2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Review

　　

zzdcar' Expert Review

byDan FrioReviews Editor

　　Dan spent many years covering the go-fast, look-good, get-loud corners of the automotive universe. First, he served as editor of enthusiast magazines AutoSound and Honda Tuning, then as executive editor at SEMA News, the publishing arm of the trade group that produces the annual SEMA Show (yes, that show). As a contributor to zzdcar, he now likes to keep the volume low and the speed limit legal, providing expert car-shopping advice to drivers looking for the perfect match.

　　

What’s new

　　The 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid carries over unchanged.

　　

Vehicle overview

　　Most of today's big family sedans offer roomy interiors, plenty of standard features and large trunks. But none offer the fuel efficiency of the 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. That's because the Avalon Hybrid uses a four-cylinder engine and electric motor combination to achieve 40 mpg in combined driving, according to EPA estimates. That's not quite as much compared to what you can get from Toyota's Prius or Honda Accord Hybrid, but it's nonetheless impressive given the Avalon Hybrid's size and its substantial offering of useful features. No other large sedan or hybrid crossover today can match it.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid XLE Plus 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.04 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$96/mo  for Avalon Hybrid XLE Plus

　　Avalon Hybrid XLE Plus

　　XLE Plus 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT) - $37,500 MSRPXLE Premium 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT) - $38,950 MSRPLimited 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT) (Most Popular) - $42,800 MSRP

　　vs

　　$164/mo

　　Avg. Midsize Car

　　But beyond its fuel efficiency, the Avalon Hybrid is simply an excellent large sedan. Its cushioned ride and hushed cabin make it equally suited to commutes and road trips, and its roomy interior offers plenty of room for five passengers to spread out. And with standard features that include a sunroof, leather upholstery and heated seats, even the base trim level Avalon Hybrid comes well stocked. Opting up to the Limited trim brings near Lexus-like appointments and luxury. As a five-passenger, full-size sedan that achieves exceptional fuel economy, the Avalon Hybrid stands alone.

　　

zzdcar' Expert Rating

　　Most of today's big family sedans offer roomy interiors, plenty of standard features and large trunks. But none offer the fuel efficiency of the 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. You'll like how it sips gas more like an economy compact car.

　　

Trim tested

　　Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid (2.5L inline-4 hybrid | CVT automatic | FWD) as well as a 2017 Toyota Avalon Limited (3.5-liter V6 | 6-speed automatic | FWD).

　　NOTE: Since this test was conducted, the current Avalon Hybrid has received some revisions, including a redesigned front end, the latest generation of the Entune infotainment system, and the inclusion of standard driver assistance features. Our findings remain broadly applicable to this year's Avalon Hybrid.

　　

Scorecard

Overall

　　

Driving

　　It's adequately powerful and secure around turns. The Avalon Hybrid will meet the needs of its owners.

　　

Acceleration

3.0

　　The Avalon Hybrid needs 7.7 seconds to hit 60 mph. A regular Avalon with a V6 is quicker, but the hybrid is suitably powerful for everyday driving.

　　

Braking

　　As is usually the case with hybrids, the Avalon's brake pedal requires some getting used to. Most drivers will adjust to its unusual response. Stopping distances are adequate.

　　

Steering

　　Steering weight in the Avalon is light in nearly every situation, but it isn't lacking accuracy. Very easy to drive.

　　

Handling

　　The Avalon can feel a bit floaty when you drive over a few bumps in a road, and a tight on-ramp or winding mountain road can expose a nose-heavy feel. Given the expectations of a big hybrid sedan, however, the Avalon is certainly satisfactory.

　　

Drivability

4.0

　　With the exception of its brake response, the Avalon is exceptionally easy to drive. It's as user-friendly as it should be, so much so you'll forget you're driving a hybrid.

　　

Comfort

　　If spending long stints in the driver's seat is your style, you'll enjoy the Avalon Hybrid. It delivers a comfortable highway ride as long as the road surface is in reasonable shape. The lush front seats, a quiet cabin and strong air-conditioning also make traveling long distances a breeze.

　　

Seat comfort

　　Toyota does this well. The Avalon's driver seat is both amply adjustable and long-haul pleasant. But the rear seats are flatter and have less give. They're not as comfortable as the fronts on long drives.

　　

Ride comfort

　　This is the plush, cloudlike ride that interstate drivers long for. It's softly sprung. Bumpy roads can overwhelm the suspension, though, and the Avalon can get a bit too floaty.

　　

Noise & vibration

　　One of the quietest cars we've tested in recent memory. Road, wind and tire noise is virtually nonexistent.

　　

Interior

　　The Avalon Hybrid's interior is clean, uncluttered and attractive in its design and use of materials. Its roomy interior gives passengers ample space to stretch and move around, and it's generally easy to get in and out of. But we wish the mirrors were bigger and the steering wheel telescoped more.

　　

Ease of use

　　Most primary controls and secondary switches are well-marked. But the steering wheel blocks the view of the volume knob and some crucial buttons to the left of the touchscreen. These buttons are touch-sensitive, but they offer no tactile feedback so you must look to see where your fingers are going.

