2017 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited - Review 2022

Cheers to the uber-popular Prius, Toyota is now synonymous with hybrid cars. If you're looking for the infrequent fuel economy of a hybrid just desire more room, a bit of lavishness, and a little more performance without busting your budget, Toyota has you covered with the new Avalon Hybrid. It's a total-size sedan that delivers meliorate fuel economic system (40 mpg combined) than Toyota'south compact gas-powered Corolla, with a spacious, luxurious interior. The sharp exterior styling doesn't scream hybrid the way a Prius does, and even the base of operations model is packed with plenty of features. For 2022, Toyota sweetens the deal on the Avalon Hybrid by adding the Safe Sense package, which includes a host of commuter-assist systems, as standard equipment on all trim levels. This makes the machine stand out even more in a segment in which it'southward already a standout, and our Editors' Choice.

Pricing and Design

The 2022 Toyota Avalon Hybrid comes in three trim levels, all equipped with a two.5-liter, iv-cylinder engine paired with a 105-kilowatt electric motor powered by a trunk-mounted battery pack. Together the engine and motor produce 200 horsepower that's sent to the front end wheels by style of an electronic continuously variable automatic manual (ECVT).

The base XLE Plus starts a $37,300 and comes standard with 17-inch painted alloy wheels, automatic halogen headlights, daytime running lights, smoked LED taillights, a hidden exhaust with chrome-accented comprehend, color-keyed and heated power mirrors with turn signal indicators, a power moonroof with sliding sunshade, intermittent windshield wipers, and audio-visual racket-reducing windshield, driver, and front end passenger side windows. Information technology too has dual-zone automatic climate control with rear seat vents, a leather-trimmed tilt/telescopic steering wheel, leather-trimmed and heated front seats, an 8-way power driver seat, a four-way power front passenger seat, wood grain-style interior trim with smoked chrome interior accents and door handles, and a rear seat middle armrest with cup holders and trunk laissez passer-through.

On the tech side, there'southward a TFT instrument panel display with customizable settings, keyless entry and ignition, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass and HomeLink garage door opener, Bluetooth connectivity for phone and audio, a rearview camera, and Toyota'southward eBin center console storage compartment with a sliding lid and device holder with a wire direction arrangement.

Nextcar Bug art The XLE Plus too comes with the Entune Sound Plus infotainment that consists of an eight-speaker audio system with CD, AM/FM HD radio with traffic and atmospheric condition info, satellite radio, and USB and aux-in jacks, all controlled past a 7-inch touch display and vocalization recognition (onboard, as well Siri Eye Costless for Apple tree devices). Toyota Safety Sense adds forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automated pre-collision braking, lane departure warning and intervention, adaptive prowl control, and auto high beams.

The midrange XLE Premium starts at $38,750 and adds commuter memory settings, fog lights, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic warning, wireless smartphone charging, and an Entune Premium infotainment system with in-dash navigation, smartphone app integration, and a nine-speaker audio system with Hard disk drive Radio predictive traffic and Doppler atmospheric condition overlay, broadcast caching capability, and Gracenote anthology cover art.

The flagship Limited trim we tested starts at $42,550 and adds chrome wheels, xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming side mirrors with puddle lamps, aluminum scuff plates, tri-zone automated climate control, an upgraded gauge cluster, upgraded leather upholstery, a x-way power commuter seat, an 8-manner ability forepart passenger seat, ventilated front end seats, heated rear seats, a rear ability sunshade, ambient lighting, an 11-speaker JBL GreenEdge sound system, and Toyota's Rubber Connect telematics system. Our test car as well had a $224 carpeted floor and torso mat option. With a $865 delivery, process, and handling fee, the total sticker price came to $43,639.

Interior large

The recent redesign of the Toyota Avalon gave the car a sleek coupe-similar outline and a more aggressive forepart grille, and the new Hybrid model is accented by special badging. The interior is a cutting above most cars in the segment, with an upscale look and feel. The trunk has a generous 14 cubic feet of cargo chapters, merely ii cubic anxiety shy of the non-hybrid Avalon, and gave us ample room for bags on an extended trip.

Interface and Connectivity

The Toyota Entune organization has consistently been one of our favorite car infotainment and connectivity platforms. The 7-inch touch screen can be set to testify up to iii primary card items, and icons inside the Apps menu can be rearranged to your liking. You can read more virtually the system in our Toyota Entune review hither.

A couple of small gripes: Common functions such as navigation and phone are all listed within the Apps menu, so they crave an extra footstep to get to. Nosotros're also non fans of the low-profile capacitive touch controls that flank the display and command climate functions further below it. We prefer larger, tactile knobs you don't accept to look at to find and operate. On the plus side, Toyota uses old-fashioned big volume and tuning knobs, which helps get-go the high-tech feel and frustration of the capacitive controls for the other functions.

Console

The Entune Apps feature is mostly what we look for in a smartphone-enabled infotainment system. It uses your smartphone and the Entune app to supply streaming music, local search, and other connected services via mutual platforms such equally Pandora and Yelp—all without a subscription, using your device'south information plan. The Avalon Hybrid also has other useful (and free) connected features such as weather condition and traffic info via Hd Radio.

The Toyota Condom Connect telematics system is free for the first year of ownership and provides automatic collision notification, emergency and roadside assistance, and stolen vehicle location. Information technology doesn't offer other features such as vehicles diag`nostics geofencing, and it's missing a remote app for features like locking or unlocking the automobile's doors or finding the vehicle's location using a smartphone. This is surprising, since its sister Lexus Enform app provides this adequacy.

Performance and Conclusions

We collection the 2022 Toyota Avalon Hybrid over the course of a week in Texas, starting with SXSW in Austin, then downwards to Corpus Christi and back. Nosotros had ample fourth dimension to test the car in hectic city traffic and during long stretches of highway driving.

In both scenarios, the Avalon Hybrid was comfortable and confident. Despite 200 horsepower existence on the depression side for a car this size, we rarely felt that it didn't accept the acceleration required. And even without babying the vehicle, nosotros accomplished an average fuel economy of 34.5 mpg. The ride was exceptionally shine and quiet, although nosotros did discover a slight droning dissonance from the continuously variable automatic transmission when we put our foot into the gas pedal.

The Avalon Hybrid's closest competitors include the Ford Fusion Hybrid, the Honda Accord Hybrid, and the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, but they're all midsize sedans. You lot'll have to pace up to the Avalon's luxury cousin the Lexus ES 300h to become the aforementioned amount of space and even more than amenities and refinement. This puts the Avalon Hybrid in a grade of all by itself, and that easily makes it an Editor's Choice.