Used 2016 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2016 Avalon Hybrid, so we've included reviews for other years of the Avalon Hybrid since its last redesign.
Great Car for the Money despite some shortcomings.
Tom H, 02/12/2016
2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
61 of 61 people found this review helpful
Recently test drove a used 2013 Avalon Hybrid XLE Touring, New 2015 Avalon Hybrid Limited & New 2016 Avalon Hybrid Limited. We purchased the 2015 Avalon Hybrid Limited with 0% financing for 60mos. & traded a 2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited. I really noticed very little difference in the 2016 model in comfort & ride and the pricing on the 2015 we purchased was phenomenal - $34k before tax. Being a bit OCD & a heavy researcher/review reader before taking the plunge on a new vehicle it should be know that there are definitely some trade-offs with the Avalon. First off, the driver seat is much reviewed for being uncomfortable...especially on longer rides. On the Limited model, there is 10 way adjustability...I initially experienced this weird "I love the seat but can't fully get comfortable" feeling when first driving. But, after taking some time to really tweak the settings on the driver seat - I found my happy spot. The 2015 Avalon Hybrid drivers seat reminds me of some of my old BMW Sport Package seats. The seats aren't Cadillac plush, they're definitely more BMW "luxury/sport" seats. The ride isn't as soft as the old Cadillacs were but it's close. I can say it's a more sporty ride (you feel more road) but with a quiet cabin & Hybrid gas conservation. When you're on nice interstate or highway pavement - they can floats like a dream. On harsh roads, you will definitely get some feedback in the driving experience. Gas Mileage: Window sticker states 40/39. I am still trying to play with my driving & using the ECO setting to get these numbers. I love the fact a vehicle this big has better than average pickup, has 600+ mile range on a tank of gas and averages in the mid to high 30's in mpg's. Being that I am driving in the current winter cold of Chicago, I wonder how the Spring/Summer warmer weather will affect the gas mileage. Overall, I am still pleased with what I am seeing in gas mileage. Pricing: These cars definitely can be found for bargain basement pricing. Essentially a Lexus, minus a wood grained, heated steering wheel, etc. But for about $10k less coupled with Toyota reliability - this is the part for me that sold me. I can live with some minor annoyances for the fact most Toyota's will see 200k if maintained. The initial depreciation is steep on these cars if you pay sticker (but most can be picked up for under invoice if you shop a bit). Used 13-15 Avalon Hybrids tend to be priced in the $23-30k range used depending on mileage. Electronics/Entune/Navigation: THE BAD: Being that I own a 2008 Toyota Sequoia Limited & 2013 Toyota Prius - I already knew the Toyota navigation system was garbage. Directions are just bad/wrong. The fact you can't do anything on the touch screen while moving is a huge annoyance. Directions themselves are garbage & what takes me 3 minutes to input a location (again, while completely stopped) on the Avalon Nav system I can simply open my Google Maps on my iPhone, speak my destination & have guidance up in 20 seconds. I don't understand how these car manufacturers are so far behind the curve on this. The Entune app is also awful! The functionality works 10% of the time. Lastly, I am experiencing issues with Bluetooth music skipping when streamed from my iPhone...I haven't fully investigated this yet but never had this issue in my Prius? THE GOOD: Lots of bells & whistles to play with and customize. The Audio is very crisp & clear on the 11 speaker JBL speakers on the Limited model. The Auto heat is perfect. Front & Rear Heated seats are great. Rear Sunshade is very nice for kids in the backseat. I love the blind spot detection, rain sensing wipers & HID headlights. Great night visibility. Small annoyances: Engine can be a bit sluggish/hesitant when driving between ECO/Power...like the engine can't quite make up it's mind. It's subtle but admittedly annoying. Radio setup/presets are confusing. Why give a driver the option to choose FM/AM/XM if presets for each don't change/come up? MPG: Hoping there's a little driving learning curve as Toyota numbers have always, in my experience, been as advertised. I'd like to see at least 37/38 going forward. But, again, this is a big sedan that moves well that I'm complaining about getting 36.5 currently...kind of an oxymoron as cars this size normally didn't ever approach these MPG numbers prior to the advent of the hybrid engine. Last, but not least, what I LOVE about the Avalon: The drive. Some hate it, but I think its sporty & refined. The gas mileage. The roominess, trunk space, all the little bells & whistles. Number 1 Love: The bang for the buck! I think this is a car that flies under the radar with most buyers. You don't see a ton on the road as the senior market who owned the Avalon's prior to the 2013 redesign apparently were put off by the new firmer ride. This amounts to a great buying opportunity for most who don't care about Audi, Mercedes, Lexus or Cadillac badging.
