Disclosure: The Avalon in the feature below was provided to me for a week compliments of Toyota!
If your in the market for a full size sedan that is great on gas mileage and can tote you and your coworkers to work as well as you and the kids to soccer practice, the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid could be perfect for you!
Front passengers ride in pure comfort seated in the Avalon’s standard power-adjustable, premium perforated leather-trimmed heated and ventilated front seats. The driver gets to wrap his or her hands around even more premium leather with the trimmed steering wheel and shift lever! Three-zone climate control allows a custom level of comfort. Rear passengers can adjust the air temperature for the rear seats without affecting the front, which ensures maximum comfort for everyone traveling. Only found in Limited as Standard equipment.
Safety features like Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Backup Camera, Blind Spot Monitor, Automatic High Beam and Safety Connect allow the driver and passengers to have peace of mind while cruising around town. I’ve never driven a vehicle with auto high beams and really loved them on back roads at night. They work by detecting oncoming vehicles as far away as 2000 feet away and, depending on the circumstances, automatically switches the high beams on and off, making it easier for other drivers on the road.
The trunk boasts 14 cubic feet of storage space, which was plenty big enough for even my huge Joovy jogging stroller.
I was very impressed with the width of the back seat of the Avalon. There are four lower latch connectors, on both the rear ourboard seats and a top tether for all three seats. Getting three car seats across was super easy. The two outboard seats are installed with LATCH and the middle with a seat belt, all three are tethered. As you can see, there is tons of room left on the sides of these three (fairly skinny) seats. (pictured below you will find one Diono Radian RXT and two Diono Radian R100‘s!)
The Avalon Hybrid is one of the most efficient models in its class, netting 40 miles per gallon in the city and 39 mpg on the highway. We drove the Avalon a little over 450 miles and got 37mpg, even with the Avalon fully loaded down with passengers and stuff!
You can learn more about the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid by visiting Toyota.com
Special thanks to Lexus for letting me test drive the Avalon for a week.
Did the RXT come with harness covers? What about the belly pad that goes in between the buckle and child? How much do your children weight? Did you have this setup inspected by a CPST?