2013 toyota avalon short term review

Currently owned Toyotas:

2004 Toyota Camry XLE 120K miles 2004 toyota Avalon XLS 89K miles

Previously owned Toyotas:

2000 Toyota Sienna LE 1997 Toyota Camry LE 1994 Toyota Camry LE

We went to Las Vegas for the Thanksgiving week and I rented a 2013 Toyota Avalon XLE with 13K miles. I guess the XLE trim is a base model for the new Avalon. Comparisons to older models are based upon my 2004 model.

Exterior: The 2013 Avalon is radically different looking from the previous designs. It's much sleeker and lower profile than my 2004 which is boxier from all angles. Frankly it looks like a stretched out Kia Optima to me but some people might like the more modern design. It's noticeably smaller width-wise, especially from the rear view. One of the first things I noticed was moisture in the tail light so that raised some warning signs for me.

Interior: The trunk is significantly smaller with an even more narrow opening. The rear seat area has comparable leg room, but the seating dimensions feel much smaller. Both my wife and younger son easily made that judgment. The front seating area also felt smaller because of the contoured seats, but they were comfortable with support in all the right places. The leather felt more like vinyl though. There is a multi function LCD display for radio, phone, and some other functions, but the climate control system has separate controls. The multi function LCD controls were too complicated to use so we just left the radio off nearly the entire time. The automatic climate control system didn't keep proper temperature levels in the vehicle. It's supposed to be set it and forget it. Both my other cars have auto climate control so I know how to use it, but we reverted to manual control for this Avalon.

There were two things about the interior that really annoyed me. There was no discernable way to adjust the instrument cluster lights. Normally there's a knob to the left of the steering wheel for this purpose but I couldn't find anything that worked. With no manual in the car we reverted to the internet for an answer and discovered that the trip reset button doubled as the dimmer control. The other annoying thing was the rear view mirror. Although both my other vehicles have auto-dimming rear view mirrors, I've never liked how they dim/undim constantly. This new Avalon had a manual dimming mirror, but when flipping the switch you also had to adjust the mirror again. This is not something a high end vehicle owner should have. I've had lots of vehicles with manual mirrors that kept their line of sight when flipping the dim switch.

Performance: The 2013 Avalon has decent power, transmission, and noise levels. All those systems were in line with what I would expect out of a Toyota. We drove up some dirt and gravel roads on our way to the Grand Canyon West Rim and Skywalk. I have no complaints about the power, handling, body lean, tire grip, braking, or suspension. These important functions of the vehicle were superior to my 2004 Avalon.

Overall Impression: The Toyota Avalon has made a name for itself over the years as a near luxury large car that appeals to older age groups looking for comfort, value, and reliability in their vehicles. I kind of like the soft ride, quiet cabin, and lots of elbow space in my 2004 Avalon. The 2013 Avalon is a completely different beast though. I'm not sure what Toyota had in mind with the exterior design changes and smaller interior space. The radio controls are quite likely to frustrate older people. This car really doesn't set itself apart from the Camry except that there's more leg room in the rear and maybe more power. I just don't see any reason to pick this car over others in the same class other than the name plate and possibly reliabilty. My entire family agreed that they prefer the 2004 Avalon to the 2013 Avalon. That's a bad sign for Toyota in my view.

Reply to
badgolferman
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Have a 2008 Avalon and it seems to be more like your 2004. Gets great gas mileage. My big annoyance is that that there is no horn feedback when locking the car via the remote. Never sure if I pressed the wrong button on the remote--I can't seem to remember the beeps--one for lock and two for open (or is it the other way around)? --that is if you can hear them they are so soft. Second one is that the rear seat doesn't fold down---that little opening is worthless. Love both of these features on my Honda. MLD

Reply to
MLD

Are you sure about the horn? There is a way to change all that stuff if you look in the manual. My 2004 Camry and Avalon both have that feature although it's not the horn, instead it's an electronic beep noise.

I do agree about the pass through slot on the rear seat. I'll also add that the cup holders in my Avalon absolutely suck.

Reply to
badgolferman

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