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Impressed Overall, with some caveats
M. J., 02/11/2016
2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid XLE Touring 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
17 of 17 people found this review helpful
Overall, I am very happy with my Avalon Hybrid Touring. It has an attractive exterior styling that I have not tired of. As a previous Avalon owner, I do not find the ride to be a problem. When I test-drove the vehicle, it did seem more firm, but now I don't even notice it. The interior styling and materials are top notch. People getting into the car often comment on how nice it is and ask whether it is actually a Toyota. Trunk space is certainly adequate. A feature which is new to me are the cross traffic alerts and blind spot monitoring. Both have already prevented accidents. Pulling out of a grocery store parking space with a large SUV on either side, the system alerted me to a truck which was moving too fast and not paying attention to cars pulling out of spots. Another time as I made a left turn, the system alerted me of a car to my right also turning, having not realized there were two left turn lanes. I will never buy another car without these features. Some of the descriptions about how it runs in all electric mode are misleading. "EV Mode" setting is worthless for two reasons. One, it rarely works. With the least bit of acceleration or speed, it will kick out of EV mode. Equally relevant, "Eco Mode" will use all electric when the speed, acceleration, and battery level are sufficient. The all electric mode can pull you up a decent hill if going slow enough, or travel at a speed of up to about 40 mph if on a flat road with steady speed. But in any event, there is only enough charge for about a mile before the battery depletes. The mileage figures are also a bit off. Since I living in a very hilly area and my trips are short, my city mileage is always worse than my highway. During the summer, my average mileage combined was around 40, with closer to 44 for highway driving. In the winter, my city driving is getting around 35-37 mpg. If the outside temperature warms up or I have been driving longer, I can see the mileage improve. The only thing I hate is the navigation system. It is confusing to operate, and the voice command system might as well be in another language. There is a function which allows you to "teach" the system to recognize your voice, but it didn't help. If you say "Find Florist," you can get anything from Fast Food to something bizarre like Hospitals.
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Everything I was hoping for...
jbmd, 07/27/2016
2016 Toyota Avalon Hybrid XLE Premium 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
Was somewhat torn between a lightly used BMW or other similar "luxury" car vs something like a Prius since I do a lot of long, easy drives and, despite low gas prices, still want to get great gas mileage. However, when we saw our tiny local Toyota dealer had an Avalon XLE Premium Hybrid in the colors we liked online, we decided to check it out. My wife and I were blown away by this car - yes the BMW 328 AWD was more "fun" to drive, but this thing holds its own in Sport mode. We got a great deal just just over invoice and, with $2500 cash back, was not much more new than BMW with 30k miles and less features (and also requiring premium gas, a pet peeve of mine). In my first month of driving I have done over 2k miles and have been averaging 42 mpg - I did the calculations myself and the trip computer was spot on, since I don't always trust them.... Unlike one of the other reviews, I really like the black exterior and mixed tan/brown/black interior, a nice change from the all black or grey interiors I have had before. The car looks sharp and my buddies who have volvo and lexus find it sweet as well. Huge backseat compared to other cars, but doesn't look like a "boat". Only negatives thus far- the navigation is the worst I've used, but that wasn't a dealer breaker anyway. And for the interior, the shiny chrome gets fingerprints everywhere, but just a minor annoyance. Would recommend without reservation.
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Great Ride and Great Mileage
RK, 04/01/2016
2016 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
20 of 21 people found this review helpful
I just bought the 2016 Avalon HYBRID Limited after trading in my aging 2006 BMW 750Li. So, I know what a great ride quality feels like and the Avalon HYBRID didn't disappoint :) Now, I have owned TOYOTA cars and SUVs all my life and in fact had couple of early model Avalon (late 1990s) and drove them for several years before trading them for upgrading to BMWs and LEXUSs. I found the 2016 version is top quality in engineering and e-suite options. Of course, I chose the LIMITED edition because of all the safety features such as the dynamic cruise control (which is amazing to watch at work) and Collision Prevention. My recommendation is to get the LIMITED version with the Toyota Safety Sense package. I have seen these options in much more expensive automobiles like BMW and LEXUS. I just got this car this week (2 days ago) but already can tell I am going to keep it for a long time and drive up and down the coast. Never did a cross-country run (to the west coast) and with the high mpg expected on this car (40 combined with some people reporting up to 46mpg at "saner" speeds), I might try that. Oh, I also want to mention the Fred Anderson Dealership in Raleigh where I bought the car. They are a class act! Love their cars and their Starbucks coffee!!
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Improved Limited Avalon Hybrid
Neil Jurman, 02/28/2019
2016 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
Safety features abound and much improved GPS. I also have 2014 Avalon Hybrid Touring as well. The 2016 is far superior but the 2014 at 105k miles is still a winner. GPS on 2014 is my biggest complaint works terrible without entune and better with it. The 2016 Limited Hybrid is far superior. The 2016 is smoother over speed bumps and lane assist and radar cruise control is a huge improvement over standard cruise control of the 2014. Zenon headlights on the 2016 rule. Blind spot mirrors help prevent near accidents with passing vehicles. Front and rear perforated leather heated and cooling seats are a huge improvement over 2014 only front heated seats. Also rear shade blocks out heads from behind and gives rear passengers more privacy. Steering is even improved with tighter steering not that the 2014 is bad it is quite good as well. The 2016 used at $22k is quite a bargain vs $42k new. I drive quite a bit and the 2016 tells you to pull over and rest a nice convenience. Wheel tilts better on 2016 vs 2014.
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