2020 Toyota Avalon TRD Drivers’ Notes | A delightful surprise

The 2020 Toyota Avalon TRD is a car we never thought we’d see outside of SEMA. Traditionally conservative Toyota took the largest sedan it sells in America and gave it the full-fat TRD treatment. Nobody was asking for this model, but we’re not complaining that it’s here either. After spending a great deal of time behind the wheel, we’re coming around to thinking that an Avalon TRD isn’t such a bad idea after all. We’re just not sure who’s going to buy it.

Toyota went way further than just building a sporty looking Avalon. There are legitimate mechanical improvements to this sedan that make it much more enjoyable to drive. Firmer, fixed dampers are paired with stiffer springs that bring the ride height down 0.6 inch compared to a regular Avalon. Stiffer anti-roll bars and more robust body bracing underneath also add to the chassis’ increased cornering performance. The TRD also gets you Toyota’s Active Cornering Assist technology, which will brake the inside wheel under power in curves so as to reduce understeer. We get lighter 19-inch TRD wheels and larger brakes, but Toyota still uses the same Michelin Primacy all-season rubber. That’s too bad, as the Camry TRD gets sticky summer tires as standard equipment. The Avalon TRD gets the same 3.5-liter V6 and eight-speed automatic transmission that’s found in other Avalon models. It makes 301 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque and sends power to the front wheels only. A TRD exhaust adds drama, but it’s only noise.

Inside, the TRD seats get red stitching and microsuede inserts to keep occupants from sliding around. Similar red stitching gets expanded onto the dash, doors, steering wheel and gear lever. Shiny aluminum pedals are highly visible down below, and red-edged TRD floor mats spice things up even more.

A TRD will set you back $43,255, which is on the high side of the Avalon trim structure. Only the Touring and Hybrid Limited are more expensive. Ours had a couple options (JBL audio with navigation and illuminated door sills) to round the price out to $45,384.

Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: I’m going to focus on the lost art of the sedan, which the Avalon illustrated for me during my weekend test driving it. In this crossover crazy environment, it’s easy to forget how good a regular sedan can be. This one is gussied-up in TRD trim, which admittedly makes the sedate Avalon look cooler, handle better and sound louder. But the 301-hp V6 is standard equipment across the board, and the Avalon is stylish even in basic trim. It’s a long car, and the lines on the side add a sense of flow and luxury. For decades, luxury brands defined themselves by their abilities to make good sedans, and there’s reason for that: A demonstrative car that has presence can convey the aspirations of your brand. It’s not what Toyota is really trying to do with the Avalon – that’s more of the purview of Lexus – but it’s still evidence of how good a car Toyota can make.

Something else to ponder: Sedans drive really well. I had a lot of fun ripping around corners during a late night take-out run. Hours later I was blasting across open expressways during an early morning dash to my parents’ house. After testing a slew of crossovers in recent weeks, the Avalon felt low and planted with good visibility and light yet connected steering. A large sedan can feel roomy and open compared to the ubiquitous ‘coupe-styled’ crossovers with blocky pillars and massive blind spots. The Avalon isn’t perfect. The interior has some mediocre materials and severe shapes, and the infotainment is just OK, but that has nothing to do with the segment. The Kia Stinger and the Dodge Charger are similar in that respect, and also among the few sedan standard-bearers left. My weekend in the Avalon reminded me how good a big sedan can be. Avalon sales are down 16.5 percent though November, so apparently most people don’t agree with me.

Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale: Well this was one of my biggest surprises of the year. The Toyota Avalon TRD is actually, genuinely fun to drive. TRD took the biggest, cushiest sedan in the Toyota lineup and figured out how to make it dance. No, really. It corners with little body roll, the nose is quick to turn in, and the steering has a hint of feedback. Whip your foot off the throttle, and the long tail will even start to come around, comfortably and predictably. Of course the trade-off for this newfound handling prowess is a way stiffer ride than you’ll find in a regular Avalon, though it won’t put off someone used to sporty cars.

But this leads me to a potential issue with the Avalon TRD: who the heck is this for? While someone who appreciates sporty cars may find the ride acceptable and the handling fun in this Avalon, I suspect typical Avalon buyers won’t. And I doubt the first thing that comes to mind for a buyer looking for something sporty is Avalon. And they definitely won’t think of it at the Avalon TRD’s roughly $43,000 base price. That’s money that could go to something equally large, but much faster and sportier like a Kia Stinger GT or Dodge Charger. Even worse, there’s the smaller, lighter, Toyota Camry TRD with the same 301-horsepower engine, a bit more chassis tweaking, and a far more tempting base price of around $32,000. I like the Avalon TRD, and I think other people would, too, but not enough to pay that kind of money.

Assistant Editor Zac Palmer: Joel pointed out the biggest problem with this car: Who is going to buy one? I’m not sure either. However, the car exists, and it’s pretty good. I dig what Toyota has done to spruce up the interior. The inside of the TRD is about as far as Toyota should go in an Avalon. None of the changes take away from its functionality or usability — the TRD-specific seats even remain comfortable and lightly bolstered. All the red stitching is readily noticeable, but there isn’t so much plastered everywhere that it’s offensive. Toyota could’ve put red inserts and trim pieces everywhere, too, but it didn’t. Instead, the seatbelts are red, and I love colored seatbelts. The aluminum pedals, leather covered gear lever and TRD logo in the headrests do a great job of making the package feel complete, but not forced.

The car is still missing something, though. If it had more power and all-wheel drive, Toyota would have a real winner in my book — it’s nearly impossible to accelerate if there’s any dampness to the pavement, which is no surprise given all 301 horses are going to the front wheels. As it stands today, $45,394 is just too much money to spend on this car.