2020 Toyota Avalon TRD rating: Big on space, short on hustle and bustle
"The 2020 Toyota Avalon TRD is a full-size entertaining sedan, but not a good value."
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Powerful engine
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Composite chassis
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Spacious interior
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Overwhelming technology
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Inconspicuous interior materials
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Performance increases don't go far enough
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Bad value
It is hard to imagine that a car currently in production has a less exciting image than the Toyota Avalon. The largest sedan from Toyota is traditionally geared towards an older population group and attaches importance to comfort and space compared to sportiness and technology. Why does this new Avalon have a TRD emblem on the trunk? After all, TRD stands for Toyota Racing Development.
The Toyota Avalon TRD 2020 is an attempt to break out of a clumsy stereotype. Toyota hasn't changed anything under the hood of this sedan, but it did give the Avalon TRD stiffer suspension, bigger front brakes and other performance improvements, and a sportier design inside and out.
These upgrades are not cheap. Prices for the TRD model start at $ 43,330. That's $ 6,500 more than a basic Avalon XLE and puts the TRD at the top of the trim hierarchy. Given the limited performance improvements, the TRD had to work hard to justify its price and meet its bill as an exciting Avalon.
Design and interior
The current generation Avalon, launched for the 2019 model year, already had a rather extrovert design as part of Toyota's ongoing effort to make it more distinctive. The massive grille takes the Avalon XSE model, and the TRD adds a body kit with a new front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and tailgate spoiler. The TRD also gets model-specific 18-inch wheels. Overall, the car looks like it was designed by an Uber driver who watched too many Fast and Furious films. But unlike previous Avalons, it stands out.
We are used to seeing traditional wood and leather in Avalon interiors. So it was surprising to open the driver's door and find seats with suede inserts and red stitching, red seat belts, and aluminum pedal covers. This is the kind of thing you'd normally expect in a Honda Civic Type R, not a big sedan. That's not a bad thing as these boy racer elements give the Avalon TRD the sporty feel that Toyota wanted.
2020 Toyota Avalon TRD
It's just a shame that the materials look so cheap. Although this car cost over $ 40,000, it didn't have real leather seats and other materials weren't a significant step up from cheaper Toyota models.
When you buy an Avalon, you really pay for the space. The interior volume is a big step up from the medium-sized Toyota Camry and is cheap compared to other large sedans like the Dodge Charger, the Kia Cadenza and the Nissan Maxima. The Avalon has more rear legroom than the competition, although the Cadenza and Maxima have a little more space in the front. At 16.0 cubic feet, the trunk space is average for a large sedan, but the Kia Stinger hatchback offers 23.3 cubic feet of cargo space.
Technology, infotainment and driver assistance
The Avalon is Toyota's flagship, but that doesn't happen technically. This car has a decent array of technical features, but Toyota could have gone further.
While some Toyota vehicles received both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for the 2020 model year, the Avalon is only available with CarPlay (along with Amazon Alexa connectivity). The standard 9.0-inch infotainment screen is easy to reach from the driver's seat and is supported by strategically placed analog controls. However, the integration into the dashboard is cumbersome.
Stephen Edelstein / Digital Trends
The 7.0-inch screen, which is clamped between the analog speedometer and the tachometer, provides important information such as fuel consumption. However, the setup seems a bit dated, as other automakers offer fully digital instrument clusters. The TRD model is charged with Qi mobile phones as standard, but does not have the head-up display that is available in the Touring and Limited equipment variants.
The Avalon has the same standard Toyota Safety Sense-P bundle of driver aids as most of the automaker's models. These include autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning with steering assistant, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beam, blind spot monitoring and rear traffic warning.
Experience behind the wheel
The TRD model has the same 3.5-liter V6, the eight-speed automatic transmission and the same front-wheel drive as the basic Avalon. Engine power remains unchanged at 301 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. That roughly corresponds to the closest rival of the Avalon TRD, the Nissan Maxima. Like the TRD, the Maxima is a light, sporty large sedan with front-wheel drive and a 3.5-liter V6 that produces 300 hp and 261 lb.-ft. accomplishes. The Maxima's continuously variable transmission (CVT) has nothing to do with the fast-switching eight-speed automatic transmission of the Avalon.
