LexusLuver

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...7/pageId=63175

GFerg

Was I suppose to be shocked??!!

encore888

"Toyota Runs Away With It"

Congrats, Toyota! The Avalon has acquited itself admirably.

SteVTEC

Nice!

My second favorite car in that group is the Ford Five Hundred. But I really wish they would get their 3.5L Duratec V6 out the door. Good god, a big sedan like that with only a 203hp 3.0L V6. Yikes....

BigVIPness

300C means 300 Central?

I learned something today.

GFerg

I dont think 300C means Central. Central was a term used after every model name I noticed in this review. For example, Toyota Avalon Central or Ford 500 Central.

I think this review would have been better if they tested the 37K Avalon against the 35K 300C instead of the 300C Limited. Would have been a little more fare, but what can ya do. Avy is still the best.

Did any of yall read that horrible review of some no name guy bash the Avalon?? He says that the Avy he had was of REALLY poor quality. Dash pieces falling off in his hand etc.

mmarshall

You are correct that that is not a very big engine for that car...particularly the AWD version with its extra drag and weight, but it is not as bad as it looks on paper. The standard CVT on that car is so efficient that, unlike other transmissions, it will make the best use of every last HP and ft.-lb. of torque in the engine.....even better than some manuals. I'm sure you know that...you are obviously well-versed in powertrains.
What concerns ME about that car more than anythine else is the unproven durability of that CVT transmission. Up to now, those types of transmissions have been used mostly with low-power engines because they couldn't take any torque........Ford and Audi are more-or-less pioneering them on V6's of 200-plus HP....and Ford is cheap on the standard warranty...only 3/36.

mmarshall

Yes...for a reasonably-priced and well-engineered family sedan, the Avalon is about as good as they come. Quality-wise, out of these four, that is the one I would pick, too.
I did a long write-up myself on one after a test-drive...see the CAR CHAT archives. The powertrain is superb. The only things I was really not impressed with were what IMO was a cheap-looking interior ( I disagree with Edmunds on that one) and (on the XLS) the orange-colored wood trim that was awful....it looked like orange-polished plastic.

I have looked at all four of these cars and test-driven two of them...the 300 and the Avalon. But....while all four of them have some glitz and a few nice touches inside, none of them, IMO has a Lexus-grade interior. The ES330's interior, for instance, will easily blow all four of these away.

XeroK00L

Not surprised at all but as previously said, the tested Avalon was simply too far more expensive than the rest of the vehicles to make this comparison very meaningful. They should've either put a reasonable price cap, or made test every car fully optioned, to make the test a fair one.