Sequoia has passed because the price is so high just to start, I think this will hurt them. I know they got rid of the LC and this sort of takes it place, but I think a lower trim cheaper model would have gotten a lot more families in it and more traditional sequoia buyers. Then keep the upper trims for the LC crowd.
Indeed, the price is simply too high. I know lots of Toyota diehards who would have one in their driveway, but can’t bring themselves to pay that kind of money for one – including folks who have driven Sequoias for most of the last two decades. Some decided to hold onto their older Sequoias for longer, some decided to buy Tundras, and some just jumped to the Highlander. I can’t tell if they want to push people to buy their cheaper models, or if they are hoping to use the low sales to justify killing the Sequoia at the end of this generation?
When I see a Ram approaching me with the tow mirrors extended and verticalized, I think I am being attacked by Space Invaders.
I’d love to make fun of this but the reality is that we should be giving Kudo’s to Toyota for actually giving consumers the option for tow mirrors. So many vehicles, pickup trucks included, are using smaller and smaller mirrors that do not give an adequate view of the vehicles surroundings and instead trying to supplement this lack of size with technology.
The 2021+ F-150 standard mirrors are a great example of a comically small mirror for the application. I just bought a 2017 F-150 and thought those mirrors were too small (so I bought the tow mirrors instead) and yet the 2021 are even smaller.
Technology is great but its amazing what a good convex mirror does for your overall surroundings.
Strongly agreed. There is nothing sadder than screwing on my extended mirrors every time I tow my trailer.
I AM THE GREAT CORNHOLIO!
“Nooooo!”
-my shoulder
-top of my head
-my back
-my chin
-my other shoulder
I run into those damn things constantly. They should be outlawed unless you’ve actively got something in tow.
And yes, I should watch where I’m going more often than I do. But I’ve been clotheslined in a parking lot more times than Ric Flair.
I never thought I would read a reference to Cornholio in an article about car features, but now that you pointed out the similarity to tow mirrors being “up” I can’t deny it was a great analogy.
I also didn’t know that “mirrors up” was a thing in the Ram world until a friend of mine bought one for towing duty and informed me of this. Like, you will actually get shamed for having your mirrors down. SMH.
Came to post Cornholio comment. Leaving satisfies.
YOU! YOU WILL ALSO BRING ME TP!
YOU WILL GIVE ME ALL YOUR TP!
I WANT ALL YOUR CRAPPUCCINO!!
DO NOT MAKE MY BUNGHOLE ANGRY
Oh, yeah, I get shamed all the time for running with my Ram mirrors in the folded position. They are a great design but the “rolling coal” idiots need them up all the time.
Jason should feature great vehicles that are ruined by the antics of their owners. BMW owners may not use their signal lights and Audi owners can’t follow lane markings but the Ram 2500 owner is in a whole different world of sociopathy.
YOU! YOU WILL BRING ME TP!
WHERE I COME FROM, MY PEOPLE WE HAVE NO TP
I AM FROM LAKE TITICACA! TITICACA! TITICACAAAAAAA
Are you threatening me?!
Are you threatening MY BUNGHOLE?
You do not want to face the wrath of my bunghole!
YOU CAN TAKE ME, BUT YOU CANNOT TAKE MY BUNGHOLE!
I believe I spy, in that last photo, the one true and correct automotive color, green/evergreen.