[amaury]

The 5th gear has a ratio of 0.71 to 1; the 6th gear has a ratio of 0.61 to 1. Therefore, the 6th gear is indeed an additional overdrive. This helps explain the excellent MPG rating on the 6-speed Avalon. In terms of horsepower, all generation 3 Avalons have identical engines although Toyota reduced the hp rating for the ’08 model (268 vs 280 on previous models). This revision is to conform to SAE revised methods of measuring torque and power values. Again, all this is only paperwork but the actual engine performances in terms of power output have not been compromised.

Amaury García
'08 Limited