2011 Toyota Avalon Limited

Fourth-generation full-sized sedan is the best yet

By Nina Russin

2011 Toyota Avalon

The Avalon is Toyota’s largest passenger sedan, built alongside the Camry and Venza in Georgetown, Kentucky. After sixteen years in production, the Avalon has come into its own, with styling and performance that sets it apart from the mid-size Camry.

When the Newport Beach-based Calty design team took over Avalon’s styling in 1995, what emerged was a more youthful and unique exterior, with performance and handling to match. Toyota builds on this formula for the all-new 2011 model. The fourth-generation Avalon is one of the most refined full-sized passenger sedans on the market.

The Avalon is so well executed, it’s virtually indistinguishable from high-luxury models. The 3.5-liter V-6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission are perfectly matched, combining excellent power with surprisingly good fuel economy.

Considering the amount of content, the chassis is surprisingly light: curb weight for the Limited model is 3616 pounds. Containing its mass enabled engineers to deliver a positive power-to-weight ratio, with 29 mile-per-gallon fuel economy on the highway.

The Limited is the more upscale of two available grades: pricing starts at $35,485, not including the $750 delivery charge. A navigation and premium audio system on the test car adds satellite radio with real-time traffic updates, MP3 and iPod interface, Bluetooth connectivity and a rearview camera ($1450). Floor mats cost $199, bringing the price as tested to $37,884. Read the rest of this entry »