logo
'This Is, By Far, The Perfect Vehicle:' Mechanic Spots 2017 Toyota Sequoia Platinum Edition at Auction. Then He Sees the Price

'This Is, By Far, The Perfect Vehicle:' Mechanic Spots 2017 Toyota Sequoia Platinum Edition at Auction. Then He Sees the Price

Motor 109-06-2025
Robb the Car Guy (@robbthecarguy) has
highlighted yet another example
as to why
Toyotas
aren't the first choice for used car dealers. While acknowledging their excellent build quality, he says that prices for used vehicles make profiting off of them a difficult prospect.
Previously, he's stated that consumers looking for Toyotas aggressively low-ball as they attempt to secure one at low prices. This time, he set his sights on a 2017
Toyota Sequoia
. Despite his adoration for the truck, he was shocked by the auction price for the ride.
Robb delineates his astonishment at the car's pricing in a viral TikTok, and other users on the app shared his surprise.
Unaffordable Toyota
"Toyota Sequoias are unaffordable. I'm standing next to a 2017 here at a dealer-only auction. Only a dealer can buy this. This is a repossession. I'm gonna show you how much it costs. You're not going to believe it," he begins.
Following this, he begins to give a tour of the vehicle, panning around its exterior. "So it's a 2017 with 70,000 miles. Beautiful. Mint." Then, he focuses on the car's wheels before assessing the rest of its aesthetics. 'Tires less than a hundred miles. Let's take a look at the body. It is the Platinum edition, and if you know, you know. It is absolutely gorgeous,' he says as he approaches the vehicle's rear.
'It's got the best motor in the world. This is by far the best motor ever made.' Robb points out the iForce 5.7-liter V8 badging on the Sequoia's hatch, situated right above its exhaust. 'Toyota's 5.7 is the best gas motor in the world. There is not another motor that comes close, right?'
Upon extolling the excellence of the vehicle, he then praises its versatility. 'All right, here it goes. This can tow your boat. This can do anything you need it to do. Haul your family, take you on long trips. This is by far the perfect vehicle, the perfect vehicle.'
Afterward, his video transitions to an accounting of its interior luxuries. His clip shows off the 2017 Sequoia's plush cabin, which sports brown leather seats. 'Orange, I wanna say orange but the brown insides … but you get the gist. It's got the third row. It is absolutely gorgeous.'
$40K Sequoia
At this point in the clip, Robb then details its eye-watering price at the auction. 'This vehicle at a dealer-only auction is gonna sell for $40,000.' As he reveals this information verbally, an accompanying screenshot of the dealership price is displayed in the video.
The price of the car, along with other data points, is featured in this screengrab. Its adjusted MMR (Manheim Market Report) sits at $39,900. This figure is a
tool that projects what a car will sell for
based on current buying trends of particular makes and models.
In the same image, the analytics reveal that the car has accrued 70,170 miles on it. This puts the Sequoia well below similar models on the market. According to the MMR, other 2017 offerings will have about 123,130 miles of pavement on their drivetrains.
Robb says that the price of the vehicle doesn't necessarily give it a high potential for profitability. 'Plus fees, they're in it for $42,000, right? That means they gotta retail this on their lot for $48,000. Plus taxes, tag, license, you're all in for $50,000.'
When considering vehicle model years debut months before calendar years, Robb's point becomes more prominent. If a dealer were to purchase this Sequoia, they'd be asking consumers to shell out $50,000 for an almost 9-year-old vehicle with 70,000 miles.
'Do you think this is worth $50,000?' he questions.
The Latest From Toyota
Toyota Math: 9 Million EVs Are Just as Polluting as 27 Million Hybrids
Toyota Wants to 'Increase Power' in the GR Corolla
Toyota's Smallest Car Gets the GR Sport Treatment
2026 Toyota RAV4 Debuts With Hybrid-Only Power and a New Sporty Trim
2025 Toyota Sequoia
One would be hard pressed to argue purchasing a 2017 model for that amount. A 2025 Toyota Sequioa carries an
MSRP of $64,120 for the base model
. And since car prices are falling after
previous years' chip shortage issues
, buyers could have some wiggle room when it comes to bargaining. Of course, this is all contingent upon a vehicle's popularity in specific regions.
It's worth mentioning, however, that the model Robb showed off in his video is indeed the top trim Sequoia. Furthermore, the
iForce V8 5.7-liter
in the 2017 model is naturally aspirated, unlike the newer iForce V6 3.4 variant, which is packed with twin turbos. However, the latter model is a hybrid, which should net drivers better mpg figures.
However, it appears that Robb's gripes with the Sequoia are primarily rooted in the lack of dealership-only auction value. That's because
Edmunds
features numerous Platinum four-wheel drive models from the same year at much more digestible price points. But they do come with more mileage on the odometer.
This Ohio dealer is selling a 94K-mile,
no-accident white variant for $34,995
. If you're willing to buy a road warrior, there's one nearing the
200K for $19,700
. This particular model has never been in a collision and appears in great aesthetic shape. Moreover, it's only ever had one owner.
A Hard-to-Find Toyota?
Online shopping results for the used one-SUV-to-rule-them-all make something readily apparent: Sequoias are difficult to come by. There are folks online who've opined about being put on
wait lists to purchase the vehicle
. Again, this is often contingent on the desirability of the vehicle in a specific area. Getting a hold of one, like many sought-after cars, was ostensibly palpable at the height of
supply chain woes
.
Robb's sticker shock also speaks to a more predictable quandary used car sellers face, and it's Toyota's value retention. The
Japanese automaker usually packs the most resale
bang-for-your-buck across its lineup. This is especially true when it comes to the
20 Cars With The Best Resale Values
.
That's because of the inherent pricing structure of larger vehicles: bigger rigs with bigger engines usually cost more. With higher price tags, consumers especially want a vehicle that will be reliable and long-lasting. And when it comes to long-term reliability, Toyota is considered by
many to be the gold standard in this regard
, which may make shopping for a used one a difficult prospect for anyone looking for a deal, especially if they're attempting to flip one for profit.
Commenters Sound Off
Robb's video prompted a series of replies from TikTokers. Many weren't impressed with the MMR figures for the vehicle. 'Not worth that much, maybe 20k,' one penned.
Another echoed the aforementioned sentiment, highlighting that much newer models don't run for that much more. 'Hell nah, $24k at best, you can get a 2021 for $53k.' It's hard to argue with their logic, either. It should be mentioned that newer Toyota Sequoias also pack crucial infotainment upgrades, such as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Someone else called into question Toyota's build quality track record. 'Still leaks, suspension issues. Rusted frame. Transmission issues. Differential issues. See them all the time and people still fall for the Toyota scam.'
One person highlighted another aspect of the vehicle that could hurt road warriors' wallets—mpg count. 'Nice car, but too expensive and a serious gas guzzler.'
But there were Toyota devotees who chimed in as well. Like this one 2005 Sequoia owner who hit well over a quarter of a million miles in their whip. 'I got a 2005 sequoia that is still going strong 300k plus miles.'
Motor1
has reached out to Toyota and Robb via email for further comment.
Share this Story
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Reddit
WhatsApp
E-Mail
Got a tip for us? Email:
tips@motor1.com
Join the conversation
(
)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tesla's stock is tumbling after Elon Musk failure to shift the narrative
Tesla's stock is tumbling after Elon Musk failure to shift the narrative

