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Avalons are pretty heavily discounted right now. With the 2019 redesign around the corner that will continue on the 2018 (and any remaining 2017) inventory. 2017 leftovers are being advertised $7K or more below sticker in my area.
I have the 2016 Lexus ES350. I should have purchased the Toyota Avalon instead. Lexus price goes up exponentially with all the necessary packages and options.
The Avalon is a Camry with a bigger back seat. They are almost the same size. I rented an Avalon for 3 weeks and found it too big for me. I had a Camry for 11 years and much preferred it. If you want a bigger car and you are a "larger" person, the Avalon might be the way to go. Camry outsells Avalon by 12 to 1. Avalon sales were down 10,000 cars to 25,000 in 2017 calendar year, a 30% drop. It wouldn't surprise me if they drop them. Its basically a Camry for seniors. The ES outsells the Avalon by 60%. The ES is about $2500 more than the Avalon and a better bet IMHO. I had my Camry for 11 mostly trouble free years. When it came time to get a new car we chose a Lexus RX because my wife loves tall cars. I hate to admit this, but most people in my area drive Mercedes, BMW, Tesla, Porsche, Infiniti and Lexus so we felt we needed a car commensurate with our neighbors. I know its kind of shallow but I will be 69 soon and I wanted to treat myself to another Lexus. I had a 1992 LS 400 when they "only" cost 40k and loved it. The Toyota dealers in our area are dreadful and Lexus "usually" treats you better, which you pay for.
Drive them. I went with my mom a year or so ago and test drove them. I would have gone with the Camry. She went for the Avalon. Camry is more stable when pushed beyond 7/10ths where the softer suspension on the Avalon is less controlled. Probably an okay trade-off as I doubt anyone ever drives an Avalon hard and the softer ride is what they're looking for. Interior is nicer, not Lexus ES 350 nice after you pay for the luxury packages but it's fine for a near luxury car. Compared with a Buick Lacrosse I liked the interior better on the Buick but it's even sloppier than the Avalon as far as handling goes. How it compares with the new 2018 Camry, I couldn't say. Should be good discounts on the V6 Camry (2017), Avalon, or Buick.
ES vs Avalon depends. There's some reasons to get the ES.
1) You want to pay more for a luxury badge.
2) You want the ML audio.
3) You want nicer leather and don't mind paying for the ultra luxury package. The vinyl isn't bad. Personally, I prefer the real leather in the higher Avalon trims over the vinyl in the ES350 but there's advantages to vinyl as well.
I'd really only go for the ES over the Avalon with ML + ultra luxury, but that does add $8,000 to the price which isn't cheap.
As a huge Toyota fan i would opt for the Camry - i have currently set my mind on the 2018 Hybrid XLE. I do find the Camry far more comfortable and easy to drive, compared with the Avalon. I also like the little tweaks that come with the trim options. I do not know why, but everything in this particular model speaks to me.
I have been briefly in the 3.5 V6 Camry sedan - only for 2 hours so my opinion is a bit subjective.
I went with the 2018 XLE V6, and traded in a 2012 XLE Hybrid. I was weary of the hybrid for many reasons, and I sure am enjoying the V6.
The 2018 is a beautiful car, and I also looked at the 2018 Avalon, Lexus and Mercedes.
The Camry stole my heart, for comfort, beauty, fun, and value.
I too am looking at Avalon and Camry, among a few other non-Toyota brands. I drive 80 miles a day to work and back M-F and need a comfortable ride. I currently have a 2009 Honda Accord and it has been an excellent vehicle for us, very nice handling but a bit stiff on the highway. I keep reading that the Avalon is for seniors and is not what a driving enthusiast would ever buy. Is this true? Just how bad is the handling? I think its stance is aggressive and find that coupled with its size to be impressive. But I don’t want a car that has heavy over-steer or floating shocks.
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