Toys4RJill

Sure I can do that for you.

corradoMR2

Don't have experience with this, but I have not heard any negative comments on them unlike the Cadillac's system.

On the IS they work great so I can only imagine the same tech is underneath.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

not from my experience, the es is quieter, but sometimes it comes down to perception. but i found the avalon to experience quite a bit of road noise.

Toys4RJill

Thanks for letting me know. I will pay attention tomorrow.

A small update, discounts for cash customers:

$4000 Venza or Avalon
$4500 ES350.

gemigniani

I've been comparing Camry/Avalon/ES350/Sonata/Genesis informally for the past year and intensely the past two months involving multiple rentals and test drives. My priorities were ride comfort, quietness and seat comfort.

The 2015 ES350 won me over. It's slightly, but noticably smoother, quieter and more solid riding than the Avalon. Both the Camry and Avalon suffer from hard seats that are a pain on longer drives. ES350 is more cushioned. ES350 has many subtle quality touches like doors that open and close more effortlessly than the Avalon and have a deeper "thunk". ES350 has superior interior acoustics that you notice as greater ease in carrying on a conversation with someone at freeway speeds. Base ES350 is $5,000 more than base Avalon, but returns about half that at resale time, thus you're spending only about $2,500 more for Lexus refinements. Base ES350 is 50 lbs heavier than a base Avalon even though its 3 inches shorter. So I figure much of the weight difference has to do with noise/vibration/harshness reduction measures.

Venza would never be on my shopping list due to numerous owner complaints about noise, vibration and harshness.

yowps3

The Venza is beautiful inside & out.

Infact, the Venza is the best Toyota badges vehicle in USA





Wish they sold it here..

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

But rides rough and loud with the big tires.

spwolf

new one is supposedly improved inside and out, and plus for older folks, easier entry and exit.

But look wise, probably worst one for me.

Toys4RJill

Can anyone confirm? ES350 takes regular or premium?

pbm317

Regular

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymake/Lexus2015.shtml

Venza has a slightly higher H point, and may make ingress/egress easier.

Toys4RJill

Thanks for the clarification

So, my dad test drove the ES350 and Avalon. The ES350 is the winner, dad bought it and will pick it up on Wednesday.

I will have more details later.

JDR76

I'd say he made a great choice!

Toys4RJill

Thanks.

So, it took my dad 2.5 hours to test drive the Avalon and ES350 to decide that the ES350 is his next car..

1. While waiting for the dealer rep to find the keys for the demo Lexus, my dad sat in the Venza and knew within 30 seconds that the car was not for him. It was the cheaper interior that sealed the deal. A bit better than his current car.

2. Took the Lexus 350 touring model out, immediate reaction was "boy this is nice" Great interior, nice features and a very easy layout. Very easy interior to live with. The power telescoping steering wheel left a huge impression on exit of the vehicle. HVAC controls with hard buttons were easy to use and control. The overall ride was very refined and felt firm enough so that the car did not feel like it was floating. Ease of operation was very nice in the ES350. Overall the Lexus felt like a luxury car. My dad noticed that the car felt firmer than past cars but he liked it.

2. The Toyota Avalon was driven immediately after the Lexus. The Avalon was nice inside but different. The interior felt upscale and premium but did lack a luxurious feel. The buttons on the dash were ok but nothing special, Toyota really should of put hard buttons inside instead of the touch buttons. The display screen was way too small especially after driving the ES350. The ride in the Avalon felt a little more firmer and harder bumps were more noticable. The Avalon felt more peppy and the driver ready. The Avalon felt like a faster drive and a car you would want to race in.
The Avalon was not short of features.

After my dad drove both cars, he was just a little unsure of which direction to go. We then went back to revisit the interior of the Lexus to make sure, it was at that moment I could tell my dad really liked the Lexus, he had a smile on his face and you could tell he wanted the Lexus.

A few interesting things:

Both cars have the auto slow down of the windows just before they close

The ES350 felt more spacious in the front. The Avalon felt like it was more roomy in the rear.

My dad felt the Avalon felt like a boat.

You could really feel the cooling seats in the Lexus. Not as much so in the Avalon. The heated seats controls from the Lexus feel a little on the cheap side compared to the Avalon who's controls are the same as that of the LS460.

The trunk hinges of the ES are covered with cheap plastic and are disguised were you can see the metal hinge in back. The Avalon is finished nicer with covers where you simply do not see the hinge.

The display screen in the ES is super nice and easy to see. The Avalon graphics and screen size were not impressive at all.

The centre console in the Lexus was nicer and felt more open.

So overall, my dad felt that the Avalon was a nice car that felt premium. The Avalon felt like the GM car that GM cannot built. On the other hand, the Lexus felt like an "Experience" and that sure put a smile on my dads face.

dseag2

Thanks for the thorough review, and I think your dad made a great choice!

corradoMR2

Congrats to you and your dad!