wireman67

Which cars of the past 10 years are most similar in feel, power, comfort, and overall driving experience to the 2000-2004 Toyota Avalon? I like the way that generation Avalon drives and the curb weight to hp/torque ratio. It's a good fit acceleration/power wise for a sedan.

mmarshall

Lexus ES, Buick Century and last-generation Regal (before the Regal became a rebadged Opel), 1Gen and 2Gen Buick V6 LaCrosse, the 1Gen Acura RL, mid/late 2000s FWD versions of the Ford Five Hundred/Taurus/Mercury Montego, and the superb 2014-2015 V6 Chevy Impala. Older Buicks, though, had poorer-quality interiors than the 2000-2004 Avalon.

LexBob2

The good news is that most, if not all, of the newer alternatives probably offer better steering and handling vs. the 2000-2004 Avalon. I had a 2004 and while comfortable and quiet, the steering, handling, and to a lesser extent braking, were unimpressive at best. On anything other than a straight stretch of interstate, it was a handful to drive comfortably.

Toys4RJill

There are not a lot of competitors to the Avalon that you are taking about. The only real Buick that was good enough to compete with it was the Park Avenue, and that was not really all that good.

A faint argument would be the Maxima is both size and price point.

Ideally the Avalon was a Japanese Buick, but with out the typical GM problems that often plagued and still persist within GM.

wireman67

What do you all think of the 2005-2012 Avalon? I read it's a sleeper as far as acceleration.

mmarshall

Well, it's certainly not a Mustang GT or Camaro SS, but, with 280 HP and 248 ft-lbs. of torque, the 3Gen Avalon certainly had enough power to get out of its own way. On top of that, one does not usually buy an Avalon for quick 0-60 times...although I do understand your concern about it not being a slug.

My advice, however, if you want the most in smoothness and quietness, is to avoid the latest version of the Avalon. IMO, with the 2013 redesign, although the drivetrain is indeed still smooth, quiet and refined (among the best with family sedans), road nose went up, comfort went down, interior materials and trim got lighter and thinner, and the ride became significantly firmer. In short, it no longer truly caters to the same type of car-buyer that previous versions did.

LexBob2

A much better choice than the previous gen. 3.5 V6, 6 speed trans and yes pretty quick for what it is.

Toys4RJill

Some model years were 3.5/5speedauto.

pbm317

In terms of a new car, you could probably look at a Buick LaCrosse. Hefty discounts as well on those.

mmarshall

Agreed. And the LaCrosse also offers an AWD option if you need it for bad weather. The Lacrosse, however, to me, though reasonably well-screwed-together, doesn't seem, overall, to be built quite as solidly as the Buick models that are more Opel-derived (Regal, Verano, Encore).

And pbm317 is correct about the discounts. Buick alone, from the factory, is offering a $5000 rebate on LaCrosse models.....over and above what the dealer offers.

Toys4RJill

Avalon is still a cut above a Lacrosse which is more like a loaded Camry.

pbm317

The irony of that statement is just hilarious. But the OP is looking for something akin the the older Avalons, which I think most people here will agree the current Avalon has moved away from. Something that is more focused on comfort and quietness that still has good power, which I think in this case the LaCrosse gets the slight nod.

LaCrosse is a strong product, it's just priced way too high, much like some recent Cadillacs. Which is why it's not too uncommon to see 20% discounts on the Buicks to clear them from dealer lots. But as LexBob also mentions, cars in general have better steering and handling than their counterparts of 10-15 years ago. So while the LaCrosse is still comfortable, it's not the loose/wallowy dynamics that used to come with that level of cushion and comfort. GM's HiPer strut suspension has been well regarded in terms of dialing out torque steer, etc.

mmarshall

In base trim level, without options, the Lacrosse actually starts out pretty reasonable....at 31K. However, add AWD and some big options like the Ultra-Luxury Package, and a new LaCrosse can run well above 40K ...close to 44 or 45K in some cases, which, I agree, is more than I'd want to spend. But you also make a point about discounts......and the 5K factory rebate on new Lacrosses is nothing to sneeze at, either.

For that matter, even some Regal AWD models are also overpriced. I saw one a few days ago in the showroom for 45K, as much or more than a loaded Lacrosse AWD would run.

Aron9000

You might laugh at me, but the most similar car to the old 2000-2004 Avalon is the old 1992-99 Benz W140 S-class. Specifically the cheaper inline six S320.

The 2000-04 Avalon shares a lot of similar styling traits, about the same horsepower as the S320, but its a lot lighter. Interior room is similarly spacious, but the trunk in the Avalon is way larger.

Granted the interior appointments are not as nice in the Avalon, but it shares similar technology, ie front and side airbags, stability control, 6 cylinder engines, similar styling, both have a velvet ride and plently of rear seat space, both offer big windows and great visibility(something I miss in a lot of newer sedans).

mmarshall

In the Avalon's favor, though, its drivetrain refinement/smoothness was better (at least IMO) than in typical Mercedes sedans of that vintage. Mercedes, in turn, excelled more in safety features and chassis engineering.