2018 Toyota Avalon: What's the Cost of a Fill-Up?

Sales of large cars have dwindled as more buyers opt for SUVs, but Toyota remains a major player in the full-size sedan segment with the Avalon.

Related: 2018 Toyota Avalon Review: Wait Till Next Year

Toyota is confident enough in the Avalon’s future that a redesigned 2019 model is due in late spring. In the meantime, dealers will be clearing out remaining 2018 Avalons, which offer a choice of a 3.5-liter V-6 engine or a hybrid version with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder.

• With either powertrain, the Avalon has a 17-gallon gas tank, so filling it from nearly empty would cost a penny over $43 based on the national average price of $2.53 for regular gasoline early Thursday, per the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report.
• In South Carolina, which had the lowest statewide average for regular on Thursday at $2.25, filling an Avalon would cost $38.25.
• In Hawaii, where regular averaged $3.51, filling an Avalon would run nearly $60. On Maui, where the average for regular was $3.93, it would cost nearly $67.
• A bigger difference is that a hybrid Avalon has a combined city/highway EPA rating of 40 mpg, so it can travel 680 miles on one tank. In comparison, the V-6 Avalon is rated at 24 mpg combined and can go only 408 miles between fills. That means you would have to feed the beast more often — and spend about 40 percent more to go the same distance.

In comparison, the Chevrolet Impala large sedan has combined EPA ratings of 22 mpg with a 3.6-liter V-6 and 25 mpg with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder (Impala isn’t offered as a hybrid). The Ford Taurus comes with either front- or all-wheel drive, both with a 3.5-liter V-6, and a maximum combined EPA rating of 21 mpg with front-wheel drive.

Toyota hasn’t released fuel-economy estimates for the 2019 Avalon, but it says it will have new V-6 and hybrid powertrains that will provide more power and higher fuel economy.

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