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April 30. 2008
Portland OL s e r v e r Aufo R e v ie w
News and reviews on new motor vehicles
2 0 0 8 Toyota Avalon
4-DR LTD Sedan
Uncomplicated
luxury and
driving pleasure
K athleen C arr
The A valon has been reclassi
fied from a full-size sedan to midsize
in the prem ium class, even though
the exterior and interior dim ensions
are identical to last year’s model.
W ell know n for its com fortable,
sm ooth and quiet ride, the perfor
m ance quality has been enhanced
with a new six-speed transm ission
and improved brakes. F or2008, there
are four models available: XL, Tour
ing, XLS and Lim ited trim levels.
W hile there are som e cosm etic
changes for 2008, the sleek, uncom
plicated exterior remains. Adding
to a m ore contem porary look o f the
four-door sedan, the front bum per
has a new, edgier look; the radiator
grille and headlights have been
updated, and the new sm oke-col
ored taillam ps add distinction.
O ur test m odel, the highest trim
level, the Limited, adds puddle lamps
and has turn signals in the side
by
m irrors — in the glass itself, not on
the housing. T he Lim ited model
also has ch ro m e o u tsid e d o o r
handles.
T op honors should be aw arded
to the designers, who have done an
outstanding jo b to provide all the
am enities a driver or passenger may
require in a pleasing, ergonom ic
environm ent.
For 2(X)8 all m odels get a leather
shifter, more chrome trim and a multi
inform ation display. An eight-w ay
pow er driver's seat is standard, and
the Lim ited adds 10-way adjust
ment. T he XLS and Lim ited have
new, darker simulated w(x,d trim for
2008.
Standard equipm ent includes a
tilt/telescoping steering w heel, a
sliding center arm rest and a six-CD
stereo with an M P3-player input
jack, w hich replaces a C D /cassette
unit. The three-passenger backseat
has reclining backrests.
The L im ited adds heated and
ventilated front seats with a cu sh
ion length adjustment for the driver,
as well as rain-sensing w ipers and
keyless start. T he acoustic w ind
shield is designed to block noise.
Specifications: 3.5-Liter 24-valve 268-hp @ 248 Ib-ft. torque Dual WT-1 engine: 6-Speed ECT-i
automatic sequential shift transmission: 19-City, 28-Highway MPG: $39,547. MSRP
Bluetooth connectivity is now in
cluded in the standard JB L pre
m ium stereo, w hich is optional on
the T ouring and XLS. The Lim ited
can be fitted with adaptive cruise
control that m aintains a follow ing
distance to the car ahead and a
navigation system.
A v alo n ’s Sm art Key System
autom atically lights up the door
Hoops for Obama
(A P ) — C raig R obinson par
ticipated i n hi s first cam paign event
for brother-in-law Barack O bam a
since becom ing O regon S tate’s
basketball coach — a three-on-
three "H oops for C hange” event at
S
e
l
f
E nhancem ent, Inc., the youth ed u
cational center in north Portland.
Robinson, hired by the B eavers
on A pril 7, refereed M o n d a y 's
gam e. P ortlandT rail Blazers Jam es
Jones and C hanning Frye served
as coaches and team analyst A nto
nio H arvey provided the play-by-
play.
T he event w as designed to boost
voter registration.
R obinson is the o ld e r b ro th er
with puddle lamps, allow ing the
driver to open the door with a touch
on the handle and, once inside,
start the engine with a pushbutton.
This convenient safety system only
unlocks the driver’s side door, and
can also activate the trunk. A single-
b la d e ra in -se n sin g w in d sh ie ld
w iper is another sm art feature. Lat
est in headlam p technology are
Candidate’s brother-in-law at SEI
o f O b a m a 's w ife, M ichelle. T he
D e m o c ra tic p r e s id e n tia l c o n
ten d er is a b asketball fan w ho
played on H aw aii’s state ch a m p i
on sh ip team in 1979 an d plays
pickup gam es on the cam paign
trail.
Basketball was a logical vehicle
for a voter drive, R obinson said,
because it is a w ay to reach out to
younger people, w ho are histori
cally less likely to vote.
“People older than m e have said
they h av en 't seen anything like
Oregon State's new basketball coach Craig Robinson, the
brother-in-law o f presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-lll.,
referees a basketball game at “Hoops for Change" event.
High Intensity D ischarge (HID)
headlamps, which provide brighter,
broad-range visibility.
