2017 Toyota Avalon

With its powerful V6 engine, the 2017 Toyota Avalon offers confident handling and a soft-but-not-too-soft suspension. Whether you want to cruise down the highway or have a little fun on the back roads, the Avalon keeps up reasonably well. For a sportier Avalon, you'll want to check out the Touring trim. It gives the Avalon compact-car-like handling and a more responsive ride.

• "The Avalon's powerful 3.5-liter V6, coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission and a well-tuned suspension, makes for a surprisingly fun Avalon." -- Edmunds
• "When equipped with the Touring suspension, Toyota's 2016 Avalon sedan rounds corners and hugs the road with all the fervor of a compact-sports sedan." -- Kelley Blue Book (2016)
• The Avalon's suspension, which consists of struts up front and a dual-link setup at the rear, has been reworked to provide a better ride/handling balance. Though it still isn't a sport sedan, the Avalon now leans less in the corners and feels suitably responsive without a significant decrease in ride quality." -- Left Lane News (2015)

Acceleration and Power

Powering the Avalon is a 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine, which comes paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. This engine is a staple of the Toyota lineup, and it has proven reliable over the years. The Avalon's robust acceleration allows it to easily pass and merge on the highway. Fuel economy is impressive, as well. It delivers 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.

• "The 2017 Toyota Avalon sedan gets its motivation from the tried-and-true 3.5-liter V6. … The conventional engine churns out a healthy 268 horsepower through a 6-speed automatic gearbox." -- Kelley Blue Book
• "With 268 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque on tap, the Avalon wastes no time getting up to freeway speed and gets from 0 to 60 mph in a quick 6.4 seconds. Few buyers will gripe about its acceleration." -- Edmunds
• "The carryover engine is a surprisingly powerful 3.5-liter V6 that produces 268 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque - that's enough to propel the big sedan from zero-to-60 mph in just over six seconds." -- Left Lane News (2015)

Handling and Braking

Ride quality is smooth. For more road feel, opt for the Avalon Touring, which rides with a tauter suspension, striking a better balance between ride quality and handling ability.

The Avalon feels secure around corners, with great steering feedback. And when you need to come to a stop, the brakes deliver confident stopping power. Sound insulation is quite effective, muffling wind and tire thrum quite well, even at higher speeds.

• The Avalon manages to be adequately damped to avoid feeling 'floaty.' Sure, the Avalon isn't as good at dynamic handling maneuvers, but if you're driving this car at the limit of its handling, you're missing the point." -- Edmunds
• "The Avalon's competent road manners and velvety-smooth V6 are made all the more attractive when coupled with the Touring trim's stiffer suspension setup. This big sedan can round corners with confidence yet delivers a smooth ride, excellent braking and communicative steering response." -- Kelley Blue Book
• "On the road, the 2016 Avalon is surprisingly responsive and adept in the corners. Whereas the old Avalon pitched and rolled around turns, the new one stays respectably flat. The ride is still quite refined, but its character has changed for the sportier. In keeping with past Avalons, road and wind noise are suppressed at all speeds." -- Autotrader (2016)