Um, that's the 4 cyl. It ran 5.7 in 2012. I doubt it's that much different in 2013/14. LINK

 

I was very sad when they stopped producing Avalons with front bench seats.

Bench seats are perfect for getting certain jobs. Since this is a family-oriented forum, I won't say what kind of jobs.

 

More like 6.5 seconds for a V6: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/18/2...-se-v6-review/

Toyota's brouchure says 7.6 seconds on the Hybrid Camry :http://www.toyota.com/camry/ebrochure/

 

It all depends on the weather and the elevation during the test run. That said, your RX doesn't stand a chance against it.

 

Maybe in the snow! I have AWD!

 

But let's face it the new Avalon is no longer a 'Avalon' I.e large plush cruiser it used to be.

It's more of a upmarket Camry

 

Hasn't the Avalon always been an upmarket Camry?

The new Camry only wishes it looked as good as the Avalon.

 

I have to agree on the bench seats, but for less-vulgar reasons. Though less-sporty, bench front seats and column-shifts, without a center console, not only noticeably increased footroom up front, but also created a nice space to carry packages/personal items or, in some cases, older children next to you that had outgrown the child car-seats in back.

Some friends of mine bought one of the first bench-seat Avalons back in the mid-90s, but, in general, there weren't many takers on that option. In this age (and even back then) of sport-oriented obsessiveness, it just didn't sell enough to keep it as an assembly-line option.

 

lmfao!!!!

 

without the front bench seat in a nice American car, I would probably have stayed a virgin until age 25!!! (instead of 16)

Back to the Avalon..... I have also equated Avalon with "plush" and it's truly sad that the Avalon is no longer a plush car. (nice, but not "plush")

 

I've probably driven more '13 Avalons than anybody here, and I can assure you the car is still "plush". I don't know what you guys consider to be a rough riding car, but the Avalon certainly isn't one. My grandparent's have had 3 and still have their '10 Limited and they did not notice anything rough about the ride in a '13 I let them drive a few months back.

My '98 Avalon has a bench seat, and my grandparents old '97 and '03 had them as well. They're far less comfortable than bucket seats and Toyota hardly sold any of them. The middle seat was worthless for anybody less than 6 years old.

 

It always was. It was literally a stretched Camry with different styling.

I laugh when people say "The ES is now based on the Avalon", ignoring the fact that Avalon is infact, based on the Camry, just like it has for the past 20 years.

 

But it is based on the Avalon platform, unlike prior years that were directly based on the Camry's. Yes, the Avalon is based on the stretched Camry (as always). The main point being, the ES is now larger than the Camry.

 

well, not it actually has its own platform unlike before... it is still variant of MC but its different enough than Camry.

Of course, what I laugh about is that ES and RX are based on Avalon and Highlander, which is not true - if we look at production numbers, ES and RX double the sales of Avalon and Highlander, so the platform is designed for them first and then Toyota variants.

 

Are you driving them with the recommended tire PSIs in them? Any car will ride a little smoother if you let a few pounds of air out of the tires or put a soft pillow on the driver's seat. But there is no denying that, if not what YOU would consider rough (though I respect your opinion) , the 2013-14 Avalon, with its redesigned suspension and lower-profile tires, is noticeably less compliant in bump-absorbing than its predecessors, especially the nice 1Gen model. Reviewer after reviewer after reviewer in the auto press, Consumer Reports, and my own review when I drove it, all came to the same conclusion.