The 2011 Toyota Avalon is once again a solidly contructed and refined full-size sedan with comfortable five-passenger seating, an attractive interior with high quality materials, a smooth and powerful V6 engine, a compliant drive, top crash test scores, surprisingly respectable gas mileage performance and plenty of available upscale feature goodies. In other words, its got a lot going for it.
One of its most notable attributes is its excellent balance of performance and fuel economy. While the 268 horsepower V6 engine has better acceleration than its rivals with similar power, it still is able to boast impressive gas mileage numbers of 20 mpg city and 29 mpg on the highway.
The Avalon also offers more cabin space than most of its competitors. And the back seat, with its ample headroom, standard reclining seatbacks and optional rear power sunshade, is considered one of the most passenger-friendly available.
New for the 2011 model year is a refreshed front and rear-end styling, a new dashbord and additional standard equipment. In addition, the XLS trim level has been discontinued, which was similar to the current base Avalon.
The 2011 Avalon certainly remains a top choice. Even so, shoppers testing the market in this segment may also want to consider other worthy competitors such as the Buick LaCrosse, the new and improved Chrysler 300 and the Ford Taurus.
Trims, Standard Features And Options:
The 2011 Toyota Avalon is offered in two trims: base and Limited. Standard features on the already well-equipped base Avalon includes full power accessories, a sunroof, leather upholstery, a power driver seat, automatic climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, foglights, a rearview mirror-mounted back-up camera, auto-dimming driver and rearview mirrors, automatic headlights, a leather-wrapped wheel and shift knob, wood trim, heated mirrors, a reclining rear seat, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, Bluetooth and a 9-speaker audio system with a 6-disc CD changer and USB/iPod jacks.
Moving up to the Avalon Limited adds keyless enty, keyless ignition, a power passenger seat, xenon headlights, driver memory settings, an additional power driver seat adjustment, heated and ventilated front seats, a rear power sunshade, automatic wipers and a 12-speaker sound system.
In terms of options, several of the Limited's features, including the heated front seats and upgraded audio, are offered on the base Avalon. Adaptive cruise control is available on the Limited, while a voice-activated touchscreen navigation system is offered on both.
Engines, Powertrain And Gas Mileage:
Powering the front-wheel-drive 2011 Toyota Avalon is a 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces a robust 268 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. It's paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Gas mileage performance is impressive for a car of the size and power. In fact, it's one of the most fuel-efficient full-size sedans on the market, with EPA-estimated ratings of 20 mpg city and 29 mpg highway.
Safety:
The 2011 Avalon also comes well-stocked when it comes to safety equipment, with standard features on both trims including traction control, stability control, antilock disc brakes (ABS), active front head restraints, front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and a driver-side knee airbag.
In addition, in government crash testing, the Toyota Avalon earned perfect five-star-ratings across the board in all frontal and side-impact protection categories.
Interior:
The new Avalon's cabin possesses an upscale overall look and feel, owing to its attractive design, high materials quality, glowing gauges and standard wood and metallic trim. Its redesigned center stack and dash also lend to the luxurious ambience. In fact, it's quite similar to the uplevel cabins of its Lexus cousins.
The seating up front is spacious and comfortable, even moreso with the Limited's heated and ventilated seats and seat-cushion length adjuster. Rear seating is also comfortable, supportive and roomy with seats that manually recline allowing passengers to really stretch out during long trips. The trunk's storage capacity is adequate at 14.4 cubic feet, although a bit smaller than other full-size sedans.
Drive:
The drive of the 2011 Toyota Avalon is extremely quiet and smooth, resulting in highway cruising that's especially pleasurable. Around town the super-smooth V6 engine packs ample power, the suspension handles road roughspots easily, the steering is precise and a surprisingly tight turning radius adds convenient maneuverability. All that said, however, it should be noted that the Avalon has been engineered to emphasize comfort over athletic performance.
How To Get The Lowest Price:
Best Negotiating Tactic: Well, there's definitely a 'best way' when it comes to new car buying. If you want to get the best bottomline, out-the-door price you need to know exactly who to talk to at the dealership, how to make the contact and how to make this person eager to quickly drop prices as low as possible to get your sale.
Those of you in the market for a used car may want to check out this article about how to buy a used car at the lowest price. It details a super effective buying method, one that often beats down prices to wholesale levels.
And somewhat related to this, here's another excellent method that identifies Price-Distressed Cars Right On Dealer Lots. These are vehicles they are so desperate to unload they would welcome your wholesale offer.
In addition, you can also try Wholesale Car Auctions in your own geographic area. While there can be a lot of junk vehicles at these auctions, there are often absolute gems sprinkled in as well. This article reviews what to expect at open-to-the-public car auctions and how to locate them in your own area.
Prices:
2011 Toyota Avalon:
Base, FWD: list price: $32,245, invoice price: $28,696
Limited, FWD: list price: $35,485, invoice price: $31,579
