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Consumer Reviews for the Toyota Avalon Hybrid
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Technology and Comfort with Hybrid Efficiency
Californian, 07/04/2019
2019 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
When technology and comfort come together, you have a really great vehicle to drive. Fitting a car to drivers 6-1 and 5-3 is not easy, but the number of memorized adjustments that the Avalon Limited’s front seats, wheel, lumbar support, and mirrors have, make it easy. I would prefer another inch or so of headroom under the sunroof as having only an inch and a half feels a bit tight. The … perforated leather upholstery with air blown through it on a warm afternoon is great to cool any hot spots that different sized drivers can develop. The seats heat up rapidly in cold weather too.
On the highway this car is a dream. Following the advice I received on my test drive, I set the adaptive cruise control on 75 and glide down the highway. If traffic slows or stops, so does the car, and then it accelerates right back up to 75. When traffic is light the car gets 43mpg at a steady 75 and in heavier traffic it gets a rather amazing 47mpg. Around Southern California the hybrid gets an average of 46mpg. Considering its size this is amazing.
Having had two conventional gas powered Avalons and a Lexus ES, this 2019 Limited Hybrid is the best of the bunch. It is longer, lower, and wider than my prior highway cruisers; however, the built-in safety equipment has spared me from any parking lot close calls. Gotta love the birds-eye 360 degree view camera display. Along with heads-up display projected onto the windshield, it’s more like the cockpit of a plane than a highway cruiser. You don’t have to look around the cabin to check on the status of any of the car’s main systems or settings as well as the posted speed limit or the next turn on the GPS.
Technology wise it is amazing, but the tech does come at a price. There are over 1,000 pages of manuals that come with the car. After half a year, I have made it through about 700 pages. Although my car came with Apple Car Play, I was told that there will be a free download of Android Auto when it is available. In the meantime, any good cell phone working with the built-in Entune Premium system works quite well if you read the Entune manual. There is much more to many of the Entune systems than what you are presented with on the two main screens, driver and center console.
Only items I would change would be equipping the 18" chrome wheels with a good set of Michelins and giving the front seats a bit more headroom. After driving this car for ten months, I don't notice the low headroom like I did initially and have to rate the driver comfort as excellent.
UPDATE AT 18 MONTHS AND 20K MILES -
The car continues to be my favorite having had two previous Avalons and a Lexus ES, but two future problems have appered. First I discovered that the factory installed maps are a May 2018 version and can only be updated by the dealer. As the car is in warranty, I will have this done at the 2 year service, but with all of the electronics and internet connectivity something as basic as maps should automatically update through the data link in the car. Like most hybrids the mileage has dropped 2 mpg with use but that was expected and will likely continue to drop as the traction battery slowly wears out.
With all of the safety features, I have yet to hit or scrape anything. However the car does go into emergency stop mode as I squeeze it into my garage parking place that has a storage rack right in front of the car.
Overall I give the car a 95% but suggest that the manufacturer fix the map issue and extend the warranty on the traction battery.
UPDATE 28 MONTHS AND 30K MILES
After battling with my local dealer and Toyota Corporate Customer Service, I was finally given an Entune update and new maps. The dealer appeared to have little knowledge of the Entune system requiring 2 overnight stays after the updating process failed. They claimed to have spent 12 hours on it each time it went in. Finally Toyota Corporate sent them, either electronically or physically a complete update that changed the display somewhat and updated the maps. Now my car GPS is about on a level with my 5 year old Garmin.
The Avalon Limited continues to run flawlessly on the road and the mileage has settled into the 43/44 range. I really enjoy the cool air that can be sent through the perforated leather seats on warm humid days.
UPDATE AT 40 MONTHS AND 42,000 MILES
The Avalon continues to be the best car I have ever owned in spite of the poor performance of the advanced Entune integrated electronics/GPS that came with the car. I routinely get 46mpg on my regular trips to/from our second home in the foothills. Sadly, I understand that Toyota is planning to discontinue the Avalon at the end of the product run this year due to lagging sales. I believe that the Toyota execs who stayed with the Entune system of the last half dozen years need to look into the mirror, and they will see the Avalon's killers when they do. The car would sell a lot better, if they had a decent electronics (I am not talking about safety electronics, just the audio/video and GPS).
I intend to keep my Avalon for another couple of years as long as it continues to perform as it has for the last almost 3 1/2 years, but when I get my next car will be forced to go back to a Lexus unless the Avalon is revived and will be open to other brands even though I have had a 7 straight vehicle run of Toyotas in my family.
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