2019 Toyota Avalon Master Thread

ssun30

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There may be some nice things about this new version....I won't deny that. But, IMO, the styling is a fail. Look at that center screen......looks like a ski jump. And the grille on the Touring version looks like a chipmunk stocking up for the winter LOL.

Let's hope the ES interior has more thought going into it instead of this slab of screen and some buttons.

I still think the mesh grille on the Touring looks okay. If they called it ES F-sport or something I wouldn't think it would be a major problem. Those regular chrome strips though, beyond terrible.
 

spwolf

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Let's hope the ES interior has more thought going into it instead of this slab of screen and some buttons.

I still think the mesh grille on the Touring looks okay. If they called it ES F-sport or something I wouldn't think it would be a major problem. Those regular chrome strips though, beyond terrible.

I like this interior in Toyota a lot. Check out higher res pictures. They managed to integrate many buttons without making it look overcrowded.

I also much preffer big grille to those chrome things. But it is american vehicle, they like it.

Otherwise, ES has never shared interior with Toyota anyway.
 

Ian Schmidt

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I'll take this interior over a number of current Lexus products, starting with the NX and GX. It looks very luxurious, especially with the classic tan leather.
 

mmcartalk

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Let's hope the ES interior has more thought going into it instead of this slab of screen and some buttons.

I still think the mesh grille on the Touring looks okay. If they called it ES F-sport or something I wouldn't think it would be a major problem. Those regular chrome strips though, beyond terrible.


OK....I'll respect your opinion on it. To me, the grille, especially in the all-black Touring version, looks like an over-stuffed chipmunk.
 

mmcartalk

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I'll take this interior over a number of current Lexus products, starting with the NX and GX. It looks very luxurious, especially with the classic tan leather.

Actually, without that ski-jump, I'd probably agree with you.......not bad, assuming that the materials are of decent quality, which we won't know until we actually see and sit in it. But that center-dash section, IMO, really messes it up.
 

Joaquin Ruhi

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I actually kinda like the ski jump as a way to better integrate the "stuck-on tablet" look of the infotainment screen so prevalent on Mercedes and Mazda vehicles, among others. I think this interior is a shoo-in for the next round of WardsAuto's 10 Best Interiors awards.
 

Gecko

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Same exact problem as any TMC vehicle with the spindle grille: it only looks great with the mesh texture, but hideous with the regular chrome strips and that's what people see most of the time.

The new Avalon has a good chance of finally leaving the american soil and land on the other side of the pacific. Words are that FAW-Toyota is axing the Crown (which is highly regarded but doesn't sell well) in favor of the Avalon just to share some elements with GAC's Camry. At least I think it looks more interesting than the JDM Crown concept which tries too hard to look like an E-Class.

And still we are not seeing new drivetrain debut. Are they holding back the Dynamic Force V6 with AWD for the ES launch?

Just me, but I like the standard/chrome grill over the mesh/Touring grill.

I think Avalon has the same 301hp V6/8AT as the Camry XSE V6.
 

supra93

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2019 Toyota Avalon Is More Efficient, Packs More Technology

Car switches to the company’s TNGA modular platform.

The 2019 Toyota Avalon is all new, yet its mission is essentially unchanged from before: with more space, more style, and more features, it’s a notable step up in terms of premium-ness compared to the Camry sedan. And compared to the outgoing model, the 2019 Avalon will offer both more horsepower and improved fuel efficiency.

The new Avalon is built upon a version of the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform that has already been rolled out under the Prius and Camry. Its dimensions have changed in the direction for which designers always pine: longer, lower, wider. Specifically, the wheelbase increases by 2.0 inches and overall length by 0.7 inch, while overall height is down by an inch and width increases by 0.8 inch. Much of the length increase was given to the passenger compartment; Toyota says the rear cabin extends 7 inches farther back than before.

Looks-wise, there’s a lot of inspiration from the Camry, and many strong creases and lines to break up all of the body. As was shown in teasers, the LED taillights have a sequential activation design, and the headlights stand out thanks to a striking LED running light design. As on the Camry, XSE and Touring models will have a “more aggressive” look, with touches like piano-black trim, a trunk spoiler, quad exhaust tips, and a rear diffuser panel. Overall, the sleeker design drops the Avalon’s drag coefficient from 0.28 to 0.27.

By virtue of switching to the TNGA platform, the 2019 Avalon also adopts a more advanced rear suspension setup, with a multilink arrangement instead of the old car’s struts. On the Touring trim level, a new Adaptive Variable Suspension is standard, which can change the shocks to one of 650 damping settings in just 20 milliseconds.

