2019 Toyota Avalon

It is powered by a 301-horsepower V6 engine which is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. However, no all-wheel drivetrain is offered in the line-up and the Avalon only comes with a front-wheel drivetrain. The Avalon’s pricing starts at $36,605 for the base ‘XLE’ trim level and goes all the way up to $43,305 for the top-of-the-line ‘Touring’ trim. It competes with the Nissan Maxima, Kia Cadenza, and the Chrysler 300 in the affordable full-size sedan class.

The 2019 Toyota Avalon is available in 4 trim levels for the 2019 model year version which are named XLE, XSE, Limited, and Touring. Compared to the previous model year version, the Touring trim level now sits above the Limited trim level and the XSE Plus trim level has been deleted. What makes the Avalon special in its class is the abundance of standard features that come along with it in the base trim level itself. All the trim levels offer the same powertrain and drivetrain options and hence are only available with an FWD drivetrain system.

If you fancy a sportier ride quality then the ‘Touring trim’ seems to be a good option as it comes with a sport-tuned adaptive suspension system and an extra Sports S+ mode for that added responsiveness and feedback from the Avalon’s throttle control and steering wheel.

Which trim should you buy?

The Toyota Avalon XLE seems to be the one to go for in the range of trim levels that Toyota offers for the Avalon. At $36,605, the XLE trim might seem costlier when compared to the rival cars which offer their base trim level for a couple of grand less. 

But after going through the list of standard features that the XLE trim has on offer, it seems to be the most practical choice of them all and certainly worth the money that you pay for. It has the best in class safety features and creature comforts onboard and the interior and exterior features resemble Toyota’s premium level ones. 

The 2019 Toyota Avalon is only available in a single powertrain option throughout the trim levels. The powertrain unit is a 3.5L naturally aspirated V6 engine that produces 301 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque. It is one of the most powerful engine units in the class and has 4 driving modes available with it as standard that are named Normal, Eco, Sport, and Individual respectively. 

As the names suggest Normal mode provides a balance of good fuel economy and power delivery while the Eco mode focuses more on the efficiency side and the Sport mode clearly is tuned to deliver more performance from the Avalon. The Individual mode lets the owner set the engine’s tuning and gearbox’s tuning according to their preferences.The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox that only provides seamless upshifts and downshifts but also changes its behavior according to the mode chosen. 

The Avalon is available only with an FWD drivetrain option. When it comes to acceleration and quarter-mile timing figures, the Avalon is neither the quickest nor the slowest of the lot. It does a 0-60 MPH pull in 6 seconds and does a quarter-mile pull in 14.6 seconds which might not be the fastest for a full-size sedan but considering what the Avalon is built for, acceleration figures won’t matter much as the Avalon has a lot more to offer than that.

All cars in the class have similar torque and power outputs and hence have the same top speed of 130 MPH. The Avalon might seem to be the one with the most amount of power and torque output but the Chrysler 300 does a great job at putting all its power at work thanks to the RWD drivetrain setup that helps it provide better performance despite being on the heavier side.

How well does the 2019 Toyota Avalon handle?

The Avalon’s ride quality is truly class-leading. Toyota has shown its engineering and design prowess through the Avalon by providing the perfect blend of a comfortable yet engaging ride quality which is exactly what the Avalon is made to do. The power modes act in conjunction with the suspension system and help deliver a confident drive quality that doesn’t tire you after long hours of driving. 

Combine the brilliant handling of the Avalon with its excellent interior quality and comfort and you get potentially the best car in the class without a doubt. The only improvement though would have been the addition of an AWD trim level as the FWD doesn’t always feel great when you carve through corners at higher speeds.

2019 Toyota Avalon Braking Performance

Weighing at 3560 lbs, the 2019 Toyota Avalon isn’t a behemoth of a sedan. But that doesn’t mean that it comes with underpowered brakes. The Avalon’s brakes are efficiently engineered to give you the best braking performance with its confidence-inspiring bite and feedback.

The front rotors measure 12 inches while the rear ones are 11.1 inches in diameter. The brakes along with the modern braking and safety aids such as anti-lock braking system (ABS), traction control, and electronic stability control (ESC) help the Avalon stop from 60 MPH to a standstill in just 115 feet which is the best in class stopping distance.

The Avalon’s brakes prove that you don’t need the biggest of brakes to get the best braking performance out of your car. It is always the efficient and brilliant engineering decisions and adaptations that matter to help make a car better in every possible way. The Avalon and Maxima lead this section by stopping quicker than the Kia and Chrysler.

The 2019 Toyota Avalon is the best car in the class when it comes to fuel economy without a doubt. Despite generating one of the best power outputs in the class, the Avalon’s engine paired with Toyota’s brilliant technological aids help it achieve excellent fuel economy. 

The Avalon offers a combined fuel economy of 26 miles per gallon and provides a 32 miles per gallon fuel economy on the highway. The driving modes onboard the Avalon does alter the fuel economy as well and keeping your car in the Sport mode for long periods of time will reduce the fuel efficiency for sure.

The only drawback on the Avalon’s side though is the fact that it has the smallest fuel tank in its class at just 14.5 gallons. And as a result, its overall fuel range drops to a level where it is far less practical compared to some of its rivals. Its fuel tank capacity offers only 377 miles as the combined range but the rest of the cars in its class are well over the 400-mile mark. Compared to the Avalon, it is clearly evident that cars like the Nissan Maxima and Chrysler 300 offer a highway fuel range that is way over the 500 miles range, but the Avalon delivers only 464 miles of range on the highway.

The Avalon is one of the best value for money options in the class if you are looking for a sedan with the best interior quality, comfort, and features. The dashboard layout is a sight to behold as it charms you with its simple yet modern design cues. The dual-tone surface with leather upholstery and metal trim inserts add elegance to the interior while the integration of the infotainment display with the center console is a wonderful example of the level of precision and prowess that Toyota has in designing and manufacturing the interior elements.

The front bucket seats are 8-way power-adjustable seats with heating and 2-way power lumbar support. The leather upholstery and the clever seat design make the interior an exciting place to be in and really adds to the premium quality of the interior. Considering the fact that all these features are available in the base trim lets us know that Toyota takes customer satisfaction extremely seriously. The rear bench seats are 60-40 split seats with an armrest integrated with the middle seat’s backrest. The second row is nice and roomy and is undoubtedly the most spacious one in the class. The dual-zone climate control unit with individual HVAC vents in the rear ensures that there is a good amount of air ventilation and circulation.

The Avalon’s trunk capacity of 16.1 cubic feet might not be the best in class but it is truly convenient and adequate. Pair that with the remote access and wide opening to the trunk, and loading and unloading of cargo is made an easy job. When it comes to interior space and comfort there is no doubt that the Avalon has the best in class second-row space. The first row on spec sheets might seem smaller than the rest of the rivals but it certainly doesn’t feel so. Some of the standout interior features are as follows:

• Dual-zone auto AC
• 8-way power-adjustable front seats with 2-way power lumbar support
• Leather-trimmed heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated tilt/telescopic multi-function steering wheel with memory function
• Ambient Lighting
• Frameless auto-dimming IRVM with HomeLink

What’s there to keep you entertained?

Just like its interior, the Avalon’s infotainment features too won’t let you down. The infotainment display is a 9-inch touchscreen multi-information unit that is responsive and crisp in its action. The integration of the screen with the center console truly adds to the aesthetic appeal of the interior and the minimalistic approach towards buttons suggests that the infotainment display unit has the controls for all the infotainment features.

