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Personally, I'd get a Limited trim 6-cylinder Subaru Legacy where you get AWD for significantly less money. Four 6'2" guys fit in one just fine. Compared to an Avalon, you're giving up 1" of rear legroom and 1 cubic foot of trunk space. A Legacy has a taller roof line so it has a bit more head room. A 6-cylinder Legacy street price is less than a 6-cylinder Camry and you're getting the passenger volume and cabin noise level of an Avalon. Subaru suspensions are a bit stiffer than Toyota so they handle a bit better and aren't as floaty. If you want that highway barge feel, a Legacy might be a bit stiff. You don't seem to live in the snow belt where AWD is more useful but the value proposition is there even if you don't care about that feature.
The Legacy is something like less than a cubic foot away from being a 'large car' under US rules, and I can verify the cabin seems very spacious and fits 6'2" drivers quite well. The AWD is also very helpful in north Florida monsoon conditions- as long as you don't let the tires go, very nice and grippy on wet roads.
Some people just really, REALLY don't like Toyota.
I had one in the 70s. Ugly but reliable. Still, I know people who the mere mention of Toyota gets them foaming at the mouth. Knee-jerk reaction, I guess.
Some people just really, REALLY don't like Toyota.
I had one in the 70s. Ugly but reliable. Still, I know people who the mere mention of Toyota gets them foaming at the mouth. Knee-jerk reaction, I guess.
Knee jerk reaction? I don't think so.
Way back when, I inherited a Toyota Celica from my mother when she passed. It had no legroom and was the most uncomfortable car that I have ever driven, so uncomfortable that I could not drive it even a short distance without leg pain. (I am 5' 11") The seat was about two inches above the floor and my rear end was actually lower than my foot at the gas pedal. It is hard to believe any manufacturer could make such a poorly designed product. That problem was solved when I was driving down a highway and the engine blew with less than 59,000 miles on it. I sold it for scrap for $200, even though it was less than five years old and looked showroom new inside and out. My mother had bought it new and put only about 5,000 miles on the car. The man I sold it to was a Toyota expert who rebuilt Toyotas for a living. He said that in that particular year the engine had a design defect, which caused that problem, which was corrected in the next model year. The problem was poor oil circulation in the engine, which he said was probably compounded by my mother driving it so little.
And what is with all those tough Toyota trucks rusting like there is no tomorrow? A truck should have more rust protection than any car, not less!!!
It also in competition with large domestic vehicles of similar size, like the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, Chevy impala, and Ford taurus. Plus the Chrysler and Dodge cars are rear wheel drive and have the option of V6 or V8 engines. The Avalon styling doesn't move me at all, especially the current model and I would want a little more power than what it have to offer.
Price. Kind of like the difference between a Highlander and a Lexus. No difference in luxury, only in image. If I get a loaded Camry for less, why get an Avalon?
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.
This is the answer. Avalon does well within its market but that market is being replaced by SUVs. People who want a more expensive, more luxurious car would just jump from Accord/ Camry etc straight to the luxury market. You want more size than Accord/ Camry you go straight to SUVs.
It is a shrinking market for a car of its size considering the Lexus brand retains popularity and a slightly higher price point than the Avalon itself. I think it will go the way of the Cressida.
Hmm, well my mom bought one recently. It wasn't $35k because of all the options. Pretty good discount off high MSRP but still pretty much $40k.
The Camy drives a lot better than the Avalon does. The Avalon is more comfortable but it's not like the Camry isn't comfortable as well. Backseat is larger but it's not like the backseat on the Camry isn't large. Mostly it's just more luxury. Most people probably opt for the Lexus as they just want the badge. Base ES is slightly cheaper than a Limited Avalon but very stripped in comparison. Vinyl seating, no heated seats and venitallted, no navi, no adaptive cruise, no JBL, no rains sensing wipers, no rear sunshade. Everything other than the adaptive cruise is standard on the Limited and I don't even know if you can get a limited without it. I mean, it's kind of hit and miss there though. The navi and adaptive cruise are both pretty much unusable, the JBL is okay but not great. Leather isn't Lexus leather but it's pretty good, much nicer than the vinyl in the base ES but you can abuse vinyl more. I'd probably go with vinyl for that reason.
Hate to go against the tide here but here I go. I personally thought the 2000 Avalon was one of the most trouble free, comfortable and reliable cars that I ever purchased. It surpassed 150,000 miles +(passed on to eldest son for college). I have owned Mercedes since then (great cars, maintainance nightmare); now driving a Lexus LS (also trouble free but blah). I think a car purchase is individually based. Buy what makes you happy and you feel comfortable in. My two cents...
The Avalon is known as the Japanese Buick.
It's a big, plush, super-reliable, comfortable highway cruiser that tends to wallow when the road gets curvy.
If that fits your needs, then it's an excellent choice.
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