Smooth powertrains; 40-mpg hybrid model; excellent ride and handling; quiet, spacious interior; stunning touchscreen-style dash controls; active safety features; attractive styling. Starting at about $35,000, the Toyota Avalon can be considered a near luxury car. Although it carries the traditional Toyota marque instead of a higher end badge, the Avalon still features equivalent if not greater levels of luxury than cars from other upscale makes. In addition, a hybrid version of the Avalon starts at roughly $1,000 more than the base model, while offering up to 44 mpg in combined city and highway driving.