CNN

time16 hours ago

  • CNN

Tesla's stock is tumbling after Elon Musk failure to shift the narrative

Elon Musk's big promises apparently no longer seem to be enough for many Tesla investors. Shares of Tesla (TSLA) fell 9% on Thursday following another dismal earnings report, released after the bell Wednesday. Tesla's earnings and revenue both fell by double-digit percentages following the biggest sales drop in the company's history. The automaker also faces a number of financial headwinds, including the loss of a $7,500 tax credit for US EV buyers starting in October, and the vanishing market for regulatory credit sales, which has earned Tesla $11 billion since 2019. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk barely talked about that on the earnings call Wednesday, although he did acknowledge the company 'probably could have a few rough quarters.' Instead, he talked about his grand vision for the future, including Tesla's long-promised robotaxi service; and its humanoid robot, Optimus, which is still in development. The lack of details about the company's plans to solve problems in the near term disappointed some investors and analysts. 'Investors have been very forgiving of Tesla for several quarters now, despite obvious headwinds to their business,' Garrett Nelson, analyst at CFRA Research, told CNN Thursday. 'But I think its investors are taking a more realistic view of the story at this point. Some of his brilliance has been his ability to keep investors focused on the long term and ignoring the near term and intermediate term. Now, headwinds are difficult to ignore.' Nelson downgraded the company's stock to a neutral rating in April. But even some of the Tesla bulls on Wall Street are saying that the time for Musk to take action is running out. 'The street is losing some patience,' Wedbush Securities tech analyst Dan Ives told CNN Thursday, although he said he still believes in the autonomous vehicle and artificial intelligence vision laid out by Musk and Tesla. Musk has made big promises about his robotaxi service, including that it would be in service within a year as early as 2019. Tesla's robotaxis finally rolled out in June this year, albeit in a limited portion of Austin, Texas, to friends and fans of the company, and with an employee sitting beside the empty driver's seat. However, that limited rollout wasn't enough to stop Musk from making extraordinary claims on Wednesday that the service would be available to half the nation's population by year's end. To achieve that, Tesla will need to get regulatory permission to operate in two states per week through the rest of the year, including New York, which does not allow autonomous vehicles on its roads. Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein said that while he does believe Tesla will eventually be successful in its robotaxi venture, 'the software will require further testing' and he does not expect a full robotaxi product until 2028. But Musk has a history of making grand promises that do not pan out. Like the Cybertruck – the only new vehicle Tesla has offered in the last six years. Musk said Tesla was supposed to be delivering 250,000 vehicles annually by this year. But full-year sales of the Cybertruck and Tesla's two other expensive models were less than 80,000. Sales of the three plunged 52% in the most recent quarter. Tesla also started the year forecasting it would achieve higher sales following its first annual sales drop in its history in 2024. But after two quarters of record sales declines, most investors now assume that it will not meet that goal either. And with Musk himself barely mentioning car sales during an hour-long conference call, it doesn't appear that is enough for shareholders any longer. 'We are mixed on Tesla's ability to meet its robotaxi timelines, cost targets, and scale,' wrote Ben Kallo, an analyst for Baird, in a note to clients late Wednesday. 'So far Tesla has received a pass due to how ambitious/revolutionary these products are, but we think continued sluggishness in the auto business could cause more focus on the near term.'

