The later Avalons are Lexus ES.
Long runners. Verrry long runners.
You will become spoiled.
Long runners. Verrry long runners.
You will become spoiled.
What about a Toyota Avalon?
- Thread starter blueglide88
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Have you tried a Camry? It will have similar interior dimensions to its platform mate Avalon, with a much better use of space compared to the MGM. A 4 cyl will simplify things under the hood compared to the Avalon. The Camry is still a smooth quiet vehicle that can be optioned any way you want. I had a Lincoln town car and I think these big modern Japanese sedans beat them in almost all categories.
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Originally Posted by JamesBond
Have you tried a Camry? It will have similar interior dimensions to its platform mate Avalon, with a much better use of space compared to the MGM. A 4 cyl will simplify things under the hood compared to the Avalon. The Camry is still a smooth quiet vehicle that can be optioned any way you want. I had a Lincoln town car and I think these big modern Japanese sedans beat them in almost all categories.
Can you fit as many dead bodies in the trunk of a Camry as a panther platform car? Oh, sorry, I mean cases of motor oil, not dead bodies
Have you tried a Camry? It will have similar interior dimensions to its platform mate Avalon, with a much better use of space compared to the MGM. A 4 cyl will simplify things under the hood compared to the Avalon. The Camry is still a smooth quiet vehicle that can be optioned any way you want. I had a Lincoln town car and I think these big modern Japanese sedans beat them in almost all categories.
Can you fit as many dead bodies in the trunk of a Camry as a panther platform car? Oh, sorry, I mean cases of motor oil, not dead bodies
When we bought our new Toyota last year we looked at the Avalon. To be honest, the only reason we didn't buy it, is because it would have been a bit too large for our garage. We already have a Jeep Grand Cherokee parked in it, which isn't the smallest of vehicles. So we originally went to look at a Corolla. One test drive later that idea went south real fast. It was too small, and I hated the way it drove with the CVT transmission. So we then looked at the Camry, which we ended up buying.
The Avalon was even better, but as I said, it was just a bit too large when the guy parked one next to the Camry to compare the size of both. Otherwise we would have driven one home. Another thing I liked about the Avalon, is while it is more expensive than the Camry, it comes standard with a V-6. The V-6 is an expensive option in the Camry, because it is only available in the XSE trim package. An XSE V-6 Camry with all the bells and whistles would have cost almost the same as a decently equipped Avalon. So the Camry SE was the one that ended up taking the ride home with us.
The Avalon was even better, but as I said, it was just a bit too large when the guy parked one next to the Camry to compare the size of both. Otherwise we would have driven one home. Another thing I liked about the Avalon, is while it is more expensive than the Camry, it comes standard with a V-6. The V-6 is an expensive option in the Camry, because it is only available in the XSE trim package. An XSE V-6 Camry with all the bells and whistles would have cost almost the same as a decently equipped Avalon. So the Camry SE was the one that ended up taking the ride home with us.
My wife has a 2006 Avalon, quite a bit older than what you're looking at but maybe my comments might still be useful.
The V6 is nice...I honestly have a hard time not spinning the front tires when I drive it in nice conditions. I had a RAV4 AWD with the same engine and got used to just launching whenever I wanted, but the Avalon takes more of a nuanced touch on the throttle at a busy intersection with some oil/grease buildup on the road or even on stoplines at times. 0-60 should be roughly in the 6 second range once you get a feel for the throttle. I thought the "manual" shift feature would be fun to play with, but my wife was convinced I would damage her car some how and begged me not to use it...I honored her wishes, it's her car.
She picked a Touring edition because she read that it had a stiffer suspension and less body roll....she didn't care about handling, but was worried about rollover in emergency situations (yes, those are the things she obsesses about). It is still pretty cushy and doesn't like being thrown around in corners, but I am used to SUVs now and can't say it's worse than the ones I've been driving.
I hate the steering...no feel at all and there is a good 2-3 inches of play at the center in which the car doesn't respond at all. I will drive along on the highway sawing the wheel back and forth like I'm in a 1930s movie and the Avalon just goes straight. I think this is actually a bigger reason than the FWD why I hate driving this car in the winter, I'm used to getting a good feel from the steering as to whether the roads are slippery or not and this Avalon gives no feedback at all. My wife loves the numb steering because it requires next to no effort to turn the wheel!