However, broaden your horizons and it is possible to get more horsepower per dollar. For around $ 6,000 less than the TRD, you can buy a Dodge Charger R / T with a 5.7-liter V8 that delivers 370 horsepower and 395 lb.-ft. accomplishes. The Kia Stinger GT is also a little cheaper than the Avalon TRD. It packs a 3.3-liter V6 with two turbochargers with 365 HP and 376 lb.-ft. The Dodge and Kia are both fitted with rear-wheel drive, and Kia offers all-wheel drive at an additional cost.
However, the Avalon still has a lot of power for a car of its size, and the cat-back exhaust system of the TRD model gives the V6 a nice growl. Toyota also threw more resources into the car's chassis.
The relatively small increases in performance work on the go, but only up to a point.
Most TRD upgrades relate to handling. Toyota added thicker underbody struts to increase torsional rigidity, TRD-specific shock absorbers, new stabilizers, and new springs that lower the car by 0.6 inches. According to Toyota, the stabilizers and springs increase the roll stiffness at the front by 44 percent and at the rear by 67 percent to prevent the car from fluttering around corners. The TRD also has larger front brakes than a standard Avalon.
Stephen Edelstein / Digital Trends
These relatively small changes work on the road, but only up to a point. The Avalon TRD feels much more relaxed on a winding road than such a big car. The brakes are fantastic too. But like a person with social fear at a party, you feel like the Avalon would rather do something different.
While the suspension keeps the body swaying at bay, the TRD doesn't feel as agile as a Nissan Maxima built with a similar template. This is probably due to the Avalon's longer wheelbase, which is great for space in the rear seats, but not for carving in corners. The front tires of the Toyota were also slightly overwhelmed by multitasking. Steering, braking, and channeling 301 horsepower is a big question as to why performance sedans typically have rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. Drive the Avalon back and forth with a Kia Stinger and you'll see why.
Fuel consumption and security
The TRD treatment has no influence on the fuel consumption values. This version of the Avalon has the same 25 mpg (22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway) as most other trim levels. Toyota also offers a hybrid powertrain up to 44 mpg, which however cannot be combined with the TRD upgrades. According to the car's on-board computer, we reached an average of 24.8 mpg over a week's drive.
The 2020 Avalon received the highest Top Safety Pick + rating from the Road Safety Insurance Institute (IIHS) and a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Toyota offers a three-year warranty of 36,000 miles and a five-year warranty of 60,000 miles for the powertrain. The Avalon and other Toyota models enjoy an excellent reputation for reliability.
How DT would configure this car
Since the TRD is a specific equipment variant in the Avalon series, not many configuration decisions need to be made beyond the color. We thought the white color of our test car caused the black grille, the wheels and the body kit to burst well.
But is the TRD the best Avalon you can buy? It's worth noting that the Limited trim level offers more features (including leather seats and a 360-degree camera system) for about the same price. The Limited is also available with the hybrid powertrain. This combination shows the strengths of the Avalon better than the sporty TRD.
Our opinion
The Toyota Avalon TRD 2020 is a good idea with poor execution. It's possible to turn a large sedan into a high-performance car – just look at the BMW M5 – but Toyota hasn't gone far enough with the Avalon TRD. The TRD upgrades make the Avalon better to drive (and look at), but they don't transform it.
If you want four doors, lots of space, and a little fun, other cars offer more for the money. For the base price of the Avalon TRD, you could have the most expensive Nissan Maxima. The Nissan is not without its flaws, but it is a better implementation of the idea that Toyota was aiming for. The Maxima has less interior than the Avalon, but its interior also feels more upscale. While the Maxima is equipped with a slow-reacting CVT, it feels more comfortable on winding roads.
Similar money could also buy a Kia Stinger GT with more power and better handling than the Toyota or a Dodge Charger R / T, a real muscle car with a Hemi V8 under the hood. The Avalon TRD is cool and different, but so are these cars. They also have more substance to support their style.
The Toyota Avalon is simply not designed for aggressive driving, and no changes can fix that. If you want a really beautiful Avalon, the XLE model is the way to go. If you are looking for a large sedan that looks more aggressive and moves faster, you should buy another car.
Should you get one?
No, the price-performance ratio is bad.
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