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Old 02-11-2026, 09:55 AM   #2 (permalink)
Isaac Zachary
High Altitude Hybrid
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Gunnison, CO
Posts: 2,350

Avalon - '13 Toyota Avalon HV
90 day: 40.45 mpg (US)

Prius - '06 Toyota Prius
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I think my Toyota Avalon hybrid kind of fits that description.
  • Spacious interior. I'm 6'1" and can adjust my front seat to where I have plenty of leg room and then go sit in the rear seat behind "me" and still have plenty of leg room.
  • Leather seats (which I hate).
  • Standard front heated seats. Rear heated was an option.
  • Standard driver's seat is full adjustable with electric controls (upper and lower lumbar support, seat height, seat tilt, etc.)
  • Even the steering wheel slides in and out.
  • Heated steering wheel option.
  • Optional rear HVAC controls.
  • Large trunk.
  • Cruise control is standard. One of the first vehicles to have adaptive cruise control as an option.
  • Sun/moon roof option.
  • Automated rear window shader option.

On the other hand, for a vehicle that started out at around $40,000 brand new back in 2013, I don't see it as being truly an affordable vehicle. But at $15,000, only 50,000 miles and 5 years later (2018), it seemed like it was a pretty good deal. I was getting consistently over 40 mpg for the first few years. Recently I've been getting in the higher 30's.

And the car has been very reliable. While I dread having to replace the HV battery sometime soon, I haven't had any major issues, just some normal wear and tear: new 12V battery, new shocks, new swaybar links. normal fluid and filter changes, one normal sparkplug change, and that's probably all I've done other than fighting with the infotainment/HVAC center that doesn't work quite right. I can't say how much I hate touch screens.

Sadly, I don't think any used Toyota hybrids are worth it these days as their price has skyrocketed into the next galaxy. I'm getting very close to 200,000 miles and I could still probably sell mine for some $5,000 if not more. And seeing how the last Toyota hybrid I bought with almost 200,000 miles on it ended up needing a new HV battery, a new catalytic converter, a new engine, a bunch of electrical issues and bad touch screen (I hate touch screens) I don't think I'd ever buy a used car with much more than 100,000 miles on it. Many car owners are going to 1-year oil changes, and that seems to be killing engines, or at least making the oil rings seize up and gall the cylinders making the engine an oil-burner. I haven't had any such issues in the Avalon, but then again, I've religiously changed the oil every 5,000 miles, which ends up being about 3 times a year.
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