My wife doesn't drive a lot and isn't much past 100kmiles with this aging car, but it has been reliable...I can't think of any major work she has had done. She gets conventional changes at quick lube places with no issues, I think she might have a touch of oil consumption now but certainly nothing to be concerned about.
It's a nice car that can zip along really well, but doesn't have a lot of personality and will probably not appeal to somebody looking for handling and a really fun driving experience. I must say that the leather in this ~13 year old Avalon looks better than what's in my 2014, but I'm not sure if more of it is real leather than the mostly fake stuff I have.
The V6 is nice...I honestly have a hard time not spinning the front tires when I drive it in nice conditions. I had a RAV4 AWD with the same engine and got used to just launching whenever I wanted, but the Avalon takes more of a nuanced touch on the throttle at a busy intersection with some oil/grease buildup on the road or even on stoplines at times. 0-60 should be roughly in the 6 second range once you get a feel for the throttle. I thought the "manual" shift feature would be fun to play with, but my wife was convinced I would damage her car some how and begged me not to use it...I honored her wishes, it's her car.
She picked a Touring edition because she read that it had a stiffer suspension and less body roll....she didn't care about handling, but was worried about rollover in emergency situations (yes, those are the things she obsesses about). It is still pretty cushy and doesn't like being thrown around in corners, but I am used to SUVs now and can't say it's worse than the ones I've been driving.
I hate the steering...no feel at all and there is a good 2-3 inches of play at the center in which the car doesn't respond at all. I will drive along on the highway sawing the wheel back and forth like I'm in a 1930s movie and the Avalon just goes straight. I think this is actually a bigger reason than the FWD why I hate driving this car in the winter, I'm used to getting a good feel from the steering as to whether the roads are slippery or not and this Avalon gives no feedback at all. My wife loves the numb steering because it requires next to no effort to turn the wheel!
My wife doesn't drive a lot and isn't much past 100kmiles with this aging car, but it has been reliable...I can't think of any major work she has had done. She gets conventional changes at quick lube places with no issues, I think she might have a touch of oil consumption now but certainly nothing to be concerned about.
It's a nice car that can zip along really well, but doesn't have a lot of personality and will probably not appeal to somebody looking for handling and a really fun driving experience. I must say that the leather in this ~13 year old Avalon looks better than what's in my 2014, but I'm not sure if more of it is real leather than the mostly fake stuff I have.
I have a 2013 Avalon, which is when the body style changed along with some other things like a much firmer suspension.
Historically the Avalon was very soft riding, even with the Touring suspension. In 2013, Toyota over-compensated and went too firm on the springs and struts. The 2012 and earlier ones will feel more like your MGM. And reliability is legendary; calling it a de-badged Lexus ES 350 is correct since that's what it is. The one with 32k sounds really interesting.
Should you find yourself drawn to the 2013+ models, there is a corrective for the firmer ride: change the springs and struts to the later iteration (2017 and forward?). Someone on Toyota Nation did that, since his wife had the later model which rode much better but reportedly gave up nothing in ride and handling. I have 55k on mine and will eventually do that at some point TBD. The swap to the newer parts is strictly plug-and-play since there were no chassis changes.
From personal experience, aging can bring a desire for a softer ride ;o)
Good luck and keep us posted.
Historically the Avalon was very soft riding, even with the Touring suspension. In 2013, Toyota over-compensated and went too firm on the springs and struts. The 2012 and earlier ones will feel more like your MGM. And reliability is legendary; calling it a de-badged Lexus ES 350 is correct since that's what it is. The one with 32k sounds really interesting.
Should you find yourself drawn to the 2013+ models, there is a corrective for the firmer ride: change the springs and struts to the later iteration (2017 and forward?). Someone on Toyota Nation did that, since his wife had the later model which rode much better but reportedly gave up nothing in ride and handling. I have 55k on mine and will eventually do that at some point TBD. The swap to the newer parts is strictly plug-and-play since there were no chassis changes.
From personal experience, aging can bring a desire for a softer ride ;o)
Good luck and keep us posted.
