My, what a big grille you’ve got.

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

Toyota’s normcore veneer splits sometimes, letting bizarre stuff out of the woodwork, like a skunkworks Prius rally automotive or a Yaris with approach an excessive amount of horsepower. One such automotive that’s certain to elicit a double take from most anybody is the 2021 Avalon Trd. I do not know who this automotive is for, however I am very glad it exists.

Aesthetics for the younger at coronary heart

“Sheesh.” That is what I mentioned after I first noticed the Toyota Avalon Trd. It is… quite a bit to course of. All Avalons carry that huge grille up entrance, but on the TRD it appears to make extra sense, what with the odd ranges of aggression oozing from each different nook of the automotive. Sharp lips and protrusions encompass the decrease a part of the physique, whereas 19-inch alloy wheels fill the wells appropriately. Many of the Avalon’s badges and trim are blacked out, which makes the TRD’s cat-back exhaust stand out much more. The entire sedan sits 0.6 inches decrease to the bottom, too.

Certain, the automotive seems to be like a random aftermarket tuning store had its approach with it, however the Avalon TRD is enjoyable in a approach that Toyota’s bigger automobiles so hardly ever are. Just like the aforementioned Prius rally automotive, I like when vehicles are taken out of their stereotypical components and made to adapt to some unusual new world. What enjoyable is life if you cannot get just a little bizarre?

Inside, issues are just a little lighter on the senses. The Avalon TRD’s inside is fairly near the usual mannequin, with a couple of notable exceptions like pink distinction stitching, TRD logos in a number of locations and a few very loud flooring mats. Oh, and the seatbelts are vivid pink, too — similar to in sporty Mercedes-Benz automobiles, if you wish to try to spin that positively.

Regardless of all of the boy-racer frippery, the Avalon stays a big household sedan at coronary heart, so its usability stays alongside these traces. There is a metric truckton of practicality in right here. The middle armrest and door cubbies are huge, the flat tray forward of the cup holders is nice for telephones or masks and the rear seats have a great deal of room for even taller grownup passengers. The Avalon’s 16-cubic-foot trunk is sufficiently big for golf golf equipment, groceries and suitcases aplenty, beating the Nissan Maxima’s cargo capability, though it lags a bit behind the Dodge Charger.

Driving dynamics largely for the younger at coronary heart

The Avalon TRD does a fairly good job approximating a sport sedan with out going entire hog. Its 3.5-liter V6 places out the identical 301 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque as every other variant, and that energy is routed by the identical ol’ eight-speed automated transmission heading solely to the entrance axle. There’s greater than sufficient ahead movement for switchbacks and freeway on-ramps, and whereas the TRD-specific exhaust sounds good throughout the rev vary, I am left wishing for about 50 extra hp, which might be simply sufficient to really feel correctly sprightly.

Underneath the sheet metallic, Toyota added stiffer springs and sway bars, wider wheels, larger brakes and tweaked static dampers. In regular driving, the TRD feels only a smidge stiffer than ordinary, carrying a couple of additional highway undulations into the cabin, but it surely’s nonetheless 100% Avalon in right here, with a precedence on a quiet cabin and a sufficiently clean trip. This sedan is enjoyable to chuck round, and it stays fairly flat, however most of those modifications do not essentially alter the expertise. The all-season Michelin tires have the identical limits as every other Avalon, whereas a scarcity of each AWD and a limited-slip differential means these entrance piggies will squeal and battle a bit to maneuver the entire operation ahead. Including a kind of two gadgets can be welcome injections of character, and borrowing the adaptive dampers from the Avalon Touring would possibly bestow it with extra of a best-of-both-worlds vibe.

The Avalon TRD is the least-efficient Avalon on provide, however not by a lot. The EPA charges it at 21 mpg metropolis and 30 mpg freeway, numbers that I discover fairly achievable, and it is solely a hair much less environment friendly than the bottom and XLE variants.

Slap some summer season tires on this unhealthy boy and you might have a mighty enjoyable time.

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

Tech for everybody

I am a giant fan of automakers that do not poor-shame decrease trims with shrunken screens and obscene bezels, which is a part of the explanation why I dig the Avalon. All trims, TRD or in any other case, come customary with a 9-inch touchscreen that features each Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with satellite tv for pc radio and 4 USB charging ports (one USB-A and one USB-C per row). Navigation is elective, a part of a $1,720 package deal that features peppier JBL audio system. The entire system works fairly nicely; the graphics are dated and just a little large-format for my tastes, but it surely has every thing most consumers will need, and it capabilities nicely sufficient to maintain the youths from getting indignant.

On the security entrance, each Avalon additionally comes with the Toyota Security Sense P package deal, a collection of energetic and passive driver aids. Ahead-collision warning, automated emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keep help, automated excessive beams and full-speed adaptive cruise management are all current and accounted for. All of it works as flawlessly because it does on every other Toyota. The one factor I want the Avalon TRD had is parking sensors, since it is a large boy and no person needs to scuff up that large ol’ grille. That mentioned, they’re out there on different trims.

Toyota’s UI is just a little dated today, but it surely’s nonetheless practical.

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

All the way down to brass tacks

Whereas a couple of key upgrades to the Avalon TRD would actually wake it up in my view, I am not so certain the worth would be capable of deal with it. As it’s, the 2021 Toyota Avalon TRD begins at $43,870, together with $995 for vacation spot and dealing with. That places it above each single different Avalon trim, save for the tippy-tippy-top Restricted Hybrid. Contemplating you will get a Dodge Charger with a 485-hp V8 (and a superior infotainment system) for almost the identical scratch, it’s a must to really need the Avalon TRD to make a robust monetary case.

But when sporty-ish Japanese sedans are your bag, then the 2021 Toyota Avalon TRD will definitely scratch your itch. It might not leap forth in a approach that really separates it from the remainder of the Avalon crowd, but it surely’s a enjoyable four-door that bucks the notion that Avalons are mainly shepherds carrying grandma from Boca Raton to the Pearly Gates.