Tigermask

Hello fellow Lexus owners. I'm going to purchase another car soon. I found a 2010 ES 350 with about 85k on it and a 2013 Avalon with the same mileage. They both cost the same and are both in excellent condition. Which would you go with? The 2010 ES that is older vs the 2013 Avalon that is a few years newer? Pros and cons?

Thank you for your time. 🙂

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

First off you’re on an ES forum so be prepared for a biased opinion.

I was cross shopping between the Avalon and the ES as well for their similar drivetrains and size. I found a few things I liked more about the Lexus.

1. The ES is made in Japan. The Avalon is assembled in Kentucky.

2. The ES has slightly nicer interior materials. Softer leather, nicer looking plastic, wood trim, etc.

3. The ES has nicer instruments and center stack.

4. More convenience features come standard or are more common without going to the top trim levels. For example, HID lights with swiveling projectors, heated and cooled seats, keyless entry on all 4 doors.

5. The brand perception retains the resale value a little bit better. Avalon is synonymous with seniors. The ES fits a lot more age groups so it’s easier to sell.

Now I haven’t driven the Avalon so I can’t comment on the driving experience, the overall feel of the interior, the NVH levels, or anything else that comes with it.

One major thing I would recommend is to make sure this ES doesn’t have any vibrations during your test drive. Especially during acceleration and at highway speeds. If there is a vibration while accelerating, it has the very common CV axle issues and they would need to be replaced. If it shakes at highway speeds, it could be a whole host of issues that would take a lot of time to troubleshoot.

ESh

I would get the Avalon.

Tigermask

Thank you for the sound advice. I really appreciate it. I'm upgrading from an 06 es330. So I'm sure the 2010 es350 will be a delight.

Tigermask

Thank you for your advice? Is this because the 2013 Avalon has more modern features/styling than the 2010 es?

RI-Lex

iTrader: (4)

I would go Avalon as well, a little newer, Lexus also have pricier insurance premium

danielnas

Im a diy mechanic and i have worked on different models of Lexus and Honda. The difference between a Japanese made car and a US assembled version made it clear for me to always go for the Japan mades. Avalon is made in US and most parts are made in US which is a downgrade in termsof quality. Still much better than other made in US cars but Japanese parts are always better. Es350 is refined in everyway and it's made in Japan. Also the badge plays a big roll in terms of sentiments.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Im sure you would love it. I upgraded from a 98 ES300 and the NVH improvement coupled with smart key access and Xenons is amazing.

mcomer

Not yet mentioned is that the 2013 Avalon (and the 2013 ES's) are a generation newer than
the 2010 ES (and Avalon). New gen changes were extensive: longer Wheelbase, larger trunk,
regular fuel rather than Premium, Navigation (if equipped) added capabilities.
Apple to Oranges here

danielnas

es350 is already specious. Also nothing is changed in the power train and regular gas works for both. They just removed the label for premium gas after 2010

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Good point on the architecture differences. Also a newer vehicle would have less rust from 3 less winters.

Navigation is gonna be dated no matter what if it’s 7+ years. Still no CarPlay so you would be using Bluetooth.

ESh

More tech, nicer, one generation newer.

lyrical56

Sometimes "newer" is not better; I have the 2010 ES 350, now with 54,000 miles on it and I couldn't be happier especially with knowing the quality of how Lexus is put together in Japan. I LOVE my car.

I tried to post this question and couldn't figure out how to do it, maybe it won't be too bad if I post it here?

Can you update the lighting in the 2010 ES 350 w/o upsetting anything in the computer's working? I would like to put in new LED lighting. Opinions? One mechanic told me not a good idea to do, but I sure would like brighter lights at night in deer country.

RI-Lex

iTrader: (4)

LED will not be leap and bounds brighter, you will not upset anything, I would run a aftermarket HID kit IMO

joebug

I looked for an 5th gen ES350 and could not find one that was good enough in my area to pull the trigger on, I was focusing on the 2011-2012 models since they supposedly used regular gas. After an exhaustive search for the ES a 2013 Avalon came up for sale. I took it for a ride and it rode very nice, quiet and comfortable, so I bought it, it's the touring edition so it has a few more features. After I purchased it, I had buyers remorse because I did all this research on the ES350 and ended up with an Avalon! sure enough after I bought it not 1 week later a 2012 ES350 comes up for sale, I immediately went to look at it, I sat in it, looked around and said, "this car interior seems so dated compared to the 13 Avalon and I would be downgrading if I traded my Avalon for this" So, I kept my Avalon but I am still in the market for a 2013 or newer ES350.
So, if it were me I would get the 13 Avalon only because the 5th Gen Lexus ES is just "dated". however I would definitely get a 13 or newer ES over the Avalon, but also keep in mind, you could get a 13 Avalon Limited which has more features than the base ES350 and alot cheaper to buy, insure and repair.
Another plus for my Avalon is that it's getting me an avg of 28-29 mpg combined for where I live