For years, we’ve heard that hybrid cars will never match the longevity of combustion vehicles, because the electric propulsion system will burn out. As it turns out, a well-built, well-kept hybrid can easily rack up the miles.
The newest member of the high-mileage club is a 986,000-mile Toyota Avalon Hybrid, on its second owner, and just an oil change or two away from cracking seven digits. We were tipped off to this one by the owner’s son, who gave us the lowdown on how to keep your hybrid humming.
At-Home Maintenance Has Carried This Car To Nearly 1 Million Miles
Khan Zulfiqar’s million-mile 2016 Toyota Avalon HybridZunar Zulfiqar
We were contacted by Zunar Zulfiqar on behalf of his father, Khan Zulfiqar, who bought the 2016 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited secondhand at just 40,000 miles. Here are the maintenance details:
- Oil changes every 10,000 miles, on the dot
- Toyota-brand motor oil
- Most maintenance was done at home
- The traction battery was replaced at 500,000 miles as preventive maintenance (and because the Zulfiqars had a new battery on hand)
- All other major components are still factory-original
The maintenance routine is surprisingly simple – but the real question is whether the car itself was built to survive it.
Zunar tells us that it still drives and rides just fine, and even the interior is practically new.
Pharmaceutical Delivery Is The Perfect Job For High-Milers
Khan Zulfiqar’s million-mile 2016 Toyota Avalon HybridZunar Zulfiqar
Most of the miles on this Avalon’s odometer are attributable to Khan Zulfiqar’s work in the pharmaceutical delivery business. If you follow million-mile vehicles, this is a story we’ve heard before. We reported, not that long ago, on a 2003 Honda Accord with a million miles on the odometer, belonging to a medical courier in South Texas.
It makes sense if you think about it. Working in the health trade, you’re carrying relatively light loads over thousands of miles, and you can choose a car based on dependability rather than seeking a large truck capable of hauling heavy cargo. It’s the perfect job for anyone who wants to join the high-mileage club.
We Told You The Avalon Hybrid Was A Winner
2016 Toyota Avalon Limited front 3/4 angle in blue while parkedToyota
The fact that Khan Zulfiqar chose this car wasn’t luck – the Avalon Hybrid had the receipts to back up his confidence. When we first reviewed the Avalon Hybrid nearly a decade ago, we had high praise for the car. We especially liked the smooth ride and the well-equipped cabin, concluding that the car “offers a luxury nameplate package, at a fraction of the price.”
2016 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited
Engine
2.5-Liter Hybrid 4-Cylinder
Power
200 hp
Transmission
CVT
Drivetrain
Front-Wheel Drive
The car scored a Top Safety Pick+ award for the 2016 model year, and it was awarded a Quality & Reliability rating of 85/100 by JD Power, ranking it among the most reliable cars on the market. If you had to pick a hybrid sedan to go a million miles, this would be the one to grab.
The numbers supported it. But Toyota had already decided to pull the plug on the Avalon — and the reason why tells you something important about where the hybrid sedan market is heading.
Toyota Discontinued The Avalon For The Toyota Crown In 2023
2024 Toyota Crown XLE AWD side angle in whiteToyota
Many of the discontinued hybrids we’ve covered over the years were dropped when the automaker lost interest in building hybrids. In Toyota’s case, the Avalon Hybrid was phased out in favor of another hybrid, the Toyota Crown. The 2022 was the final model year for the Avalon before it was dropped from the lineup.
The Avalon peaked at 70,990 units sold in the US in 2013, with 16,468 of those being hybrids. In 2022, Toyota sold just 12,215 total, with 3,565 units being hybrids. Toyota sold a single, solitary Avalon in Canada that year.
One might assume that the Avalon was dropped due to decreased demand for large sedans, but the Crown is a large sedan, so that explanation doesn’t quite hold. The real answer may be found in ride height. Large sedans make up a segment that appeals to older drivers, who might have trouble crawling in and out of the low-sitting Avalon, with just 5.3 inches of ground clearance. The Crown stands 5.8 inches off the ground, with higher seats and a taller profile.
Additionally, the Crown shares its TNGA-K platform with the Toyota Signia SUV. The opportunity to streamline the production process will usually bias an automaker toward one model over another.
Your Ticket To The High-Mileage Club
Silver 2017 Toyota Avalon Hybrid frontToyota
After 10 years on the road, a 2016 Hybrid Limited is currently trending at $20,667, according to our price-tracking tool, from an MSRP of $41,950. This comes out to a value loss of 50.7%. Newer models are still selling at near-MSRP values, which is to be expected with a Toyota.
We were able to turn up the following listings:
- A 94,700-mile 2017 Hybrid XLE Premium is selling for $21,590 in Massachusetts.
- A 63,099-mile 2016 Hybrid XLE Plus is selling for $22,590 in New Jersey.
- A 93,476-mile 2015 Hybrid XLE Premium is selling for just $13,995 in Illinois.
- An 89,221-mile 2016 Hybrid XLE Premium is selling for $18,594 in Missouri.
- A 91,000-mile 2018 Hybrid Limited is selling for $18,995 in Pennsylvania.
Based on these numbers, we’d argue that you get a better deal the higher the trim level. From the base to the top-tier models, the whole lineup has settled in the $20,000 range for a hybrid with relatively low miles. So, you could be saving $10,000 on an entry-level Hybrid, or $20,000 on one of the top trims.
The Avalon Hybrid is basically a Lexus in everything but its badge. If you’re going to treat yourself, you might as well treat yourself.
There’s No Guarantee You’ll Make It To 1 Million Miles
Silver 2017 Toyota Avalon Hybrid side on roadToyota
Not everyone who drives a Toyota Avalon Hybrid is guaranteed to make a million miles, but Khan Zulfiqar proves that it can be done.
If you want to put seven digits on the odometer, highway miles are your best friend. It’s stop-start city traffic that really does a number on your powertrain. The Avalon Hybrid makes a fine daily driver for grocery trips and morning commutes, but you’re chipping away at its life expectancy with every short drive to the corner store.
Changing your oil every 10,000 miles with Toyota-brand oil seemed to do the trick for Zulfiqar, and we can recommend the same approach. Additionally, swapping in a new traction battery at 500,000 miles was clearly a smart move. That’s an expensive repair, costing up to $5,000 in parts alone, but if you plan ahead you can keep an eye out for batteries available at a fair price.
Even with fastidious maintenance, there’s never a guarantee that your car will make the distance. There’s no telling how the previous owner drove it, and you never know when some factory defect is lurking under the hood, waiting to surface at 750,000 miles. But, the Toyota Avalon Hybrid has a proven track record at this point.
Base Trim Engine
2.5L Inline-4 Hybrid
Base Trim Transmission
Continuously Variable Automatic (CVT)
Base Trim Drivetrain
Front-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
156 hp
Base Trim Torque
163 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm
Fuel Economy
43/44 MPG
Infotainment & Features
7 /10
Sources: Toyota, IIHS, JD Power.
