It’s too bad that the Avalon has an electronically controlled handbrake to stop such fun.
When it comes to drifting, the Toyota Avalon may not be the first car that people think of. Toyota put together this video with professional drifter Ken Gushi and Jarryd Wallace, paralympic athlete. However, we aren’t sure that this is the best way to market the large sedan despite the TRD branding. We’ll get to that later.
You might think Toyota brought a special Avalon to this show of sideways tomfoolery. This is not a rear-wheel-drive racecar, but a car that has been fitted with an Avalon body. This is a production car, with a 301-horsepower (224 kilowatts) V6 powering its front wheels. This sedan requires a lot of handbrake use to get it moving. Modifications are needed.
This is also where we really question Toyota’s campaign approach. The Avalon’s electronic parking brake works well for parking but cannot be used to have any kind of sideways fun. The Avalon’s handbrake lever is large and controls a hydraulic system similar to a professional drift car. If this video makes you want to borrow your mom’s Avalon for late-night Tokyo drift sessions at Tokyo drift, don’t.
The overall message is clear: the Avalon TRD sedan is not a full-size sedan. Toyota is right to say that the new styling is more aggressive than the previous model, particularly with the modest TRD exterior redesign. The mechanical changes aren’t as dramatic with a slight suspension drop and slightly stiffer shoulders, punctuated with a TRD exhaust to improve the sound quality of the V6.
We’ll still give Toyota an A for their effort in this case. You shouldn’t expect to experience the opposite-lock Avalon excitement on your own.