Sedan Comparison: Toyota Avalon vs Kia Stinger

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Brian Harper: I have said this before, Elliot, though not to you, my young friend. As good as four-door sedans have become, their time seems to have passed, overwhelmed by consumers’ unceasing desire for crossovers and SUVs of all sizes, shapes and prices.  

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But while it seems that every other week we’re hearing that some manufacturer is dropping one of its family cars from its model range — or letting it end its product life cycle without a replacement — they haven’t completely disappeared from the face of this Earth. The survivors, the hardiest of the breed so to speak, are still out there as alternatives for those who don’t want to be part of the status quo. 

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That said, this is definitely an Odd Couple comparison of two mid-sized (bordering on large) sedans, their few shared traits being that they are similarly priced (around $50K) and have all-wheel drivetrains. Oh, and they’re both red. Other than that, the refreshed 2022 Kia Stinger and the patrician 2021 Toyota Avalon are chalk and cheese: the Stinger is an award-winning sport sedan, while the Avalon is as formal and upstanding as family cars get. We’re going to have to take an indirect approach to this comparo. Agreed? 

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Elliot Alder: Agreed. These cars are apples and oranges, but at the end of the day both are nourishing fruits. We aren’t going to find a winner here; rather this pair illustrates the breadth of options available to the mature, flagship sedan-seeking driver. 

The Toyota Avalon is a premium sedan. Headlining Toyota’s lineup, this car shares a platform with the Lexus ES and offers a respectably luxurious cabin for a surprisingly accessible price. The Avalon comes in two distinct trims: the 301-horsepower 3.5-litre V6 XSE, which starts at $43,350 and drives only the front wheels; and the 205-hp 2.5-litre four-cylinder AWD Limited, from $49,050. 

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The XSE comes generously equipped as standard, with safety and comfort features including blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, dynamic radar cruise control, lane-departure alert, auto high beams, eight-way power driver’s seat, automatic windows, and eight-speaker audio, and can include a handful of sporty XSE-only features such as larger 19-inch wheels, sport suspension and body kit, intake sound generator and paddle shifters. 

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Our tester is an all-wheel-drive Limited model, with softer-riding 18-inch wheels, perforated leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel mounted on a power-adjustable column, premium LED lighting and 14-speaker JBL Clari-Fi audio. As configured, this example stickers at $49,305 before freight and fees. 

Kia has stepped the 2022 Stinger up a bracket, with the new base-trim GT Limited starting at $50,495. This gets you full leather, updated connectivity tech, wireless phone charging, 15-speaker Harman-Kardon audio and a 368-hp 3.3L twin-turbo V6 driving all four wheels. Spend an extra $2,500 for the GT Elite package, and you get a nice head-up display, blind-spot monitoring, Nappa leather and limited slip differential. Our GT Elite comes in a little richer than these or the Avalon, flouting a top-trim suede package and ringing up a tab of $53,295 before freight and fees. 

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BH: Well, yes, both cars offer a liberal amount of modern conveniences and some nice luxury touches as well. That said, it’s patently obvious the Avalon is not a sport sedan; its entire persona revolves around a mild, comfortable, roomy, fuel-efficient and, quite frankly, somewhat uninspiring driving experience. At around 1,700 kilograms, it’s not that the Limited is overly weighty, but with only 205 hp to motivate it, the sedan accelerates in a leisurely fashion and, if pushed, has a rather coarse note to it. Face it, it’s a cruiser, one ideally suited for long-distance travel — this despite a short driver’s seat cushion with a front bolster that numbs the legs. Rear-seat legroom is generous. Yet, if I said it’s a sedan designed for the senior crowd, I’d be doing it a serious disservice. 

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The Stinger, on the other hand, is more a sport sedan than a family sedan, one that has definite performance bona fides equal or superior to many European rivals but at a much friendlier price. Care to weigh in, Elliot?

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EA: You’re spot-on with the Toyota: it’s purposefully unremarkable, shuttling the middle class around in comfort and dignity.

