2005 Toyota Avalon Review

Specifications

What a Difference a Year Makes!

I hastened across the Cobo Hall show floor, host to a world of automotive press attending the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and while bypassing a wide variety of brands and models I couldnt help reflect on just how far some of the domestic nameplates had come since last year with regards to interior quality.

General Motors has somehow managed to reinvent itself, from low-grade tack to highbrow tactility with cars like the Pontiac G6, in its various forms, Buick LaCrosse, Chevy Cobalt, new Impala and Monte Carlo, introduced in Los Angeles on days prior, various Buick, Chevy, Pontiac and Saturn mid-vans, upcoming Saturn and Pontiac, Sky and Solstice roadsters, Cadillac STS, and the list goes on.

Pretty well every all-new Buick, Cadillac, Chevy, Pontiac and Saturn to emerge in the last six months surpassed its predecessor in interior materials quality plus fit and finish by such a level it is staggering, but GM hasnt been the only domestic automaker showing that top-tier interiors are possible.

Ford had launched its new Fusion earlier that day, offering would-be buyers something truly extraordinary inside as well. Leaving even its larger and expectedly more expensive Five Hundred sibling behind in the touchy, feely department, the Fusion might just be the best dressed entry-level domestic period. Inside and out, its perceived quality will surprise even die-hard import snobs - not unlike myself.

Chryslers 300, having won industry-wide accolades for its close-to-premium levels of finery, still drew crowds despite its “age”, although nowhere near the hubbub that surrounded Dodges aggressive new Charger - sporting the same advancements as the 300 in what is expected to be a much more affordable package.

Truly, the domestics are coming of age, and Chrysler at least is seeing a massive increase in sales and a marginal creep forward in market share, something it hasnt realized in a very long time.

So why all the talk about domestic nameplate interior quality in a review about a full-size Toyota? Simple. Just when the domestics looked to be making headway, Toyota has sidelined the lot with its new Avalon. The new Av not only surpasses the domestics, but its own Lexus ES 330 when it comes to materials quality, fit and finish, and especially interior design.

Toyota made a similar move with its second-generation Solara coupe and convertible, endowing them with Lexus-like materials and superb styling details in the cabin, so the upscale move in the brands flagship Avalon was expected. Yet to combine such improvements with a price tag now substantially lower than the outgoing 2005 Avalon is quite remarkable. Have I got your attention yet? Thought that might work. As if such wasnt enough, the cars superb interior quality is only a fraction of the story; the rest of which Ill disclose after a quick jaunt back to Detroit.

Toyotas presentation stage was right at the opposite end of the giant Detroit auto show complex, as usual, a dedicated hall it uses for all debuts year after year. Despite having known about the upcoming Avalon for months already, Toyota having “leaked” an ambiguous photograph of a portion of its rear decklid and fascia, for reasons that most likely revolve around two parts overwhelm and three parts exhaustion I couldnt remember for the life of me what I was about to witness.

The hall was crowded to capacity when I arrived, but as usual I held my almost professional-grade Canon high for all to see and wiggled forward saying, “Gotta take photos, coming through…” as the waves of people parted like the waters of the Red Sea.

Toyota, in its wisdom, saved seats right up front for those with cameras, so I joined my comrades, many of which no doubt brought their digital SLRs along if only to get the best seats in the house.

After the prerequisite speeches, the room went abuzz with the unveiling of Toyotas new Avalon. Like me, the majority were impressed with the cars elegant styling, and upon finding out what lurked under the hood the excitement continued.

I suppose its all-new 3.5-liter V6 is why I was initially so eager to drive the car. Topping any V6 in its class, the Avalon boasts 280-horsepower in standard trim, complemented by 260 lb-ft of tire-spinning torque. Despite the high numbers, there isnt a hint of torque-steer, the bane of high-power front-wheel drive cars. Nissans Maxima, for instance, produces less power and torque, and its torque-steer makes the car unwieldy at full throttle. Other full-size competitors include Fords new Five Hundred, extremely large but only offering 200-horsepower through its 3.0-liter V6, Hyundais XG 350 making even less at 194-horsepower but also due to be replaced soon, and Chryslers 3.5-liter V6-powered 300 Limited. At 250-horsepower it moves along with relative ease, although its hefty curb weight makes the 3,490 to 3,560 pound Avalon feel lithe in comparison.

