2008 Toyota Avalon XLS

2008 Toyota Avalon XLS - The car, which slots into the manufacturer’s lineup above the new Camry and Solara, is the most premium level Toyota you can get — anyone looking for a higher level of standard equipping or luxury touches must get into the Lexus line after this one.

The front end’s changes centre mainly on the new-look bumper and grille, and leave the Avalon with decent curb appeal for a big car, especially when approached from the front. The lights have changed for ’08 as well, with a more hawk-eyed cut to the shape.

The vehicle’s overall lines and angles lend it a stately look, classy enough to take anywhere without feeling like a potato in a diamond mine when the Acura and Mercedes drivers show up, and also enough everyday appeal to feel at home in the parking lot of the big-box stores.

The interior is where the car shows off its upscale tendencies, with all materials and surfaces showing quality and well applied esthetics when you sit down in the driver’s seat. Cupholders and stereo controls are covered in flush-fit plastics when not in use; even the seat-heater controls are pop-up buttons that recess into the console after adjustment.

The Avalon runs with a 3.5-litre V6, pumping adequate horses (268 of them) to the wheels, with 248 lb.-ft. of torque available at a mid-range 4,700 rpm. As you might imagine, the car, while in no way underpowered, is no sport-sedan either. Acceleration will feel a little weak to anyone looking for hot zero-to-100 numbers, though I doubt the tire squawker crowd would shop this car anyway.

The six-speed automatic tranny is quite fluid, and its sport-shift component allows a driver to get the most from the drivetrain when you slide it into manumatic mode. The transmission also boasts a lockup torque converter, and Toyota’s traction control system and vehicle stability control are standard on the XLS.

My tester was optioned up with the Premium Package (which adds $3,280 to the MSRP), one of only two option levels available for the Av, the other's being premium with navigation system. Premium trim tops off the already-excellent level of equipment with more speakers for the sound system (12, total) and rain-sensing wipers, and gives the front seat passenger the aforementioned eight-way power seat the driver enjoys.

While the price is a little steep for the Avalon — it starts higher than either of its main competitors, the Maxima and Accord, and a couple of the people I showed the car to pointed out that the car is creeping into entry-level Lexus territory — I would suggest comparing prices to any of those vehicles after adding a similar level of equipping to the competitors to see how the bottom line stacks up.