Toyota Avalon (1995 - 1999) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I love this car. I dislike nothing about it. It's quite luxurious, probably moreso than Camry or Corolla. It's got a V6 engine but it drives like a V8. Great acceleration from a dead stop, smooth like buttah driving on the highway. It only needs an oil change every 7500 miles, and sometimes we've gone longer. Haven't been the best about maintaining it but it doesn't matter - this thing keeps going and going and going and going ... I wish Toyota made conversion vans or camper vans (they stopped making RVs in the early 90s for those of you who didn't know). And when they did make RVs they were extremely popular - go figure! That's no surprise to me. I absolutely love my Toyota Avalon. Great car, no complaints at all!Apr 20, 2015

I had a friend who retired and was moving to Hawaii. He didn't want to pay to have it shipped, since it was an older car (91,000 miles), He made me a great deal on it and I retired my Acura Legend and changed it out with the Avalon as my daily driver. It didn't have the heated seats or nearly as many of the premium features I had become accustomed to. I felt as if I had taken a few steps down initially. But after owning this car for quite a while now, I now know that my initial feelings towards this car were unfair and unjust. It ran strong when I bought it and it runs just as strong today with 220,000 miles on it. The air conditioning is amazing and I've never had any work done to it. It will freeze us out and that's in Texas Summers too. The cars ride has always been a smooth one and as long as I keep it's oil regularly serviced, it just goes and goes and goes. I had no intentions of ever keeping it this long, but it drives like a much newer vehicle. In fact, during this extended life, it's allowed me to save enough to pay cash for my next vehicle. At one point soon I'm going to have to get rid of the Avalon and I'll truly miss this car. It's such a good car still, that I hope I can find another owner who maybe cant afford a newer car that can appreciate it as I have.May 26, 2014

I love this car. It's very reliable, had personality and is a nice place to be on long drives. It has plenty of power for overtaking and merging, or just when you're late to work. It has a velvety smooth transmission and the ride is as expected from a 90's Toyota Flagship Car. The exterior is kind of boring, but has been upgraded with a spoiler, chromed window pillars and white LEDs. Dec 12, 2012

I had this car for over a year so far and put 30,000 hard earned miles on it. It was my first car that I bought myself for 1,000 with the struts shot, and speakers blown with 180,000 miles on it. It is STILL running today, and I wouldn't be afraid to take a road trip in it, and I mean I went EVERYWHERE in it. Plus it has won a few little street races. I love this car Aug 24, 2012

Highly recommend. My XLS has around 80k on it, very smooth & very quiet. I like my pearl white exterior, combined w/the cloth interior. Too much room in the back being waisted if not used. Could fit a couple of 6 feet men in the back comfortably. To service the transmission is easy w/the drain plug on the pan. Oil is the same w/everything easy to get to. Doesn't use oil, stingy on gas & the motor is so quiet you can hardly hear it run. This thing is quality built to last. Dec 15, 2009

My first actually drivable car, a 1998 Toyota Avalon with 237,000 miles (If I remember correctly). It reminds me of an old man car, but that's the kind of person that I am! The color of the car is code 4N7 which is Sable Pearl. It's kind of a brown color that really doesn't show the dirt! She also has a sunroof, supposedly heated mirrors, and fifteen-inch alloy wheels. My Avalon is also the XLS model with ivory leather and power front driver and passenger bucket seats. I wish it had the bench seat, although it seems to be quite a rare option! The person who ordered the car, though, didn't order the memory and heated seat package! Leather can be cold in the wintertime without heat! The radio with CD and tape sounds great! It does have the premium sound package with seven speakers and subwoofer. That sucker will blow your eardrums out with the booming from the subwoofer! It kills my sensitive ears! Performance is exceptional. It is almost too smooth. You wouldn't know it was running if it didn't have a tachometer! One touch of the accelerator pedal, and you're flying in quiet luxury! According to Toyota the 3.0 V6 has 200 horsepower and 214 pound-feet of torque. It sure doesn't sound like it! Braking is quite good, although I've never had the chance to really test it out yet. Handling is kind of numb with no feeling. I don't really mind it though, you get used to it. One annoying thing is that the steering is so sensitive that if you turn your head without moving your hands on the steering wheel, the car heads that way! Build quality is top-notch, which is what should be expected with a Toyota. No squeaks or rattles to drive me nuts. I think the car was owned by a salesman, because the driver's seat is slightly cracked in a couple places, but the rest of the car is in immaculate condition! I don't think anyone had sat in the back seat before we owned the car. Some of the louvers on the passenger vent were broken by my mom, but that is not the fault of the car, just rough usage (thanks mom)! The appearance of the car is generic. Any oldster would be happy in this car! It makes me think of Kathryn Minner, the "Little Old Lady from Pasadena", and the lady who uttered the famous words "Put a Dodge in your garage, honey!" The appearance makes my conservative-styled self happy though. It's great compared to some of those other butt-ugly Japanese cars! Interior styling is also nice with fake woodgrain aplenty! It matches nicely with the ivory leather and brownish-gray dash pad. The seats are soft and supportive. It feels like its nickname a "Japanese Buick". The back seats are the most comfortable though, with the cute little reading lights that really do come in handy! I wish it had a trunk light, though! Lights also turn off automatically, good for a forgetful 18-year-old, and the interior lights stay on for a minute after the doors are closed. Cost of ownership has been quite minimal. The car could use struts all around, and an EGR valve, but that's about it, except for the usual maintenance. I would guess the miles-per-gallon rating would be somewhere in the mid-20s, which is not bad for the first Japanese full-size sedan. I wouldn't really know about the cost of maintenance, my dad owns his own auto repair business, so I don't have to pay for my parts, oil changes, tires, or any of that kind of stuff! Thanks, dad! He should pay for it though, my car has become the family wheels! Finally, to end these long-winded review requirements, the car is fun to drive. It has power when you need it, and people think it is slower than it really is! It throws some people off when my dad drives, it sure has power to spare! I wouldn't know though, I'm a stickler for the speed limit, I go no faster than the law allows! What normal teenager does that? Well, If you've made it through the whole thing I congratulate you! You've beaten my always long-winded writing! Thanks for reading! Oops, I almost forgot to mention that my dad paid only $2500 for this wonderful car, what a steal!Aug 23, 2009

It wasn't the most beautiful car, but it did its job. Spacious enough for 6 passengers (or 5 Americans). Trunk held 2 12" subs in a box along with room for 2 large suitcases. V6 power with 25mpg, but had an oil sludging problem. On the track, the car experienced predictable understeer. Also, some brake fade after heavy, consistent braking. All in all, a good value and long life (130k miles at time of sale).Apr 17, 2008