Toyota Avalon TRD: Still a family hauler, but now with attitude

When Toyota launched its full-size Avalon sedan in 1995, it did so with commercials depicting the full-size four-door sedan smoothing over bumps and literally floating on clouds. The ad was reminiscent of Ford’s 1966 LTD commercial, showing a luxury diamond being sliced by a stone cutter in the rear seat.

Thus, began two decades of the Avalon being a quiet barge amounting to automotive NyQuil. Toyota is now trying desperately to shed the sedan's original persona (Japanese-Buick image) for one that is decidedly less tranquil. And they may just have something here.

Since 2015, TRD has been associated with the off-roading Tundra, Tacoma and 4Runner trucks, even though the name stands for Toyota Racing Development. For MY 2020 Toyota has expanded the sub-series to include the Rav4 and Tundra-based Sequoia, yet now has applied the name to create a more performance-oriented Avalon, as well as Camry. However, no such deal for the “86” or new Supra.

The current-gen Avalon is one of the sharpest driving experiences along with one of the most aggressive designs ever. It’s Toyota's first bid to eradicate thoughts of “This is not your father’s Avalon”. The sporty new Avalon TRD trim level takes it from there.

The Avalon TRD's exterior appearance is nothing if not earthshattering and a knockout. First is its low stance with its lightweight 19-inch black anodized wheels which are a half-inch wider, with a 0.6-inch-lower ride height, springs that are 10 percent firmer in front and 15 percent firmer in the rear, stiffer anti-roll bars, revised nonadaptive dampers with internal return springs, beefed-up underbody braces, 0.9-inch-larger front brake rotors with two-piston calipers (versus the one-piston calipers on lesser models). Body cladding includes some serious chin spoilers, lower sill moldings and a slightly aggressive rear spoiler.

Inside, the interior of my Supersonic Red TRD came with black supportive Ultrasuede seats with red stitching and striking red seat/shoulder belts. Other palette selections include Chill Pearl, Celestial Silver and Midnight Black. However, all come with the same color interior. Except for the aluminum pedals and matching paddle shifters, everything else is fairly status quo.

Is the front-wheel-drive Avalon TRD a challenger for the similarly sized, rear-drive Dodge Charger with its beefy Hemi V-8? Absolutely not. The most aggressive Avalon ever is still the same in performance, much like the Lexus ES 350 F-Sport is to the regular (non-hybrid) ES series. Toyota didn't even see fit to replace or upgrade the standard 301-hp V-6 and eight-speed automatic transmission for TRD duty, so it shouldn't be any quicker. However, that didn’t seem to be the case as I took a weekend cruise down I35 to Austin.

However, if you prefer a sporty sedan over a more mundane one, especially when fuel consumption and high insurance premiums come into play, the Avalon TRD is a worthy choice.

I like to compare the Avalon TRD to the Dodge Charger and Challenger, whereas the Avalon is Toyota’s version of its new Supra. It certainly has all the power that I need, yet it has ample room for four passengers, along with everyone’s luggage. And putting the Avalon TRD to the test; it makes a helluva grocery getter.

The only constructive criticism I have is that the Avalon doesn’t have a panoramic roof like the Lexus ES 350, although it does have a regular glass moonroof, which is something a Supra or even the Nissan Maxima SR doesn’t have.

While the Avalon 's chassis upgrades aren't exactly insignificant, the TRD's athleticism barely shades that of the Avalon Touring that I’ve sampled. Without changes to the steering ratio or tires, the TRD rides on the same all-season rubber as the Avalon Touring, which is about what you'd expect. Even the TRD's exclusive Active Cornering Assist (a brake-based torque-vectoring function that helps it turn more sharply into corners) and larger front brakes fail to leave a meaningful impression.

It reflects well on the base Avalon that the TRD struggles to improve on it. At least you won't have to trade the regular Avalon's well-managed ride quality for the TRD's marginally improved handling. Is it anything like riding on clouds? No. But, despite lacking the Touring's adaptive dampers, the TRD still rides about the same and rounds off most road imperfections with plenty of squish..

Size mostly explains the disparity in perceived improvement between the Avalon TRD and the smaller, lighter Camry TRD compared with the non-TRD models. The Avalon receives essentially the same hardware, save for the Camry's summer tires and ambitiously tall rear wing. In the larger, heavier Avalon, the effect of the TRD parts is diluted, though not all in negative ways. The Avalon's longer wheelbase helps maintain its ride comfort, yet the seductive-sounding Cat-back exhaust note is not as deafening as the Camry TRD.

How much you ask for all this entertainment? The Avalon TRD trim has a MSRP of $42, 300. The car only came with two options: The Premium Audio with JBL ($1,760) and illuminated door sills ($379), bringing the total window sticker to $46,394 (including $955 for designation charges. Not bad for a car that stickers lower that a Kia Stinger GT or premium performance sedan.