Helping the Avalons situation is a five-speed “Super Electronically Controlled Transmission”, which is really “super” gosh darn it. OK, the name might be a bit silly sounding, but the gearbox is velvety smooth no matter what its asked to do, and adding to the mix is a slick sequential manual shift mode. I made use of the do-it-yourself function when coursing through some twists and turns and found it easy to operate and effective in holding the appropriate gear when pushing the car through corners. It doesnt hold the gear at redline, a feature some of its peers offer to enhance the sporting feel, but rather shifts when hitting maximum revs.

Speaking of driving on the edge, I was actually surprised at how nimble the Avalon felt when tackling tight corners at speed. Body roll has been minimized, allowing the car to maintain a fairly constant tire contact patch which, in-turn elevates grip. This was especially noticeable while pushing the Avalon through a makeshift autocross course, which started out with a long straightway that allowed velocities at greater than highway speeds, then a graduated right turn ending in a dramatic stop. Toyota had us back the car up at this point, rotating the steering wheel to full lock in order to impress upon us the Avalons extremely tight turning circle, after which we sped away into a series of slow, parking lot like turns before entering a high-speed slalom course, the entire procedure ending with an ABS brake test.

I remember attempting something similar with the upgraded 2005 Camry last summer, and now have to say that the new Avalon is by far superior. This bodes well for the next-generation Camry, however, as it is slated to be built on a variation of the new Avalons chassis architecture, and from what Ive been told, feature a version of the powerful new 3.5-liter V6 in its top trim level.

The brakes were equally up to task, four-wheel discs, of course, and ABS and EBD (Electronic Brake-Force Distribution) enhanced in standard trim. They hauled the big sedan down from a fast pace quickly, and in doing so hardly ruffled anyone on board. Smooth and linear is the Toyota way, which is fine by my standards. Brake Assist (BA), which like the name implies “assists” the driver during panic situations, is only available on top-line models. Go figure?

While this stuck me as odd, being that BA would normally be a standard feature on any trim level in the $25-plus price class, traction and stability control, the latter an even more critical safety feature than BA, are not available in the Avalons base XLS or Touring trim level either? Say what!? Its true, and this point baffled all of my comrades as well. After all, compact vehicles that start under $15,000 are now including traction and stability control as standard, as well as the majority of the Avalons $20,000 plus rivals. Incredibly, those who want the attractive Touring model cant even get these critical driver aids. Stability control, which effectively helps to maintain optimal directional control in slippery conditions or when attempting to avoid an accident, is now considered one of the most important safety breakthroughs of the new decade, rivaling ABS brakes for preventing potential accidents. No doubt the feature was axed in an effort to keep the cars base price as as close to the $25,000 mark as possible, but the loss of such a vital safety feature seems like a stiff price to pay.

Of course, Toyotas Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) is available in top-line XLS and Limited models, as is a host of other luxury and convenience features. Of course, the XLS can be enhanced with options to cost quite a bit more than the sporty Touring model, but before I go into a detailed account of what is optional, it might be a better idea to take a look at a short list of the Avs long menu of standard features.

For starters, other than the cloth seats that come standard as part of XL models, there is one grade of leather in the interior, premium. The Touring and XLS models get it as does the up-market Premium model. Available with the leather are heated cushions, imperative for cold winters (Florida and Palm Springs Avalon owners need not concern themselves with this feature). The drivers seat is 8-way power adjustable, with a powered lumbar support and power actuated headrest. The passenger gets a 4-way power seat, with no power lumbar support, but the power headrest stays.

