When people talk about the best used sedans, the conversation usually sticks to the usual suspects: Honda Accord, maybe a Mazda6, and a few German picks from people who haven’t paid for a water pump in years. But one car quietly flies under the radar—cushioned, unbothered by the crossover craze, and built to last.
That car is the 2022 Toyota Avalon, the final chapter of Toyota’s full-size sedan lineup and a surprisingly smart buy in a market obsessed with flashy screens and “sporty” styling. The Avalon didn’t chase trends—it just worked.
This is why the Avalon is the ultimate practical used sedan. It beats many brand-new models not just in reliability, but in comfort, composure, and cost of ownership.
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The final old-school sedan you can count on
Who needs ‘cool’ when you’ve got reliability?
Toyota built the Avalon like a craftsman would—polished, tuned, and refined until it just worked. It’s a masterclass in making a no-frills sedan that does everything right, even if most people didn’t realize what they had.
The 2022 Avalon went out in style: quiet, sorted, and built to last. Talk to Toyota techs, and they’ll tell you it’s one of the least problematic cars they ever see, still running like new at 180,000 miles.
Part of that comes from the TNGA-K platform it shares with the Camry, ES, and RAV4. But it’s also overbuilt in ways modern cars rarely are—thicker suspension, a more robust cooling system, and a simple V6 that avoids turbos or overcomplicated hybrid setups.
- Base Trim Engine
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3.5L V6 Gas
- Base Trim Transmission
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8-Speed Automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Front-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
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301 hp
- Base Trim Torque
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267 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm
- Fuel Economy
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22/32 MPG
- Make
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Toyota
- Model
-
Avalon
- Segment
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Full-Size Sedan
This engine just won’t quit
The Avalon’s V6 just keeps going
The 2022 Toyota Avalon offers two options: a classic gas-only setup or a hybrid built for efficiency. The star is the 3.5-liter V6, a smooth, confident engine with 301 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque.
It pairs with an eight-speed automatic to the front wheels and hits 60 mph in around six seconds. It never feels rushed or strained—it just goes.
The hybrid trims swap in a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with two electric motors, making 215 horsepower. A CVT keeps everything seamless and drama-free, perfect for saving fuel.
No matter the version, the Avalon sticks to comfort first. The ride is calm and composed, gliding over rough pavement with confidence that newer “sporty” sedans often lack.
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Comfort that makes newer cars feel complicated
Modern cars chase “sporty.” They stiffen suspensions, sharpen throttle response, and pump in fake engine noise so you feel faster than you really are. The Avalon ignored all that—it’s unapologetically comfortable.
It glides over rough pavement, smoothing out bumps without ever feeling sloppy. The steering is light but responsive, letting you place the car exactly where you want.
The seats are wide, supportive, and perfectly balanced for long drives. Every detail shows the Avalon was built for comfort first, and it shows in every mile.
Compared with most brand-new sedans, especially non-luxury ones, the Avalon feels like it was tuned by people who actually care about how a car rides at 70 mph for hours.
There’s none of the twitchiness or fiddly adaptive dampers that overthink the experience. It’s just a serene, predictable ride—the kind of comfort that used to define premium sedans.
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Feels like a luxury car, without the luxury price
The used sedan market has changed, with many new models cutting corners—thin door panels, cheap switchgear, and subscription-based displays. The Avalon’s cabin, by contrast, feels a soft-closing door away from a Lexus.
Materials are high-end yet durable, and the layout is simple and elegant. There’s none of the hyper-digital minimalism that makes you swipe through menus just to change the temperature.
The seats are plush, the sound insulation is thick, and the cabin was clearly built for quiet first, aesthetics second. It’s the kind of thoughtful interior that modern cars rarely get right.
Even the infotainment system, while not the flashiest, is reliable and straightforward. No over-the-air updates are needed just to make it work.
Here’s the kicker: a used 2022 Avalon often costs less than a brand-new base-model family sedan. You’re basically getting a premium interior for commuter-car money.
Keeps its value by just working
If a used car keeps running, people will buy it
The Avalon holds its resale value because ownership is completely uneventful. No costly surprises, few trips to the shop, and no notorious problem years to worry about.
While some new sedans depreciate like raw meat, the Avalon remains a smart, steady buy. You might pay a little more upfront, but keeping it running is easy, and its value trickles down slowly with basic care.
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The sedan that skips the gimmicks
Not everyone wants a crossover, a turbo four pretending to be bigger, or a touchscreen the size of a cafeteria tray. Some drivers just want a car.
The Toyota Avalon is that car. It’s for people who don’t care that full-size sedans aren’t “cool” anymore.
It’s for drivers who value comfort, want a car that can handle a decade of commuting without complaints, and prefer real quality over flashy marketing.
Sometimes the perfect sedan is already three years old
“Built to last” gets thrown around a lot, but the 2022 Avalon is the real deal. Minimal maintenance, proven components, outstanding comfort, and a reliability record that new cars can only dream of.
For its final year, it went out on a high note. J.D. Power named it Best Large Car of 2022 with an overall score of 80 and 85 for reliability, while Consumer Reports gave the Avalon Hybrid a perfect 5/5 for Overall Owner Satisfaction.
Edmunds landed at 7.9 out of 10, with owners rating it 4.6 out of 5. Safety-wise, it’s bulletproof too: IIHS Top Safety Pick and a full five stars from NHTSA.
Call it old-school, boring, or a grocery getter—it doesn’t matter. What matters is this: it’s the most reliable, comfortable, and effortlessly capable used sedan you can buy.
