Base price: XL, $26,330; XLS, $30,890
Vehicle type: front-engine, front-drive; 4-door 5- or 6-passenger sedan
Interior volume, F/R/cargo (cu ft) 55/51/16
Wheelbase 107.1 in
Length/width/height 191.9/71.7/57.7 in
Turning circle 37.6 ft
Curb weight 3400–3450 lb
EPA city/hwy mpg 21/29
Fuel-tank capacity/range 18.5 gal/389 mi
Passive restraints driver and passenger front and side airbags
POWERTRAIN
3.0-liter DOHC 24-valve V-6, 210 hp; 4-sp auto
SUSPENSION
F ind, struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
R ind, struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
BRAKES
F/R vented disc/disc
ABS standard
|
TOYOTA AVALON
Toyota’s largest car delivers quiet and unobtrusive motoring and seating for six when equipped with a bench front seat. But we’re more impressed by its performance, especially its crisp handling, than we are by the slab-sided styling. Looks aside, this is a well built and generously equipped sedan (bucket seats are available for those who don’t want the bench seat) which, with its standard 210-hp, 3.0-liter V-6, provides a modicum of driving fun. The Avalon is essentially unchanged for 2003 but for a freshened exterior, a new grille, newly designed fog lamps, and reconfigured taillights. The upscale XLS trim level receives more standard equipment, including rain-sensing wipers, an auto-dimming driver-side mirror, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The XLS also gets new 16-inch alloy wheels and an optional remote-control DVD navigation system. And there are three new colors, too.
|
