2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Co., Ltd. Review

2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited Review

Pros

Fuel Economy

Interior Quality

Passenger Room

Cons

CVT may take getting used to

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“That was sure painless,” said one of our passengers after a trip down the freeway this weeked in the Toyota Avalon Hybrid.

This passenger does not like to drive on the highway and said she definitely has anxiety whenever she does. It’s a true testament to the 2015 Toyota Avalon’s ability to deliver a comfortable and “painless” experience – even to the most apprehensive riders.

This weekend we got behind the wheel of the 2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited and saw why this nervous passenger liked the big sedan.

What’s New For 2015

Features & Options

Interior Features

Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs

Driving Dynamics

Conclusion

What’s New For 2015

The Toyota Avalon Hybrid gets minor upgrades and Toyota’s next generation Entune infotainment system. Otherwise, Avalon Hybrid remains mostly unchanged for the 2015 model year.

Features & Options

The 2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited ($41,700) comes with all the luxury items a luxury sedan should have. This Limited featured 3-zone climate control with rear-seat vents, backup camera, leather, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, push button start, and power rear shade.

Options on this Avalon tester included the Technology package ($1,950) with radar cruise control, auto high beam, pre-collision system, and Qi wireless charging in the eBin storage tray.

Total MSRP including destination: $44,475.

Interior Features

People who buy an Avalon want luxury and this model does not disappoint. We were bathed in luxury all weeked with the comfortable leather seats.

Our passengers loved the climate control in the back seat and when w

e turned on the cooled seats, we were greeted with a nice cooling effect.

This was perfect for our drive through the hot city.

We lowered the power rear shade for our apprehensive passenger, turned on some soft tunes on the 11 speaker premium JBL sound system, and she was ready for the trip down the busy freeway.

Despite cars buzzing around us like flies, the cabin is a comfortable place for driver and passengers to spend time commuting on the highway or busy city streets. Our nervous passenger never knew what dangers lurked outside the quiet cabin as she settled in and enjoyed the comfortable, smooth ride down the busy interstate.

2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited JBL Speaker Placement

Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs

The Avalon Hybrid delivers the best fuel mileage you can get in a big sedan. It uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor that make a combined 200 horsepower. The latest Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive is EPA rated at 40/39 city/highway and 40 combined mpg.

These are exceptional numbers for a full-size sedan.

A continuously variable transmission (CVT) delivers power to the front wheels.

Driving Dynamics

The Avalon Hybrid’s 200 horsepower doesn’t sound like much, but when the gas engine is coupled with the electric motor, it provides enough torque to deliver plenty of power for everyday needs.

We motored down the highway with plenty of power when we needed it.

The Avalon Hybrid floated down the road with little intrusion in the cabin, even over rougher spots due to construction on I-25.

Our passengers were unaffected and even commented on how quiet the ride was on our trip to Cinzetti’s for a going away party for a co-worker.

We even had to cross over three lanes of traffic quickly or we would have missed the turn. Our passengers didn’t notice anybody lean as we did.

After we dropped off our passengers and were told it was “painless,” we pushed the big sedan hard up the mountain road, west of Denver, to see how it would perform at altitude. We were impressed with the amount of power the Hybrid had and we were able to pull the steep hill.

Conclusion

The 2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid doesn’t have much competition and is one of the few full-size hybrid sedans on the market. Handling is exceptional and the ride quality is smooth.

It’s super quiet in the cabin.

The hybrid has enough power for everyday needs and who can complain about getting 40 mpg? The Avalon Hybrid is an easy car to drive and ride in, even for the most apprehensive riders.

*Automoblog’s rating range is 1-5, of which 5 is the best photo: Toyota Motor Sales Department, USA< /p>