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2019 Toyota Avalon vs. full-size sedans: How they compare on paper

Full-size sedans aren't exactly in great demand at the moment, and at least one of the vehicles in this comparison has been rumored to be on the endangered species list. Yet, we've just had our first drive in the 2019 Toyota Avalon, and if anything has a chance of rejuvenating the segment a bit, it's an all-new version of what has long been the segment's benchmark. To see how the new Avalon compares, we've put together the below spreadsheet featuring the Avalon's primary apples-to-apples rivals, the Buick LaCrosse and Chevy Impala. We also included the Nissan Maxima, which is comparable in price, sales and non-luxury badge, and which offers the sort of increased driver engagement promised by the new Avalon XSE and Touring trim levels. We also included the outgoing Avalon for reference as well as that car's luxury cousin, the Lexus ES, which can definitely be cross-shopped with the luxuriously trimmed Avalon Limited. You can use our Compare Cars tool to create your own comparison, such as one featuring the rear-wheel-drive Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger or even Kia Stinger. Alright, enough chit chat. On to the spreadsheet. Performance and fuel economy The GM sedans may come standard with four cylinders, including a mild hybrid system in the LaCrosse, but puh-lease. The V6 is the name of the game in this segment, with outputs now surpassing the 300-horsepower mark. The LaCrosse is the horsepower and torque champ, though it also weighs a bit more than the new 2019 Avalon, so acceleration is likely to be comparable. The Impala weighs a lot more and has only a six-speed automatic, so despite having a wee bit more power, one should expect it to be pokier (not a good sign for a car rumored to be on the chopping block). One would expect the Maxima's 300 hp and lowest curb weight to result in the quickest acceleration, but then it's also strapped to a CVT, which despite being better than ever, is still a CVT. Things get worse for Chevy when you consider the Impala's base four-cylinder gets the same 25 mpg combined as the Avalon's V6 — once again a segment best. Now, should you really prioritize fuel economy, the 2019 Toyota Avalon Hybrid really stands out with a 43 mpg rating (or 44 with the base XLE trim) that bests the outgoing Avalon Hybrid. Honestly, after driving this new Hybrid, it actually seems like it would be the best bet for most buyers. There's sufficient power, and it only costs $1,000 more than the comparable V6 version.

2024 Buick Envista revealed as a good-looking, quite-affordable crossover 'coupe'

Buick has a new entry-point for the brand, the 2024 Envista. The new model shares much with its mechanical twin, the Chevy Trax, including a very low base price of less than $24,000. But as you can see, it skips the traditional crossover shape for a more coupe-like roofline. Unsurprisingly, the Envista gets the Wildcat EV design language with a big, frowning grille and scowling LED lights. In profile, it looks longer and lower than the Encore GX, but not just because of the roofline. It's less bulky around the wheel arches, and the ends aren't so blunt and bulbous. Three trims are available for the Envista, and they have some design distinctions. The base trim is the Preferred, and then there are the ST and Avenir trims. The ST is pictured at top with its dark grille and black-painted fender flares, mirror caps and 18-inch wheels. The Avenir (pictured below) gets body-color trim and a bright metal grille and matching 19-inch wheels. 2024 Buick Envista Avenir View 9 Photos Inside, the Envista looks very much like the Encore GX. The dash design is nearly the same, save for slightly different upholstered panels and screen surrounds. It has the same 8-inch instrument display and 11-inch infotainment touchscreen. Trims get different topstitching, with the ST getting swoopy blue stitches, and the Avenir getting more toned-down, more geometric gray stitching. Cargo space comes in at 20.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats, and 42 cubes with them folded. The Envista uses the Trax platform, and that means it comes with only one powertrain: a turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder. It makes 136 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. The only transmission is a six-speed automatic, and it only sends power to the front wheels. Two suspension setups are available, one of which is a simple torsion beam, and the second adds a Watts linkage. The latter comes on all Avenirs with 19-inch wheels. As with Trax, pricing is very affordable, with the base Preferred starting at $23,495, including destination fee. The ST rises to $25,195, and the Avenir tops the range at $29,695. That puts about $3,000 of space between the Envista and the Encore GX at every trim level. Orders open for the Envista this summer. Related video:

Watch this phantom Buick drive itself down the highway in a snow storm

Years ago, General Motors used Buick cars to test out the idea of a "smart highway" concept. More recently, GM has been talking up its award-winning Super Cruise semi-autonomous technology that will roll out with Cadillac and make its way to Buick. The LeSabre in the video above has nothing to do with any of that.
On Interstate 15 in Utah, a man driving this LeSabre got into an accident that rearranged the front end and set the horn on permanent blare. At the time of writing this, no one is sure what happened next, but the man ended up sitting in the snow in the highway median while his car carried on down the highway without him. Passing traffic stayed well to the right.
The 51-second video below provides a different take on our autonomous future. A local newscast on KUTV covered the story the evening of the incident, but the Utah Highway Patrol didn't have any update on the fate of the LeSabre. We'll take that to mean that Buick's take on Christine could still be out on the prowl... so watch out!