mmarshall

http://www.washingtonautoshow.com/

I spent a number of hours today at the D.C. show (about as much as my feet/legs/back would take for one afternoon) and took in most of the upper-level displays (mostly Toyota, Fiat and domestic-American brands). There is also a whole lower-level, and I'll get to that later. I'll be going back probably two or three more times (with free show-passes), perhaps with guests. It runs through Feb. 10.

A test-drive circuit was set up outside one of the show's side-doors....basically a few miles through downtown Washington along city streets, so it wasn't what I would call a comprehensive drive (certainly not enough for a review). But, IMO, it was enough (just barely) to give you a basic feel for the car's drivetrain, ride. low-speed handling, ride-quality over the somewhat rough city-streets, low-speed braking, and general level of quietness and refinement.

Toyota had several new vehicles available for the short test-drives....I chose the new Avalon and RAV-4, as we have had discussion on them lately in CAR CHAT, and I hadn't had a chance to see or sample those two yet. Basically, you just pull out a valid driver's license, register on the list, take a puff on the Breathalyzer if they ask it, wait in line until the car you requested is available (they are constantly being driven), get in, adjust the seats/mirrors, etc, buckle up, start up, and go.........a Toyota Product-Rep rides along to answer any questions. They had an Avalon Hybrid there, but I chose the standard version, as I felt that more of them would probably be sold than the hybrids. There isn't outside for a static review out front (and it was darn cold once you stepped outside the door).......a static-review, of course, can be done inside, at the Toyota display, where it is nice and toasty.

The new Avalon was quite impressive....easily the best Avalon interior fit/finish I've seen to date. I would consider it a Lexus-grade car in both interior and general refinement, and the sound-insulation really does its job. The stereo was as good as some of the Lexus Mark Levinsons I've heard, and the drivetrain, at least under the conditons I drove it, was silky-smooth. Low-speed acceleration was excellent.....I had enough room between some of the city blocks to take up as fast as I felt prudent under those conditions. Low-speed handling was reasonable for a car of this type, but, of course, less than sports-car quick, even with the newly stiffer tires/suspension. The only thing I didn't particularly care for was the ride.....the new tires/suspension, over the somewhat bumpy city streets, firmed things up noticeably compared to former Avalons, and especially the soft-riding 1Gen model. But that's a issue that I have with a lot of new vehicles from many manufacturers (the constant, never-ending stiffening of tires/underpinnings), not just with Toyota. And, though it may (?) sound like heresy to some of you, I think the new Avalon is as good or superior to the new Lexus ES350 in several areas. The new ES, IMO, has also shown some slight deterioraton in ride comfort/refinement and noise-isolation, and the new Avalon's interior, IMO, (now) significantly beats it.

I also drove the new RAV-4, which, like the Avalon, also showed noticeable (and significant) improvement in fit/finish and general interior quality.....though some of this, IMO, was necessary after the disappointing cheapness of the previous model's cabin and hardware. The drivetrain was smooth and with adequate power, even from the 2.5L four, and the stereo was nice, but (not surprisingly) not as good as the Avalon's. Noise isolation was reasonably good, low-speed handling also reasonably good for a car-based small-to-mid-sized SUV, but the ride (again)was disappoining....noticeably stiffer then the Avalon's (even with higher-profile tires than the Avalon). And the back edge of the hood had a noticeable up-down flutter/vibration going over bumps...you could distinctly see it from the driver's seat. I checked it after I got back to make sure it was fully closed and latched properly (it was).

Sometimes other manufacturers, such as GM and KIa, also use that test-drive circuit outside the show, but only Toyota was using it today when I was there....they seem to have one each year.

I have CL review-requests, BTW, for the new RAV-4, and plan to do a full-review in the near future.

The show itself, as usual in recent years, was great (so far). As I said earlier, I checked out the upper-level displays, which were mostly American makes but also included Fiat and Toyota. Didn't get to the new C7 Corvette, though...I'll probably get to that at the show next week if it is displayed. Ford seemed to have the most floor-space for its displays, which is not unusual....but Ford, Toyota, and Chevy always get a lot. Mitsubishi did not have a display...neither did Porsche (they seem to have been avoiding the auto shows lately). Fiat has an indoor test-track on the lower level (I'll check that out next week), but their official display was upstairs.....I really enjoyed looking at the 500s, as they come in so many different colors and trim-patterns. But one of the biggest impressions at the show I've seen (so far) is the new Chevy Impala....it was attracting a lot of attention, and is far different inside and out than the old model. The Ford Focus ST was also noteworthy....but the sample thay had on the floor was locked up and you couldn't sit in it (it is considered a prototype 2014).

spwolf

great, thanks for the impressions!