The Avalon is basically a softer riding and longer Camry, all the typical Camry/Sienna/Highlander things that do go out or need attention do apply. It's a good pick, I like to call them the Japanese Buick even though it's built in Kentucky.
They aren't as firm as a Lexus ride-wise.
They aren't as firm as a Lexus ride-wise.
Originally Posted by dogememe
Originally Posted by JamesBond
Have you tried a Camry? It will have similar interior dimensions to its platform mate Avalon, with a much better use of space compared to the MGM. A 4 cyl will simplify things under the hood compared to the Avalon. The Camry is still a smooth quiet vehicle that can be optioned any way you want. I had a Lincoln town car and I think these big modern Japanese sedans beat them in almost all categories.
Can you fit as many dead bodies in the trunk of a Camry as a panther platform car? Oh, sorry, I mean cases of motor oil, not dead bodies
Not even close. The MGM has 20 cubic ft of trunk vs 14 with the Avalon...………………...
Originally Posted by JamesBond
Have you tried a Camry? It will have similar interior dimensions to its platform mate Avalon, with a much better use of space compared to the MGM. A 4 cyl will simplify things under the hood compared to the Avalon. The Camry is still a smooth quiet vehicle that can be optioned any way you want. I had a Lincoln town car and I think these big modern Japanese sedans beat them in almost all categories.
Can you fit as many dead bodies in the trunk of a Camry as a panther platform car? Oh, sorry, I mean cases of motor oil, not dead bodies
Not even close. The MGM has 20 cubic ft of trunk vs 14 with the Avalon...………………...
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Originally Posted by eagle23
I have a 2013 Avalon, which is when the body style changed along with some other things like a much firmer suspension.
Historically the Avalon was very soft riding, even with the Touring suspension. In 2013, Toyota over-compensated and went too firm on the springs and struts. The 2012 and earlier ones will feel more like your MGM. And reliability is legendary; calling it a de-badged Lexus ES 350 is correct since that's what it is. The one with 32k sounds really interesting.
Should you find yourself drawn to the 2013+ models, there is a corrective for the firmer ride: change the springs and struts to the later iteration (2017 and forward?). Someone on Toyota Nation did that, since his wife had the later model which rode much better but reportedly gave up nothing in ride and handling. I have 55k on mine and will eventually do that at some point TBD. The swap to the newer parts is strictly plug-and-play since there were no chassis changes.
From personal experience, aging can bring a desire for a softer ride ;o)
Good luck and keep us posted.
The 2013 and newer are stiffer than older ones?
My aunt's is a 2016 and I drive it all the time, 1/2 the time to work during the week too. It's extremely cushy and floaty.
I have a 2013 Avalon, which is when the body style changed along with some other things like a much firmer suspension.
Historically the Avalon was very soft riding, even with the Touring suspension. In 2013, Toyota over-compensated and went too firm on the springs and struts. The 2012 and earlier ones will feel more like your MGM. And reliability is legendary; calling it a de-badged Lexus ES 350 is correct since that's what it is. The one with 32k sounds really interesting.
Should you find yourself drawn to the 2013+ models, there is a corrective for the firmer ride: change the springs and struts to the later iteration (2017 and forward?). Someone on Toyota Nation did that, since his wife had the later model which rode much better but reportedly gave up nothing in ride and handling. I have 55k on mine and will eventually do that at some point TBD. The swap to the newer parts is strictly plug-and-play since there were no chassis changes.
From personal experience, aging can bring a desire for a softer ride ;o)
Good luck and keep us posted.
The 2013 and newer are stiffer than older ones?
My aunt's is a 2016 and I drive it all the time, 1/2 the time to work during the week too. It's extremely cushy and floaty.
Quote
The 2013 and newer are stiffer than older ones?
My aunt's is a 2016 and I drive it all the time, 1/2 the time to work during the week too. It's extremely cushy and floaty.
If her 2016 is soft riding, then the firmer ride was 2013-14 for sure and maybe the 2015.
I have forgotten which year was the re-calibrated springs and struts since checking a few years ago. Obviously by 2016 per your experience, they set the springs and struts to softer settings.
The 2013 and newer are stiffer than older ones?
My aunt's is a 2016 and I drive it all the time, 1/2 the time to work during the week too. It's extremely cushy and floaty.
If her 2016 is soft riding, then the firmer ride was 2013-14 for sure and maybe the 2015.
I have forgotten which year was the re-calibrated springs and struts since checking a few years ago. Obviously by 2016 per your experience, they set the springs and struts to softer settings.
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by HM12460
Avalon is a very well built car. Hard to go wrong if it has been properly maintained and priced correctly.
+1
It's basically a de-badged Lexus ES
Sorta. The Camry V-6, the Avalon and the Lexus ES have always been very close, blurry-distinction siblings. The Avalon has always been built on a stretched Camry floor pan. The ES used to be Camry-length, but now, is Avalon-length (not sure when the ES grew longer...). The most frugal "luxury" choice would of course be a V-6 Camry in XLE or XSE trim. The Avalon's bigger and a bit nicer still. The ES adds a little bit more -- and a more "prestigious" label (to the extent that matters -- up to the buyer...). You'd have a hard time going wrong with any one of these "triplets."
But all that is academic. We've had our Avalon for over 10 years now and could hardly be happier with it. The only "problems" relate to some minor damage caused by our youngest daughter as she learned to drive. It's a great car, but not even a great car can resist being driven into an immovable object. . . The only thing I can say that comes close to a "gripe" is that the suspension is a tad bit softer than I'd prefer. If I were buying a new one today, all things equal, I'd get a "touring" version. The engineers made good use of the longer body, especially with the limo-like back seat. The REAR seats even recline! Yes, the back seats. As a Prius driver, I find it's V-6 a little thirsty, but since my wife is a short tripper (our 07 has not even hit 80k miles yet!), that's almost a non-factor for us.
For the OP, of course, in the end, it's your final choice. Assuming they're both non-abused, healthy examples, you'll be fine either way. If it were me, today, I'd put less weight on having in-car nav (though the back-up camera issue is a valid point), since I've migrated totally to the Waze app on my phone because of its "portability" and real-time hazard warnings. Either way, I'm sure you'll be happy.
Originally Posted by HM12460
Avalon is a very well built car. Hard to go wrong if it has been properly maintained and priced correctly.
+1
It's basically a de-badged Lexus ES
Sorta. The Camry V-6, the Avalon and the Lexus ES have always been very close, blurry-distinction siblings. The Avalon has always been built on a stretched Camry floor pan. The ES used to be Camry-length, but now, is Avalon-length (not sure when the ES grew longer...). The most frugal "luxury" choice would of course be a V-6 Camry in XLE or XSE trim. The Avalon's bigger and a bit nicer still. The ES adds a little bit more -- and a more "prestigious" label (to the extent that matters -- up to the buyer...). You'd have a hard time going wrong with any one of these "triplets."
But all that is academic. We've had our Avalon for over 10 years now and could hardly be happier with it. The only "problems" relate to some minor damage caused by our youngest daughter as she learned to drive. It's a great car, but not even a great car can resist being driven into an immovable object. . . The only thing I can say that comes close to a "gripe" is that the suspension is a tad bit softer than I'd prefer. If I were buying a new one today, all things equal, I'd get a "touring" version. The engineers made good use of the longer body, especially with the limo-like back seat. The REAR seats even recline! Yes, the back seats. As a Prius driver, I find it's V-6 a little thirsty, but since my wife is a short tripper (our 07 has not even hit 80k miles yet!), that's almost a non-factor for us.
For the OP, of course, in the end, it's your final choice. Assuming they're both non-abused, healthy examples, you'll be fine either way. If it were me, today, I'd put less weight on having in-car nav (though the back-up camera issue is a valid point), since I've migrated totally to the Waze app on my phone because of its "portability" and real-time hazard warnings. Either way, I'm sure you'll be happy.
