Toyota Sequoia Luggage Test: How much fits behind the third row?

As the above photo will attest, Autoblog's Advanced Institute for Luggage Testing has moved, dear readers. No longer will I need to worry about shooting in the rain or worrying about my frozen fingers being smashed by bags during the winter in Portland. Instead, I'll need to worry about blazing heat at 8:30 in the morning or catching on fire, as we've relocated to Southern California. This isn't the permanent spot (the new house, I mean Institute, is being renovated), but don't worry, I made sure that the trusty collection of bags stayed with me. Priorities, eh?

Anyway, let's talk about the 2023 Toyota Sequoia, because it sure is an interesting test case. All-new for the first time since George W. Bush was president, the Sequoia's cargo situation is truly unique, and not necessarily in a good way. The specs say there is between 11.5 and 22.3 cubic-feet of space behind the raised third row. What's up with the range rather than a single number? The Sequoia uniquely has a sliding third-row seat, which is a commendable feature in theory. Trouble is, you have to slide it all the way forward to achieve that maximum 22.3 number. You have to do no such thing in the Sequoia's American rivals to achieve comparable on-paper cargo volumes: Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon (25.5), Ford Expedition (19.3) and Jeep Wagoneer (27.4). The Sequoia's minimum number, 11.5 cubic-feet, would theoretically be worse than a Kia Sorento, which would be pathetic.

Alas, the Advanced Institute for Luggage Testing exists for a reason: Numbers don't really tell the whole story. And rarely has that been more true than with the 2023 Toyota Sequoia.

This is what you're working with when the third row is slid all the way back. You'll need to do this to achieve decent, adult-OK legroom in the third-row. All of the above American rivals still have more room, though, including far more headroom.

Above is the range of motion for the sliding third-row seat. Keep in mind that the second-row captain's chairs do not slide, meaning you can't move them up to counter the lost third-row legroom.

I set the third row to a distance where a small-to-average-sized person could comfortably sit there. You can see the difference above between that distance as well as the maximum rearward position. I tested with both seats at this middle distance as well as with the seats fully rearward.

Now, even more housekeeping, because again, this thing is weird. There is a removable floor that can be placed at four levels: bottom, lower, middle and upper.

There are also three movable plastic dividers that slot into the, um, basement, to secure groceries and such. It's a nice feature, actually.

To maximize space, I got rid of them, though. I also ejected the floor to free up a few precious centimeters of space I knew I'd need. All of the following luggage testing was done without this floor in place at the bottom. The bags sat on the plastic basement.

As in every luggage test I do, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D).

This is with the third row at its rearmost and the reclining seatback at an upright-yet-still-comfortable angle.

Can't say I've come up with this Tetris formation before. This would be the three biggest bags, which is a helluva lot better than a Kia Sorento and a lot of other three-row crossovers. The Sequoia's tall, boxy shape is the reason here, as it counteracts the cargo area's minimal length by allowing the bags to stand up.

However! We are not comparing a Toyota Sequoia to a Kia Sorento.

Chevy Tahoe: All bags but the smallest fancy bag.