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Had a 2017 Avalon last week- drove just over 700 miles in 3 days and wanted to share a few thoughts.
1) Over the years I have heard people refer to the Avalon as a "baby LS". I think anyone who calls this a "baby LS" has probably never driven an LS. The car is much more like a "larger Camry" in my opinion
2) I don't really like the exterior styling too much on the 2017 but I do like the pics of the newest Avalon that was just released
3) I really enjoyed the V6 - has plenty of power, lots of pep whenever you need it at any speed. I thought engine noise was pretty isolated.
4) The car was effortless on the highway- at times I was going over 90mph and wouldn't have guessed I was going that fast. The noise isolation is not as serene as my LS460, but it's a very quiet car - especially on smooth pavement. I think at speeds under 50mph the noise level in the cabin is pretty similar to my 460.
5) I found it odd that I could only open the driver's door while leaving the key fob in my pocket- the other doors did not seem to have the sensor to notice key fob proximity. So if the car was locked and I wanted to put something in the back seat, I either had to use the fob to unlock it or I had to open the driver door and then push the interior button to unlock all doors. That seems very strange and archaic so I may be missing something.
6) Seats were comfortable but not nearly as comfortable on my back as my LS. After 2-3 hours of continuous driving I would get out and feel a bit stiffer than expected compared to my Lexus vehicles. It may have been that I couldn't get the exact right seating position figured out
7) I thoroughly enjoyed being in a more "nimble" (not as heavy) car, yet unlike other rentals I've had in the last couple of weeks (Altima, Malibu) the Avalon feels nimble while still being a pretty substantial vehicle in interior space. It was actually a good combination of size and agility.
8) My car had leather but no sunroof so I'm not sure how it was equipped or what trim level it was. Parts of the interior felt a bit cheap to me, especially compared to Lexus, but that may be addressed in top trim levels.
Overall, I have to say I really liked the car from a driving perspective. I've driven LS's over the last 13 years and love them, but at times I do wish I had something that wasn't so heavy - I think it's a combination of feeling like I can accelerate a bit more aggressively (I baby the 460's V8) and that I'm not killing the brakes in stop & go with a lighter car. I've only had my 460 for a year so I'm not in the market, but given that I like the new body style (I'm in the minority on this forum), if I was looking for a new car I actually think the new Avalon would be a legit contender for me. Would it be crazy for an LS 460 owner to go to an Avalon??
Nice story. I would expect the Avalon to be good but not as good as the LS which is twice the cost at least, and maybe 3 times the cost on some trim levels.
Also so nice to hear that he Avalon was quiet. Ths goal of the Avalon was to be a Japanese Buick, and I think Toyota has succeeded.
Nice story. I would expect the Avalon to be good but not as good as the LS which is twice the cost at least, and maybe 3 times the cost on some trim levels.
Also so nice to hear that he Avalon was quiet. Ths goal of the Avalon was to be a Japanese Buick, and I think Toyota has succeeded.
Thanks. As someone who always buys used, the question for me would be what Avalon I could get for $X compared to what LS I could get for the same price. Since I'm not in the market, I haven't spent any time analyzing it, but I do wonder if it's something like "For my budget I could get a 2014 LS with 50k miles or a 2017 Avalon with 15k miles". Because of my experience with Toyota and Lexus and not being afraid of higher miles, the question would come down to what features I may get on an Avalon that aren't available on an LS that's 3-4 years older or if I felt I could get an Avalon and save $5k or so. It would be an interesting exercise of determining the personal value I see in each car/scenario.
Interesting questions. I don’t follow the features and specs of Toyota or Lexus stuff like I used to. I would say, if you are questioning the LS you have now, then I doubt you will want to keep and Avalon long term. Sounds like the LS is boring or dull. Perhaps you need a car that is more inspiring or something that causes a stir with you. Make sense?
Interesting questions. I don’t follow the features and specs of Toyota or Lexus stuff like I used to. I would say, if you are questioning the LS you have now, then I doubt you will want to keep and Avalon long term. Sounds like the LS is boring or dull. Perhaps you need a car that is more inspiring or something that causes a stir with you. Make sense?
Makes sense, although I am definitely not questioning my current LS - I looked for a long time before pulling the trigger on it and couldn't be happier. And I actually like the LS being a bit boring/dull - I mean that in the sense that I absolutely love the car on highway trips for being so quiet and I typically don't mind that the car is big and heavy (I'm fine letting others weave in and out of traffic in stop & go situations). For whatever reason I think I liked the Avalon more than I was expecting and it had me thinking as a next car "this could work" but in the grand scheme of things I think I'd miss the plush luxury experience and the styling and presence of the LS. Maybe it opens my eyes to look at other cars that are a bit smaller, more nimble, and offer the same level of luxury I have in the 460. Unless something unforeseen occurs, I'm not moving on from my 460 for at least 2-3 years so at that point I'm sure my brain will be in a different direction again...
I was behind a current gen Avalon on my way in to work this morning. I think they are a very good looking car and I'd definitely put it high on my list if I were in the market for something of that size and price range.
Sat in the new Avalon at the NY auto show. I have to say the new grille is actually quite nice in person and not as much in your face at the pics would have you believe. The interior is quite nice too and I think overall its a nicely done overhaul
5) I found it odd that I could only open the driver's door while leaving the key fob in my pocket- the other doors did not seem to have the sensor to notice key fob proximity. So if the car was locked and I wanted to put something in the back seat, I either had to use the fob to unlock it or I had to open the driver door and then push the interior button to unlock all doors. That seems very strange and archaic so I may be missing something.
