Topic: Day-by-Day Review: 2013 Toyota Avalon; Day 1

[Autos_Editor]

The Avalon offers an excellent value as always, but a modern design inside and out tries to shed the old-man-car stigma
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[dragonfly]

This might be the only Toyota design that I like...But those bug bulging headlights gotta go..Otherwise..nice design..Looking forward to the review...Jack

[opg210]

Looking forward to the review. This is turning into an interesting and crowded segment, with even the likes of BMW's becoming more luxurious and less outright sporting. I can hear it already, no one would cross shop BMWs/Avalons, but if I was looking to spend $40k +/- on a great highway car that was not completely boring to drive, I'd consider a pretty wide range of manufacturers. Depends how you weight the priorities, but the Avalon seems a lot of bang for the buck. It would be pretty high up my list in this segment. Depending on how the review goes of course

[Jaeger]

The dash is a MESS of  horizontal lines slashing this way and that. 

When did $42k become 'a little money'?

[Fobroader]

I dont care about the handling feel of this car, the front end is horrid and the dash looks bad, all sharp and straight. Yeah, will this car cover many miles of straight plains highway beautifully and it will be as reliable as a granite boulder, but I couldnt look at it everyday.

[redman]

I'm sure that there are a group in Florida from dealers to buyers that will welcome the new Avalon.

Florida was the place where I've seen more Avalon's on the road per cap than any other place. Guess retirees love em.

[hemusbull]

Although the car is a little messy inside, the outside look is better than current Camry and even newest '14 Corolla IMO!

[SaskSpecV]

Having never driven an Avalon (or competing "large" FWD car), what is the benefit over a comparable loaded midsize car?  For example:
Avalon vs V6 Camry
Taurus vs 2.0T Fusion
Azera vs 2.0T Sonata
Impala vs 2.0T Malibu
Are the gains in room/features/refinement significant over the midsize version?  These large FWD cars seem somewhat redundant to me now that midsize sedans are so large/powerful/feature-laden.  But since I haven't driven them, I could be missing something.  The only "large" FWD sedan I've driven is the Maxima, and while it is marginally more sporty/luxurious than a loaded V6 Altima, the difference to me wasn't all that significant.

[bombastic]

Sound like a great car. I even liked the previous iteration as well.

[tooscoops]

i find the wheelbase can do a lot more than the suspension to make the ride a smooth one... plus, the bigger cars will generally have a bit more sophisticated ride i've found.

not a rule of course, but in most cases...

hell, i just got back from a test drive where the driver said... and i quote... man this drives so much smoother than all the other cars i've driven today...

it was in an avenger. all he had driven were compact/subcompact to stay in his price range... so i highly doubt the springs or anything were actually better, so it must be the wheelbase. all i can think!

on to the subject... i find that front looks kind of vw ish... maybe the next generation of jetta front end. as a whole though, i feel like the avalon is in a tough spot... i don't see many younger buyers going this route over an optima... and older ones i feel will go the lexus/acura route prior to spending big (enough) coin on a mainstream brand.

[JRM]

I rather like the dash.  The more traditional look is getting very tired.  Audi has gone with a similar, although perhaps cleaner, design.  That being said, the Avalon makes little sense to me.  I'd head to the nearest Lexus dealer if I were looking for an entry level luxury sedan in the Toyota family.  The ES 350 looks and probably drives a lot sportier for about the same price and carries the Lexus badge to boot.   No contest!

[greengs]

It won the latest C&D comparo against: Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Chevy Impala, Kia Cadenza and Hyundai Azera.

Ranking was:

1.Avalon
2.Impala
3.Charger
4.300
5.Azera
6.Cadenza

[tortoise]

The ES 350 looks and probably drives a lot sportier for about the same price and carries the Lexus badge to boot.   No contest!

A $5k-10k price difference is hardly the 'same price'.

And there are a lot of wealthy cheap people out there who want a big car but don't want to pay the premium.

[Fobroader]

It won the latest C&D comparo against: Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Chevy Impala, Kia Cadenza and Hyundai Azera.

Ranking was:

1.Avalon
2.Impala
3.Charger
4.300
5.Azera
6.Cadenza

Charger and a 300 in the same comparison test?? Weird. SRT8, either one for me thanks, if Im gonna pick a highway, old man cruiser, I want an orange one with a loud exhaust 

[Northernridge]

I think the Avalon is a lot of car for the price. Would make a fine and comfortable daily driver sedan...just not on the sporty side...more of a modest approach to luxury.

[wing]

Note on that front grill.

The license plate is in the trunk, it seems like they couldn't figure out how to put it on the car   I couldn't either, so I tossed it back into the trunk.  Here's to hoping I don't get stopped.

[johngenx]

It's HUGE inside.  It's like a bargain full-boat luxury car with FWD.  Not my cup of tea, but I get the appeal.  I'd probably buy it ahead of the ES350 and save the money if I wanted such a thing.

[tooscoops]

pretty sure the front end should have a bracket/mount that would be attached during the PDI. they make the front ends not so pretty for the pictures though. i've got the ticket a couple times, so i hope you get nicer cops than i have!

[ArticSteve]

Toyota really hit it out of the park with this version.  US price starts @ $31K for heated leather seats/no roof.  The Hybrid starts at $35.5K with heated leather seats/roof and rear camera.  Some great used car deals to be had state side in a year or two.

[ArticSteve]

Note on that front grill.

The license plate is in the trunk, it seems like they couldn't figure out how to put it on the car   I couldn't either, so I tossed it back into the trunk.  Here's to hoping I don't get stopped.

Put it on the dash.