Some of the standard infotainment features of the Avalon include a JBL Clari-Fi sound system with 8 speakers and a subwoofer, Entune 3.0 audio plus, Scout GPS Link, and SiriusXM satellite radio. Going to the top of the trim levels will also provide you with premium features like a JBL Clari-Fi sound system with 14 speakers and two subwoofers as well. Some of the highlights of the infotainment system are as follows:

• Voice command
• Qi wireless charging pad
• Integrated backup camera with dynamic guidelines
• 10.0-inch customizable HUD
• The 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display
• Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa connectivity, and dynamic navigation
• 1200W JBL 14-speaker audio system with subwoofers
• SiriusXM/HD Radio with Bluetooth and USB 2.0 connectivity
• 4G internet access WiFi hotspot

The 2019 Toyota Avalon has revised exterior features that draw inspiration from the previous generation of Avalon. The first design element that immediately strikes you is the wide grille in the front that has been blacked out unlike the previous generation Avalon that had chrome elements on the grille. The addition of the blacked-out grille adds to the aesthetic appeal of the Avalon but seems too big of a grille.

The side profile is Avalon’s most attractive area. The flowing lines along with the muscular body elements like the wheel arches give it a modernistic and sleek look. All LED headlamps in the front and back not only add to the visibility but also the looks of the all-new Avalon.

Toyota’s clever engineering approach and design towards the Avalon has helped it offer the best in class second-row seating capacity without stretching the wheelbase too much. This has helped the Avalon be spacious but nimble and easy to handle at the same time. And being one of the lightest cars in the class helps it maneuver and brake easily and efficiently as well. Some of the standout exterior features are as follows:

• 17-in. silver-painted alloy wheels
• LED reflector headlights
• LED taillights
• Acoustic noise-reducing windshield and driver and front passenger-side windows
• High solar energy absorbing (HSEA) glass
• Fully Integrated LED Daytime Running Lights
• Piano-black heated power outside mirrors 

Being the flagship sedan from Toyota definitely makes it a no-brainer that the Avalon is certainly one of their most reliable and safest cars. The all-new 2019 Avalon is definitely the safest car in its class taking into consideration the modern and excellent engineering practices that went into building it and the plethora of safety features that come with it as standard.

The Avalon has an overall safety rating of 5 stars from the NHTSA and has similar safety ratings from the IIHS as well. The standard safety features include some of the best features of modern times such as the blind-spot warning system, pre-collision warning system, lane-keeping assist, and lane departure warning system. Some of the standout safety features are as follows:

• Blind-spot warning system
• Lane-keeping assist
• Lane departure warning system
• Tire pressure monitoring system
• Rear park assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Pre-collision warning

2019 Toyota Avalon vs 2019 Nissan Maxima

The Nissan Maxima comes very close to the Toyota Avalon when it comes to engine and braking performance. It’s priced lower than the Avalon and has a better fuel range as well. But where it lacks is the interior refinement, quality, and the number of features onboard compared to the Avalon.

2019 Toyota Avalon vs 2019 Kia Cadenza

The Kia Cadenza is a very capable sedan in its own right and some would even suggest that it is better looking than the Avalon. But considering the number of features and creature comforts that the Avalon brings to you at just a few thousand dollars extra makes the Cadenza a less favorable choice as the Avalon has a premium touch to it.

2019 Toyota Avalon vs 2019 Chrysler 300

The Chrysler 300 might be the more fun to drive a car with its RWD drivetrain configuration and capable powertrain. The Chrysler is also one of the cheapest cars in the class to buy, but if interior quality, refinement, and creature comforts are some of your top priorities, then the Avalon surely is worth the extra dollars that you put into it.

The Toyota Avalon is surely one of the costliest options in the class today. However, it definitely has a lot to offer for the money that you pay and surely lives up to one’s expectations. It has its own set of drawbacks such as the lack of Android Auto and short fuel tank range. Still, these are more trade-offs rather than full-blown compromises. Thus, one look at the quality of the exterior and interior components along with the plethora of standard features on offer for the base XLE trim will convince you that it is a bargain at the price level.