Front occupants arent the only ones pampered, mind you, as rear passengers get an extremely comfortable bench that is separated into more of a dual-bucket setup, featuring standard reclining seatbacks that cant backwards anywhere from 25 to 35 degrees for a span of 10 degrees. The only Lexus sedan that comes equipped with reclining rear seats is the LS 430, which is pretty elite company for anything branded with Toyotas stylized “T” logo.

Of course the expected power windows, central locking power door locks with remote access, and power exterior mirrors come as part of the base package, as does a 4-spoke tilt and telescopic steering wheel, leather wrapped in all models above the base XL, just like the shift knob I might add, while cruise control is also standard.

A few items that set the Avalon apart are its silver tone interior trim, in Touring versions, quite sporty and one of the reasons some might want to opt for the Touring model despite its lack of electronic driver aids. The door scuff plates are genuine stainless steel, a nice touch, while interior door handles and other trim pieces look rich in their bright chrome finish.

The Touring gets pewter-colored 17-inch alloy rims as standard equipment, as well as a sporty rear decklid spoiler, which complements the sportier metallic interior trim well. Overall, its the model for sport-oriented Avalon drivers, which until now have most likely been a very small group. Touring and Limited cars also get high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps, auto-leveling no less, and fog lamps are standard on anything above an XL.

Those opting for the more luxuriously appointed XLS, and my guess is that the majority of Avalon buyers will, get authentic looking woodgrain trim, dual-zone automatic climate control with soft-touch buttons on the center stack and steering wheel, as well as a cabin air filter and rear seat heater ducts. An electrochromic rearview mirror with a digital compass is also part of the upgrade package, as is an integrated garage door opener.

The XLS gets 17-inch alloy wheels on P215/55R17 tires, just like the Touring, but the more luxuriously styled vehicle features conventional aluminum colored rims. The outside driver side mirror is electrochromic just like the rearview mirror, and are heated as well.

Remember I went on and on about the traction, stability control and brake assist issue? How could you forget? Anyway, the only way to get these features is on the XLS and Limited, and they come as a package for $1,090. A premium 12-speaker and rear subwoofer equipped JBL audio system with a six-disc dash-mounted CD changer, cassette and AM/FM stereo, that is quite awesome I might add, increases the price by $640, while a navigation system costs $2,540. The top-line Limited model, which starts at $33,540, adds plenty of extras, such as the JBL audio system, but not the aforementioned navigation system or stability control system, or for that matter Dynamic Laser Intelligent Cruise Control. These cost more, and push the cars total possible price to $36,910 - yeah, thats pretty steep for a Toyota but still reasonable when factoring in all of the features and high quality delivery.

Enough about features though, what about general comfort? Front and rear passengers wont be hard pressed for head, shoulder, hip or legroom, theres plenty to go around even if three are abreast in back. Its 40.9 inches of legroom, only 0.4 inches shorter than what the front passenger experiences, is especially accommodating, making the Avalon feel more like a full-size car than its exterior dimensions let on. While not the largest in the larger-than-midsize, bordering-on-full-size segment, Avalon legroom is only fractions of an inch shorter than the Chrysler 300 and Ford Five Hundred, and therefore will hardly cramp your rear occupants style.

The large 17.9 cubic foot trunk gets a cargo net, a handy item but not always included as standard equipment, and the rear seats fold forward to expose an even handier pass-through for toting large, otherwise cumbersome items.

In the end, the Avalon is larger, more accommodating, better finished and much more stylish, inside and out, while its engine performs like a V8 without the politically incorrect fuel-economy and emissions ratings of these large displacement mills. Setting the new Av apart even further are sport sedan-like driving dynamics. Its a truly complete package, with the added benefit of Toyotas legendary reliability and trusted customer service.

Yes, Toyota will sell a boatload more Avalons in model year 2005 than it did in 2004, and the worlds most profitable automaker deserves to. After all, it didnt get be number one in Japan and approaching number three in the rest of the world by making a lot of mistakes. On that note, the 2005 Avalon will go a long way to silence critics of the outgoing car, and simultaneously will do Toyota proud as its flagship sedan.