The Toyota Avalon Remains 1 of the Biggest Hidden Gems on the Market
Andrew Koole
· 3 min read
Despite lackluster sales, critics agree that the Avalon is a fantastic sedan. Car & Driver and Motortrend both gave the 2021 model an 8.5/10, and Consumer Reports rated it at 88/100. Among other things, its spacious interior and fuel efficiency earned the watchdog’s stamp of approval.
In the past, this gap in opinion could’ve motivated dealers to lower prices to move the unpopular model off their lots, but with the current supply shortage, you probably won’t find a new Toyota Avalon for less than $36,000.
Why critics love the Toyota Avalon
Toyota built the Avalon to accommodate any driver. The four-door sedan comes in a variety of trims, from the XLT (which is surprisingly stacked for a base model) to the spunkier XSE and TRD.
The hybrid powertrain offers an impressive 43 mpg, according to
Car and Driver
, and critics can’t get enough of the car’s enormous trunk and spacious interior. Consumer Reports
says the Avalon expertly blends a plush ride with agile handling and praised Toyota for including a long list of safety features, like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist.Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
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Why praise for cars doesn’t lead to sales
MORE: Critics and Consumers Disagree Over the 2021 Chevy Blazer
Even with A grade reviews for the Avalon, Consumer Reports says that in 2020, Toyota only sold 18,421 of the roomy sedans. Compare that to the Corolla’s 237,000 sales in the same year, as per
Good Car Bad Car
, and you can see just how bad the sales slump really is for the large sedan. Part of the reason for the dismal sales is the lack of demand for this type of car in general. Sales for large sedans like these have steadily declined over the last 20 years as consumers looking for more space turned their interest toward the height and towing capacity of SUVs.
Consumer Reports’ list of hidden gems illustrates the trend away from large sedans. It comprises the 10 best-ranked vehicles that sold less than 20,000 units in 2020.
All the vehicles on the list are sedans, and three of them—the Avalon, the Chrysler 300, and the
Nissan Maxima
—are large cars. Overall, the Avalon ranks second, just below BMW’s sporty 2 Series sedan.Finding car insurance for the Toyota Avalon
If you decide to buck the trend and buy a new Toyota Avalon, do yourself a favor and shop around car insurance. Prices vary a lot from company to company, and you don’t necessarily benefit from sticking with your current provider.
The easiest way to find the best prices on car insurance is to shop with
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