Jump to content
News
Reviews
Discussons
Activity
Create New...
Close
  • William Maley
    William Maley

    By William Maley •

    First Drive: 2013 Toyota Avalon and Avalon Hybrid

    William Maley

    Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

    November 26, 2012

    Toyota is in the midst of a sea change. The company who is currently known as the brand who builds bland, boring, and reliable vehicles has been issued an edict by CEO Akio Toyoda to design and build vehicles with passion. We’re beginning to see some of the fruits of this edict bear out with the Scion FR-S and Lexus GS.

    Now, Toyota has introduced the next vehicle to follow this in the form of the 2013 Avalon. You might be wondering, the Avalon?! Well yes, Toyota wants break the adage that Avalon is for old people by giving the new Avalon a very sleek look, new interior, and a sporty ride. Does the change from couch on wheels to sport-infused big sedan work?

    gallery_10485_492_123947.png

    The big thing Toyota hammered into our heads during the regional press preview in Ann Arbor, MI besides 'the new Avalon isn’t your grandfather’s car', was that the new Avalon was built with America in mind. Bill Fay, Group Vice President & General Manager, Toyota Division said during the Detroit launch, the new Avalon is “designed, engineered, manufactured, sold and serviced in America, the 2013 Avalon marks the beginning of a new era for Toyota… with the company developing more vehicles here specifically for the U.S. market.”

    Toyota's CALTY Design Research group was in charge of the new Avalon’s design and they did an excellent job. The overall look chucks the plain box look of past Avalons and goes for something that is very sleek and muscular. Up front, the most prominent design touch is a two-tiered grille layout. The bottom features a large chrome grille that makes a reference to new Aston Martin models. Above the chrome grille is a wide chrome strip with the Toyota emblem sitting in the middle. The side profile features a lot of deep contours, a coupe-like roofline, and a raked c-pillar. The back end gets two-tiered taillights and dual exhaust outlets.

    gallery_10485_492_452107.png

    gallery_10485_492_792457.png

    Inside the Avalon, Toyota put a lot of emphasis on making the Avalon look and feel very special. Materials range from soft-touch plastics, stitched door and dash panels, and leather seats. The only ding I’ll give the Avalon’s interior is the use of ‘plood’, it really doesn’t belong in this very handsome interior. The center stack features either a 6.1 or 7-inch touchscreen (depends on model), climate control, and what Toyota calls IntelliTouch controls, which are capacitive buttons. The capacitive buttons responded very quickly when pressed.

    gallery_10485_492_889642.png

    Also appearing inside the new Avalon is Toyota’s Entune infotainment system. Entune uses your smartphone to provide applications like Bing, OpenTable, iHeartRadio, and Pandora in the vehicle. Entune also provides traffic, weather, fuel prices, sports, and stocks info. Sadly, I didn’t get the chance to play around with Entune during the event. Hopefully when I do get a vehicle equipped with Entune, I can go deeper into it.

    While the outgoing and new Avalon share the same wheelbase length, the new model is actually smaller in all exterior dimensions. Interior dimensions are largely unchanged from the outgoing model, meaning there is a load of head and legroom through out the new model.

    For safety, the new Avalon comes equipped a Rear Cross Traffic Warning system which warns the driver of vehicles in the way when reversing. There is also a Blind Spot Monitoring system, ten airbags, radar cruise-control, and optionally, a Pre-Collision System.

    Next: Shall We Drive?

    The new Avalon uses the same 3.5L V6 engine from the last-generation Avalon. The engine is rated at 268 HP and 248 lb-ft of torque going through a six speed automatic. The engine has got the oomph to move car at a very rapid pace, something that cannot be said of the previous Avalon. This is mostly due to weight loss of the new Avalon, dropping around 110 lbs from the outgoing model. The engine is also very smooth and quiet when you decide to drive it at a normal pace.

    gallery_10485_492_1224360.png

    The six-speed automatic provides is well-suited for this application providing some very smooth shifts. Toyota also fitted paddle shifters and ‘Dynamic Rev Management’, which blips the throttle on a downshift. On paper this sounds completely ridiculous for a big sedan like the Avalon, but when you actually try it, it works beautifully. I do wonder though if the age group that the new Avalon is targeted at (40 to 60 year olds) will actually use this feature.

    For those who are looking for some greenness in their big sedan will lean towards the new for this generation Avalon Hybrid. The Hybrid comes equipped with Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive which in this uses a 2.5L Atkinson-Cycle four cylinder producing 156 HP and 156 lb-ft of torque, a electric motor with 105 kW and 199 lb-ft of torque, and a nickel-metal hydride battery. Total system output is 200 HP going through a CVT.

    gallery_10485_492_402635.png

    Performance is adequate with the run to 60 MPH taking about 8.2 seconds, about 1.5 seconds slower than the V6. Otherwise, the powertrain is very quiet and smooth whenever you’re in electric or hybrid mode. The CVT is a does a good job of keeping you moving and doesn’t make its presence known unless you push the pedal further down and the engine noise is abundant.

