Even buyers of large sedans are on the lookout for efficiency these days. You might say some are actually obsessed with it. Fear not, drivers who want the once-impossible dream of abundant room and extreme mileage. The full-size Avalon Hybrid delivers no less than 40 mpg.
Aside from some additional smartphone apps, the Avalon Hybrid is unchanged.
All of the strengths of the regular Avalon apply here too: smoothness, comfort, interior refinement. The only difference lies under the hood, where the Hybrid carries a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and electric motor, which together produce 200 horsepower. Assisted by an automated continuously variable transmission (CVT), the hybrid setup yields 40 mpg in combined city and highway driving, a remarkable achievement for a sedan of this size. Of course, you don't get the same level of performance as the gas-only Avalon, but zero to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds seems perfectly acceptable to us. With the standard 17-gallon gas tank, you're looking at an eye-popping 700 miles of range.
The Avalon Hybrid is available in three trim levels:
Comes generously equipped with leather upholstery, heated power front seats, a sunroof, a rearview camera, keyless ignition, Bluetooth phone and audio, dual-zone automatic climate control, a remote garage door opener, auto-dimming rearview mirror, 17-inch alloy wheels and an eight speaker sound system with a CD player.
Adds a navigation system with integrated smartphone apps, 18-inch wheels, fog lamps, driver lumbar controls and a nine-speaker audio system with satellite and HD radio.
Tops off the Avalon Hybrid with a slew of premium features such as upgraded leather upholstery, ventilated front seats with additional adjustments, heated rear seats, a hard drive-based navigation system, tri-zone automatic climate control, auto-dimming side mirrors, xenon headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, ambient interior lighting, a power rear sunshade and an 11-speaker JBL premium sound system. Optional on the Limited is a Technology package with adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam control and a collision mitigation system.
The XLE Touring costs only about $1,200 more than the Premium, which we think is a hands-down bargain for what you get. The Limited is a different story. It pokes into luxury sedan territory, which is fine if that's what you're looking for -- just don't be surprised by the $41,000+ pricetag.
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