2013 Toyota Avalon Limited V6 from North America
Summary:
Reliability, not luxury
Faults:
1) Headliner dropped down.
2) Motor on rear shade malfunctioned.
3) Terrible glare from the dash/windshield.
4) Paint chipping on hood (with minimal highway driving).
General Comments:
Purchased the 2013 Avalon Limited new to replace my gas guzzling 2011 Toyota Tundra. I was impressed by its sleek styling and sporty looks. I have purchased 5 brand new Toyotas since 2006 (2 4Runners and 2 Tundras + the Avalon), so I am very accustomed to the brand. First off the positives.
1) Excellent fuel economy all city driving = average 24 MPG.
2) HD navigation is wonderful.
3) Toyota's traction control and safety features are a step above.
4) Very responsive steering and acceleration.
The Avalon looks very attractive, and let's face it, it's a Toyota, so why am I driving a Chevy now?!?
First of all the Avalon is masquerading around as if it's a 'full sized' or close to it; well in fact it feels small than my old 1997 Camry. The quality of the leather is nice, but the seats are stiff. I'm 5'6 120lbs, so I'm pretty comfortable in the Avalon, but my husband is 6' 220lbs and he gets all kinds of aches after driving this vehicle for an extended period of time. When he and I are in the car together, it feels a bit claustrophobic (elbows bumping on center console etcetera). My three children feel the rear seating is too cramped for all three riding, though they like the rear heated seats. This car is a hard fit for a family of 5. Below is the rest of the negative feedback I have.
1) My headliner was dropping down and it took a year for Toyota to decide to replace it (a $40,000 car looking like $200 Pinto for the entire time Toyota denied me a fix).
2) The sunshade rear kept getting stuck halfway open - Toyota replaced the motor.
3) Twice my trunk got stuck open at the airport, because luggage pushed on the side of trunk. Had to pull the trim back and force it (after a 12 hour plane ride).
4) Very distracting glare from the dashboard and chrome inlays.
5) Worst of all, through all my troubles, and being a loyal customer, I felt I was 'brushed' aside by Toyota when it came to my complaints.
Touted as Toyota's luxury sedan, I was very disappointed. The 2013 Avalon is nothing but a spruced up Camry. Some of my neighbors are long time Avalon owners, and even they cannot believe how much quality has been lost in creating this new body style. The car feels like they raced too fast to production. If you are dead set on buying Toyota, save your money and go for the Camry, or do what I did and go test drive a new Impala and wonder; Whatever happened to Toyota?
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 17th August, 2014
8th Apr 2020, 07:06
Sad to hear your experience with this car was less than stellar. 2013 wasn't a great year for Toyota. A close friend bought a brand new Corolla that year. I remember a few nuts falling out from behind/under the driver's dash and the dealership could not figure out where they came from. Not a pleasant way to start off with a new car.
I have been in a few Avalon's of this vintage and I thought they were much nicer than the Corolla. The Corolla felt like a penalty box with gobs of hard plastic everywhere, awkward front seats for anyone over 5'8", and an overall feeling of cheapness and de-contenting that let you know this was no 1995 Corolla. I think she only had about 48k by the time the cheaply made, hollow door panel cracked straight through in the armrest area and you could feel the breakage under the fabric insert. I was still driving my 1992 Camry V6 LE at the time she bought that Corolla, and when we would get into that old Camry, it was clear how low the quality had gotten over time. I currently have a 2004 Avalon XLS. It's holding up well, but only has 96k on it.
To be honest, nothing at Toyota as of late screams out to me. I really like the brand new Avalon, but I can't shell out that kind of cash at this stage in my life. But of all the current lineup, I find it the most appealing. Time will only tell about the fit and finish of that car.
Fit and finish was one of Toyota's strongest points years ago. You wouldn't have gotten a sagging headliner in say a 1997 Camry when it was new. The 2005 Avalon and the 2007 Camry were sort of the canaries in the coal mine as to the future of Toyota's overall quality. The same friend's parents bought a final year Venza and the fit and finish quality inside was atrocious. Lots of rattles and cheap bits diminishing a somewhat appealing (to me) design. The 2008 Corolla managed to be a cheaper tin can than the car it replaced, and the Yaris was sold to people who beat the crap out of them anyway, so why bother with top notch finishing? The current Sienna was something special when it was a fresh model (Her folks had one before the Venza) and for a minivan, I really liked it, but it's aged at this point and Toyota is only planning a mild refresh, adding more length and bloat, and mildly restyling it to have something close to the original model.
I'll admit, I've never been terribly partial to Toyota's trucks or SUV's. The Tacoma, Tundra, etc, have just never been up my alley, although I have been a passenger in them. I think they are nice trucks, I'm just not a truck guy. The Rav4 has never done anything for me. I do find the Sequoia somewhat appealing, as with the Land Cruiser, but the running costs are too high for me to justify all of that. I had a '95 Tercel, a '92 Camry V6 LE sedan, '99 Camry XLE V6, and '98 ES300 and now this Avalon. I've always loved Toyota's cars, and I hope they can get their priorities straight again.
Hope the Chevy has treated you well.