I cannot see the argument why anyone would want a 20 year old LS400 over new generation Avalon. I understand there is a love of the LS400, but the newer Avalon is a better car. Newer tech, safer, warranty, more power, more fuel efficiency, more feature, more tech, cheaper to maintain, no need to worry about it letting you down for a long long long time. And it's probably quieter. And no need to worry about parts availability.

As for the LX and the CD changer. That was the way things were in the 90s and the LX was a 90s design still being sold in 07. Newer Toyota models had a 6 disc CD changer in the dash. I remember the 01 Sequoia had it.

 

I agree with most of your points here, but you left out a couple. The Avalon, with its FWD, will also have better winter traction, a wider dealer network, and be a lot easier to get parts for if needed.

IMO, the only significant problem with the new Avalon, is some (not all) of the thin, flimsy, El Cheapo parts and hardware used inside....there, even a 20-year-old LS wins, hands-down.

 

I would trust the 1UZ over the 3.5 V6 any day of the week. Those V6 have their fair share of issues. 1UZ is bulletproof.

 

If you were to give me the choice between a new 2016 or 2017 Avalon and a 98-2000 LS400 with like 20k-30k miles on it in like new condition, I'd go with the LS400. V8/RWD is superior to V6/FWD any day of the week IMO.

 

OK, maybe, with only 20-30K miles on it...but that was not part of the original comparison, which had many more miles on the LS. And, (all else equal), there's no getting around the laws of physics.....the FWD is going to have better winter traction.

 

That's a non-issue where I live. Something like a RWD LS400(with its narrower/higher sidewall stock tires) is pretty good in the snow if you have decent tires on it and put some weight in the trunk. With snow tires and weight in the trunk even a RWD car has great off the line traction. Personally I prefer RWD over FWD in the snow, it forces you to drive slower and is way easier to get yourself out of trouble if the car starts to slide/skid.

 

TN is not like a Northern state, but it is not immune from the slippery stuff in winter...especially in the higher elevations in the Eastern part of the state.

True, but in general, FWD makes you less likely TO skid. That's because the weight of the engine and transmission is over the front driving wheels, and pushes them down for traction. With a RWD car, if you skid or fishtail, you let up on the gas, steer in the direction of the skid, and hopefully the rear end of the car comes back around straight and doesn't overshoot...if it does overshoot, you have to quickly reverse your steer. With FWD, if the front wheels skid or break traction, all it usually takes is a momentary let-up on the gas, the front wheels have traction again, and you're back to the way you were pointed before.

(All this, of course, assumes that the car doesn't have traction/stability control, or if it is turned off. Even with electronic traction-aids, though, some RWD cars can still be dicey on the frozen stuff...like my former IS300 was).

 

To you RWD might be superior, but to most people including me could care less and would easily take the newer vehicle. I was looking around in the LS400 sub forum just to see what was happening when j made this claim and there were quite a few issues in most every thread. My main issue is the outdated features of the LS400. Just features along is enough for me.

 

Nothing to not trust aboyt the 2GR. If you had a new Avalon it will have a warranty and it will be new.

 

Nothing to not trust aboyt the 2GR. If you had a new Avalon it will have a warranty and it will be new.

 

even in your worst case scenario there as far as miles per year, a 2000 LS with 30k, that's less than 2000 miles a year (36mi. a week)... what are the chances of finding an LS like that? almost zero.

 

A more realistic comparison would be with a typical 1998-2000 LS.

 

The grille design is stupid.

 

Completely agree. Add in all the lack of features, safety stuff, performance, maintenance, timing belts, and premium fuel. It's not a very wise idea.

And to suggest a 20 year old LS400 is more reliable than a brand new 17 Avalon really is a absurd.

I am also sure there are examples of low mileage Avalon's from 20 years ago that are just as reliable.

 

My neighbors drive a variety of 30yr old mercedes with hundreds of thousands of miles on them.