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Toyota Avalon sedan gets a fresh face and more safety assets
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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KOHLER, Wisc. -- Once upon a time in America, a big sedan with four doors and the capacity for hauling all in a family happened to be the typical car on the street -- but that was before the invasion of miniature imports and subsequent escalating gasoline prices or the invention of the minivan and sport-utility wagons.
Today, a big sedan has become that rare vehicle in America, appearing mainly in the luxury market where exotic price apply.
So it was with some surprise in 1995 that Toyota, which spent decades championing the merits of small cars, became the first Japanese automaker to roll out an affordable full-size sedan built exclusively for an American audience.
Called Avalon, the big Toyota wore smoothly rounded exterior forms vaguely similar to those of the mid-size Camry, which served as the larger car's foundation.
Avalon rode on a stretched version of Camry's chassis. It packed an enhanced Camry engine and came off a Kentucky factory line staffed by the same people who put together the Camry, most popular car label in the country.
Building a bigger Camry was an interesting idea because Camry has propelled Toyota to the top of the customer satisfaction charts while forcing other manufacturers to emulate Toyota's lead with V6 engine options and exacting attention to such considerations as quality control and user-friendly comfort and convenience features.
The original idea for Avalon, according to Toyota's marketing wizards, was to provide an incremental shopping step above Camry, in size as well as price, for those who desire more room, more power, and yes, more pizzazz.
And Avalon quickly became another popular Toyota.
Now, in the first overhaul for the original Avalon, Toyota's full-size sedan gets a fresh face for 1998 models, along with revised interior features and more safety gear.
New issues wear multi-reflector headlamps flanking a new chrome-ringed grille to give Avalon the jewel-like eyes of deluxe luxury imports. The look moves Avalon up a notch in tone, seeming classy and subdued like the elite LS 400 sedan by Lexus, Toyota's exclusive spin-up brand.
Inside, Avalon now provides seat-mounted side-impact airbags and anti-lock brakes as standard gear.
Both of Avalon's trim levels, XL and XLS, may be equipped with either twin front bucket seats or a 3-person front bench whose seatback splits in 50/50 ratio. When you combine the 3-person front bench with a 3-person rear bench, the result is a 6-passenger automobile that measures full-size for interior volume.
Avalon's wheelbase, on the other hand, falls a little short of full-size dimensions, which means the car functions like a mid-size model in the handling department to maneuver easily on crowded parking lots or traffic-clogged freeways.
Toyota's technical designers in Michigan, California and Arizona conspired on Avalon's design, beginning with the Camry chassis and adding inches in length to create more rear seat legroom and engineer a smoother ride quality.
The exterior form actually looks like a cross between bodies of Camry and LS 400.
Everything seems fluid and curvy, like a Camry, only bigger and more sophisticated, like the Lexus.
Recent time driving revised Avalons included a series of tests conducted over loops of freeways and secondary routes stretching west from Lake Michigan at Sheboygan and across Wisconsin's rolling prairie to Elkhart Lake and back.
That experience, combined with subsequent extended drives in a deluxe Avalon XLS, formulated some observations about the car's performance and personality.
First impression: It feels as refined as a deluxe luxury import, and without prior knowledge of brand and model one could easily mistake this car for something in the Lexus line.
Second impression: Avalon rides in a plush and smooth manner and from driver's view seems uncommonly quiet, which is another trait of a fancy luxury car.
Then too Avalon impresses and delights with the action of its powertrain.
It draws from an all-aluminum 3.0-liter Toyota V6 engine rigged in 4-cam configuration and 24-valve format with multi-point fuel injection.
Output bumps six horsepower above Camry's to reach 200 hp, with 214 lbs/ft of torque skewed low to strengthen the pedal action in lower gears.
In tests one driver had not expected a dramatic power surge from Avalon, due to the large-car classification and only six cylinders aboard to pump it up. Yet it delivered snappy off-the-line action and also revealed an eagerness to respond well in any gear.
The 4-speed electronically-controlled automatic transmission feels effortlessly smooth and will also satisfy the shift-it-yourself driver. A button on the floor shifter in Avalon's bucket-seat version allows you to thumb a downshift to third gear, then pull the lever back to second.
Less aggressive driving manners suit the column-shift edition, which complements a bench-style front seat.
Another high point: For a large car, Avalon acts surprisingly crisp in hanging through a series of curves.
Reinforcements for the chassis of new editions make the platform more rigid and strong, which provides more structural integrity in a crash and also helps to reduce vibrations and noise when in motion.
All Avalons contain independent suspension elements in front and back, plus power-assisted rack and pinion steering. All also employ a big disc brake at each wheel with the link to computerized anti-lock controls.
The Avalon XLS test car, trimmed to the hilt, stocked leather-wrapped bucket seats, a power moonroof, keyless entry system and premium sound with compact disc changer. It listed for $31,803 to define Avalon's ultimate price, but the bottom line of a base XL drops to virtual bargain level for a big car, beginning below $25,000.
Standard items on Avalon XL include air conditioning, power windows and door locks, heated power mirrors, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, tachometer, plus the 4-speed automatic transmission, power steering and power brakes. The upgrade to Avalon XLS adds automatic climate controls, fog lamps, keyless entry and theft deterrent system, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and big alloy wheels.
1998 TOYOTA AVALON
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1998 TOYOTA AVALON Specs |
| Description: |
Full-size sedan |
| Model Options: |
Full-size sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
107.1 inches |
| Overall Length: |
191.9 inches
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| Engine Size: |
QOHC 3.0-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
4 |
| Gas Mileage: |
21/31 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 24,280 to $ 31,000 |
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