    The handling characteristics of the new Avalon and Avalon Hybrid can be described as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When driven normally, the Avalon provides a very luxurious and gentle ride. Wind and road noise are kept to a minimum. It’s only when you take the Avalon onto a curvy road and show it some aggression that Mr. Hyde appears. Despite being a large sedan, the Avalon shows a surprising amount of agility when driven through a corner. The suspension keeps the Avalon planted while the steering has the right amount of weight and firm feel that you would want in a sporty vehicle. This is a one-eighty from the last-generation Avalon which had all the steering feel of a used-and-abused arcade racing game. Plus, the old Avalon felt like it going to tip over when driven enthusiastically due to its marshmallow-fluff suspension.

    So how was Toyota able to pull this coup off with the new Avalon? For one, Toyota added a number of welds to the new Avalon’s body giving it more rigidity. Toyota also fitted Dual link MacPherson struts in the back, stabilizer bars, and a new electric rack-and-pinion steering system. Finally, there is drive mode select which offers three different modes (four in the Avalon Hybrid) which modifies throttle response and steering effort. The modes are as followed,

    • EV Mode (Only on Avalon Hybrid): Allows a vehicle to travel on electric power for a short distance
    • Eco Mode: Increases the resistance to push down on the pedal, adjusts engine and climate control for better fuel economy.
    • Sport Mode: Adjusts throttle and steering response
    • Normal Mode: Balance between Eco and Sport

    The new Avalon goes on sale next month with a base price around $31,750 (includes the $760 destination charge) for the XLE V6. If you want the Avalon Hybrid, be prepared to shell out $36,315 for the XLE Premium. Toyota expects to sell around 70,000 Avalons within the first year, a huge increase from 23,078 Avalons sold through October this year. Toyota expects 80% of the new 2013 Avalon to be the V6 while the rest will be the hybrid.

    Toyota has taken their couch on wheels and has made the new Avalon into a big sedan that is able to balance comfort and sport pretty well. Will the Avalon's new balancing act bring in the younger generation of buyers that Toyota is aiming for?

    gallery_10485_492_887739.png

    Author's Note: Special thanks to Toyota and Toyota’s Midwest PR office for inviting Cheers & Gears to check out the new Avalon, and providing breakfast and lunch at the Weber’s Boutique Hotel in Ann Arbor, Michigan. -WM

    Year - 2013

    Make – Toyota

    Model – Avalon

    Engine – 3.5L DOHC 24-valve dual VVT-i V6

    Driveline – Front-Wheel Drive, Six-Speed Automatic

    Horsepower @ RPM – 268 HP (@ 6,200 RPM)

    Torque @ RPM – 248 lb-ft (@ 4,700 RPM)

    Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 21/31/25 w/17-inch wheels, 21/31/24 w/18-inch wheels

    Curb Weight – 3,461 lbs

    Year - 2013

    Make – Toyota

    Model – Avalon Hybrid

    Engine – Hybrid Synergy Drive: 2.5L 16-valve DOHC with VVT-i Atkinson cycle 4-Cylinder, Electric Motor

    Driveline – Front-Wheel Drive, CVT, Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) Battery Pack

    Horsepower @ RPM – 2.5L: 156 HP (@ 5,700 RPM); Electric: 105 kW (@ 4,500); Combined: 200 HP

    Torque @ RPM – 2.5L: 156 lb-ft (@ 4,500 RPM); Electric: 199 lb-ft (@ 0-1,500 RPM)

    Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 40/39/40

    Curb Weight – 3,585 lbs

    - 2013 Avalon Pricing:

    • XLE: $31,750
    • XLE Premium: $33,955
    • XLE Touring: $36,260
    • Limited: $40,410

    - 2013 Avalon Hybrid Pricing:

    • XLE Premium: $36,315
    • XLE Touring: $38,010
    • Limited: $42,160

    *Note: All prices include a $760 destination charge.

    William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

    Go to articles

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    ocnblu

    I like the design of this thing, in and out. The dash is not subscribing to the sameness of so many other cars that have a prominent center stack sweeping into the console, it is different. I also think plood adds warmth to an interior, and this one is no exception.

    The exterior is sporty, really surprising in a good way v. earlier iterations of this model. It does adhere to the long roof, six-window, fastback, short deck sedan school of design pioneered in the modern age by the Audi A7, and shared by the Fusion, '14 Impala and MKZ, among others (arguably, the Benz CLS may have started the trend, but that car had a droopy tail and a little different proportion, imo). It is sweeping and dramatic, but since so many cars share it now, hopefully it doesn't become cliche too soon.

    It appears that Toyota has kept a relatively low beltline here, something that is also a refreshing change from recent design convention. It contributes to a slimmer profile and, hopefully, better visibility, which has been the bane of high beltline cars from all over the map.

    Seeing this sporty new Avalon makes me nostalgic for Mercury, Oldsmobile and Pontiac. The mind wanders, thinking of the possibilities their respective design teams could have come up with on a Milan/Marquis, Cutlass/Aurora, or Grand Prix/Bonneville that adheres to this school of form. Now it is left up to a foreign brand, Toyota, to take up the slack by hiring American designers who don't have a problem helping Japan. Misty for past glories, I guess I am.

    Edited by ocnblu
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    G. David Felt

    Good post, ocnblu...Interesting observation re: Mercury, Olds and Pontiac. It is too bad that so much has slipped away from the domestic brands.

    While the history of these past brands is great, one has to admit that there were way to many brands and non profitable lines.

    I look for GM ot strengthen their products now by taking from their rich history and putting it into a deeper bench of fewer product lines.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Drew Dowdell

    They could have dropped Saab, Saturn, Hummer, most of Opel/Holden (keep the R&D centers), not given $2billion to Fiat, and instead focus on just the core brands (including Oldsmobile) that got them to the place of largest automobile manufacturer in the world.

    • Agree 2
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites


    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

    ×

  • google-news-icon.png



  • google-news-icon.png

  • Subscribe to Cheers & Gears

    Cheers and Gears Logo

    Since 2001 we've brought you real content and honest opinions, not AI-generated stuff with no feeling or opinions influenced by the manufacturers.

    Please consider subscribing. Subscriptions can be as little as $1.75 a month, and a paid subscription drops most ads.*
     

    You can view subscription options here.

    *a very limited number of ads contain special coupon deals for our members and will show

  • Similar Content

  • Posts

    • trinacriabob
      Random Thoughts Thread

      By trinacriabob · Posted

      And I've got a good list of what can be wrong with it, too.  Some is funny and some is sort of sad.
    • A Horse With No Name
      Random Thoughts Thread

      By A Horse With No Name · Posted

      Have traveled extensively by Amtrak. Sadly, I think it will be cut by the incoming administration. If I had your ability to move to Italy, I would leave before sunset.
    • trinacriabob
      Beautiful Cars Appreciation Thread

      By trinacriabob · Posted

      This cherry one is in "cherry" condition, it seems.  There are some 45 photos.  It's somewhere in Massachusetts.  What a boulevardier.  What a beauty. https://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/caprice/1995/vin/1G1BL52W1SR117012/?radius=6000 It seems like people are taking to these Caprice Classics posthumously, given the prices on cleaner ones with lower miles.   This is a base model, given the upholstery, and 200 hp indicates the 4.3 L V8, which is enough to pull this car around and, in 4th gear, return very good highway mileage.  
    • trinacriabob
      Random Thoughts Thread

      By trinacriabob · Posted

      Amtrak is an interesting beast. I have taken the Coast Starlight once, from Sacramento to Portland.  You sleep on it, in your seat, and the Siskiyou Pass is slow going and I believe you can see Shasta.  Even the cheap seats are extremely roomy. I have taken the Pacific Surfliner once, from L.A. Union Station to San Diego.  It's funny that several subway lines meet at L.A. Union and, even during rush hour, it doesn't feel crowded ... because it's L.A. and not NYC. I have taken the Cascades once from Portland to Seattle.  The price was right, the route is clean and green, and the train cars are not as tall and only 1 level. I have taken the train from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa. I don't remember the route's name. It is said to often run late.  It did.  Lauderdale is next to Metrorail.  A real helpful Cuban guy checked you in and a sassy Black guy was the conductor.  The people were the trippiest of any train ride I've been on.  A little edgier and it could have had some Jerry Springer value. When we were kids, my parents would take us cross-country on the Amtrak Santa Fe to Chicago, followed by another train to New York.  The only part I remembered was the eerieness of the Petrified Forest under thunderstorm skies and all the small bodies of water in Missouri.  I was told that there would be water moccasins in there.  We'd allow for 3 to 4 days in the New York area with relatives as a buffer before sailing from the city to Italy.  It was done in reverse if coming the other way.  My parents were a little weird this way. (The apple didn't fall far from the tree.) Two segments on TWA or Pan Am 747s would have shaved a lot of time off this trip! The U.S. is way behind in good train service.  California High Speed Rail is way behind schedule.  They are still working on the Merced-Fresno-Bakersfield segment. The Republicans hate the plan.  It's always better to build these projects sooner than later.  If anything, this project could further growth in California's interior since its coveted coastal metro areas are not feasible options for most people anymore.  Having people trampling along the route and in those inland areas makes for a "multiplier effect." Don't get me started on topics like this.
    • G. David Felt
      Hyundai News:2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is Available at Dealers with an Amazing Assortment of Features.