07grIS350

After driving the Avalon for 4 days, I can say that only the LS and the Hybrids (in battery mode) can top this car in road quietness. The base stereo is almost as good as ML at regular listening level. Low end power is quite good. The gear box is excellent in Sport Mode.
This car reminds me a lot about the first gen LS, except that the former handles better.
Agree on the firmer ride, but makes for less body lean in turns. Combined that with the light but direct steering, dodging potholes is more fun instead of having to run over them.

mmarshall

Pretty much my impressions, too, except that you will be surprised at the quietness of some recent Buicks, with their patented Quiet Tuning and Active Noise Cancellation. The Verano, especially, is as quiet as many Lexus models (and the new Avalon) except for some engine noise from the Ecotec four during warmup and at higher revs. The Avalon, of course, with its larger V6, produces less engine noise on acceleration.


The original LS, of course, was RWD (and still is), which generally provides better-balanced handling than FWD, but the FWD Avalon (especially the latest model) makes up for it with firmer underpinnings. I'm not a fan of overly-firm rides, though......I generally prefer the traditional ride-comfort, though not to the point of what I saw in American cars decades ago that steered and handled like battleships. My neighbor's sponge-like 1976 Thunderbird (which I drove on occasion) was ridiculous, even by the soft American standards of the time.


If you look at it that way, fine......but most buyers (and especially the traditional/repeat ones) don't buy an Avalon for sport-sedan handling. They want something relaxing and comfortable to drive home in at the end of a hard day's work.

You have a point, though, about dodging potholes.....on the sample-drives, I had to dodge enough of them myself on the D.C. streets.

mmarshall

I'll try and get a full-review of the new RAV-4 done before too long.

07grIS350

Yes, I forgot to write that I agreed with you all all observations as well
I have not tried any Buicks lately, but that is very impressive from what you've said. I remembered loving the quiet and butter smooth ride of the late 80's Regal coupe.
I looked at my Avalon just now. There is huge wheel gap even with the 18" wheels. So I guess one could soften the ride with some taller tires.
I think Toyota hits a home run with this car in terms of bringing in younger buyers. They might be sacrifying the traditional buyers for a different target group.

mmarshall

Buicks were indeed magic-carpet-ride machines for decades. But, unfortunately, the 80s versions (just like most American-designed cars of the period) tended to fall apart after a couple of years......sometimes not even waiting even that long. The 80s decade was the decade that drove many Americans into foreign-make cars for the first time. GM, in particular, suffered big losses.

Do you have a new 2013 Avalon. If so, congratulations......a nice choice.


Can't bite the hand that feeds you, though. Those traditional buyers have kept the Avalon going....though the Camry, admittedly, has always handly outsold it in America by a large margin.

To be honest, though, I've noticed that older people are still continuing to buy Buicks (particularly the LaCrosse), Cadillacs, and Lincolns, despite the fact that they have less of a magic-carpet ride now and are somewhat more sport-oriented in their handling. Perhaps the newly-available AWD options for bad weather (which were not available in the past) are helping to hold on to them, despite the fact that most of these older people preferred the older, smoother rides. But those older people probably also like the help that AWD gives them on slick roads, particularly as their driving skills deteriorate with age.

Toyota, IMO, would be wise to offer the Avalon with AWD, but so far, we haven't seen one, at least in the American market.

trexlexus

There is a lot of talk about the quietness of the new Buicks, but does anyone know if there is an official dB chart out on the internetz that lists most of the major cars sold in the US today?

I know about the sniperslaststand list, but i hardly think that is an official list, lol.

spwolf

i dont think db chart would tell you everything... edmunds test drives always have db measured in them. but again, it is one of those things that are not that simple.

trexlexus

Ya i agree that it is a very tricky thing because a lot of it has to do with variables. But you don't think a concise list of db values would be helpful in any way?

Fizzboy7

Good reports. I'd be very interested in hearing more about the new Avalon, including the hybrid.

mmarshall

Thanks.

I'm going back to the D.C. show again this afternoon. As I sampled the regular Avalon Friday, I might (?) get a chance to sample the hybrid quickly either today or later this week (if it's still available on the test-drive).......but it won't be much of a test-drive on the city streets.

I'm also going to hit the lower-level displays today, and catch at least some of the things I didn't on Friday. The show's so big, though, that I may not catch them all today....so it will probably be more days later this week. (nice to have those free passes).

spwolf

yeah, make sure you reset MPG and try to get best possible in Avalon Hybrid... you can also see trip mpg in big screen on the dash where the nav is.

mmarshall

Both instantaneous and trip-MPG, of course, is available on virtually any trip-computer these days. In fact, both my Outback and Verano had two of them.......Trip 1 and Trip 2, along with the trip-odometers. I myself have never used the Trip 2's....I don't need them.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

A decibel chart would be useless by itself.