The Avalon scores G ood in the
Insurance Institute for H ighway
Safety's frontal-offset and side-im
pact crash tests. All-disc antilock
brakes with electronic brake-force
distribution, side-im pact airbags
and a driver's knee airbag are stan
dard. Side curtain airbags protect
front and rear occupants, and an
electronic stability system is op
tional on all trim levels.
Standard in the Lim ited and all
Avalon models is a 3.5-liter 24-valve
DOHC engine with Variable Valve
T im ing w /intelligence (V V T-i),
which provides lower emissions and
higher fuel efficiency. This pow er
ful V6 with 268 horsepower and 248
Ib.-ft o f torque makes highway driv
ing a breeze. The Avalon will accel
erate from 0-60 mph in about seven
seconds.
This year the A valon has a new
six-speed autom atic Electronically
Controlled T ransm ission with in
telligence (ECT-i), w hich is d e
signed to "provide a sequential
manual shift feature for a more in
volved driving experience,” accord
ing to Toyota. Braking is im proved
thanks to larger rear discs and alu
minum rear calipers. Alum inum al
loy 17-inch wheels and P215/55 R17
M ichelin Energy tires were d e
signed for improved handling ex
clusively fo rth e Lim ited andT our-
ing class.
Driving the T oyota A valon is
enjoyable because o f its com bina
tion o f handling, horsepow er and
torque. T im e spent b eh in d the
wheel is easygoing and non-tax
ing, especially with its uncom pli
cated level o f luxury.
this since K ennedy,” R obinson
said. "I'v e seen younger A m eri
cans getting involved in politics
for the very first tim e. A nd I have
seen older A m ericans w ho felt
disenfranchised com ing back to
get involved.”
Contestants w ho brought in five
new voter registrations answ ered
O b am a trivia questions for the
right to com pete in the event. T he
first eight to answ er correctly w ere
selected for the gam e, including
tw o substitutes.
State Sen. M argaret C arter, a
Portland Democrat, rallied a crow d
o f about 75 at the event, w hich the
O bam a cam paign held in advance
o f the O regon prim ary election
May 20.
Jones and Frye w ere on their
first w eek o f sum m er vacation
after the B lazers’ season.
“ I’m excited to be involved in
som ething that’s going to change
the country,” Jones said. “ Barack
gives m e the im pression that he's
that guy.”
Allen Temple CME Church
I nvites Y ou to O ur P astor & W ife A ppreciation
H onoring
First Black Division I Coach Dies at 96
(A P) — W ill Robinson, the firs,
hlack basketball coach at a D ivi
sion I school and a D etroit Pistons
scout who discovered Joe Dumars
and D ennis Rodm an, died M onday
at a D etroit hospital. He w as 96.
Robinson broke a racial barrier in
the 1970s w hen he coached Illinois
State. He joined the Pistons as a
scout in 1976, and the additions of
D um ars and Rodm an were keys to
Detroit’s 1989 and 1990 NBA cham
pionships.
“W ill Robinson w as truly a leg
end and will be m issed dearly.”
D um ars said. "H e was a huge inspi
ration for me and so many others.
He w as sim ply the best.”
Robinson scouted for the Pis
tons for 28 years and scouted part-
tim e forthe N F L 's Detroit Lions for
22 years.
M idway through the 2003-04
season, en route to their third title,
the Pistons renam ed their locker
room the "W ill Robinson Locker
Room o f C ham pions.”
“ H e's som eone that’s going to
be m issed, not only by the Pistons
but by the City o f D etroit," Pistons
coach Flip Saunders said.
“ He was a civil-rights pioneer,”
said Pistons trainer Mike Ahdenour,
hired hy the franchise in the mid-
1970s. "H e d idn’t let the color o f his
skin deter him from his dreams.
“ I think it's really ironic that the
N A A C P had a big event here last
night and W ill passed aw ay the
next day," he said. The N A A C P's
annual Fight for Freedom Fund
D inner was Sunday in Detroit.
Will Robinson
Reverend Dr. LeRoy Haynes, Jr. & First Lady, Cynthia Haynes
Theme "The Shepherd's C i / / ? ” — M atthew 20:22-23 John 10:11-14
Friday. May 2, 2008
Celebration Service @7:00 pm
Sunday, May 4. 2008
Evening Service @ 4:00 pin
Guest Speaker: Bishop C. T. Wells
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