New York 2012: 2013 Toyota Avalon Is For The Roxy Music Fans, Not The AARP
The closest I’ve ever come to dying in a car was at the wheel of a Toyota Avalon, and I credit the nice, long wheelbase, stable handling and strong V6 engine for helping me avoid a major catastrophe. The new 2013 model, with its swoopy styling, looks like something that just might get you into trouble rather than keeping you out of it.
The pictures tell the whole story of the revamped Avalon, with a totally different look both inside and out. Power numbers for the 3.5L V6 weren’t disclosed, but it should be at a minimum equal to the 268 horsepower in the Camry V6. A Sport mode button will be featured, as well as a whole suite of active safety features, including 10 airbags, blind spot monitoring with cross-traffic detection and a pre-collision system. Personally, I think the sloping roofline is the most interesting feature. Is it a concession to aesthetics while compromising rear headroom (ala the Mercedes-Benz CLS) or has Toyota avoided that problem? Previous complaints from more mature buyers (i.e. the Avalons target market) about this trend has me wondering.
More by Derek Kreindler
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Love the color. The roof? Not so much.
Ok so is it me or is the Avalon the answer to a question no one asked? I read recently the Camry is supposed to be the equivalent of the Toyota Crown in NA, so whats the point of this model? Seems like brand overlap, if a customer wants a Camcord feel/ride but higher up the food chain and can pony up the dough, a Lex seems like the logical choice. If the Avalon is superior to the Camry, why have the current Camry model at all, why not drop the Avalon name make it the Camry? This is the sort of stuff GM was doing with Buick/Olds/Cadillac, models across different lines which were all sort of similar and in GM's case all badge engineered. I'm sure there are subtle differences between the Camry/Avalon/ES350, but they are all generic FWD four door family sedans all based on a common design.