*** Specifications and prices contained in this article are based on US products ***
A Sedan for the Ages
Someone at Toyota has made a big error and left the Lexus nameplate off of the Avalon. If you hurry you can take advantage of this mistake and save yourself at least ten thousand dollars and maybe more. You see by any other name the Avalon is a Lexus. It is quiet, thrifty on gas, roomy, and its handling and looks are rather bland. In fact, I doubt anyone would notice the difference except when the payment book comes.
Before we go further let it be known that this is a very impressive vehicle for the price and cannot be ignored for the traveler. On a 1000-mile trip we averaged 28 mpg on the highway with a full family onboard. What is even more notable is that the six-cylinder engine this Avalon has makes about 280 silky horses and still gets compact car gas mileage even on regular fuel. In comparison, the new Buick LaCrosse sedan we tested averaged barely 20 mpg on a similar trip with the full family onboard. Kudos to Toyota for this accomplishment.
Just to cure our journalistic curiosity we decided to compare the Avalon with the Lexus ES 330. If you go with the base model for both the Toyota is nearly 22 percent less expensive. The Lexus has the superior warranty and dealer reputation, although Toyota prices are clearly less expensive.
To add weight to our argument that the Avalon is really a Lexus take a look at these figures that compare it with similarly priced Lexus ES. The Accord has 55 more horsepower, more torque, has a larger engine and yet is still more fuel efficient, has a rear seat that can adjusted, has more room everywhere, weighs nearly the same, and has a longer fuel mileage rating. Whereas the previous Avalon felt like a large Camry, this Avalon feels like a Lexus LS which costs over twenty thousand more.
There simply is nothing to compare the Avalon with in its price range. The Chrysler 300 is more athletic, but lacks the interior space, quiet ride, and amenities of the Avalon. The Ford Five Hundred does offer all wheel drive and can compete in terms of space, but the engines and features can't touch the Avalon. The Ford is less expensive. The Pontiac Grand Prix is more utilitarian, but unless you pay extra for the supercharged engine it can't stay with the bigger Avalon. Everything else in this segment is much more expensive.
Let us put it more directly, this is not the perfect car. It needs stiffer suspension, more supportive seats, and more road feel for that mark to be approached. But for the money it sets a new standard just as the first Lexus LS did in 1989 and caught the rest of the automobile world by surprise. How do we know, we bought the first LS we could get our hands on and kept it for ten years. And, truth be known, this Avalon is better and even now, 15 years later, it is priced at about half of what we paid for our full loaded Lexus. That my friends is value.
Mom's view: This is not your mother's six seater Avalon. This only seats five, but your mom would love it. It is big, wide, unobtrusive looking, and has an engine that is the perfect blend of big and brawny while being quiet and efficient. An ideal mate, in other words. The statistics are overwhelming. There is simply nothing like it in this price range. You get a 280-hp 3.5-liter V6 and a five-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift that must have been going together for a long time because they seem capable of fulfilling each other's wishes without being asked.
A Sedan for the Ages
Someone at Toyota has made a big error and left the Lexus nameplate off of the Avalon. If you hurry you can take advantage of this mistake and save yourself at least ten thousand dollars and maybe more. You see by any other name the Avalon is a Lexus. It is quiet, thrifty on gas, roomy, and its handling and looks are rather bland. In fact, I doubt anyone would notice the difference except when the payment book comes.
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| 2005 Toyota Avalon |
Just to cure our journalistic curiosity we decided to compare the Avalon with the Lexus ES 330. If you go with the base model for both the Toyota is nearly 22 percent less expensive. The Lexus has the superior warranty and dealer reputation, although Toyota prices are clearly less expensive.
To add weight to our argument that the Avalon is really a Lexus take a look at these figures that compare it with similarly priced Lexus ES. The Accord has 55 more horsepower, more torque, has a larger engine and yet is still more fuel efficient, has a rear seat that can adjusted, has more room everywhere, weighs nearly the same, and has a longer fuel mileage rating. Whereas the previous Avalon felt like a large Camry, this Avalon feels like a Lexus LS which costs over twenty thousand more.
There simply is nothing to compare the Avalon with in its price range. The Chrysler 300 is more athletic, but lacks the interior space, quiet ride, and amenities of the Avalon. The Ford Five Hundred does offer all wheel drive and can compete in terms of space, but the engines and features can't touch the Avalon. The Ford is less expensive. The Pontiac Grand Prix is more utilitarian, but unless you pay extra for the supercharged engine it can't stay with the bigger Avalon. Everything else in this segment is much more expensive.
Let us put it more directly, this is not the perfect car. It needs stiffer suspension, more supportive seats, and more road feel for that mark to be approached. But for the money it sets a new standard just as the first Lexus LS did in 1989 and caught the rest of the automobile world by surprise. How do we know, we bought the first LS we could get our hands on and kept it for ten years. And, truth be known, this Avalon is better and even now, 15 years later, it is priced at about half of what we paid for our full loaded Lexus. That my friends is value.
Mom's view: This is not your mother's six seater Avalon. This only seats five, but your mom would love it. It is big, wide, unobtrusive looking, and has an engine that is the perfect blend of big and brawny while being quiet and efficient. An ideal mate, in other words. The statistics are overwhelming. There is simply nothing like it in this price range. You get a 280-hp 3.5-liter V6 and a five-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift that must have been going together for a long time because they seem capable of fulfilling each other's wishes without being asked.