Jayson

Being that Toyota's flagship is the Avalon, what generation is the current model in? I ask because my dreams of one day owning an LS430 are far away, but an Avalon is in the near future. This car only has a 210 horsepower V6. Do any of you know when this vehicle may receive upgrades and/or significant changes (i.e a V8??)

Also, what are your opinions of the Avalon?

Thanks,
Jayson

wwest

Beautiful vehicle, wonderfully inexpensive substitute for an LS if you live in a southern state.... It's FWD.

b01215

yeah..... FWD is a problem
If you are going to put the $ down for an Avalon, why not a used GS, or a new 2k2 ES? Look into it

seanl

The Avalon is an ugly, oversized Camry.

As it's also FWD, it cannot be compared to a LS430 or GS430. It's closely related to the ES300 (same platform).

The LS400/430 is a world class luxury car, while the Avalon, IMO, is just another Camry.

If you can't afford a new LS430, why not look into a '97-'99 LS400? You won't be dissappointed.

BAWLEX94

isnt the avalon's look based on the GS400's styling......so do you think that's ugly too?....people often say that lexus is nothing more then a toyota camry too.....yet i know differntly......an avalon is a very good car to have if you can afford it...i would tend to think that if you can afford to buy a BRAND NEW car...then why buy a car that is on the verge of being five or six years old?

Static911

Jayson,

You can't go wrong buying an Avalon. Like what selewis said, going with a 97-99 LS400 is not a bad decision either. Really, any way you go, it is a good decision.

Ethan

seanl

No, I don't think the Avalon has a lot in common with current GS series, nor GS is 'ugly'. IMO the newer GS is not as 'pretty' as the original GS body style, but it's not ugly either. The Avalon is just blah, does nothing for me, nor does a Camry. It's your basic FWD V-6 Toyota, albeit their 'top of the line' car.

Well, you know what they say, everyone has an opinion.....

The Avalon is nothing more than a big Camry targeted at the Buick Park Ave market. Sure I can afford one, but would never ever consider buying one, it's not my cup of tea, and it's not a luxury car.

There are some folks who are not comfortable buying used cars or having a car with more than 50-60K miles on it. I am not one of those people. Today's cars, Lexus in particular, are not 100K mile cars, they last 200-300K miles. Why buy new when all the values are in 2-4 year old cars???

IMO the content per dollar on a used LS400 is fabulous. For under $30K you can buy a clean '97-99 LS400 with moderate miles. That's a real value considering what the LS400 offers. It's also about 1/2 the price of what the car originally cost. Sure, the new Avalon is also priced in the high 20s, but I for one would rather have a used LS400 (and a number of other cars) than a new Avalon ANY DAY OF THE WEEK AND TWICE ON SUNDAY.

The cars aren't even close in content, engineering, luxury, performance, or image, hence there is no comparison.

Regards,

fusi0n 1er

my mom jsut bought the 2003 Avalon and it's nuttin compared to my 91 LS...my LS has better handling but the V6 of the Avalon has a faster pick up...it's all around a great car...but I'd rather stick to my Lexus...The look isn't bad either...and my parents didn't tell me they were getting an ew car...if they would've I wouldn't let them...I would've told them to get the new ES 300's.

Jayson

I appreciate every single one of your opinions and will print this thread out when it comes my turn to buy my next car. Next year it's my wife's turn to buy her new (used) SUV. We both like the LX470 and hope to find a '99-2000 model between $30k and $35k next year.

I test drove the LS400, a '99 model and thought it drove like a tank. However, I did like the solid feel of the LS and the Nakamichi audio system was superb and topped the rest of Lexus' lineup.

I like the new ES300, but would never buy one as the car is just not me. The GS is my wife's favorite of the Lexus lineup. Everytime she is with me when I take my SC400 to the dealer for servicing we always end up in the new car showroom sitting in the GS300 Sportdesign. It's just something about the way the car feels to her. She cannot describe it, however, I think it's because the car we were sitting in has her preferred perforated black leather with her favorite color, the gray color that is unique to the Sportdesign.

Again, thanks for all your input on the Avalon.

oac3

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I test drove the LS400, a '99 model and thought it drove like a tank. However, I did like the solid feel of the LS and the Nakamichi audio system was superb and topped the rest of Lexus' lineup.
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You are obviously in the minority of opinion here. A '99 LS400 drove like a tank ? Maybe you meant like a well-oiled tank ? No ? I have a '99 LS 400, and the ride is very supple, comfortable and smooth..... I don't have the Nakamichi audio (not available with the Nav option which I have), but the 195Watt 7-speaker stereo sound is excellent, but I am sure the Nak with the 240Watt will probably be slightly better. In any case, the drive in an LS cannot be ever described as "tank-like".....

EGainer

my dad had a 99' LS400 that was a sweet car. it was fast, and was very nimble and quick. i dont know if there was someting wrong with the LS you drove, but i love 'em. my dad now has an LS430 Ultra and i like that even better. it drives almost like it is floating. in one of my autoweeks, they said that it takes you away from the road too much and they said it was almost where they weren't driving anymore. if you want the sporty feel, go for a GS430. but the LS handles very well and drives like no other.

LexFather

Avalon kicks butt. It is off the Camry platform, is strecthed a few inches but weighs not that much more. You can get a bench seat for 6 seating if u want. The gauges look last gen Preludish, but it is different. It is very large inside and has very good pickup with the V-6 same ratings as an ES 300.

I think the styling is decent, I'd get an Avalon before a Buick. WIth some chrome wheels to go with that big chrome grill, it looks great. FIt and finish is top notch too.

Not fun to drive, but that is not what that is for.

1990Lex400

The avalon isn't flashy. It is however very practical. It is a full size car with great reliability (should I even mention that..it is a toyota) and relatively good pick up and handling. Don't know if they still have the platinum version or whatever but other than the little badge "xls" you can't tell a cheap avalon from a pimped out one.

Lvangundy

I happen to have driven both the LS and the avalon..first gen each.

We have a 95 Avalon XLS with 40k miles, and my 90 LS with 135k miles. I'd have to say the Avalon is not quite up there as the LS as far as quality, but it is quite zippy in 1st and 2nd gears. The engine is alot more noisy compared the LS, maybe because the LS has inches and inches of material between the engine and the cabin.

Avalon has more leg room in the rear, but it just doesn't feel as solid as the Ls. The front driver area on the avalon seems cramped as to the LS. Also check the highway saftey institute for the ratings on the first gen (95-97) avalons..NO GOOD. ;-( 98 though was a huge improvement.

meZoom!

the avalon is one of the biggest sedans in its class. i know cuz an avalon rear-ended me at 5mph on the 405 going UPHILL and caused $2000 damage to my ES. Is the avalon made in the U.S? i thought for a sec it was. in my opinion, there are other cars out there that are in the comparable price range that even look and perform better (acura 3.2, etc). but, whatever floats your boat....