2006 Toyota Avalon

Initial impressions are usually telling, but that's not the case with Toyota's Avalon. At first glance, from a distance, the fullness of its ovoid shape and high beltline conveys the image of a secure, comfortable sedan. While its rounded lines are not unattractive, they're not all that scintillating either.


Moving closer, that initial impression seems to be confirmed by the spacious, nicely appointed cabin. The sweeping dash is located well ahead of the front seats, creating a sense of openness for the interior, elegantly accented with blonde wood-grain trim that flows into the door panels as well. There's none of that constricted sports-car feel here. Rear-seat occupants won't have any complaints about legroom either.

Styling

You can use an optional SmartKey for start-up. The SmartKey actually isn't a key at all, but an electronic fob. It signals a sensor in the car when near, turning on the puddle lamps and interior dome lamp and unlocking the doors when touched. Rather than using a key to start the engine, SmartKey allows the driver to simply push the power switch.


Now here's where a wolf begins to peek out from under the sheep's clothing. Stomp your foot on the go-pedal and that 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 keeps right up with some costlier V-8s in both pep and polish. From a standstill, 60 mph arrives in just 6.6 seconds according to the factory, but we shaved several tenths off that time with some aggressive flogging. When you don't hammer it, expect fuel efficiency of around 22 mpg city/31 mpg highway.


The turbine-smooth V-6 features Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) and a dual-stage variable intake manifold. The dual VVT-i system optimizes intake and exhaust valve timing to increase high-speed torque and ultimately improve fuel economy. A unique roller rocker concave cam profile provides faster opening and later closing of the valves, a key contributor to the torque-y feel of the engine, rated at 248 lb.-ft. It's seamlessly matched with a responsive automatic transmission that can be manually operated for ample passing power. The notes emanating from the dual exhaust sound rich, more aggressive than expected in a sedately styled sedan (not that we're complaining).