drfranklin

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.

Poppa

I don't think you could go wrong with either car. I owned a 2007 Avalon and loved it... Never had a problem with that car and traded it in in 2014 for my ES. When I traded the Avalon in it only had around 80 K miles on it.. not bad for a car going on 8 years old... I will tell you I think the ES is a bit quieter in the cabin and it has a nice ride also.. I would advise that if you want the " smoother " ride, I would stay with a car with 17" wheels... My Lexus has 18 inch rims and were equipped with Bridgestone tires... The ride was "ok", but not great... I did change tires eventually which helped a great deal, but I still think the 17 inch rims give you a bit smoother ride because of the extra sidewall cushion... Good luck in your search.

Poppa

Gekko

IMO -

1. I would definitely buy the ES over the Avalon.
2. $19K for a 2013 ES with 92K miles on it and no NAV is too much money.

drfranklin

Appreciate the help - for an ES with the above mileage, what is a fair offer? also, does a 2nd owner, who drove the car for 3 months, then sell, a concern?

Gekko

1. fair offer? per Edmunds.com - about $16K - big adjustment down for mileage! Always check Edmunds.com TMV value before you negotiate. Knowledge is power.
2. 2nd owner 3 months? - i would ask for a CURRENT CarFax report and also enter the VIN at secure.drivers.lexus.com and examine all services done and where. If there are no red flags I wouldn't worry about it.
3. personally, i would pay a few grand more and get a car with a lot less miles - one with like 30-40K miles or so. 92K miles even on a Lexus leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I'm paying $15-20K+. I also would never buy a car without NAV but that's just me. be patient in your search and negotiate hard and you will find it!
4. I do love the Silver Linings color as I think it looks and wears the best. Not a fan of light interior as it gets b1tched up very easily I prefer black interior. Personal preference.
5. Consider a Lexus CPO Certified car with included warranty. At least price it out.
6. Keep looking and don't fall in love with the first car you see. Cars.com is a great search tool. There are plenty of cars constantly coming up for sale. Sit back and relax and take your time and your patience will be rewarded.

good luck!

morgan1819

The ES 350 fits what you are looking for in a car, so good choice there.

But, I wouldn't consider a car with 92k miles at the price they are asking. My number one pet peeve with used car salesman these days, is the fact they will look you in the face when selling a high mileage car, and try to convince you 92k miles "is nothing for a Lexus", and ask for top dollar. Yet, when you go to trade in a vehicle, they will tell you the car is worth nothing because it has 92k miles. LOL

So which is it?

Like someone else said, if the car with 92k has a perfect car fax, consistent maintenance, etc., it could be worth 16 or so. Does it need brakes, tires, new exhaust, transmission service, windshield, etc? That's easily a couple of thousand dollars right there.

...

Sammytime

I was looking for a larger car with smoother ride than my 2013 Cadillac ATS 3.6. Drove a 2017 Avalon Limited which they wanted $38k with no Nav.. Price OTD was $31,000 Looked at CPO 2014 ES 350 with Nav. Had 32k on car. OTD was $24,500. The ES definitely drove better, nicer interior, quieter. After buying new cars for years, I finally woke up and decided it was time for someone else to take the depreciation. Plus with a CPO you get the benefit of an extended warranty and usually getting a car with most if the issues resolved.

Wandl

you should also consider a 13 Avalon Hybrid/ES300h. Both feel comparable in my opinion, though the interior of the ES is nicer.

JncoFan99

So I've been car shopping since April and was looking at the TLX as my first option then the Avalon then the Camry. Yesterday, to my surprise, I pulled the trigger on a 2013 ES 300H with 50k miles on it for 21k. I couldn't be more happy with the decision. Because of the TLX's transmission problems and lack of luxury without the upgrade packages I decided it would be money spent foolishly. Next I looked at the Avalon which was a bit cheaper and seemed to have a lot of the bells and whistles, being both a smooth ride, offering a leather interior and coming with nav/back up cames. I had almost convinced myself it was what I wanted until I drove the ES yesterday. It's simply an amazing car. It competes with german engineering but in my opinion is in it's own class of premium luxury vehicles while offering both the sporty get-up-and-go torque and "stiffness" of bmw but also the extreme luxury of mercedes. The Avalon was impressive but for what you're paying you should just get the ES.

Just my two cents but the ES 300H is more quiet, more smooth, has a ton of great features inside, and the interior is way more sharp than the Avalon.

Gekko

Not sure what everyone's age is but the Avalon has always reminded me of an old person's car. I think that's the general perception out there. I could never buy one.

LexBob2

The ES also has that image. Both models are trying to lower the average age of their drivers maybe the ES a little more so.

Gekko

the Avalon is far, far more a grandpa car in looks, perception, and demographic. i've never seen anyone without white hair driving one.

Maikerusan

Funnily enough, a guy down the street has one, and he is not in white hair territory and definitely not a grandpa.

Now, when I was in my early 40's I had a Crown Vic...let me tell you , that is a grandpa car, and the Mercury Marquis maybe even a bit more!

drfranklin

I'm in my mid-40's - I need a great commuter car (minimal road noise) with a large enough back seat to accommodate 5 for short distances. The ES and Avalon are both ideal. The Avalon seems so much better than the current Camry.

irishbrahm

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.