Forbes: Toyota Avalon Best Bang For Buck Luxury
05-15-2006, 03:48 PM
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Forbes: Toyota Avalon Best Bang For Buck Luxury
http://www.forbes.com/2006/05/12/bes..._0515feat.html
Best Luxurious Car For A Nonluxury Price (II): Toyota Avalon (1/2)
Base Price: $26,775
The Avalon is a luxury car in disguise. Its somewhat innocuous exterior styling masks a car with tons of interior room and a peppy V-6 engine. The Avalon has reclining rear seats--a premium feature even by luxury-car standards--and 268 hp, which is way more than an entry-level BMW 3 Series offers.
The biggest problem with the Avalon--from the perspective of Toyota shareholders--is that it undercuts Toyota's upscale Lexus models. It has 64 more hp than Lexus' entry-level IS 250 sedan, a car with a base price $4,000 higher than the Avalon's. And Lexus' overhauled 2007 ES 350 sedan has only four more hp than the Avalon, with a base price that is $7,000 higher.
Base Price: $26,775
The Avalon is a luxury car in disguise. Its somewhat innocuous exterior styling masks a car with tons of interior room and a peppy V-6 engine. The Avalon has reclining rear seats--a premium feature even by luxury-car standards--and 268 hp, which is way more than an entry-level BMW 3 Series offers.
The biggest problem with the Avalon--from the perspective of Toyota shareholders--is that it undercuts Toyota's upscale Lexus models. It has 64 more hp than Lexus' entry-level IS 250 sedan, a car with a base price $4,000 higher than the Avalon's. And Lexus' overhauled 2007 ES 350 sedan has only four more hp than the Avalon, with a base price that is $7,000 higher.
05-15-2006, 04:22 PM
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I heard a rumor that Toyota plans to bump the power in the Avalon's version of the 2GR engine to 270+hp to give it "more power" than the '07 V6 Camry. I guess if you buy a $35k Avalon, you want more power than your friend's $22k Camry.
Just a rumor at this point though. The '07 Avalon is due out in a few weeks. I guess we'll see.
If it is true though, that will put Avalon right at the power levels of some of the Lexus product. Of course, the 2GR produces 306 SAE hp in the IS350. So there's still room for Toyota to bump the hp a bit for some of the Lexus product if they want. But in the past, they've never really seem to worry about it much in the ES and RX vehicles. They were always spec'ed at the same hp levels as the the Camry and Highlander they are based on.
Just a rumor at this point though. The '07 Avalon is due out in a few weeks. I guess we'll see.
If it is true though, that will put Avalon right at the power levels of some of the Lexus product. Of course, the 2GR produces 306 SAE hp in the IS350. So there's still room for Toyota to bump the hp a bit for some of the Lexus product if they want. But in the past, they've never really seem to worry about it much in the ES and RX vehicles. They were always spec'ed at the same hp levels as the the Camry and Highlander they are based on.
05-15-2006, 09:54 PM
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Re: Forbes: Toyota Avalon Best Bang For Buck Luxury
Originally Posted by scionlife
The Avalon has reclining rear seats--a premium feature even by luxury-car standards
You can pick up a tC for under $17k with those babies!
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