If the Avalon is an upright churchgoer, the Stinger is the bratty dissenter who falls short of the former’s benchmarks and expectations. The Stinger is a sedan like the Avalon, but it shirks many of the qualities that make the Toyota so respectable. It’s dramatic when the Avalon shows restraint; stiff, while the other is smooth and comfortable; tech-y and complicated, rather than simple and conventional; and thirsty, burning nearly 30 per cent more fuel than the Toyota. Fit and finish isn’t as solid or polished either, with paddle shifters feeling loose and wobbly after just over 2,000 km; and the optional suede interior fails to distract from the touch points that feel like, well, a Kia. You’d better not plan on transporting too many adult passengers either, because rear legroom is notably poor for such a large sedan. 

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Having said that, the Stinger is rather excellent. That twin-turbocharged V6 offers torque aplenty, and delivers it along a thrilling, nonlinear curve. The all-wheel-drive system maximizes oomph and maintains traction to prevent any high-speed oofs. Rear seats will be fine for grandchildren, and its high-G traction is sure to delight them. Driver assistance tech is top-of-the-line, enabling easy long-distance cruising for those willing to figure it out and contributing to the Stinger’s status as an IIHS Top Safety Pick. When it comes to hauling, its long, power-assisted rear hatch exposes a phenomenally deep (and well-lit) boot. It also looks great, whereas the Avalon has the face of an electric shaver. 

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Two very different approaches to the sedan formula then, Brian. But you’re right: the Avalon’s civility doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay it attention until you’ve started requesting pamphlets for retirement communities. I’d argue that both of these sedans are as appropriate for a young family as they would be for their grandparents. Does that seem a reasonable assessment? 

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BH: For young families where safety is the primary consideration? Then yes, though, as you succinctly pointed out, with more giggles when driving the Stinger. Yet, I have to chime in with the belief that the Stinger needs to be manhandled, for the lack of a better word, in order to extract its true performance potential, and probably more a comparable European sport sedan — though the big price difference when compared with said Euro four-doors should be adequate compensation for any lack of polish. I also have to add that the suede package is one box I would not tick; it’s not a good look for the cabin, which otherwise has some nice futuristic touches.

The biggest problem with the Avalon can best be summed up by this quote generally attributed to legendary auto executive Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen: “You can sell a young man’s car to an old man, but you can’t sell an old man’s car to a young man.” I want to think of Toyota’s flagship sedan as providing a high standard of comfort and upscale features without having to sell your firstborn. Look, it’s priced in the same ballpark as the automaker’s more upscale Lexus ES, while offering similar style, technology and engineering in a larger package.

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It’s just that the Avalon has no energetic vibe to it, and its lacklustre sales reflect this. Would I like it a lot better if the V6 engine was offered with the all-wheel drivetrain? Well, duh, though I expect Toyota has all sorts of engineering or marketing reasons why this can’t happen. It’s not that the extra 96 hp would make it a sport sedan, but it would surely give it some needed spark while furnishing an even stronger reason not to buy an SUV. 

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EA:   The V6 would indeed be a welcome upgrade to the Avalon. Though averaging 7.8 L/100km was a nice perk of the four-cylinder, it’s neither quiet nor as smooth as one might expect in such a vehicle. It is a very nice vehicle for the money and arguably deserves to sell more than its average ~600 Canadian cars per year, but it must be acknowledged that its pricing does nudge close to its more-appealing Lexus ES sibling. 

Trusted, lasting, comfortable, and unpretentious, the Avalon would make a wise pick for an older driver’s last car. Still, that important strength remains its greatest foible: as you note, it’ll be a tough sell for anyone with colour left in their hair. 

Will the Stinger hold up as well as the Toyota? Such forecasts are murky territory, though I do have my reservations. That said, it’ll be a fabulous toy for the new lessee. I averaged economy figures of around 10.6 L/100 km with a light foot, and 13 L/100 km (almost double the Toyota) when going with a bigger smile. The Toyota is a practical appliance, but the Stinger is a joy. The tight back seats give me pause, but the boot and hatch are excellent for a roving photographer who seldom hauls passengers — or at least they would be, if I could afford one. 

We hadn’t planned on crowning a winner between such different vehicles, but it’s hard to escape the inevitable thoughts. These cars are worlds apart, yet their different strengths leave me torn on which I’d choose even for myself. If nothing else, the Avalon and Stinger offer reassuring reminders of the endurance of the sedan segment, and of just how good modern cars have become.