The Toyota Avalon is the brand’s largest and most luxurious sedan in the lineup. As consumers become more focused on fuel-efficiency however, larger cars seem to be dwindling away. After all, the larger the vehicle, the less efficient it will be, right? But Toyota is known for its innovation and won’t let its Avalon go down without a fight. In fact, the 2020 Toyota Avalon might just be the best fuel-efficient car you can get.

The year’s most fuel-efficient, non-electric cars

The experts at Consumer Reports compiled a list of the 10 most fuel-efficient, non-electric cars of 2020. While there are a few unsurprising entries on the list, there are others determined to make their mark. The 2020 Honda Insight, for example, earns an impressive overall fuel rating of 54 mpg. The 2020 Toyota Corolla earns an overall estimated 48 mpg. And although it is unsurprising that the Toyota brand landed four vehicles on the list, it may shock you to know that its largest car is also one of its most-efficient.

According to Consumer Reports, the 2020 Toyota Avalon sits toward the bottom of its most-efficient list, certainly not earning the best mpg stats. But the Avalon’s efficiency is impressive enough to earn it a spot on the list in the first place, with an estimated fuel-rating of 32 mpg city and 52 mpg highway, for a combined 42 mpg.

Although other vehicles may offer more in the way of MPGs, that doesn’t make them the best cars. The 2020 Toyota Avalon isn’t the most efficient, but actually has the highest rating of all efficient cars on the list. In fact, no other fuel-efficient car on the list even comes close to matching the Avalon’s impressive rating.

The 2020 Toyota Avalon: best of the best in fuel efficiency

According to Consumer Reports’ analysis, the 2020 Toyota Avalon is rated No. 1 in the large car segment. That’s easy to believe, with an extraordinary overall score by experts of 93/100. After an impressive performance on the road, the Avalon earned a high road test score of 93/100, as well as a predicted owner satisfaction rate of four (out of five), and a perfect predicted reliability rating of five. In fact, the Avalon has a near-perfect history of reliability.

The Avalon obviously receives high ratings for fuel economy, and it is the only large car that made Consumer Reports’ most-efficient list. But those ratings hold true for almost every other category as well, with the Avalon receiving perfect five-out-of-five scores in transmission, ride comfort, and seat comfort. Every other category, including acceleration, braking, interior fit and finish, and more, earned the Avalon a near-perfect four-out-of-five. 

What makes the 2020 Toyota Avalon the best fuel-efficient car

Not just excelling in its own large car segment, the 2020 Toyota Avalon is simply the best-performing, fuel-efficient, non-electric plug-in vehicle of the year. In addition to its excellent fuel economy, Car and Driver experts state that the 2020 Toyota Avalon “does a fine job of delivering the things shoppers in the market for a large car value most: smooth handling, roomy accommodations, and an expansive list of luxury features.”

Among the Avalon’s biggest assets is its comfortable and luxurious design. The cabin has an upscale look, large passenger and cargo space, and a slew of standard amenities like a 9-inch touchscreen and a suite of driver-assist features that include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, and more. Gas-only Avalons feature a 301-hp, 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine, while non-plugin hybrids feature a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors, making 215 hp.