[VernSchillinger]

Thank you all for your responses. XM radio is available in the SET region as an option. Whether it is direct from the factory or Port installed is debateable -- I suspect it is port installed. The option code in the SET region is RX60. If the antenna was body colored (like you see the little boxes on the roofs of, say, Honda Accords), I would suspect it to be direct from the factory. On the sequoia, they are the small black square shaped antennas which are available on aftermarket units and hence, lead me to believe that they are port installed (though integrated through the factory system).

SET is NOTORIOUS for port installed options. For eg. they willfully don't order vehicles from the manufacturer with the factory rear entertainment system, so that they can instal their version, which looks factory (i.e matches the headliner), but is not and is not integrated into the factory NAV system etc. The unit is made by a Company called Invision Industries and the unit SET uses is the G10 model. This is why in the SET region you can also get an RES with a dual headrest DVD setup.

I tried my best to have my dealer preference a vehicle with the factory RES. He tried 4 different times (you can preference every 15 days) and never received an allocation. After waiting 10 weeks, I finally caved and accepted the port installed RES. I did an inventory search of the entire Southeast region and there was only ONE '08 Sequoia that had the factory RES and it was located in Alabama (I'm in NC) and didn't have the other options I wanted on my vehicle.

Downside to the port RES is (i) no integration with factory NAV (hence, no control from factory NAV and no picture upfront), and (ii) no direct audio link to factory system, its via an FM modulator. You also lose the 115V outlet. Only upside is that the screen is a bit larger than the factory unit -- 10.5" vs. 9". At the end of the day, the unit is for my toddler to watch Barney, so I accepted the hand that was dealt.

Its amazing how much clout the SET distributor has on the manufacturer because of the sheer volume they do -- I've heard that they do more volume that all the other 11 regions combined.

Sorry for my rant, but through this process I've learned that getting a Toyota vehicle the way you want it, especially in the SET region, can be a nightmare.

On a more positive note, I got a very fair price from the dealer. And I pick up car up this afternoon!! (fingers crossed that everything is as expected)