13 Lexus ES vs 13/14 Toyota Avalon
07-12-17, 01:30 AM
#16
Instructor
Poppa ( because I am a grandpa ) LOL
07-12-17, 10:51 AM
#17
I made the mistake of buying a TLX SH-AWD before my '17 ES. It rattled, rode roughly at high speeds (which might have been due to a propeller shaft/rear axle problem), and was loud. And it was far from luxurious. I ditched it for the '17 ES and never looked back. Night and day difference. Acura has lost its way. The 1st gen Legend was the best car that I'd ever driven until I discovered Lexus.
07-12-17, 12:30 PM
#18
Driver School Candidate
Avalon vs Es 350
I bought a new 2014 Avalon after driving Camrys for several years. I was disappointed with the ride and road noise in the Avalon. Much worse than the Camrys. I had a problem with the driver's front seat. It was
replaced 1 time and recovered 1 time and was never good. After only 18,000 miles I traded it for a 2014 Lexus ES. What a difference. No comparison in ride quality, and quietness. I regret buying the Avalon.
I still use the local Toyota dealer for servicing my ES and recently asked a salesman if they had improved the ride on the Avalon and he said no. I would go with an ES any day instead of an Avalon.
replaced 1 time and recovered 1 time and was never good. After only 18,000 miles I traded it for a 2014 Lexus ES. What a difference. No comparison in ride quality, and quietness. I regret buying the Avalon.
I still use the local Toyota dealer for servicing my ES and recently asked a salesman if they had improved the ride on the Avalon and he said no. I would go with an ES any day instead of an Avalon.
07-12-17, 01:23 PM
#19
I bought a new 2014 Avalon after driving Camrys for several years. I was disappointed with the ride and road noise in the Avalon. Much worse than the Camrys. I had a problem with the driver's front seat. It was
replaced 1 time and recovered 1 time and was never good. After only 18,000 miles I traded it for a 2014 Lexus ES. What a difference. No comparison in ride quality, and quietness. I regret buying the Avalon.
I still use the local Toyota dealer for servicing my ES and recently asked a salesman if they had improved the ride on the Avalon and he said no. I would go with an ES any day instead of an Avalon.
replaced 1 time and recovered 1 time and was never good. After only 18,000 miles I traded it for a 2014 Lexus ES. What a difference. No comparison in ride quality, and quietness. I regret buying the Avalon.
I still use the local Toyota dealer for servicing my ES and recently asked a salesman if they had improved the ride on the Avalon and he said no. I would go with an ES any day instead of an Avalon.
I was cross shopping the Avalon and the ES 350 (in 2015). Monitored the Avalon forums for a while and saw quite a few complaints about ride, seat quality (backs falling off?), etc. Some I figured were just complainers, but it does seem the ride changed with the newer Avalon...just figure it was wheel size/tires..but now am not so sure.
Anyway, I decided on the Lexus...the price was more or less the same (thanks to Lexus manufacturer rebates and discounts). Toyota was offering nothing on the Avalon, and it almost seemed dealers did not even care to have them in stock or even talk about them....very few are sold in Canada.
Glad I got the Lexus
07-14-17, 09:31 AM
#20
I'm looking to purchase a higher mileage luxury/near-luxury sedan for an upcoming long commute. Currently, I'm concentrating on higher mileage 2013 ES sedans or a 13/14 Avalon. Ideally, I'd like a quiet, smooth commute with relatively good gas mileage (6 cylinder only). I need a larger sedan to accommodate my family of 5 occasionally. Can anyone comment on Lexus ES vs Toyota Avalon. Further, I've found a local 2013 ES with 92K (interestingly, the 2nd owner only drove the ES for 3 months per Carfax - red flag?) - any opinion on this ES? Thanks for everyone's help.
07-14-17, 09:48 AM
#21
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07-16-17, 10:13 AM
#22
I drove the Avalon and Lexus ES back to back, and I really felt like the ES was worth the premium, even if you had to get an older ES.
I really wanted to like the Avalon, they are really cheap in my area to get like a 2 year old one and loaded, and I absolutely love the new styling. It also has a nice airy cabin and good sized trunk. It seemed value-wise to be a home run.
But driving it around, there's just a cheap "rental car" quality there that's hard to deny. It's not a terrible car, but it's not just a "Lexus with Toyota badges" even though the ES is based on the Avalon.
FWIW, when I drove a base Toyota Camry I was more impressed with it.
My biggest complaint about the Avalon is really seemed to not do a good job insulating noise and harshness. Also, despite the model being relatively new, I was really taken aback how much I could hear the dash squeaking when I took it on a smooth freeway. I was under the impression those sort of things had been figured out a long time ago by the automakers. Also, the infotainment/climate control setup looks nice, but when you actually start using it and pushing the buttons, it really feels chintzy.
I really wanted to like the Avalon, they are really cheap in my area to get like a 2 year old one and loaded, and I absolutely love the new styling. It also has a nice airy cabin and good sized trunk. It seemed value-wise to be a home run.
But driving it around, there's just a cheap "rental car" quality there that's hard to deny. It's not a terrible car, but it's not just a "Lexus with Toyota badges" even though the ES is based on the Avalon.
FWIW, when I drove a base Toyota Camry I was more impressed with it.
My biggest complaint about the Avalon is really seemed to not do a good job insulating noise and harshness. Also, despite the model being relatively new, I was really taken aback how much I could hear the dash squeaking when I took it on a smooth freeway. I was under the impression those sort of things had been figured out a long time ago by the automakers. Also, the infotainment/climate control setup looks nice, but when you actually start using it and pushing the buttons, it really feels chintzy.
Last edited by BradTank; 07-16-17 at 10:24 AM.
07-16-17, 10:26 AM
#23
Lead Lap
I have my 2 Lexus vehicles serviced at the local Toyota dealer, and, thus, I've had a few Avalon loaner cars. When I have driven those Avalon loaners, the first thing that was readily apparent is how much better my ES is with regard to isolating road, wind, and engine noise from the cabin.
Another thing that I noticed is that the quality of interior materials in the Avalon is not at the same level as in the ES. The leather in the Avalon feels like a lower quality leather, and, to me, the lack of real wood accents in the Avalon is a big negative.
It should also be noted that, even though buying an ES requires a price premium over what it would cost to buy an Avalon, a good portion of that price premium comes back to the ES buyer in the form of higher resale or trade-in value for the ES.
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