While the full-sized Toyota Avalon is technically considered a regular sedan, as opposed to a bonafide luxury car, we can’t help but think of it as a luxury hauler. From its super-comfortable ride to its supple leather interior, the Avalon has always had us feeling Lexus-like vibes whenever we slide any of its seats. We happened to have the 2021 Toyota Avalon Limited for a week, and during our time with it so far, we have found five of its most luxurious features.

Premium perforated leather interior

While the Toyota Avalon might not technically be a luxury car, it certainly has a luxury feel from any seat in the cabin, especially if you opt for the highest “Limited” trim level like our test car was. According to Toyota, the Limited model comes with a premium leather interior that features two-color stitches and perforation for that added dose of luxury. And we will say that it definitely does the job when it comes to giving the automaker’s flagship sedan a more upscale feel.

Rear-seat room

If you’re going to have a large luxury sedan, or perhaps be driven around in one, then you’ll need as much rear-seat room as possible. After all, cramped spaces don’t exactly scream “opulence.” Fortunately, the 2021 Toyota Avalon does have a lot of rear-seat room, and in case you’re wondering, it bests its Toyota Camry stablemate in a few key areas.

In fact, it has 2.3 more inches of rear-seat legroom, 1.4 more inches in the shoulder area, and 0.1 more inches of hip room than its mid-size sibling. If a luxurious amount of room is what you’re looking for, then choose the Avalon over the Camry.

Premium JBL sound system

In addition to being compatible with both Apple Carplay and Android Auto (finally), the audio system in the Toyota Avalon Limited pumps out 1,200 watts of power thanks to its premium JBL components. The system is comprised of 14 different speakers and we simply couldn’t get over how great they sound with any type of music playing out of them.

Advanced safety package

All Avalon models come equipped with Toyota’s Safety Sense P, which is a suite of driver-assist features that includes a pre-collision warning with Pedestrian Detection, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert, and automatic high beams. Additionally, our Avalon Limited tester came with an “Advanced Safety Package” that included a Bird’s Eye View Camera with Perimeter Scan as well as an Intelligent Clearance Sonar with rear cross-traffic alert.  

All-wheel drive

New for the 2021 model year, the Toyota Avalon is now available with an all-wheel-drive system. The system is able to send up 50 percent of the engine power to the rear wheels in order to get you out of stickiest, or slipperiest, situations.

We found that systems engaged quickly and quietly when we put the car on icy surfaces. However, the only drawback is that the AWD-spec Avalon is only available with a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine. But having power at all four wheels to traverse almost any terrain is still a luxury item in our book.