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I rented a Grand Marquis for two weeks in 2010 for a road trip. I didn't want a Grand Marquis, I wanted a real premium car but I was left no other choice. The Grand Marquis was a nightmare, it was very spacious but the seats were extremely uncomfortable for long drives. What surprised me most was the engine, with V-8 5.6L engine, it was underpowered! I would rather rent a Chevy Impala.
I haven't driven a Toyota Avalon yet, but I am pretty sure nothing will be worse than a Grand Marquis. The best decision about Grand Marquis was to discountinue its production in 2011.
Why do senior citizens love these cars? Because they love bigger vehicles? I don't quite get it.
I do understand that an Avalon is like an upgraded Camry, but Lexus isn't much different in that regard.
The Toyota Avalon and Lexus ES are most similar under the skin, as they share a platform, transmissions and engines with almost no modification from one model to the other. Standard in both cars, for instance, is a 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine that's hooked up to a 6-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive.
That's why I went for a brand new ES350 last month. The Avalon was just too close price wise. With factory incentives and alike, the Lexus is a much better buy. As to the demographics, most of it is hearsay. Everything that you can say about the Avalon you can also say about the ES. Why would Avalon be any closer to the Crown Vic than say a Camry or an Accord? Actually, none of them are. Somebody asked why seniors preferred CV or GM. I would say the ease of entry and exit. Those wide bench seats didn't hurt either. The older you get the less contortion your body likes to go through.
ps
Had this thread not appeared in the main section first, I would have never seen it. Brand-specific subforums sound like a good idea but have very few readers.
Yeah, but the Supra version of the Celica was a Fast & the Furious boy racer car. No big deal today when very pedestrian cars ship with 300 hp. A mid-80's Celica Supra with a 160 hp inline 6 was intentionally sports car-like. They bolted a turbo on it in the late-80's to get it into the 200+ hp class.
There is a neighbor up the street that has 2 Avalons. They look like fine cars and would be comfortable on the highway. I have a ES350 and have to confess that it was a step up from the Accords we had before. Is it pretty similar to the Avalon? Probably, but this year and model of the Lexus was a real selling point and so far , very trouble free, luxurious and comfortable. Could we have afforded C class or 300 series Euro cars? Yes, but didn't want the expensive maintenance after warranty .
Large sedans are a declining market. I love them, but most of the buyers have moved to SUV's because they get the bulk of the advertising dollars these days.
I've noticed this too. I used to make fun of everyone wanting SUVs just to drive around town. But SUVs let you carry more, are higher off the ground, and most newer ones have similar fuel economy as a sedan. At least people aren't buying as many of those dumb suburbans/yukons anymore.
That being said, I'm not paying $5000 more than a Corolla for a RAV-4 when the RAV-4 is nothing more than a glorified Corolla. Having a hatchback is pretty nice though.
After I drove a V6 Camry with Leather, I really didnt see why anyone would buy an Avalon. The Camry had plenty of Front legroom and the rear seats were big enough for adults too.
Yeah, but the Supra version of the Celica was a Fast & the Furious boy racer car. No big deal today when very pedestrian cars ship with 300 hp. A mid-80's Celica Supra with a 160 hp inline 6 was intentionally sports car-like. They bolted a turbo on it in the late-80's to get it into the 200+ hp class.
The Supra was made until 1998. However, the newest renditions don't depreciate in value as the total amount of sales were quite low because of astronomical price with respect to inflation.
Correct. You have just stated the reason why the Avalon is not more popular. When people want more from a car (more room, bigger engine, etc.), a premium nameplate is almost always on that list. The Lexus is a premium nameplate for just a little more money.
Well there are some people who can afford a premium name car but might think it's too showy. For a long time, Buicks and Oldsmobiles appealed to such people who though Cadillacs or Lincolns were too show-off.
Or if you're a businessperson who doesn't want to drive a fancy BMW because your clients might think you're making too much money off of them.
But it is a good question to ask: How much of a market segment still exists for such buyers?
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