2005 Toyota Avalon Road Test

People in my neighborhood know what I do for a living, so after 21 years, there are rarely comments about the vehicles they see parked in my driveway. However, when I looked out the window and saw the Toyota Avalon sitting there, I knew this was about to change.

The Avalon, besides being a stunningly good-looking car, was dressed in a striking lime-green that accentuated every curve. I was told by my fashion-conscious daughters and wife, that this pale green (Silver Pine Mica to Toyota), is the “in” color right now. And everyone who saw it felt they had to comment on the car. Surprisingly, few mentioned the sleek body under the dress, or asked about power, etc. The majority of the comments were on the paint.

Being a professional, I couldn’t simply admire the outside, of course. There’s a strong family resemblance to the Lexus ES330, but the Avalon is four inches longer in wheelbase and six inches longer overall, pushing it into the “large car” category, while the Lexus is classified as a “premium midsize.”

As a large car, the Avalon offers a ton of interior room. Front leg, shoulder and head room is excellent. In the rear, the leg room invites stretching, even with the front seat all the way back on the stops. The rear seats also recline. Okay, the recline is more like an airline seat recline, but rear passengers can use the feature, plus the legroom that you don’t get in a plane, to find chaise lounge-like comfort. My daughter found the rear seat to her liking during seven hours of driving one day, and she’s usually the first to let me know if I’ve cramped her too much back there.

Under the hood of this beauty is a 3.5-liter double overhead cam V6 with Toyota’s VVT-i technology that varies cam timing depending on how much power is asked for. The engine is rated at 280 horsepower, which is more than enough for this car. Hooked to a 5-speed automatic with a sequential manual shift, you can do almost anything you want.

Acceleration is excellent, as is the critical 40-60 mph acceleration mode that you find yourself using probably more often than you should in order to pass in short spaces or get by slower traffic on Interstates. We averaged nearly 25 mpg on our longer runs and 21.8 mpg overall.

When it’s challenged, there’s a muffled roar from under the hood, but in general the Avalon is a quiet car. We noticed some tire noise that was road-surface dependant, and a hint of wind noise, but otherwise the Avalon was Lexus-quiet.

As befits a near-luxury car, the Avalon was equipped with all the necessary power options, including windows, door locks, seats (with lumbar support), the power rear recliner, tilt and telescoping steering wheel with audio & climate controls on the steering wheel spokes, and a power moon roof. Our tester had a voice-activated DVD navigation system with a 6-disc CD changer and AM/FM radio ($2,450). The nav system helped us find where we were headed, although the old fashion written directions we had, worked also.

We used the trunk to carry golf clubs (two sets fit nicely), gifts, camp chairs, and anything we wanted. Cargo volume is listed at 14.4 cubic feet, but it gives the impression of being larger. There’s also a ski pass-through for long, narrow objects.

The Avalon also had an alphabet soup of goodies – ABS, EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction control (TRAC) and Brake Assist (BA) that were part of the VD option ($1,090) and also included heated front seats. My daughter had to suffer with normal seats in her recliner.

The Toyota Avalon flirts with luxury car status, and at $35,169 the price also flirts a lot. But this flirt is gorgeous, has all the space and comfort that you’d expect from a large car, and rides like a cloud.

2005 The Auto Page Syndicate

Specifications

2005 Toyota Avalon

Standard Equipment

(partial list)

• 3.5-liter, 24-valve, V-6 DOHC engine
• Five-speed shiftable automatic
• Alloy rims
• 4-wheel ABS
• Dual front side-mounted airbags
• Front and rear head airbags
• Drivers knee airbag
• Automatic headlamps
• 8 way power driver’s seat
• Cloth upholstery
• Tilt and telescopic steering wheel
• Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel
• Dual zone climate controls
• AM/FM cassette in-dash single CD stereo with 9 speakers

Touring Model also adds…

(partial list)

• P215/55HR17 tires
• Leather upholstery
• Leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
• 4-way power passenger seat
• Integrated fog lamps

XLS Model also adds…

(partial list)

• Power moonroof
• In-dash 6-disc CD changer
• Dual heated outside mirrors with drivers-side auto-dimming electrochromic feature
• Auto-dimming electrochromic rearview mirror with compass
• Homelink universal transceiver
• Anti-theft system

Limited Model also adds…

(partial list)

• Smart Key System
• Driver and passenger seat heater and fan
• JBL Synthesis audio system 6-disc CD changer with 12 speakers (360 watts)
• Power driver’s seat cushion length adjuster
• Rain-sensing windshield wipers
• Power rear sunshade
• Memory driver’s seat
• Wood and leather trimmed shift knob and steering wheel

Major Available Options

(Partial List, depends on model, some options only available as part of a package, see your Toyota dealer for details)

• Power moonroof
• Heated front seats
• DVD navigation system
• 6-disc in-dash CD changer
• JBL Synthesis sound system
• Dynamic Laser Cruise Control
• Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control with Brake Assist
• Color-keyed rear spoiler