The TNGA platform is also said to be much better at keeping unwanted noises out of the cabin, allowing the inside of the new Avalon to be “library-quiet,” thanks to improve door seals and extra insulation throughout. Even the more aerodynamic side-view mirrors cut wind noise, Toyota says. Active noise cancellation tech further mutes untoward sounds, though counterintuitively, Toyota also includes features that add noise. “Intake Sound Generator” and “Engine Sound Enhancement” use the JBL sound system to deliver more engine noise to driver and passengers – seemingly at odds with the car’s purported goal of delivering serene, quiet transportation.

Still, there’s plenty of acceleration to be had, with more horsepower from both the standard 3.5-liter V6 engine and the optional hybrid powertrain. The former is a new V6 that switches to Toyota’s D4-S dual fuel-injection system. Toyota says horsepower has increased over the outgoing model’s ratings of 268 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque, but gives no number; in the Camry, the same engine delivers 301 hp and 267 lb-ft.
Now coupled to an eight-speed automatic instead of the outgoing six-speed, Toyota also promises the Avalon will be more fuel efficient. On XSE and Touring models, the automatic comes with shift paddles to sate drivers with a need for speed.

The hybrid powertrain is also new, mating a 2.5-liter inline-four engine to two motor-generators, with a nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The battery pack is now under the back seat instead of under the trunk floor, and Toyota says that most of the system’s other electronics have also been made smaller and lighter. As with the V6, fuel economy and horsepower are said to improve, but no exact figures are on offer yet. The current model is EPA-rated for 40 miles per gallon city and 39 mpg highway.

Many of the interior pieces resemble those in the Toyota Camry, though the 2019 Avalon does appear to have more stylishly appointed touch points and a different center stack design. The Limited trim level has real wood and aluminum trim, for instance.

Atop the dash is a 9-inch touchscreen that comes standard with Apple CarPlay on all trim levels – that’s the first Toyota ever to offer the smartphone connectivity tech, though Android users remain out in the cold. The Avalon will also have Amazon Alexa connectivity, allowing owners to “talk” to their Echo device to start, unlock, or lock the Avalon remotely. Other tech features include an available 14-speaker sound system, standard wireless phone charging, and a total of five USB ports. The driver also enjoys a 7-inch color trip computer and a 10-inch color head-up display.
Active-safety technology is, unsurprisingly, plentiful. In addition to 10 airbags, the 2019 Avalon comes standard with pre-collision braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, automatic high beams, and blind-spot monitoring. Available as options are a panoramic camera system with parking sensors, and a rear cross-traffic braking feature.

In most respects, it appears Toyota has improved upon the Avalon’s basic promise of delivering a more premium, more spacious sedan experience. If the TNGA platform and new suspension really do deliver a more exciting driving experience, while the powertrains improve on power and economy, it could only increase the car’s appeal.

The 2019 Toyota Avalon goes on sale in late spring.

https://www.motor1.com/news/227003/2019-toyota-avalon-detroit-debut/

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Ian Schmidt

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I actually kinda like the ski jump as a way to better integrate the "stuck-on tablet" look of the infotainment screen so prevalent on Mercedes and Mazda vehicles, among others. I think this interior is a shoo-in for the next round of WardsAuto's 10 Best Interiors awards.

100% agreed. To my eyes this both integrates the screen better than Ze Germans and gives a Tesla-esque high-tech look. And more cubbyholes to stash things in are always welcome in cars.
 

spwolf

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This is easily best designed interior Toyota has ever done... look at the details on rear doors, let alone front dash or area around shifter that is covered mostly with leather and a bit with textured plastics... it looks nice than on new A4.
 
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Amazing how far this car has come...

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I think its moving in the direction of the Maxima...its sales are almost doubled, so it needed a more youthful direction. In this dying segment, it, the Impala and Charger are the sales leaders. Not surprised about the Charger, since the fleet the base models and have a lot of enthusiast focused sedans at the top that make $.
 

mikeavelli

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I think its moving in the direction of the Maxima...its sales are almost doubled, so it needed a more youthful direction. In this dying segment, it, the Impala and Charger are the sales leaders. Not surprised about the Charger, since the fleet the base models and have a lot of enthusiast focused sedans at the top that make $.

Good point on the Maxima, which I am a fan of. I noticed their FB group is chatting about the Avalon a ton. Interesting to think the first gen Avalon was a Buick boat and the Maxima as marketed and tuned to be sporty. Today the Maxima has a CVT and the Avalon has an adjustable suspenison and tuning. Wow.
 

spwolf

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Good point on the Maxima, which I am a fan of. I noticed their FB group is chatting about the Avalon a ton. Interesting to think the first gen Avalon was a Buick boat and the Maxima as marketed and tuned to be sporty. Today the Maxima has a CVT and the Avalon has an adjustable suspenison and tuning. Wow.

