{"id":26530,"date":"2020-12-30T14:57:33","date_gmt":"2020-12-30T18:57:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=26530"},"modified":"2020-12-30T14:57:33","modified_gmt":"2020-12-30T18:57:33","slug":"payne-review-toyota-avalon-gives-richer-lexus-cousin-a-run-for-the-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2020\/12\/payne-review-toyota-avalon-gives-richer-lexus-cousin-a-run-for-the-money","title":{"rendered":"Payne review: Toyota Avalon gives richer Lexus cousin a run for the money"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s hard to miss the Toyota Avalon. It\u2019s the sedan with the biggest grille on the planet.<\/p>\n

How big is the Avalon\u2019s kisser? On the car ferry across Seattle\u2019s Puget Sound, two whale-watchers mistakenly identified it as a humpback whale. In the Seattle Seahawk stadium parking lot, two fans asked if they could cook brats on it. Parked next to a mega-grille Lexus RX350, you\u00a0won’t notice\u00a0the Lexus.<\/p>\n

I get it. Mainstream sedans need to stand out in an SUV-dominated world, and the Avalon demands attention. It\u2019s a strategy followed by Avalon\u2019s close competitor, the VW Arteon sedan. Indeed, the stunning, all-wheel-drive Arteon gives a comparable Audi A6 a real run for its money. More affordable. More hatchback cargo room. More powerful turbo engine.<\/p>\n

Speaking of intra-family squabbles, the Avalon demands attention next to its luxury sibling, Lexus. Because Avalon\u2019s fancy face is just the beginning.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cYou brought a Lexus,\u201d said my son as I rolled up to his Seattle apartment for a Thanksgiving visit.<\/p>\n

My\u00a0$44,000\u00a0Toyota tester was certainly worthy of the Lexus badge. Except a comparably equipped, all-wheel-drive Lexus ES250 sedan costs $3,800 more. Buy the Toyota. Avalon matches the Lexus inside with caramel leather, leather-wrapped console, quilted leather door insets, sunroof and\u00a0head-up display.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s the ergonomics that seal the deal. Perched high on the dash, the tablet infotainment screen is operated by touch, a vast improvement over Lexus\u2019 cursed,\u00a0mouse pad-controlled system. Operating it will drive you to drink. Mrs. Payne threw holy water on the last Lexus I drove.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

She much preferred the Toyota. Quick to the touch, easy-to-use buttons, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for navigation. She didn\u2019t spend much time in the front seats, though. The palatial rear thrones were outfitted with seat warmers \u2014 perfect for blustery, drizzly Seattle weather \u2014 and my son and I toured mom around town like she was royalty.<\/p>\n

Bordered by warm Pacific waters, Seattle is hardly a challenging winter climate. Snow is rare, but as you head east into the Cascade Mountains, the white stuff threatens. Just like in Michigan, all-wheel drive is a good thing to have.<\/p>\n

I headed south down I-5 to PGP Motorsports Park. But not to do any four-wheel drifting in the Avalon.<\/p>\n

My drifting would all take place on Pacifica\u2019s go-kart track. In Honda-powered Birel karts. On a wet course (is there ever a dry day in Seattle?). No, the Avalon is a sedan for transport \u2014 not for fun.<\/p>\n

\"Rear<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cThis looks like something I would be picked up in for work,\u201d continued my businessman son. Or to ferry the family to the go-kart track.<\/p>\n

No one will mistake it for an athlete, but the 16-foot-long Avalon benefits from sitting on Toyota\u2019s versatile TNGA chassis, shared with Camrys, Corollas, even Highlander SUVs. Seattle has rollercoaster streets like San Francisco, but the big sedan never felt out of place. That\u2019s a big plus in a world where high center-of-gravity crossovers can often feel disconnected from the road.<\/p>\n

Climbing the on-ramp to I-5 South, I jumped on the throttle, and …\u00a0the four-cylinder engine under the hood shouted back. Yes, a four-banger in a full-size sedan.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve grown accustomed to Toyota\u2019s ubiquitous V-6 over the years (it\u2019s available in the Avalon, too,\u00a0but only with front-wheel drive), so the 2.5-liter four is a surprise. With 205 horses, it never labored to carry the Avalon\u2019s fit, 3,700-pound bod.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an engine shared with the Lexus ES250, so for that $3,800 savings you get the same drivetrain paired with Toyota\u2019s superior infotainment interface. Typical of Toyota, Avalon is stuffed with standard goodies: blind-spot display,\u00a0adaptive cruise-control, automatic brake-assist.<\/p>\n

I relied on them all. With the car keeping an eye on blind spots behind and monitoring vehicles ahead, the round-trip to Pacifica was effortless. Avalon boasts about 400 miles of range, and I never filled up in my five days of hustling around Metro Seattle. The city has a healthy electric-car culture, and a comparably sized\u00a0all-wheel drive Tesla Model S Long-Range Plus also boasts 400 miles of range. But it will set you back $72,120.<\/p>\n