34 — North Shore News -— Friday, March 17, 2000 ppenread Side airbags now standard in Avalon From previous page The dash has been moved well forwards, and consists The inside, too is all-new. of a black panel which ibe 2008 Toyoia Avaion Base Price (XL)........---sesscesseccssecsececeessterseteenncsesssee ol {U0 Price as tested (XLS)............ $44,230 Type. four-door, five-passenger full-size sedan Layout ransverse front engine/front-wheel-drive Engine .. wwieeeeed0 litre V6, DOHC, 24 valves, VVT-I HOPSCPOWET ..n.sssccecsesseseteserseserseseeeee 210 @ 5,800 r.p.m. TOPQUE.........ssssetsesseseescetsesseeseeeee 220 (D.-ft. @ 4,406 p.m. THOS... ce scssssee sessoeeee QOS/60R-16 Curb weight -1,570 kg (3,461 {b.) Wheelbase... 2,720 mm (107.1 in.) Length......... 4,874 mm (191.9 in.) WHE oon ccscssseececccoseescscercecetecensscsseeee 1 O21 MM (71.7 in.) H@IQNt .....ssesssssssssesssoveroeseeesssoneneceseseeees 1465 mm (57.7 in.) Trunk capacity............. .--.-450 litres (15.9 cu. ft.) Fuel consumption 1.2 (108 km (25 m.p.g.) sesetesestereesesssamansesseeee Highway: 7.4 100 km (38 m.p.g.) WAITAMY .......cseesccccssssesseseereerssseeseee ct years/60,000 km Powertrain warranty ...............00se.five years/109,000 km is pleased to announce the appointment of A3 our Auto Sody Shop Manager Neil brings with him 16 years ‘of experience: in the auto body repair business. Lovett Auto Body is an ICBC accredited Collision Repair Shop Levett Auio irs att makes cf Cont toc, Peale Bae Computerized Down Draft Paint Spray for Factory Finish Glass Replacements The jatost in Unibody Repair Equipment Unibod;/Frame Alignment Specialisis 183 Pemberton Ave. North Vancouver 985-7195 sweeps ina gentle are from the driver’s side to che pas- senger side. Behind the panel are new, easy-to-see backlit clectrolu- Minescent round gauges, odometer, trip meter, clock and outside temperature dis- play. The purpose of moving the dash forwards, according to Toyota's press literature, was to increase the pereep- tion of space, and to make it easier and safer to look back and ‘orth between the speedometer and the road. A new centre console juts out from the dash, and flows down berween the front seats. Conwols for the standard AM/FM/CD /cassette stereo and climate control are well-marked with large letters and easy to use but- tons and dials, and the whole centre panel is trimmed with lacquered wood, Also new for 2000 is an overhead console with stor- age for sunglasses, and two map lights. The Avalon’s wider cabin adds 24 mm (1 in.) of shoul- der room for front passen- gers, and the taller roof allowed Toyota’s designers to raise the seats by about 25 mm (1 in.). This was done for two reasons : to improve the dri- ver’s visibility and to make it easier for driver and passen- gers to enter and exit the car. Back seat passengers also have an extra 25 mm (1 in.) of shoulder room and 12 mm (0.5 in.) more legroom. The front seats are raised off the floor, providing gen- erous footroom under the seats for rear passengers. For greater crash safety, side airbags for front passen- gers are now standard in all Avalons. A new centre rear head restraint has been added, bringing the number of height-adjustable head restraints to five. The Avalon’s trunk is seven percent bigger than last year ——- now almost 16 cubic feet. The opening was enlarged and the lift-over height was iowered by about 25 min (1 in.) to make foad- ing easier. The trunk includes a cargo net, storage tray, and two grocery bag hocks. A pass-through behind the rear centre, folding arm- rest helps store skis and other long, skinny objects, it just won “Best New Luxury Sedan” ‘2°. Victory laps available on request. yee Cansda’s Best New Luxury Sedan comes with a class-leading 227-horsepower ngine, an incredibly spacious leather and wocd-tone trimmed interior and ” power everything ~ including an ingenious power rear window sunshade. “o Fyices staré at just $39,7007 Taxes, Ucence, destination and delivery charges aré extra. Dealers ure free to set individual prices. 230 Touring Made! shown, oe ye : NEWS photo Julle iverson. AVALON back seat passengers have extra shoulder room this year while the iront seats are ralsed off the floor, providing generous foctroom under the seats. but a fold-down rear seat is not offered. Smooth, quiet performance The new Avalon is qui- eter and has a smoother ride than the previous model — that’s reaily saying some- thing because the 99 Avalon was a very quiet car. The drag coefficient was reduced from 0.31 to 0.28, cutting down on wind noise. This is quite an accom- plishment when you consider that the 2000 Avalon is wider and taller. In addition, the car’s door sealing system was redesigned to prevent air leaks, doors were made stiffer, side glass was made thicker, and a lot of new soundproofing was added. Also, a new type of underbudy foam was added to prevent “stone pecking noises.” The standard 3.0-litre DOHC 24-valve V6 engine with 210 horsepower (up from 200 horsepower), now has VVT-I (variable valve timing with intelligence) and improved engine breathing which makes it smoother and quieter than before. The standard four-speed automatic transmission has been revised, and the elec- tronically controlled engine mounts neutralize engine vibrations. ; During my test-drive, I found the 2000 Avalon to be a very easy, comfortable car to drive. It feels bigger than the revious model (which it is), uit its stifier body and revised independent rear dual-link suspension kept the handling reasonably crisp and predictable. The variable-assist steer- ing is light at slower speeds, and the Avalon’s ride is fairiy soft, though it’s certainly not a boar. . ; Performance has been enhanced by the engine’s See Heavy page 40 INFINITE iy ; —