　　

Getting in/getting out

　　The wide door openings, ample space and comfortable seat height make for easy ingress and egress for front and rear passengers.

　　

Driving position

　　The seats have a good deal of adjustment and can accommodate both sit-up and more reclined drivers. But some taller drivers may have a hard time finding the ideal driving position, not because of the seats but because the telescopic steering mechanism has a limited range of extension.

　　

Roominess

　　This car provides ample space for a long road trip, front and rear. Everyone enjoys great leg- and headroom and elbow room. The only potential drawback we can see is slightly limited toe room in the rear seat if the corresponding front seat is set to its lowest height.

　　

Visibility

　　We observed no significant visibility shortcomings while driving the Avalon. Rear-quarter visibility is adequate. Parking sensors are optional.

　　

Quality

　　Toyota's efforts to move the Avalon upscale are obvious. Panel gaps and interior assembly were good on our test car.

　　

Utility

　　A large car deserves a large trunk, and the Avalon Hybrid has one. Even with a battery pack consuming some trunk space, the cargo area is still a useful 14 cubic feet. The fixed (non-folding) rear seat limits utility, but it does offer a pass-through for long, narrow items.

　　

Small-item storage

3.0

　　The front door pockets are small and can't hold bottles. The center console has a moderately large cargo box with a removable second-level tray. A retractable Qi charging platform sits in front of the shifter. The rear seats have even smaller door pockets, with cupholders in the fold-down armrest.

　　

Cargo space

　　At 14 cubic feet, trunk space is very good, especially for a car with batteries consuming some of its cargo volume.

　　

Child safety seat accommodation

　　LATCH anchors are easy to grasp but difficult to engage due to the seat material that surrounds it. Upper LATCH points are easy to access. Generous rear kneeroom means you don't have to scoot the front seats up much when installing a bulky rear-facing seat.

　　

Technology

　　It comes standard with advanced driver aids, has built-in navigation, and the Bluetooth interface works quite well. But the Avalon may not be on your list if you're smartphone-savvy. The Entune interface is clumsy, it lacks CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, and there's no LTE tethering.

　　

Audio & navigation

　　The JBL audio system is effective at pop vocals, but with a mildly muted midbass area you may find yourself raising the volume on rock, jazz and classical. Navigation maps are built in and don't require a paired phone. The lack of direct access to maps is a minus; you have to hit "Home" first.

　　

Smartphone integration

　　Phone connectivity is excellent and quick. The Bluetooth system works great, and if you have a modern phone, you can even search individual albums and playlists. There's also a USB and auxiliary-in jack up front underneath the Qi induction charger.

　　

Driver aids

　　It comes standard with automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control, but the latter does not function below about 30 mph. Passive equipment includes lane departure warning, front and rear parking sensors, and a relatively low-resolution, rear-facing camera.

　　

Voice control

　　Toyota's voice control is adequate so long as you understand its syntax and follow it accordingly. Voice control works for using navigation and the radio and passing voice commands to your smartphone. You can also call up certain apps and weather information.

　　

Which Avalon Hybrid does zzdcar recommend?

　　With a sunroof, heated seats, leather upholstery, and a comprehensive list of other convenience and safety features, the 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid XLE Plus offers exceptional bang for the buck. For a base model, it's very nicely equipped. You can get features such as wireless smartphone charging, driver-seat memory settings and a nicer sound system by moving up to the XLE Premium, but we think the XLE Plus offers plenty to satisfy most buyers seeking excellent fuel economy from a comfortable large sedan.

　　

2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid models

　　The 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid is available in three trim levels: XLE Plus, XLE Premium and Limited. All Avalons have a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor fed by a trunk-mounted battery pack. Combined, the engine and electric motor generate 200 horsepower, sent to the front wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

　　Standard features include 17-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, a sunroof, a power rear window sunshade, keyless ignition and entry, dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery, heated and power-adjustable front seats, Bluetooth, a rearview camera, a 7-inch touchscreen with Toyota's Entune interface, voice controls, and an eight-speaker sound system with CD player, satellite radio and a USB input.

　　The base Avalon also comes with driver aids that include automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning (with pedestrian detection), automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and lane departure warning and intervention.

　　The XLE Premium offers upgrades that include foglights, driver-seat memory settings, a wireless smartphone charging tray, and the Entune Premium Audio system, which bundles navigation, a nine-speaker audio system, smartphone app integration, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

　　The Limited includes the features listed above along with xenon headlights, automatic wipers, tri-zone automatic climate control, upgraded leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, Safety Connect emergency notification and roadside assistance services, and an 11-speaker JBL premium sound system.

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2018 Avalon Hybrid Highlights

Trim: XLE PlusXLE PremiumLimitedXLE Plus

　　

Base MSRP	$37,500
Engine Type	Hybrid
Combined MPG	40 MPG
Cost to Drive	$96/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	14.0 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles