Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Can the ride quality really be that bad with about same set up as the ES and have over 7K sales in May?

LexBob2

I keep seeing poor ride quality mentioned in Avalon reviews. I got an offer in the mail to test drive any Toyota and get a $50 or $75 debit card. I may drive the Avalon and see for myself.

spwolf

i hope they dont listen to one review... If Avalon was good enough to get #1 in C&D, then thats good.

Obviously people love it and they are buying it in droves.


Trying to please everybody is what gets you to Toyota's of 5-6 years back.

TangoRed

C&D said the ride sucked too. I'm sure when the Avalon gets refreshed a few years down the road they'll fix it while still maintaining the handling gains they've made.

mmarshall

No, it's not bone-jarring in a older pick-up truck or sports-car sense, but, as the article itself said....ride comfort, in a full-size non-sporting sedan, is paramount. And, sorry, but the new Avalon just doesn't deliver as much in that area as much as the older ones.

The 2010 model was built with noticeably softer suspension/tires than the all-new 2014 model.

mmarshall

Of course it's a good car. Avalons always have been. But a lot more than just one or two isolated reviews (including Consumer Reports) have commented on the car's unnecessary suspension stiffening. C&D also, like many car-mags, places more of an emphasis on handling than comfort, though they will also comment if they think ride-comfort has been affected too much.

How long will they keep them, though, before trading them in? Many new-car buyers don't take their cars out on thorough-enough test-drives before they sign on the dotted line....then they find out later there are things they don't like.


No. Economizing on their products too much is what got Toyota into the trouble they were in.....although a number of their products, like the Camry, continued to sell in large numbers.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I believe Consumers Report and the TV show Motor Week stated the ES had a bit rough ride too.

mmarshall

Again, with the new 6Gen ES, not really rough like a compact pick-up truck, sports-car, etc.....but noticeably firmer and noisier than the previous model, which suggests that they might have also skimped on some sound-deadening. And the previous-gen model (5Gen), was somewhat firmer-riding than the superb 4Gen model, which I thought was the best ES ever done.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I agree.I just had a new ES w/8K miles loaner.
To me the ride was rougher and the interior noisier than my '12 ES.Don't even get me started on the interior cost cutting.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

One thing I'm noticing with many Toyotas in the last few years is that they tend to outperform in real world MPG, sometimes even exceeding the EPA ratings. When I was looking at the test of the Camry SE V6, Passat SE 3.8 and Sonata 2.0T, I think the Camry was averaging 23-24 MPG for Motor Trend, vs ~21 for the others.

With some manufacturers being "dinged" for cars that don't meet EPA standards, Toyota seems to be doing a pretty fair job of hitting the mark or even understating their cars a bit.

mmarshall

My experience has been that it's not hard at all to meet (or exceed) the highway EPA ratings if you drive at moderate-cruise speeds on relatively level roads, at light loads. That applies not only to Toyotas, but many vehicles. Today's urban traffic, though, in and around major cities (the D.C. and SoCal/L.A. regions, of course, are two of the worst), makes it relatively difficult, though, to get the City ratings.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

My bet is a 16 model in 2015, though I wouldn't complain if they bumped it up a year

Don't get ME started

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

just drove a new avalon yesterday. nice car, but was noisier and stiffer than expected.

07grIS350

My own observations after 5 months with an Avalon :
- Ride is firm, and very noticeable when going over large bumps or potholes. I am talking about speedbumps sized objects. It's fine on 90% of the road surface I drive on. If this were a trade off for being a nimble large car it is, then I'd say it's worthwhile. I found myself not noticing the size of such large/long vehicle until I try to fit it into standard parking lanes. I suspect Toyota is doing this on purpose to appeal to a slightly different group of buyers (more on this later), because the original one seemed to be shrinking. Maybe on the refresh they should give a softer riding package option for those looking for one (replace the those standard 45 series tires is probably going to help a lot).
- Engine noise is only present when cold. The car is the quietest vehicle I have owned outside of a hybrid on battery mode.
- The engine and the tranmission work extremely well together.
- 20 MPG lifetime, with 90% city and lots of short trips. Regular gas helps at the pump.

I did not know I wanted an Avalon due to its previous image of being a vehicle for the older segment. I went looking for a DD in the midsize segment. I test drove the usual suspects Camry, Optima, Altima and Accord. I almost went with the TCH until the rep asked me to drive the brand new Avalon just showed up at the dealership. I came back very impressed with the ride and handling for such large a car. I also liked the new younger styling especially the front and backends. To me this feels exactly like the Camry version I wanted but was made available!