Overview & Reviews

One of the most significant events in the Toyota Avalon's lineage took place with the introduction of the current fourth-generation model. In addition to breathing some much-needed life into the historically bland nameplate, this generation also saw the debut of a hybrid version of this full-size sedan.

Besides boasting the key attributes of the conventional Avalon, which include a high level of comfort, an elegant interior and generous trunk capacity, the Avalon Hybrid benefits from a very efficient powertrain shared with the Camry Hybrid. This results in an impressive EPA-estimated 40 mpg combined rating, which is a number we usually associate with much smaller economy cars, not large sedans with luxury leanings. Equally impressive is that the Avalon Hybrid's performance doesn't suffer much as a result.

Whether or not fuel economy weighs heavily on your large sedan purchase, we would recommend the Toyota Avalon Hybrid as a must-see.

Current  Toyota Avalon Hybrid
The current Toyota Avalon Hybrid comes in XLE Premium, XLE Touring and Limited trim levels. All are powered by a 156-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder that joins forces with an electric motor to bring total output up to 200 hp. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) routes power to the front wheels. Despite the reduction in power compared to the standard Avalon's V6, the Avalon Hybrid still accelerates to 60 mph in an admirable 7.7 seconds -- only about a second slower than the V6 model.

XLE Premium feature highlights include keyless ignition and entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a rearview camera and an eight-speaker audio system with USB/iPod integration. The XLE Touring perks include driver seat memory functions, a navigation system and Toyota's Entune smartphone app integration system. The Limited tops it off with xenon headlights, upgraded leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and an 11-speaker JBL premium sound system. Adaptive cruise control and adaptive high-beam headlights are optional for the Limited.

In reviews, we've been impressed by the Avalon Hybrid's confident and effortless road manners. The precise steering has a firm, responsive feel to it and the hybrid powertrain does a surprisingly good job of moving the car with authority. As an added bonus, the Toyota Avalon Hybrid's cabin is even quieter than the already serene V6-powered model. Traditional Avalon drivers may notice the ride is marginally stiffer than its predecessors, but we applaud the added road-holding confidence and find the blend of comfort and performance to be well balanced.

Used Toyota Avalon Hybrid Models
Introduced for 2013 and based on the fourth-generation Avalon which debuted that same year, the Avalon Hybrid has seen no changes since other than a minor shuffling of standard equipment.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 61.00

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  Very Uncomfortable Seats. Stay Away! - 2014 Toyota Avalon Hybrid
  By Richard Hastings - April 15 - 12:46 am

  This is supposed to be a luxury car and I bought it thinking it was. After a few hours from leaving the dealership I started having back and sciatic pain. None of my other cars cause this problem including a Mini-Cooper, a Mercedes, and 2 old British Sports cars! This car is nearly un-drivable for me as-is and I dread long drives in it. Luxury car my butt! I am extremely disappointed in Toyota. I have had several others and was a loyal customer. Review Update: I could never get comfortable in the seats and I traded the car in for a Lincoln. Were very happy now.

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  Mixed review - 2014 Toyota Avalon Hybrid
  By S S - September 20 - 4:33 am

