Unsung Hero of Fuel Efficiency: Toyota Avalon

With exceptional interior room and quality, the Toyota Avalon is a leader in its class. This Unsung Hero also boasts among the best fuel economy ratings in the segment. And to top it off, it has Toyota's strong reputation for reliability.

Checkered Flag sales consultant Ray Aiden says the Avalon is "one of the nicest sedans out there." He gave me a tour of the Limited model on display in the showroom. Along with the top-of-the-line Limited, three other trims are available: base XL (starting at $27,325), XLS, and Touring (sport version).   

All trim models are powered by a 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve Dual VVT-I V6 engine that produces 268 hp. Ray says the Avalon brings together the best of two worlds, awesome power and great gas mileage. It's rated at 28 miles on the highway, and 19 in the city. Tank size is 18 gallons, so you're looking at around 500 highway miles with one fill-up. The front wheel drive Avalon comes standard with automatic transmission. 

Aside from power and efficiency, the Avalon's luxuriously spacious 5-passenger interior is a major highlight. I was impressed with the amount of room the Avalon offers. The flat rear floor allows for plenty of leg room for three backseat passengers. Ray, who stands at around 6"1, sat comfortably. Oh, and the real cool thing about the rear seats is the reclining feature (this comes standard on XLS, Touring, and Limited models). Also, here's another perk on the Limited, the front seats are heated and ventilated to offer the most comfort no matter what the conditions.

Other standard features include: Manually adjustable tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio and climate controls; Optitron meters for speedometer and tachometer, and coolant temperature and fuel level gauges; an AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer with satellite radio capability, MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary audio jack, nine speakers, in-glass antenna and FM diversity reception.

Several optional features are available for you to choose from, but here are a few standouts: voice activated DVD navigation system and the Dynamic Laser Cruise Control. I went on a road trip this weekend, and both of these features would have been so useful, especially the Dynamic Laser Cruise Control (visit here for the demonstration video).

The Avalon offers a host of standard safety features including: Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution;  front and rear crumple zones; 3-point seat belts for all seating positions; and anti-theft and engine immobilizer systems. It also comes equipped with a protective system of airbags (driver's knee airbag; driver and front passenger airbags with advanced airbag system; front seat mounted side airbags; and front and rear side curtain airbags).

If you're interested in finding out more about this Unsung Hero, visit Ray and the Checkered Flag Toyota sales team at 5301 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach or call (757) 490-1111.