I know in my IS, the default setting was to only unlock the driver's door when using the smart entry system. However, it can be modified to unlock all the doors at once with either smart entry, the fob, or both.
Having driven the Avalon-based ES a few times now, I can say I understand the appeal of this type of vehicle. If I had to guess, I'd say it probably drove somewhere between my old '15 Camry and the ES 350s I have as loaners. Even though I prefer a sportier experience, I liked them. So, probably not a "crazy" thing to move to this type of car, but I'd consider the other, RWD-based options that are cheaper than the LS - but still plenty comfortable - before signing on the line for the Avalon. OTOH maybe I'm being a snob.
Biggest difference for me is the interior, the LS is heads and shoulders better looking/designed IMO. Something about the Avalon's dash shape, it just looks ugly, too many different shapes/cut lines/textures competing with each other IMO. All my beef with the interior is kind of solved with the Lexus ES, much better looking dash design IMO.
Personally I'd always go for the LS, preferably one with the stretched wheelbase. Bigger is always better IMO when it comes to luxury/cushy/prestige sedans.
Biggest difference for me is the interior, the LS is heads and shoulders better looking/designed IMO. Something about the Avalon's dash shape, it just looks ugly, too many different shapes/cut lines/textures competing with each other IMO. All my beef with the interior is kind of solved with the Lexus ES, much better looking dash design IMO.
Personally I'd always go for the LS, preferably one with the stretched wheelbase. Bigger is always better IMO when it comes to luxury/cushy/prestige sedans.
it is twice the price, so of course it will have much nicer interior, seats, comfort, etc.
I know in my IS, the default setting was to only unlock the driver's door when using the smart entry system. However, it can be modified to unlock all the doors at once with either smart entry, the fob, or both.
Having driven the Avalon-based ES a few times now, I can say I understand the appeal of this type of vehicle. If I had to guess, I'd say it probably drove somewhere between my old '15 Camry and the ES 350s I have as loaners. Even though I prefer a sportier experience, I liked them. So, probably not a "crazy" thing to move to this type of car, but I'd consider the other, RWD-based options that are cheaper than the LS - but still plenty comfortable - before signing on the line for the Avalon. OTOH maybe I'm being a snob.
Is there any benefit to the Avalon vs the ES350? The Avalon starts at a lower price ($33k-$41k) while the ES is $38k-$41k but has more features base. To me it's always a no brainer to get the ES but didn't know if I was missing anything.
jrmckinley is your ls short or long wheelbase? if short i wouldn't have thought it's much heavier than an avalon but i would say the ls is a thousand times nicer in, out and driving.
i've spent quite a bit of time in a friend's 2 avalons he's had one after the other (and have driven them) and i wasn't very impressed. first one (an '11 or '12 i think) wasn't that quiet, ride was firm with hard tires, and inside was very plasticky. second one ('15 i think) had better but still firm ride and was slightly quieter but i really dislike the dash layout and plastic everywhere. not sure but i think the turning radius was bad too (being fwd although that's not always the case with fwd).
anyway, i couldn't imagine you'd be happy switching from an ls to a current avalon.
if you thought this avalon was nice, do yourself a favor and don't drive an avalon from 15 years ago lol... the older avalon was legit a couch that wafted you along and barely transmitted any vibrations or bumps into the car and had super soft easily on par with lexus seats. every time i sit in the current avalon i cant believe the seats are as firm as they are and with these 18" wheels and low profile tires you feel much more of the road than you did in older ones. as much as i love toyota and as good as they are, the avalon essentially being a longer camry will never have the driving dynamics of a RWD platform. what the avalon WAS very good at was being a great luxury sedan and just a very comfortable way of relatively cheaply getting around. now i really can't think of a good reason to get one over a V6 camry. ventilated and memory seats i guess... but that's only on the top models. it's also quite literally cheaper to lease a GS than an avalon limited.
being in florida all the roads are generally very smooth, but trust me up here you can easily tell the older avalons are much more comfortable. the seat alone in older ones unfortunately just blows the newer ones away.
just look at the plushness, and the column shifter! old couple from florida (of course) traded this 2004 in, only 30,000 miles too! rode like a cloud.
if you thought this avalon was nice, do yourself a favor and don't drive an avalon from 15 years ago lol... the older avalon was legit a couch that wafted you along and barely transmitted any vibrations or bumps into the car and had super soft easily on par with lexus seats. every time i sit in the current avalon i cant believe the seats are as firm as they are and with these 18" wheels and low profile tires you feel much more of the road than you did in older ones. as much as i love toyota and as good as they are, the avalon essentially being a longer camry will never have the driving dynamics of a RWD platform. what the avalon WAS very good at was being a great luxury sedan and just a very comfortable way of relatively cheaply getting around. now i really can't think of a good reason to get one over a V6 camry. ventilated and memory seats i guess... but that's only on the top models. it's also quite literally cheaper to lease a GS than an avalon limited.
being in florida all the roads are generally very smooth, but trust me up here you can easily tell the older avalons are much more comfortable. the seat alone in older ones unfortunately just blows the newer ones away.
just look at the plushness, and the column shifter! old couple from florida (of course) traded this 2004 in, only 30,000 miles too! rode like a cloud.
that looks quite good... unfortunately not a lot of people today are looking for road barges anymore.
04-02-18, 09:33 AM
700 miles in an Avalon (LS owner perspective)
OTOH maybe I'm being a snob.
