2011 Toyota Avalon

Done right, there's something about a large sedan that's highly appealing. Good ride comfort, power to spare and plenty of room are attributes that defined the full-size American sedan for decades. That's the type of car Toyota now makes in the form of its Avalon, which got a number of significant updates for the 2011 model year.

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The Avalon succeeds at transporting people in complete comfort and surrounding them with a host of luxury trappings. In short, it's the modern reincarnation of the classic American sedan.

The 2011 Avalon is offered in base and Limited trim levels. I tested a Limited model with an as-tested price of $37,884.

Styling

Long and low, the Avalon stretches to 197.6 inches overall, making it about 8 inches longer than a Toyota Camry. It looks a little bulbous from some angles, and the C-pillars don't have the most graceful arc.

For 2011, the Avalon receives some subtle styling changes to its front and rear. The headlights, grille and front bumper are new, but because the overall look closely resembles the prior version, the changes could easily go unnoticed. The same goes for the rear, which has new but familiar-looking LED taillights and a license plate holder that's been moved from the bumper to the restyled trunklid.

Ride & Handling

Comfort reigns supreme in the Avalon, and this has some positive and negative consequences. On the plus side, the sedan's soft suspension tuning provides excellent ride quality. The Avalon floats smoothly down the road, the cabin undisturbed by rougher stretches of pavement. It's one of those things that give the Avalon a sense of luxury beyond its price. A quick dip in the road makes the nose bob up and down briefly, but the motion is quickly controlled. Larger bumps, however, are acutely felt.

The steering is another area where the Avalon upholds its comfort mantra. The wheel turns easily with a light touch; it feels like it's attached to a giant ball bearing that's been lathered in WD-40. Despite the light effort at lower speeds, which makes maneuvering a parking garage a cinch, there isn't any unwanted twitchiness on the highway, just confident and predictable transitions when changing lanes.

The flip side of the Avalon's comfortable outlook is that it doesn't hold up well when you drive it hard into a corner. It will go along with you up to a point, but plenty of body roll and a nose-heavy feel keep any chance at fun locked away in a safe ... at the bottom of Lake Michigan.

Going & Stopping

"Effortless" is the best word to describe the Avalon's drivetrain. Like the 2010 model, the 2011 Avalon is powered by a 268-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine that drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The car pulls strongly away from stoplights, and the V-6 still has plenty of gusto on the highway for a quick pass. Floor the gas pedal around 70 mph, and the transmission quickly kicks down, engine rpm jumps and the hood noticeably rises as the Avalon squats down and surges forward. This engine's high-speed power is truly impressive, and not all that common among mainstream full-size sedans.