Every year, manufacturers retire model lines as market shifts weigh in. With the pivot to electrification upon us, certain names will not be around for the 2023 model year. Some of the models leaving have nothing to do with EVs coming onboard. Instead, they are sedans that are no longer … Read more
The Toyota Avalon is a large sedan. Introduced in the 1990s, the Avalon has played a significant role in expanding Toyota’s product reach to segments never previously tapped. But like other flagship sedans, the Avalon is on its way out. Indeed, 2022 is the final model year for the Avalon … Read more
So long, farewell to two more models. The number of car models available continues to shrink, as manufacturers prioritize other body styles. Specifically, utility vehicles and trucks. We are not all that surprised when a model goes away. Although some like the previously dropped Ford Taurus and the on-again, off-again … Read more
Toyota’s flagship sedan now offers a TRD option. We may be looking at crossovers more than ever before, but there are some sedans on the market worth exploring, including the 2020 Toyota Avalon. The Avalon is now in its fifth generation (second generation for the hybrid) and was overhauled in … Read more
Twenty-five years of Avalon history brings with it an all-new fifth-generation model. The sedan market may be shrinking, but Toyota remains committed to its largest sedan. The Toyota Avalon is a large sedan, one that was overhauled for 2019. It’s based on the same platform as the popular Toyota Camry … Read more
The Nissan Maxima is a premium sedan, a midsize model powered by a V6 engine and loaded with amenities. It is this brand’s flagship sedan, although it is sized smaller than competing models from Toyota, Chevrolet, and Ford. The current model is part of the eighth-generation line introduced in 2016. … Read more
Toyota launches the latest generation Avalon Hybrid sedan. The 2019 Toyota Avalon Hybrid is a large, five-passenger front-wheel-drive sedan that’s also all-new. While some competing manufacturers are fleeing sedans altogether, Toyota is doubling down and releasing new models, including the hybrid version of its flagship sedan. The current version is … Read more
The 2019 Chevrolet Impala represents one of a small cohort of full-size mainstream sedans. Its bold style is just as appealing as it was when the current model rolled in 2014. The Impala has a comfortable interior and supplies a great ride. It could use more active safety tech, however. … Read more
The seventh-generation Lexus ES arrives this summer. When Toyota launched its Lexus brand in 1989, it had two products to show for it: midsize ES and full-size LS sedans. Both models remain an important part of this luxury marque’s portfolio, although newer models such as the RX crossover are far … Read more
The fifth-generation Toyota Avalon steps up its game. Flagship sedans are a thing of the past, right? After all, the segment continues to shrink as customers shift to crossovers. The Hyundai Azera is no more and there is talk that the Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Impala will soon receive the … Read more
The Road to Avalon comes paved with handsome intentions. Sales of large sedans have tanked in recent years, falling faster than other car segments as consumers beat feet to crossovers. Manufacturers such as Hyundai (Azera) have abandoned the segment while others, such as Ford (Taurus) and GM (Chevrolet Impala and … Read more
The segment for traditional, large sedans is a small one, yet important to manufacturers nonetheless. For Toyota, the Avalon has faithfully served the brand for two decades, representing a plush, front-wheel drive vehicle that will be refreshed for the 2016 model year. The Chicago Auto Show served as the perfect … Read more
Latest edition Toyota Avalon hits all the right marks. After three consecutive weeks of driving hybrid electric vehicles, little did I know that the best one would be saved for last. While the Toyota Prius and the Lexus CT 200h both have a place among hybrids — the Prius for … Read more
From time to time I am asked about the manufacturing status of a particular make/model. No, not whether the vehicle is still being made rather where it is being assembled. Some people make a big stink about where a car is built, then quickly realize that a model from a … Read more
Lighter full-size sedan expected in summer 2015. Large sedans may no longer carry the status they once did, but to automakers they represent both premium and profitable models, serving retail and fleet customers alike. The Ford Taurus is one such vehicle, a model name rescued by CEO Alan Mulally soon … Read more
You need to go back at least three decades to find large sedans among the top selling models in the US auto industry. By the 1980s, midsize sedans along with minivans became the family vehicles of choice, models that were smaller, lighter, efficient and more affordable than the flagship sedans … Read more
Should I choose the Toyota Avalon or the Lexus ES? That question was posed to me recently via Twitter and I responded to the inquirer with a choose the Lexus if the pricing comes out to be the same. Then again, you may want to skip the Lexus once you … Read more