I wonder about Maxima fleet sales too. Charger is not only a fleet car but also starts significant $5k less than Maxima and Avalon.
 
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I wonder about Maxima fleet sales too. Charger is not only a fleet car but also starts significant $5k less than Maxima and Avalon.
There's a lot of Maximas in fleet (Nissan got their numbers last thanks in part to that strategy), and of course just as many Chargers and Impalas too. I had the opportunity to rent an Avalon at a bigger airport location also, but my heart wanted RWD and I rented a Q50 instead. Charger stands out because they are supplementing their fleet with the sales of their many performance variants (Hellcat, etc.)
 

mmcartalk

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Amazing how far this car has come...

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The 1Gen model you are showing here was actually my favorite Avalon. It had the most comfortable seats (even a front-bench and column-shifter option for those who wanted it) and was the most comfortable-riding. Subsequent versions, IMO, gradually lost their road-cushiness and the solidness of the interior materials. If the 1Gen version had any fault at all, it was that it just looked too much like a bread-and-butter Camry, inside and out.
 
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The 1Gen model you are showing here was actually my favorite Avalon. It had the most comfortable seats (even a front-bench and column-shifter option for those who wanted it) and was the most comfortable-riding. Subsequent versions, IMO, gradually lost their road-cushiness and the solidness of the interior materials. If the 1Gen version had any fault at all, it was that it just looked too much like a bread-and-butter Camry, inside and out.
While it was a nice car, the stigma that became attached to it was why Toyota changed it up...not sure if sales of recent influenced a more radical change from before, but consider both the Avalon and Lacrosse experienced huge declines

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2018/01/large-car-sales-america-december-2017/
 

mmcartalk

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While it was a nice car, the stigma that became attached to it was why Toyota changed it up...not sure if sales of recent influenced a more radical change from before, but consider both the Avalon and Lacrosse experienced huge declines

Almost all full-sized sedan sales are way down in the American market, not just the Avalon and Lacrosse. In fact, some of them may be axed in the next couple of years. The SUV market has simply eaten them up. That's why I'm glad I ordered my Lacrosse when I did.

I can only speak for myself on the 1Gen Avalon......but IMO, the only "stigma" it had was perhaps looking too much like a bread-and-butter Camry inside and out. For that version of the Avalon, The only difference the extra money over a Camry bought was a couple of inches more wheelbase and a little smoother ride (and the bench seat/column shift-option, if one wanted it)
 
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Joaquin Ruhi

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Almost all full-sized sedan sales are way down in the American market, not just the Avalon and Lacrosse. In fact, some of them may be axed in the next couple of years. The SUV market has simply eaten them up...
You're not kidding. Hyundai Azera is already gone from the U.S. market. Chevrolet Impala is widely expected to die at the end of this generation. Ditto Ford Taurus (although they do have the option of bringing in the newer and different Chinese version). And a recent Bloomberg article suggests that Chrysler 300 and Buick LaCrosse have iffy prospects as well. Perhaps the full-size sedan's future is akin to that of the minivan, as a segment with a diminished but profitable group of players.

One little-noted fact is that the swoopy, Audi A7-esque 4th-gen Avalon design actually knocked it out of the EPA large sedan category (over 120 cubic feet combined passenger and cargo volume) and into the upper limits of the midsize sedan class. Does the Avalon5 redesign bring it back into the "official" large sedan class? Toyota's official news release doesn't say outright, but a couple of hints suggest no. For one, there's this passage:
Rear seat roominess is exemplified by Avalon’s segment-best measurements in three categories: shoulder room (57.1 in.), leg space (40.3 in. for V6; 40.4 in. for Hybrid), and headroom (37.5 in. for V6; 37.1 in. for Hybrid).
Does the large car class have an upper limit for these dimensions? I think not. Also, one of the press release's subheads is titled Mid-Size Sedan Heart, Small Car Efficiency, as opposed to Full-Size or Large Sedan Heart.

Bear in mind, though, that the EPA "over 120 cubic foot" Large Car bogey is seen as arbitrary by some. The Nissan Maxima is similarly classed as mid-sized by the EPA, even though most sales-tallying pundits consider both Maxima and Avalon to be large cars. Conversely, the Hyundai Sonata (classed by most as mid-sized) falls into the official EPA Large Car class, as do, implausibly, the Honda Civic and Kia Forte5 hatchbacks.
 
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