The 10 Best Toyota Avalon Models of All-Time

The full-sized sedan known as the Toyota Avalon was designed as a front-wheel drive, modeled to replace the Toyota Cressida they discontinued in 1992. Still powered with a V-6 engine, the largest of Toyota’s sedan lineup currently parades as the flagship vehicle among the North American nations, China, the Middle East, and Puerto Rico.

Coming off the assembly line of Georgetown, Kentucky, in 1994, the first generation of the Toyota Avalon series officially began. When Toyota first started the Avalon series, it shared the k-platform with the Toyota Camry from the first to the third generations. Then in 2013, for the fourth generation, the company made the switch to base its trademarked new global architecture platform, which is the very same that’s currently being used by the Lexus ES.

Toyota Avalon Genealogy

At the Chicago International Auto Show held in 1994, Toyota unveiled the Avalon sedan, which featured a 3-liter V-6 engine that had a 192-horsepower output and a 210 lb-ft of torque power. The model’s interior was 121 cubic feet, which made the Avalon the roomiest six-passenger vehicle from a Japanese producer on American soil at the time.

However, in Australia, this particular generation of the series ran from 2000 until 2005, but it wasn’t as well-favored by the motorists of that nation, so Toyota ceased production of the model in favor of the Toyota Aurion.

As for the rest of the global market, the year 2000 marked the beginning of the second generation of the Toyota Avalon series, which now featured a 210-horsepower engine output, along with a 220 lb-ft of torque. Just like the first generation, however, the Avalon was manufactured as a four-speed automatic automobile.

Second generation on….

After 2004, the second generation of the Toyota Avalon was replaced with a fully redesigned lineup of the series, which was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in January 2005. A month later, these new models became available to the public. This particular generation was available to the North American market, but not for the European nor Japanese markets.

These models were stretched even larger than the two previous models and now had a wheelbase of 110 inches. This enabled an even roomier interior for passenger comfort, plus these models now had something more in common as a sedan among the Buicks and Cadillacs that were gracing the North American roads at that time. There were also a number of upgrades, mainly in the V-6 engine that now boosted the output power of the Avalon up to 280 horsepower. It also featured a five-speed sequential-shift automatic transmission.

The fourth generation of the Avalon series began in 2013 and ran until 2018. It now began to share the same platform as the Lexus ES series. These models also sported a brand new grille, as well as new lights that were similar to the Camry models. The interior controls now featured tap technology and the Avalons also had a hybrid powertrain.

When the fifth generation began for the 2019 Avalon series, it became the largest of the entire Avalon series to date. Originally, the length of these sedans started out at 190.2 inches. Over the stretch of time, these vehicles now measured 196 inches long. This is the final generation of the Toyota Avalon series as it was announced by the company that 2022 will mark the final year of its production run.

Crazy timeline

The eighteen-year run of the Avalon series has seen a timeline of a mostly consistent quality level of vehicles that rightfully earned Toyota a name in the books for producing top-quality automobiles for the consumer market. There have been a few downs, but nothing Toyota couldn’t rectify as a means to maintain its status as one of the best manufacturers of vehicles in the business.

10. 2006 Toyota Avalon

While the start of the third generation of the Toyota Avalon series started off with 280 horsepower, in order to comply with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) testing procedure, the output was reduced to 268 horsepower. This, however, did not reduce the sedan’s performance level. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2006 Toyota Avalon a near-perfect score with its crash-test ratings, which classified the series as among the best of its kind at its time, beating out the competition in its category. Motor Trend recognized the 2006 Toyota Avalon as its top choice against the other vehicles of its class, as well as showing signs of improvement from all of its previous models.

9. 2020 Toyota Avalon

According to Car and Driver, the 2020 Toyota Avalon is the king of comfort as a full-sized sedan. It’s also noted for its impressive fuel economy for a large vehicle, as well as the seemingly endless list of performance and safety features that continue to give the series a solid reputation as a reliable vehicle.

8. 2022 Toyota Avalon

The 2022 Avalon models, earned the top score for its class of full-sized sedans among a number of review websites, run by critics and consumers. Car and Driver rated the final year of the Avalon an impressive eight and a half out of ten, commenting the model is as close to a quality sedan as it gets for the money.

7. 2021 Toyota Avalon

Toyota excels at keeping up with all the technological trends, which is shown clearly through its Avalon series. 2021 marked another year why Toyota continues to win award after award in the automotive industry. For affordability, comfort, performance, and safety, the 2021 Avalon measures up as one of the best vehicles on the road, and not just coming from Toyota’s production line.

6. 2013 Toyota Avalon

2013 was an impressive year for the Toyota Avalon series, which found itself named more often as the best sedan in the large vehicle category on more than just one rating system. Among a number of consumer sites that rate different vehicles, the fourth-generation Avalon models made from 2011 until 2017 were among the best of the series throughout its eighteen-year lifetime.

5. 2012 Toyota Avalon

On the US New & & World Report site, the 2012 Avalon models, earned the top score for its class of full-sized sedans. It also had a near-perfect score with its rating system and was recognized as the best large car in both affordability and reliability.

4. 2014 Toyota Avalon

The Avalon tied for first place with J.D. Power’s, best large cars rating with an eighty-five out of one hundred for the year of 2014. The transmission’s smooth performance, plus the car’s ability to handle unfriendly road conditions have proven to be among the highlights that made the 2014 Toyota Avalon well-liked as a sedan by both the consumers and the critics.

3. 2015 Toyota Avalon

Coming from the fourth generation of Toyota Avalon models, 2015 is rated to be among the most reliable vehicles of its kind on the market. For overall value, especially for consumers interested in a quality used vehicle, the 2015 Toyota Avalon is ranked at the top when it comes to making such a choice. With J.D. Power, it was ranked number one in its large car category.

2. 2011 Toyota Avalon

Striving for and achieving a perfect score from the NHTSA for the 2011 Toyota Avalon was the company’s response after discovering a number of 2009-2010 Avalon recalls regarding its brake performance issues. Now as a standard, the 2011 lineup marked the beginning of a brake override system that saw to it these sedans became safer than ever to ride in. The IIHS chose the 2011 Toyota Avalon models as a Top Safety Pick. Motor Trend also picked Avalon’s 2011 as its top choice for a full-sized sedan, as did the Consumer Reports.

1. 2019 Toyota Avalon

When Toyota began the fifth generation of its Avalon series in 2018, the vehicle received far more than just a cosmetic facelift. These sedans received a decent payload of the latest technological advancements that could possibly fit into a vehicle, along with a series of upgrades in safety features.

However, whatever Toyota attempted to do in 2018 didn’t quite measure up to the quality standards they’re known for, at least according to a number of critics who take note of all the pros and cons of every type of vehicle ever made. This resulted in Toyota’s determination to redeem themselves in 2019 and prove the Toyota Avalon is still one of the best vehicles on the market.

This resulted in updated designs and improved reliability that saw a full refresh of its interior and exterior, as well as an infotainment overall that made it even more performant than before. Even among consumers and critics, 2019 still outclasses 2020, yet 2020 was deemed an award winner.

End of the Line

As mentioned, the 2022 Toyota Avalon marks the end of an era. After eighteen years, Toyota is, as always, looking to improve upon a technique they’ve already mastered so many years ago. Although there are no more Avalon models being made, the reliability of these vehicles will likely still see them on the road for many years to come yet.

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The 10 Best Toyota Avalon Models of All-Time