5 Of The Best Years To Consider If You're Searching For A Used Toyota Avalon

Although models like the Corolla and the Camry might be more famous, the Avalon is still a respectable sedan that maintains the Toyota reputation for reliability and affordability. In fact, it lands firmly on the list of the five most reliable and cheap Toyotas to buy used. But if you're looking towards the used Avalon market, there are some model years that are better than others — just like used Camrys. 

There are nearly 30 years of Avalon models. First introduced in 1994, the Avalon was produced in the U.S. until Toyota officially announced its discontinuation in 2022. Factors like declining sales and the anticipation of the Toyota Crown led to the decision, though this isn't to say the Avalon was a failure. It still sold fairly well, with many people praising its affordable luxury. Especially compared to the high cost of Toyota's Lexus, the Avalon's spacious interior, powerful engine, and accessible price meant it was a budget-friendly entry into the world of luxury sedans. 

So with about a quarter-century of model years to choose from, we analyzed a wide range of data to discover the best years to buy used. Our main sources include Consumer Reports, RepairPal, Edmunds, J.D. Power, and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's database (NHTSA). Not only do these sites provide the results of professional testing, but they also publish aggregates of customer feedback. That way, we can get a comprehensive idea of the Avalon's top model years.

The Toyota Avalon is known for its fuel efficiency, but the 2019 hybrid model takes it to the next level. It's one of the top fuel-efficient Toyota models that still hold up in 2024, and that's all thanks to the 2.5-liter hybrid engine. The result is a combined power of 215 horsepower, which, for all intents and purposes, is exceedingly cost-effective. In fact, the 2019 Avalon Hybrid has a reported gas mileage of 43 mpg.

The non-hybrid 2019 model is an excellent sedan as well, earning praise across the board for its memorable new design. It scored a 5/5 rating on Consumer Reports for reliability, and customers gave it an average 4/5 rating. It's thus a "CR Recommended" automobile, with the "Green Choice" accolade for its exceptional fuel economy. It has an average retail price of $20,900 to $26,000 and for a luxury sedan reaching five years in age, such prices sit securely on the affordable side. 

The 2019 Avalon kicked off the fourth and final redesign for the brand, and it came in swinging. It delivered a new, bold styling, one which ultimately wouldn't give the Avalon enough popularity to keep it off the chopping block, but nonetheless would breathe new life into alternatives to the Camry and Corolla. The hybrid model in particular was a successful venture into fuel-efficient designs and delivering greater power compared to the 1.8-liter engine in the 2019 Prius. 

It might be hard to understand why Toyota would give the Avalon the boot, especially since its final model year, 2022, was one of the best yet. It even won the Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS. However, this model year wasn't the Avalon's swansong due to a poor design. Again, it seems Toyota intended to replace it with the Crown, meaning it had a successor already lined up. 

The 2022 model continued the Avalon trend of affordability and reliability. It scores a solid 4/5 on ConsumerReports' reliability scale, and owner scores also average out at 4/5. On RepairPal it received the same accolades, with a 4/5 reliability rating that stands above average compared to the rest of the sedans in its league. Though it's only been a few years since its release, the 2022 Avalon has had a whopping zero recalls, making it a unique sedan with a clean record. 

The 2022 Avalon demonstrates perfectly why Toyota owners are so darn loyal to the brand. Not only is it an improvement over its predecessor, but it's also proven the reliability of the Toyota brand. According to Edmunds, the 2022 Avalon "delivers what you would expect from a large, comfortable, cruising sedan... good power, and... a good value because of its high fuel economy." The final score? Edmunds awards the 2022 Avalon a 7.8/10, a trustable rating considering Edmunds' professional testing credentials. 

Consumer Reports gave the 2020 Toyota Avalon a perfect 5/5 reliability rating, and users report an average fuel economy of 29 mpg on the EPA database. This luxury sedan has a lot going for it. But upgrade to the TRD model, and you're going to see some seriously fierce performance. 

TRD stands for "Toyota Racing Development," which essentially means these sedans are built for speed and maneuverability. Indeed, this version of the 2020 Avalon has upgrades to its suspension and chassis, resulting in a firmer and stiffer response. If that doesn't sound appealing, consider the specs. 

The base model of the 2020 Avalon has the same 3.5-liter capacity, delivering up to 301 horsepower via its V6 engine. That's pickup-level power in a sedan. The TRD model shares the same core hardware, but its extra features take it a step further. It has paddle-shifters and tweaked engine components, giving it the racing boost for well-tuned, speedy response times. This boils down to features like a cat-back dual exhaust and front brakes of an inch larger than the base model's, so the racing-ready responsiveness is palpable.

Nonetheless, the TRD and the standard model of the 2020 Toyota Avalon are both powerful sedans that easily earn their spot on this list of the best Avalon years. The few bonuses that the TRD model boasts are worth a slightly higher buying price, but any Avalon from this model year is worth considering.

In 2013, a fourth generation of Avalon was introduced. This redesign made a lot of changes, including the introduction of a fuel-efficient hybrid model and vast improvements to the handling. It also got a facelift, with the addition of a front grill and a distinct style that no longer looked like a shiny Camry. Inside, it enjoyed numerous technological upgrades, and the 2013 Avalon Limited was the first vehicle with in-car Qi wireless charging. The result of all these improvements was the highest-rated model year for the Avalon to date. On Consumer Reports, the 2013 Avalon has both a 5/5 for reliability and a 5/5 for customer satisfaction. It doesn't get much better than that. 

Nonetheless, there were a few hiccups in the new generation. As described as one of the most unreliable used Toyotas, almost 31,000 Avalons from between 2012 and 2015 had a problem with their collision detection systems, one which led to an official recall. These faulty collision detection systems had the potential to make an emergency stop when there wasn't actually a significant hazard detected. 

Fortunately, the 2013 Avalon can still be submitted for the recall and Toyota will fix the issue. Plus, most Avalons affected have already been submitted for the recall, and the problem isn't even present in most models. It's worth keeping this important recall in mind, but the 2013 Avalon is still one of the best to buy used.

Between the Avalon's 2016, 2017, and 2018 models, there are very few differences. They're all from the fourth generation, so they have much of the same components and styling. All three model years are solid choices when buying a used car, since they've all received equally high praise from experts and consumers. For example, the 2016 and 2017 models have a consumer rating of 81/100 on J.D. Power, and the 2018 model has a rating of 83/100. This gives all three models a "Quality & Reliability" ranking of "Great."

That being said, the 2017 model is superior in a few minor areas. For one, it only had two recalls, while the 2016 model has had three. The 2018 model also had only two recalls, but it received a slightly lower score from Edmunds' professional testing, earning 7.6/10 compared to the 2017 model's score of 4/5 (equivalent to 8.0/10). Again, the differences are minor. In fact, one of the main observations in the Edmunds review was that, "the 2018 Toyota Avalon is unchanged." 

But the most obvious difference between all three models is the price. At the time of writing, the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price estimates the 2018 Limited model at a value of $20,842, the 2017 Limited model at a value of $17,891, and the 2016 Limited model at a value of $15,590. Of course, these prices are averages, but the 2017 model, being almost identical to the 2018 model, is more affordable. So just make sure you're not paying extra for an Avalon that's essentially the same vehicle as its predecessor.