VW Arteon vs Toyota Avalon Review - Here's How the VW Arteon Compares vs the Toyota Avalon

With a name that sounds similar to its competitive rival, the New Volkswagen Arteon is the latest mid-sized sedan to join the VW family. Gifted with slippery looks, an award-winning turbocharged engine, and VW's innovative MQB chassis platform, the Arteon is Volkswagen's latest toe-dip into the near-luxury waters.

The rival that we alluded to before? The Toyota Avalon. See? Arteon. Avalon. Similar, right?The Volkswagen Arteon for sale in Orlando, FL is a swoopy, European designed and inspired touring sedan that is designed to cut the wind with little effort, all while delivering a stellar ride.

Stylishly sexy with its swept-back roofline, it includes a hatchback that becomes amazingly practical when the need to carry larger than average cargo occurs. If all these features appeal to you, you should have the Arteon on your radar.

Arteon vs Avalon Exterior Comparison

The Volkswagen Arteon is an all-new vehicle introduced in 2019, while the Toyota Avalon was redesigned at the same time. Both are contemporary versions of premium-luxury sedans, but how they get there took two different routes.

Surprisingly, both have a rather large grille area, with the Avalon's maw trending towards those found on it's Lexus big brother. Still, they both are handsome, with fastback looks that lend a bit of cutting-edge aerodynamics along the way.

The Arteon takes a different approach and features a clamshell hood that lends an air of sophistication. Design lines along the hood lead to a chrome-trimmed greenhouse finished in the rear by a hatchback opening. From various angles, it appears that Volkswagen designers were inspired by their Audi cousins responsible for the designs of the Audi A5 and A7.

The Avalon offers a similar profile with wedge shape leading up to the fastback designed roofline. It offers a look that appears more conservative than the sporty looks of the Arteon.

Engine Specs Comparison

The Volkswagen Arteon is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. That power is sent from the engine to an Aisin-built eight-speed automatic transmission that delivers it to the front- or when equipped, to the 4Motion all-wheel-drive powertrain (Standard on SEL Premium package).

The Toyota Avalon is driven by a 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V6 engine making 301 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque. It, too, uses an eight-speed automatic transmission to deliver that power to a torque-vectoring AWD with driveline disconnect technology. All-wheel-drive will be offered in 2021.

Interior

The Volkswagen Arteon is equipped with seating for five, but we recommend it be on a short trip.  The Toyota Avalon offers a little bit more width overall than the Arteon, which may offer a bit more comfort for those of broad beam.

The Arteon features a European-inspired interior with available massaging driver's seat and front and rear heating throughout. The interior, like other aspects of this new four-door coupe, is very Audi-like in design and execution.

Both cars offer a back seat that can swallow up six-footers with ease. The top-line SEL Premium offers Nappa leather seating, as well as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter knob.

The Arteon's center console is dominated by an 8-inch touchscreen, while an available 12.3-inch digital instrument panel rounds out the interior kit.

The Toyota Avalon includes a base 9-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa integration but no Android Auto, yet. The audio system goes up through the trim levels all the way to a JBL Premium Audio System with navigation.

Arteon vs Avalon Towing Capacity

When the Volkswagen Arteon's rear hatch is opened, there's a generous 27.2-cubic feet of cargo space. Fold the rear seats forward and that space grows to 55-cubic feet. The Toyota Avalon features 16.1-cubic feet in a standard trunk configuration.

Safety Features

Volkswagen's Arteon includes a load of driver safety features, with automated emergency braking and blind-spot warning standard. VW's Car-Net is included at no charge and features remote vehicle lock/unlock, automatic crash notification and last parked locations.

The system grows to include the range-topping Guide & Inform feature, which includes built-in navigation, plus SiriusXM Travel Link that includes traffic and weather info, local fuel prices, movie information and sports scores. Conversely, the Avalon includes Toyota's Safety Sense 2.0, which includes the latest advanced driving-assistance system (ADAS).

These are items such as automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, full-speed radar cruise control and more.

The Volkswagen Arteon has not yet received an overall NHTSA rating. The Toyota Avalon has been tested and offers a five-star safety rating.

VW Arteon vs Avalon Warranty

Volkswagen covers the Arteon with a four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and powertrain warranty. This new plan also includes two years of complimentary scheduled maintenance.

The Toyota Avalon is equipped with a basic 3-year/36,000-mile warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. 

And the best place to get a deal is Napleton's Volkswagen of Orlando.

Compare Price

VOLKSWAGEN ARTEON BASE MSRP: $35,900
TOYOTA AVALON BASE MSRP:  $35,800