2020 Toyota Avalon The best full-size sedan Buick never built
The Toyota Avalon, once an alternative to the Buick La Crosse and Chevy Impala sedans, evolves for 2020 as a refined and modern full-size sedan. The big addition for this coming season is the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) trim, which is usually reserved for more hardcore performance machines. AWD will also be on the options list this year.
Following the success of the sporty XLE and XSE, the Avalon TRD takes it a step further with performance-oriented handling with looks to match. The Avalon’s closet competitor, the Nissan Maxima, sports an equivalent SR model. Others include the Kia Cadenza (choke), as well as any version of the Dodge Charger Hemi (frankly there’s no substitute for raw V8-horsepower). The Buick and Chevy have both been sent to the chopping block.
The Avalon TRD visually distinguishes itself from the rest of the lineup with 19-inch matte black alloy wheels and 12.9-inch diameter brake rotors. Toyota’s U.S. design studio Calty Design Research Inc. (Calty), as well as Toyota Motor North America Research and Development (TMNA R&D) and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK) further enhances the visual package with a larger front splitter, side skirts, a rear trunk-lid spoiler, a rear diffuser, TRD badging, and red painted pinstriping. A selection of exclusive colors will be available for the Avalon TRD, including Supersonic Red, Windchill Pearl, Celestial Silver Metallic, and Midnight Black Metallic. Unique coil springs reduce the ride height by 0.6 inches, yielding a lower center of gravity, while specially tuned shock absorbers improve handling.
In addition to TRD trim, other trim levels for the 2020 Avalon include XLE, XSE, Limited, and Touring. The Limited and Touring trims offer luxury features with premium appointments and comforts. The Avalon provides spacious rear seating and plenty of legroom. It’s also available as a hybrid, which is covered in this article.
The Avalon’s current design carries into 2020 with plenty of sharp lines and angles. It resembles a scaled-up Toyota Camry with even more menacing headlights. It also retains some unique design cues, including the massive lower grille and rear lighting strip that connects both rear taillights. The upscale Limited can even put the Lexus ES to shame.
Tested: 2019 Toyota Avalon Limited Hybrid
With the 2019 redesign the fifth-gen Avalon became longer, lower, and wider and rides on a new platform (TNGA), shared with the new current-gen Camry. Expect little to no change between it and the 2020 model.
The hybrid’s powertrain consists of a 2.5-liter I-4 engine paired to two electric motors powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack that is now mounted under the rear seat instead of the trunk. A continuously variable transmission backs the hybrid powertrain that produces 208 total system horsepower, as does the Camry. Both models share V-6 and four-cylinder hybrid powertrains. The Camry hybrid has an EPA rating of between 46 and 52 mpg combined city/highway. The Avalon Hybrid is rated 4343/43 City/Hwy/Combine, due mainly to its heavier weight and larger girth.
The Avalon Hybrid’s Sport mode (there are also Normal and Eco modes) draws additional power from the hybrid system and can be used during EV mode. The Hybrid XSE model comes standard with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters that allow the driver to shift through the CVT’s six simulated gears.
The 2019 Avalon with comes with Toyota’s Entune 3.0 infotainment system with Apple CarPlay displayed on a standard 9.0-inch center screen that can be pinched and flicked like a smartphone. The system can integrate smartwatches with Alexa-enabled voice connectivity and offers a Wi-Fi hotspot. You can charge your devices with one of five USB ports or the standard Qi wireless device charger. The standard 14-speaker sound system can be upgraded to a 1,200-watt JBL premium audio system. The instrument panel features a 7.0-inch driver’s display showing vehicle information, navigation instructions, and safety feature information and alerts.
The 2019 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid come equipped with P Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) which includes emergency automatic braking with pedestrian detection, full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert and a rearview camera are also standard. A surround-view camera system, front and rear parking sensors, and automatic reverse braking are optional safety features.
Some notable features include steering-responsive full-LED headlights, LED taillights, a 10.0-inch head-up display, adaptive suspension, a dual-pane moonroof, quilted leather seating, and Yamaha-sourced wood trim. Hybrid trims include the XLE, the sporty XSE, and the top Limited trim.
A 3.5-liter V6 engine powers the Avalon, making 301 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. An 8-speed automatic transmission sends power to the front wheels. The TRD version of the Avalon features the same 301-hp V6, also adding steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters and a TRD-tuned performance exhaust designed for a more aggressive sound when idling and accelerating. With its standard V6 engine, the Avalon returns fuel economy of 22 mpg city, 31 highway, and 25 combined. If you opt for the Avalon XLE trim, those fuel-economy estimates increase to 22, 32, and 26.
Inside, the Avalon features a lively, modern interior loaded with tech features. The large center console area provides ample armrest space, giving way to a center stack that rises like a ramp. It features climate controls as well as the aforementioned Toyota infotainment system, complete with Apple CarPlay, which was absent from the Avalon before the 2019 redesign.