  Having been a Toyota owner now since the late 90s I unfortunately have to say that things have been going down hill as far as my experience with Toyota and this Avalon. I have had more little issues come with this car than the total of all my other Toyotas. So Ill start with the issues. 1) The tires, Bridgestone Turanzas are by far the worst tires Ive ever had. I finally got rid of them at 17k. Increasingly noisy, poor traction, very harsh ride, like stones. I test drove an Avalon with the Michelins on it and they were much better. My car was located and I had no idea these poor quality tires existed until driving this care for a few weeks. I replaced them with Pirelli P7s and they are much better tires on this car. 2) The headliner started falling down around the rear of the sunroof. The dealer attempted the first fix from Toyota and succeeded in getting fingerprints all over the headliner. This is not to be confused with the headliners falling down near the rear window on the 2013s, this is another issue. The second time I took it back Toyota had come up with another fix and it worked, and the dealer succeeded in getting finger prints all over the headliner and complained about having to clean them off because the tech had used gloves and he couldnt have done it? Well at least that defect if finally fixed. 3) The chrome trim at the bottom of the rear passenger drivers side window started lifting up. You can push it down, but it comes back up if you raise the window. The dealer said theyd call when they get the replacement, havent heard in over a month. Ill need to remind them. 4) The vinyl on the armrest is cracking on a corner. Toyota uses vinyl all over on these leather interiors FYI. The cracking is occurring on a sharp wrap around surface where you dont even touch it. The vinyl material surface is flaking off. Others on the TN website are reporting the same issue but much worse in some cases. Toyota did replace the armrest under warranty. 5) The radio just dies in AM or FM mode. You can move from station to station (as if in mute) but no sound. If you stop the car and re-start its fine. And of course the dealer is unable to help since it only does it once in a while. So thats my list of issues at 20,000 miles. The negatives you will want to make sure you are OK with on these cars 1) Harsh ride, better tires help but Toyota seems to think people want a car that rides harsh and handles so-so instead of a car that rides nice and handles so-so. 2) The seats are pretty firm and as time goes on you feel like you are riding on the seat frames. Poor design for comfort. 3) The power lumbar is very poor, the adjustment is very limited and its hard to find a comfortable position. My 2012 Camry was much better. 4) The NAV unit is absolutely horrible. Unfortunately Toyota sticks you with this NAV and mediocre stereo. The NAV updates are near $200 and only available once a year. If you ask the dealer, they dont seem to know much about it. I use my iPhone most of the time its much more intuitive, roads are updated constantly, and the GUI is much simpler. 5) The Entune firmware is like something from the early 2000s. Its horribly slow, and the Bluetooth setup needs to be re-paired every now and then since it gets messed up. Toyota has really fallen behind with this firmware, the apps are ancient and my iPhone blows it away, yet my iPhone cant interface with the display. There is all these harassing screen warnings that I eventually figured out to disable for the most part, but I now rarely use it since its so dated compared to phone apps. Most people I know with Toyotas rarely use their NAVs or Entune, if ever. So the likes 1) MPG, MPG, MPG incredible. For a full size car its hard to believe you can get 40-45mpg with a little finessing and attention to mpg increasing techniques. 2) The drivetrain is great. The Toyota Hybrid Drive System is flawless so far and the transitions between Electric and ICE drive is hard to notice. The ECVT transmission has no shift points and is smooth as butter. The drive power delivery is quiet and smooth. 3) I like the brakes, they have a balanced amout of effort stopping power. 4) Steering is precise and well balanced as far as effort and road feel for a car this size. The steering wheel design is also great. Very comfortable. 5) The exterior is attractive IMO as is the interior. Great aesthetic design again IMO. So the bottom line is the 2014 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Touring is a very nice looking car inside and out with an excellent proven Hybrid drive train that delivers excellent MPG for a car this size. Where it falls down is the harsh ride, firm seat bottoms, poor interior quality material (vinyl), and some pesky quality fails at 20k.

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  Pretty but painful - 2014 Toyota Avalon Hybrid
  By Jeff - April 16 - 9:25 pm

  If you are considering the current generation of Avalon - PLEASE read this and all reviews before purchasing. I drove my last vehicle for nearly 11 years before selecting the Avalon Limited Hybrid and was really planning that this vehicle would last as long - my conclusion after nearly 20,000 miles in the last 8 months is that the car might last but it wont be with me. The good - the car is beautifully styled, gas mileage is awesome for a car this size and the interior look is just really nice to be inside. Unfortunately thats about where the good ends - here are the negatives that I think you should consider before purchasing. First, ride comfort, EVERY person that has driven or ridden in my car has complained about the seats - front and back. They are dreadfully hard - an extra feature in the drivers seat is a nice lump that rests between your butt bones - I hope you are catching the sarcasm because Im laying it on thick. The driver and passenger seats both feel as though there is a baseball tucked under about 3/4" of padding right in that spot.

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  Disappointed in Toyota - 2014 Toyota Avalon Hybrid
  By ceodale - January 5 - 6:15 pm

  I have purchased nothing but New vehicles since 1969 - this Toyota is the worst. I actually had the Service Dept admit that Toyota knew of a manufacturers defect in the Headliner but fails to disclose it. 4 months after buying it the headliner around the sun roof came loose. Toyota first wanted to tear apart the car, keep it for a week and install a new one. Then they concocted a fix with a magnet that lasted 4 more months. After waiting 12 days for the parts to arrive from 3M Toyota decides not to honor it and to insist on taking out the seats, disconnecting all the electical and such and installing a new headliner. Whats next? Never again a Toyota. They need to buy the car back. 2017 Update: When the car was new, a feature was a hands free charger for my cell phone.....never worked. Had a Android, they said it needed a special adapter which of course they do not sell.....then, in 2017 I inquired why the e-mail function stopped worked. They blamed it on Apple since I have a iPhone...great....now I have to buy a phone to fit the car or vise-versa! Told me it wont work. I have the latest technology in a phone but the e-mail wont work and the dialing function has changed and become very cumbersome. Counting the days til I trade this vehicle and get something else. I will say on a positive note, the fuel efficiency is Great! Car is comfortable but not what it was cracked up to be.. UPDATE 10/2017 - Okay Ive had the vehicle three years. Its been okay, service department is friendly and good but still a bad taste in my mouth relative to some misrepresentations made at time of purchase......the iPhone thing is really a disappointment .