2021 Toyota Sequoia vs 2021 Ford Explorer

There was a time when everybody in America seemingly drove an Explorer. That may be an exaggeration, but not by much. In its first four years of production, Ford sold over a million examples. In 1998, Ford was selling its second-generation Explorer at a rate of nearly 440,000 per year. Whether your family purchased an Explorer or not, this was the nameplate that invented the midsize SUV segment.

Fast forward to the 2021 model year and the Explorer is in its sixth generation. It's now a three-row SUV that clocks in at a maximum of 4,700 pounds, with a price tag north of $50,000 for the Explorer Platinum trim level. Long gone are the days when it was the only game in town. Almost every automaker has a competitor. So how does the Explorer shake out for 2021?

Look around on the road today, and you are bound to see SUVs of all shapes and sizes. From three-row family haulers to subcompact runabouts. There is an SUV for nearly every need and every budget. The 2021 Toyota Sequoia might feel like it's from an earlier wave of the SUV craze, and that’s because it is. Born out of the 1990s SUV-excess-fest, the Sequoia has evolved into a niche vehicle for those who need serious space and truck-like capability.

The current generation of the Sequoia has been around for almost 15 years, and while Toyota has updated it in several ways, there’s no avoiding its age. Even with modern tech and safety features, this is still an aging beast. Can such a dated vehicle still be relevant in the modern car market? And is age really that important to buyers who are looking for tons of space and standard V8 power? Read on to find out.