1. Toyota Avalon
Toyota has been in this game for a while,
and it’s learned a few things. Like how to make a car with copious interior
space, a rigid structure, and decent steering. These necessary elements all
come together in the Avalon, which isn’t completely ugly. Finally.
While the Avvy is sprung too stiffly for
being the old guy’s Toyota, it’s a suspension sophisticate compared with the
Koreans. It takes the rough stuff with far less body shudder, damping out the
audible tire slap to distant whumps. The alert steering is weighted just right
between the too-soft Kia and the too-heavy Hyundai, with a more natural rise in
effort as you bend the Avalon around a curve.
These
necessary elements all come together in the Avalon, which isn’t completely ugly
The dash looks like an architectural
student’s final project. Over-lapping surfaces create a deep
three-dimensionality that is both fascinating and modern, though the chrome
wings around the gauges remind us of horn-rimmed glasses. Radio and climate
functions on the dished console are activated with touch-sensitive non-buttons
that thump slightly in response to your touch. Divots near each button have
been thoughtfully placed to guide fingers so eyes can stay on the road. Except
for the fingerprint stains left on the textured surface, it works well.
Radio
and climate functions on the dished console are activated with touch-sensitive
non-buttons that thump slightly in response to your touch
The navigation function is buried within
the Entune system as an “app,” and, at 6.1 inches, the Avalon XLE’s screen is
smaller than all of the others (at 8.4 inches, the 300S and Charger screens win
the big-TV award). So keep your reading glasses handy. And the gear selector,
which moves as if lubricated by sand, is a despicable exercise in cheapness,
with a flimsy black-plastic skirt that will serve as a show-case for coffee
spots and dandruff flakes. A few drivers also cited the seats for their hard,
mostly flat bottom cushions that have strange misshapen mounds toward the rear.
A
few drivers also cited the seats for their hard, mostly flat bottom cushions
that have strange misshapen mounds toward the rear
Toyota is on a tear to make its cars more
fun to drive. The test featherweight at 3521 pounds is also quick on its feet,
posting the best quarter-mile acceleration and earning strong slalom and skid-pad
slips. The scores see-saw through this test. The Avalon joins the other Far
Easterners, earning marks in the static categories of design and fit and
finish, while the Detroiters do better in the dynamic categories. However, the
Avalon is a shapely, gifted consensus builder, faring well in all the measures
and best fulfilling Dr. Kellogg’s prescription for low stress in lightweight
clothing.
Toyota
is on a tear to make its cars more fun to drive
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Toyota
Avalon technical specs
·
Price: $36,549
·
Length x Width x Height: 195.2 x 72.2 x 57.5
inches
·
Wheelbase: 111.0 inches
·
Engine: DOHC 24-valve V-6 211 cu in (3456cc)
·
Power: 268hp @ 6200rpm
·
Torque: 248hp @ 4700rpm
·
0-60mph: 6.1sec
·
Top speed: 127mph
·
Curb weight: 3521 pounds
·
EPA City/Hwy: 21/31mpg
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