      By G. David Felt · Posted

      Hyundai says the WAIT is over for the 2025 IONIQ 5 family of SUVs available now at your local dealership. The question to ask is are the available choices including financial able to drive customers into the dealership? To start with, let's look at what Hyundai is offering from a financial standpoint since the biggest complaint is always the price of an EV. Hyundai Financial is offering two ways to help get you into a new IONIQ 5, Financing as low as 0.99% interest, APR for up to 60 months for qualified buyers or leasing as low as $199 per month for 24 months. $3,999.00 due at lease signing, for qualified lesses, excludes registration, tax, title, and license, 10,000 miles per year including the $7,500 EV lease bonus. All this with a starting price of $42,500, EPA estimated range up to 318 miles, power up to 320 hp / 239 kW and Ultra-Fast Charging from 10-80% in 20 minutes. Let's start with the Ultra-Fast charging of 10% to 80% in 20 minutes. The press release photos show a Tesla supercharger, and yet the Hyundai is an 800V/350kW DC Ultra-Fast charging EV that will come with an adapter so that these NACS ported EVs can charge at the CCS charging stations where one can get this 20 min fast charge. Tesla Superchargers have 350kW charging coming but currently only in a few locations, so most of the time you will be using if you charge at a Tesla Supercharging station, a 400V charger, so expect 30 minutes to charge to 80% at 250kW or if you charge at home from 10% to 100% on a 240V level 2 charger in about 7hrs. This is where Hyundai is pushing to give you the right tools as with the 2025 IONIQ 5, Hyundai is also currently including a Complimentary ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 EV charger or you can take a $400 charging credit good at any ChargePoint station that includes EVgo, Shell Recharge or ChargePoint station. The ChargePoint network is 87,000 chargers across the U.S. Hyundai has made it very clear that the ChargePoint charger is free, but installation is not included. The good point is Hyundai has already connected to have available electricians who can do the installation and they walk you through the process via the Hyundai Home Marketplace app. If the buyer / lease chooses to go with the $400 charging credit with ChargePoint, they have two years to use the credit before it expires. Hyundai offers the IONIQ 5 in multiple trims in what they consider a trifecta family.  IONIQ 5 Family core with Key specifications: SE Standard Range Starting MSRP $42,500 RWD: 245-miles all-electric range 125kW (168 hp) SE Starting MSRP $46,550 RWD: 318-mile all-electric range RWD: 168kW (225 hp) AWD: 290-mile all-electric range AWD 74kW + 165kW (320 hp)  SEL Starting MSRP $49,500 RWD: 318-mile all-electric range RWD: 168kW (225 hp) AWD: 290-mile all-electric range AWD 74kW + 165kW (320 hp)  HDA 2: Highway Driving Assist 2 Wireless device charging Limited Starting MSRP $54,200 RWD: 318-mile all-electric range RWD: 168kW (225 hp) AWD: 290-mile all-electric range AWD 74kW + 165kW (320 hp)  Vision roof Premium Head-up display (HUD) V2L Hyundai IONIQ 5 Standard Gallery IONIQ 5 XRT The dark side per Hyundai's own website of off-road rally racing inspiration. XRT  MSRP to be announced early 2025 18-inch XRT wheels with all-terrain tires 23mm or 1-inch lifted and tuned suspension XRT Front and rear bumpers Blacked-out styling accents Exclusive interior details and badging Hyundai IONIQ 5 XRT Gallery IONIQ 5 N edition The Bolder world performance car of the year for 2024 N edition Starting MSRP $66,100 0-60 mph in 3.25 seconds with N Grin Boost 162 mph top speed. 478kW (641 hp / 568 lb-ft of torque) Lowered 5.6-inch ground clearance with tuned suspension 221 mile range / 84kW battery pack Performance interior and badging Performance features: N Battery Preconditioning N race mode N Pedal mode or special tuned one pedal drive mode N Brake regeneration N Drift Optimizer mode N Torque Distribution N launch Control Mode N Grin Boost mode N e-shift  N Track SOC N Active Sound + Hyundai IONIQ 5 N Gallery The family of Hyundai IONIQ 5 comes with a three year or 36,000-mile warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile Hybrid/electric battery warranty and 24/7 roadside assistance. With the growing EV charging infrastructure and the addition of the Tesla Supercharging stations network, getting around even on road trips across North America has become so much easier than one would have thought. One can check out more about the Hyundai IONIQ 5 family of autos here: 2025 IONIQ 5 | Electric SUV, Overview | Hyundai USA So this then brings us back to the original question posed, So will the choices and financial incentives drive customers into the dealerships and have them taking home a new EV? Sound off on what you think. View full article

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

I've whitelisted
Continue without support

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search