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By Mark GloverThe Sacramento Bee
June 17, 2005
While many automakers spent the summer and fall months of 2004 relentlessly hyping their 2005-model-year creations, Toyota was mysteriously silent about upcoming changes on its third-generation, 2005 Avalon full-size sedan. The Japanese manufacturer finally unleashed the bells and whistles at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Jan. 10 - darn near 2006 territory in this day and age. Here's the good news: The car was worth the wait. Better-looking, more powerful and stuffed with way more luxury amenities than the previous-generation Avalon, the extensively reworked 2005 Avalon had me searching for a Lexus badge on its sleek body. Indeed, the new Avalon is a Lexus in nearly everything but name. And the price is not exactly in Lexus' $35,000-and-up territory. The tested Touring model starts at a relatively economical $28,600, the second least-expensive among four trim levels (a top-of-the-line Avalon Limited goes for $33,540.) For $28,600, the Avalon Touring offers a lot. Beyond the usual package of power controls and comfort features, the standard list included leather-trimmed seating surfaces, rear reclining seats, tilt/telescoping steering wheel with audio system controls, a full-size spare tire, an engine immobilizer, power lumbar support in the driver's seat and a large, easily understood message center, with trip computer. The safety package is likewise impressive: dual-stage driver/front passenger air bags, seat-mounted side air bags for driver/front passenger, front/rear side-curtain air bags and a driver's knee-level air bag. Motorists normally expecting to pay $35,000 for this kind of equipment should be properly impressed. And get this: The Avalon actually has some eye-catching style this time. In profile, it does not look like two small boxes nailed on either side of a big box. Hallelujah! A stylist with some imagination showed up in the Toyota Avalon design studio. The 2005 Avalon actually has - dare I say it - some swoop to it. A long hood is backed by an attractively curved windshield, and it's an easy roll back to a rear window that looks like a gentle ski slope for the athletically challenged. Large taillights are built flush into the rear side panels, and they meet a continuation of the taillamps built into the rear trunk. If you can't see the rear turn signals on this Toyota, get the heck off the highway. Inside, everything is easily operated, and I particularly liked the easy-to-read information in the message center display. No squinting was needed to see the exterior temperature or the radio stations. Some colleagues have slammed Toyota for making Avalon's interior too bland; I think it's functional. Better yet, there's plenty of room for two in front and three adults in the rear. How does it perform? Nicely, but it's definitely not a pavement burner. Toyota bumped the V-6 engine from 210 horsepower in the 2004 model to 280 in the new Avalon. That's a big bump, and the current 3.5-liter V-6 also comes with variable valve timing. Consequently, the Avalon can handle virtually anything thrown at it - bumpy surface streets, crowded freeways, steep mountain roads and hard-winding highways. It's just what you would expect from a family sedan. Me, I wanted more. When you're looking for a near-Lexus experience at a Toyota price, you get selfish. I would have liked 20 more horses to do the heavy lifting in an Avalon that's nearly 200 inches long and weighs in at around 3,600 pounds. So, where does the new Avalon fit in? That's a good question. Would I buy the tested Avalon Touring as opposed to, say, a 2005 Chrysler 300 Touring - a very attractive sedan that also has a 3.5-liter, 250 horsepower V-6? The Chrysler product is about $1,300 less than the Toyota, but its engine has fuel economy ratings 3.5 miles per gallon worse, on average, than the power plant in the Avalon. And Toyota reliability has historically been superior. These are the issues that try the auto buyer's soul. It boils down to preferences. Toyota loyalists who have been waiting for the automaker to make the Avalon sedan even better will likely be overjoyed with the 2005 model. Those who like the new Chrysler 300 - or Cadillac's sedans for a few more dollars - might be inclined to leave the Avalon for others to sample. My call: Test drive them all. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2005 Toyota Avalon at a glance Make/model: 2005 Toyota Avalon Touring. Vehicle type: Five-passenger, front-drive, four-door, full-size sedan. Base price: $28,600 (as tested, $30,449). Engine: 3.5-liter V-6 with 280 horsepower at 6,200 revolutions per minute and 260 foot-pounds of torque at 4,700 rpm. EPA fuel economy: 22 miles per gallon city; 31 mpg highway. Transmission: Five-speed automatic with overdrive and special features. Steering: Power rack and pinion. Brakes: Power four-wheel discs with anti-lock. Suspension: MacPherson strut-type on front; dual-link MacPherson strut on rear (stabilizer bars front, rear). Interior volume: 106.9 cubic feet. Cargo volume: 14.4 cubic feet. Fuel tank: 18.5 gallons. Curb weight: 3,545 pounds. Track: 62.2 inches on front; 61.6 inches on rear. Ground clearance: 5.3 inches. Height: 58.5 inches. Length: 197.2 inches. Wheelbase: 111 inches. Width: 72.8 inches. Tires: P215/55R17 all-season. Assembly point: Georgetown, Ky. About the writer: The Bee's Mark Glover can be reached at (916) 321-1184 or mglover@sacbee.com.
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