Tesla's stock is tumbling after Elon Musk failure to shift the narrative
Tesla's stock is tumbling after Elon Musk failure to shift the narrative

CNN

time16 hours ago

  • CNN

Tesla's stock is tumbling after Elon Musk failure to shift the narrative

Elon Musk's big promises apparently no longer seem to be enough for many Tesla investors. Shares of Tesla (TSLA) fell 9% on Thursday following another dismal earnings report, released after the bell Wednesday. Tesla's earnings and revenue both fell by double-digit percentages following the biggest sales drop in the company's history. The automaker also faces a number of financial headwinds, including the loss of a $7,500 tax credit for US EV buyers starting in October, and the vanishing market for regulatory credit sales, which has earned Tesla $11 billion since 2019. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk barely talked about that on the earnings call Wednesday, although he did acknowledge the company 'probably could have a few rough quarters.' Instead, he talked about his grand vision for the future, including Tesla's long-promised robotaxi service; and its humanoid robot, Optimus, which is still in development. The lack of details about the company's plans to solve problems in the near term disappointed some investors and analysts. 'Investors have been very forgiving of Tesla for several quarters now, despite obvious headwinds to their business,' Garrett Nelson, analyst at CFRA Research, told CNN Thursday. 'But I think its investors are taking a more realistic view of the story at this point. Some of his brilliance has been his ability to keep investors focused on the long term and ignoring the near term and intermediate term. Now, headwinds are difficult to ignore.' Nelson downgraded the company's stock to a neutral rating in April. But even some of the Tesla bulls on Wall Street are saying that the time for Musk to take action is running out. 'The street is losing some patience,' Wedbush Securities tech analyst Dan Ives told CNN Thursday, although he said he still believes in the autonomous vehicle and artificial intelligence vision laid out by Musk and Tesla. Musk has made big promises about his robotaxi service, including that it would be in service within a year as early as 2019. Tesla's robotaxis finally rolled out in June this year, albeit in a limited portion of Austin, Texas, to friends and fans of the company, and with an employee sitting beside the empty driver's seat. However, that limited rollout wasn't enough to stop Musk from making extraordinary claims on Wednesday that the service would be available to half the nation's population by year's end. To achieve that, Tesla will need to get regulatory permission to operate in two states per week through the rest of the year, including New York, which does not allow autonomous vehicles on its roads. Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein said that while he does believe Tesla will eventually be successful in its robotaxi venture, 'the software will require further testing' and he does not expect a full robotaxi product until 2028. But Musk has a history of making grand promises that do not pan out. Like the Cybertruck – the only new vehicle Tesla has offered in the last six years. Musk said Tesla was supposed to be delivering 250,000 vehicles annually by this year. But full-year sales of the Cybertruck and Tesla's two other expensive models were less than 80,000. Sales of the three plunged 52% in the most recent quarter. Tesla also started the year forecasting it would achieve higher sales following its first annual sales drop in its history in 2024. But after two quarters of record sales declines, most investors now assume that it will not meet that goal either. And with Musk himself barely mentioning car sales during an hour-long conference call, it doesn't appear that is enough for shareholders any longer. 'We are mixed on Tesla's ability to meet its robotaxi timelines, cost targets, and scale,' wrote Ben Kallo, an analyst for Baird, in a note to clients late Wednesday. 'So far Tesla has received a pass due to how ambitious/revolutionary these products are, but we think continued sluggishness in the auto business could cause more focus on the near term.'

Musk Tells Tesla Investors to Focus on a Future Filled With Robots
Musk Tells Tesla Investors to Focus on a Future Filled With Robots

Wall Street Journal

time16 hours ago

  • Wall Street Journal

Musk Tells Tesla Investors to Focus on a Future Filled With Robots

Robotaxis driving around Austin. A humanoid robot serving popcorn in Los Angeles. A Tesla TSLA -8.96%decrease; red down pointing triangle delivering itself to a customer. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk is telling investors the carmaker's future is closer than ever—and it doesn't depend on selling electric vehicles. Musk glided past Tesla's falling sales and loss of profits from car sales and EV credits on a call with Wall Street Wednesday evening as he described Tesla as a company in transition. He encouraged investors to look past Tesla's poor financials and focus on its recent achievements with autonomous robotaxis and robots, which he said could make the shrinking EV maker into 'the most valuable company in the world.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store