2010 Toyota Avalon Limited

What do glimmering geodes, an intense yoga experience, and the 2010 Toyota Avalon Limited have in common? It’s their inner beauty, baby. And in particular, the Avalon’s solid build, interior comfort, reassuring handling and ample power make it a comfy and reassuring companion for just about any road-bound excursion you can imagine.

Casual Elegance

Base-priced at $27,945 for the entry-level Avalon XL and $35,285 for the top-end Avalon Limited tested here, Toyota’s flagship sedan is so competent, it’s more than qualified to cannibalize sales of the ES 350 in the company’s upscale Lexus division. The Avalon features a 111-inch wheelbase (1.7 inches longer than cousin Camry), a potent 268-horsepower 3.5-liter dual VVT-i 24-valve V6, and enough electronic advancements to satisfy premium buyers. The only place it misses true bliss is in interior quietness, which is compromised by wind noise at higher cruising speeds and by tire noise over rough surfaces.


The Avalon is impressive design-wise, especially in profile where its arched roofline and high beltline, and wheels pushed toward the corners, suggest Lexus and even Mercedes-Benz sedans. However the interior is distinctly muted in contrast to the rich-appearing finishing touches of luxury cars. Doubtlessly this is to keep the Toyota’s price in check, and to keep it from challenging Lexus too strongly.

Interior Comfort

A primary benefit of the Avalon’s stretched wheelbase is expanded rear legroom: At 40.9 inches, it’s 2.6 inches more than the Camry and within millimeters of the $80,300 BMW 750i. The front seats are quite comfortable and feature eight-way power adjustments with power-adjustable lumbar support, a driver’s seat cushion extension, and front-seat ventilation and heating. A couple of minor ergonomic beefs: The driver’s knee airbag panel and the corner of the navigation-system door contacted our (admittedly lanky) knees in normal driving.


The Avalon has much to love dynamically. It rides on 17-inch aluminum wheels wearing 215/55R17 Michelin Energy MXV4 S8 rubber that we targeted as the cause of excessive noise in the passenger cabin over rough asphalt, concrete and tar strips. But this is a concern only at highway speeds, and at lower speeds or on smooth asphalt the cabin stays amazingly quiet. This is due in large part to a stiff unit-body that’s wholly squeak- and rattle-free, and virtually no engine or driveline noise except when you spur the Avalon into rapid acceleration.

Road Manners and Performance

We slid our luggage into the Avalon’s enormous 15 cubic-foot trunk and headed from Los Angeles to Monterey, Calif. for the annual summer Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and collector-car auctions. Running a bit behind schedule at first, Toyota’s navigation system (a $2,000 option that also includes a JBL sound system) worked reassuringly behind the scenes to guide us along with the quickest route while providing estimated travel time. At 70 mph the Avalon’s engine turns a relaxed 2100 rpm, its VVT-i system adjusting the valve timing for maximum torque and efficiency. And when booting it to squirt around a lumbering truck, the power build was so seamless as to be undetectable, unlike on some other competitors’ variable valve-timing systems. In fact, the Avalon’s robust performance, low engine NVH, and passable fuel economy (we observed 25.3 mpg) make its powertrain a genuine standout. We observed 25.3 mpg on the highway via the trip computer. In one completely full-to-empty gas-tank cycle, we calculated 22.5 mpg, which included highway and stop-and-go city travel.