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2011 Toyota Avalon review: First look

This is day one with the new 2011 Toyota Avalon. This week we’ll be giving a full review of everything from the interior, engine, options, and driving characteristics of the Avalon.

Toyota came out with an ad on TV for the new Avalon recently and it featured an airline pilot driving the 2011 Toyota sedan on a cloud with a pretty flight attendant in the passenger seat. It is shot through a 1960’s filter and is directed at people who were watching television 50 years ago and remember what a "jet-smooth ride" and "quiet cabin" was like.

Toyota has designed the Avalon with a very specific person in mind. So this week we’ll take a look at the Avalon from every angle, with that buyer in mind. It will be fun to look at this vehicle from the perspective of a Sexagenarian this week. While Denver has a younger population base, there is a large buying segment out there to which this car will be very appealing.

American carmakers have for decades been big manufactures of the full-size sedan. They have always been popular with families because of their comfort and they provide plenty of room for passengers. And the size of the trunk gives plenty of cargo space. Full-size sedans of today aren’t as big as some of the huge monsters from the past, but they're much more space-efficient so they offer nearly as much room for people and things. A good example of this is the 2011 Toyota Avalon.

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The Toyota Avalon brings a new look along with some new technology for 2011. This week we’ll take a look at all of it in detail. The 2011 Avalon which is available in Denver showrooms now, has been re-styled inside and out. Everything that Toyota has done is with comfort in mind for the person who buys this car.

Features like a standard rearview video monitor and an updated, easier to use navigation system are a couple of the new things for 2011. Toyota says that the 2011 Avalon remains true to the idea that comfort is honest and uncomplicated. This year's model brings some new styling in the front and rear ends, and also the instrument panel. It has more standard features and a reduction in trim levels from three to two.

The 2011 Avalon doesn’t look that much different than last year's model. But that can be a good thing in this case because the average Avalon owner is 64 years old. So Toyota has updated the Avalon to look more upscale without alienating those customers who have come to love the way this cushy sedan looks.

Come back tomorrow and we’ll take a look at the new interior of the Avalon.

, Denver Commuter Examiner

Denis is a Denver native and has a passion for automobiles. His extensive automotive background includes racing, 13 years in automotive technology sales, and 7 years in automotive media, test driving vehicles for the manufactures.His web site is denverautosolutions.com.

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