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    Toyota Avalon and Camry Gain Traction With All-Wheel Drive

    Optional AWD could be a big benefit, especially for people who live in snowy regions

    2020 Toyota Camry AWD Toyota

    Toyota is amping up the appeal of some of its sedans by way of optional all-wheel drive, unlike automakers that have been eliminating car models from their lineups in favor of SUVs. Certain trim levels of the 2020 Toyota Camry and 2021 Avalon will have AWD available.

    Toyota says the Camry and Avalon AWD models underscore Toyota’s commitment to the sedan category. “A lot of our northern sales regions have been asking for all-wheel drive for a long time,” a Toyota spokesman told Consumer Reports.

    More on cars

    AWD will be optional on most Camry trims with a four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission this spring for an additional $1,400. The base AWD model will be the LE, with a sticker price of $26,370, and the top-shelf XSE (the version we rented from Toyota for this evaluation) will start at $31,405. Avalon AWD pricing will be released closer to the car’s on-sale date early this fall.

    If you’re a Consumer Reports member, our detailed impressions of preproduction versions of the Toyota Avalon AWD and Camry AWD, below, are available to you here.

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    Mike Monticello

    Mike Monticello is the manager of road tests and reviews for the autos team at Consumer Reports. He has been with CR since 2016. Mike has been evaluating and writing about cars for nearly 25 years, having previously worked at Road & Track magazine and Edmunds.com. On the weekends, he usually switches from four wheels to two, riding one of his mountain bikes or motorcycles. Follow him on X: @MikeMonticello.