The Avalon is a FANTASTIC car. Let's just get that out of the way right now.

But even with snow tires, it's no match for an Outback in snow. It just isn't. And I'm not really a Subaru fan, despite owning two of them. I'm just a pragmatist.


And a Toyota isn't a Lexus. A Lexus is a Toyota. With a magnetic-dampened ride control suspension and silicone gel liquid filled motor mounts. And nicer upholstery.

Other than that, a Lexus is a standard Toyota world-platform chassis. Look a part catalog website. The part numbers are exactly the same for 99% of the parts.

I had a 2006 Toyota Avalon that was totaled last year, another driver was texting and eating Chinese when he plowed into me at the intersection of a stop sign.

**weeps a few tears **

That car was the best car I ever had, it rode smoothly, wasn't too loud on the highway, great on gas mileage, repairs were easy. The inside fared well because I had a leather interior. The sunroof was great and the inside was spacious. I would go for it again --provided that there was only one prior owner, repairs were kept and it was 2015 or older.

We had a used 2002 Avalon that didn't hold up well, but currently have a used 2012 that is doing fine. It is a nice ride, quieter than my Subaru Forester. I personally do not like to drive it because it's low to the ground and I prefer the taller Forester. If you are driving in local winter conditions you could have trouble clearing snow berms and unplowed spots.

We did not buy through CarMax but I know CarMax and Carvana both truck the used cars to you after you see it online.

Anonymous wrote:OP, what year are you looking at? I have a 2013 Avalon Touring and I like it. Mechanically the car is perfect. However the interior is starting to show some wear and tear. Now I'm on the hunt for a car again and I think that I might upgrade to a used 2018-2019 Lexus ES 350. I'm hoping to have better luck with the interior. The Avalon is nice but it doesn't have the same luxury feel as the Lexus. As for ride quality I thought they were about the same. The Avalon handling is very good and there is minimal road noise. I also feel like I have plenty of power to merge when I need it. Car does 0-60 really quickly. My major peeves are the interior and the placement of the screen in the Avalon makes it very hard to use the backup camera on a sunny day with the moonroof open. Way too much glare!

- comfortable highway cruiser
- bulletproof reliability
- V6 as they seem to last longer than fours
- keep for 7+ years driving about 10,000 miles/year
- not hung up on having a luxury brand - good with "near luxury"

OP, what year are you looking at? I have a 2013 Avalon Touring and I like it. Mechanically the car is perfect. However the interior is starting to show some wear and tear. Now I'm on the hunt for a car again and I think that I might upgrade to a used 2018-2019 Lexus ES 350. I'm hoping to have better luck with the interior. The Avalon is nice but it doesn't have the same luxury feel as the Lexus. As for ride quality I thought they were about the same. The Avalon handling is very good and there is minimal road noise. I also feel like I have plenty of power to merge when I need it. Car does 0-60 really quickly. My major peeves are the interior and the placement of the screen in the Avalon makes it very hard to use the backup camera on a sunny day with the moonroof open. Way too much glare!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gets great reviews in Consumer Reports and its like a Lexus ride without the Lexus price tag. Interested in getting one and putting on four snow tires vs. a Subaru Legacy. Also, will not buy a used car without having an independent mechanic look at it. Question: for those of you who buy a used car that is a long distance from your home, how do you make that happen?

False.

Come on now. It’s the same platform.

Anonymous wrote:Gets great reviews in Consumer Reports and its like a Lexus ride without the Lexus price tag. Interested in getting one and putting on four snow tires vs. a Subaru Legacy. Also, will not buy a used car without having an independent mechanic look at it. Question: for those of you who buy a used car that is a long distance from your home, how do you make that happen?

False.

Gets great reviews in Consumer Reports and its like a Lexus ride without the Lexus price tag. Interested in getting one and putting on four snow tires vs. a Subaru Legacy. Also, will not buy a used car without having an independent mechanic look at it. Question: for those of you who buy a used car that is a long distance from your home, how do you make that happen?