Vehicle: 2011 Toyota Avalon XLS
Price as tested: CDN$41100
Performance: As with all Avalons have gone before, its only available with Toyota’s tried-and-true V6 engine. The latest Avalon is powered by a 3.5 liter DOHC V6 with dual VVT-i technology, which produces a healthy 268 ponies and 248 lb/ft of torque at driver’s disposal. With this kind of horsepower and torque, its more than enough to move Avalon’s 3567 lb of leather-lined opulent with ease. All have done with Toyota V6′s usual refinements, which means its extremely smooth and refined when pushed through the rev ranges. Its most impressive during engine idle which is as quiet as a Lexus, which isn’t surprisingly given Toyota is a carmaker which also produces Lexus luxury car. 6-speed manumatic is the only gearbox offered in the Avalon. The shifts are crisp and coordinated as one expects from a Toyota. As it stands, the gear ratios are perfectly matched with Avalon’s blvd cruiser character especially on the top 6th gear. This 6th gear is tall enough for comfortable highway cruising while 1st gear is low enough for peppy acceleration. However, there is one huge drawback when pull the shifter into manumatic mode. This has always been an oft-criticized with Toyota and Lexus products. Whenever driver selects manual mode, the gearbox always tends to hold itself on 4th gear instead of 5th or 6th gear. If you designed a manumatic mode which isn’t allowed driver a complete control, it makes the whole manumatic redundant. In Avalon’s case, who would use it is really beyond my knowledge.
Handling: Since the Avalon is heavily based on the proven Camry platform, it doesn’t come as a surprise that this is one rigid and solid structure to begin with. There aren’t any kinds of rattles and cracks when driven through railroad tracks or washboard pavements. At the same time, don’t expect an Avalon to handle like a sports car. As a station-in-life as a highway cruiser instead of a curve eater, Avalon’s dynamic abilities are more than enough to satisfy its target customers. The ride is cushioned and comfortable, which means the suspension is soft enough to absorb all the bumps and roughness with ease. But don’t expect any kinds of supple ride quality as expect from European carmakers. Its the typical Amerian full-size soft and floaty ride which make Avalon appeals to its Buick-like customers. When pushed through corners, there are plenty of body rolls and understeer is pronounced. Toyota’s VSC, or Vehicle Stability Control, tends to step in quite aggressively whenever driver wants to make Avalon rears its ugly heads. When you consider most of Avalon’s buyers are half feet into the grave, this kind of active safety feature is more than needed given their lack of attention. The steering feel is typical Toyota variety, which means it feels detached and completely lack of any kind of driver feedback. However, its quite precise at time.
Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, Avalon’s braking performance is more than enough to satisfy its target buyers. The stopping distance is short while pedal feels firm and solid. The whole pedal actually have some lives to it as driver drops the anchor. ABS doesn’t step in unnecessarily has always been a good thing too.
Interior: Slip behind the wheel of the Avalon, the interior materials and fit-and-finish are delightful surprise given Toyota’s latest cost-cutting efforts. There are actually surprisingly amount of soft-touch plastic on the dashboard and door panels, all of them have fitted together nicely. The rest of the interior is nicely layout, with clear and analog instrumentation gauges. The auto climate control is effective and initutive, which is perfect for Avalon’s target audience. The leather seats offer excellent back and thigh support, although its completely lack of any side support.
At the back of the Avalon, there are plenty of head and legroom for all 3 passengers. As expect from a full-size sedan, there are plenty of elbow space for even the middle passenger. An added bonus is there is a rear seat reclining feature, which truly makes for a relaxing ride on a long trip.
A nice touch for Avalon’s elder audience has to be its back-up camera reside on the rear-view mirror and navigation system, which makes backing up such a large car much easier with these latest aids. The reason why Avalon’s sightlines aren’t that great is due to its huge C-pillars. While I dislike its poor sightlines, I can certainly live with it thanks to all those parking aids.
Conclusion: There are lots to go for in the latest Avalon. As it has a refined powertrain, drives surprisingly well for a full-size sedan and come with tons of standard features. The icing on the cake is how refined and quiet the Avalon rides, which makes you forget about going to the Lexus showroom with similar refinement for much higher prices.
OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2011 Toyota Avalon
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Performance: 4.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2.25/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 3/5
Overall rating: 3.25/5