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So I went and test drove both today. The first was at a dealer who did not know for sure I was coming. I only emailed the salesman earlier in the week that I might come in Saturday. I took along my best friend Frank, a body & fender man for 40 yrs. We get to the dealer, and don't see the Avalon anywhere. I find the salesman and he says it's "out on a test drive, and will be back in 15 minutes why don't you wait in our showroom?" I say no, I have another to look at. I give him my cell and tell him to call when it's back. We drive out of the dealership and...WOW....60 seconds later I get the call LOL. I tell my buddy that's all BS and he agrees. We pull in and it's sitting idling right out front. I look at the dash and the temp gauge is cold, the car was never on a test drive. Frank immediately points out it had an accident, even though the Carfax said no accidents. We look under the hood he points out and aftermarket headlight. The salesman comes out and says as it turns out another salesman "hid" the car because he wanted to sell it later in the afternoon to an interested buyer. I tell him it's had an accident, point out the fender and headlight. We take it for a test drive and it pulls to the left. The salesman
says its the road LOL. The brakes feel like mush. Drive back and tell him I am not interested it's not as advertised.
Avalon #2 is 15 minutes away and Frank looks it all over and says its clean no accidents. We take it for a test drive and notice a front end noise. Frank think's it's struts or a strut bearing. We also notice the backup camera is not working. We drive back and look under the hood. They never cleaned the motor and it looks like a battery had leaked/exploded because there is corrosion all around the battery area. I pass on the 2nd car too. This wasted a whole afternoon because we drove from Chicago to the Milwaukee area. However, the day was saved with a few cold beers and brats
My Avalon experience...….HUGE interior space. VERY quite ride. Smooth and fast motor. I used the "manual mode" and got rubber is second gear. The car moves pretty good! I had forgotten about
torque steer since it has been years since I drove a FWD car. All in all a very nice car. Not sure about my next move. The MGM is going away Monday. Wondering if I should keep looking for another Avalon, or also get rid of the Blazer and buy ONE vehicle that can scratch both my itches for a large smooth ride and a snow capable vehicle. Might that be a Highlander? My quest continues...…..
says its the road LOL. The brakes feel like mush. Drive back and tell him I am not interested it's not as advertised.
Avalon #2 is 15 minutes away and Frank looks it all over and says its clean no accidents. We take it for a test drive and notice a front end noise. Frank think's it's struts or a strut bearing. We also notice the backup camera is not working. We drive back and look under the hood. They never cleaned the motor and it looks like a battery had leaked/exploded because there is corrosion all around the battery area. I pass on the 2nd car too. This wasted a whole afternoon because we drove from Chicago to the Milwaukee area. However, the day was saved with a few cold beers and brats
My Avalon experience...….HUGE interior space. VERY quite ride. Smooth and fast motor. I used the "manual mode" and got rubber is second gear. The car moves pretty good! I had forgotten about
torque steer since it has been years since I drove a FWD car. All in all a very nice car. Not sure about my next move. The MGM is going away Monday. Wondering if I should keep looking for another Avalon, or also get rid of the Blazer and buy ONE vehicle that can scratch both my itches for a large smooth ride and a snow capable vehicle. Might that be a Highlander? My quest continues...…..
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
blueglide- I experienced a similar situation shopping for a used Avalon for a family member a few years ago. My Wife's uncle. Totally not a car guy. He drove his 2000 model year Avalon from 2001 to 2016. He kept his 2000 marginally maintained and filthy. It was pretty beat in the end, but that engine and trans remained smooth as butter. It only had about 130K miles on it, but a full life in the rust belt takes it's toll. After a few weeks of shopping slim pickings for used Avalons in the area, he found a 2012 he wanted to look at so he recruited me to help. It was a frigid February day when we test drove the 2012. Seemed OK, but a little road noisy. Lots of power over the 2000. It was a one owner per the carfax and looked straight and true to me (NOT an expert) He bought the car, but wound up having issues with the sunroof, some trim falling off, road noise and he was constantly complaining about poor fuel economy with it? He complained so much to the dealership he bought it from that they offered to take it back and put him in something else. He wound up in a 2014 Rav4. He doesn't absolutely love that either, but is willing to ride it out.
I hear you on carfax. To me, about all it's good for is to see how many owners the vehicle had and if it was a rental/fleet vehicle;.
I hear you on carfax. To me, about all it's good for is to see how many owners the vehicle had and if it was a rental/fleet vehicle;.
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