I don't exactly agree with you, the Avalon front end to me looks better built. Somewhat on the inside too. As for Japan made, I don't believe this anymore , my sisters IS has had five warranty repairs, all of them were for interior trim issues (lower dash misaligned, rear view mirror fell off, squeaking seat, and driver door rattle) it also had both exterior mirrors and mirror housings replaced. My LX in 2001 had a few issues all covered. So far my CT has been perfect with no defects.

The Avalon and the CT are both built to stellar standards.

 

I agree 100% with everything that you have said.

I have both of my Lexus vehicles serviced at the local Toyota dealership, and, thus, the loaner cars that they give me are Toyotas. Typically, they are either Camrys or Avalons. Every time that I drive one of those Camrys or Avalons for a day, I'm looking forward to getting my Lexus GX or ES back. While the Toyotas are unquestionably excellent vehicles, the Lexus vehicles are just a notch above in many ways. Immediately noticeable, the Toyotas do not have the same level of sound insulation that isolates the cabin from road, wind, and engine noise. There is also a clear difference in the quality of the interior materials. The leather in the Lexus vehicles is just a little higher in quality, and things like the fake wood in the Camrys and Avalons would be, by themselves, deal breakers for me.

While some will point to features or options on the Avalon that are not available as standard or options on the ES, such as heated rear seats, the ES also has a good number of features and options that are not available on the Avalon. Among them are de-icing wipers, a heated steering wheel, wood steering wheel, and wood shift ****. Further, the Avalon driver's and passenger's seats have fewer available adjustments than those on the Lexus. Also, when I've driven Avalons, I've found the design of the navigation screen to be less desirable than that of the ES. Not only is the slanted panel in which the navigation screen sits unappealing to me in appearance, but it is also much more prone to washing out and being unviewable in bright light than the deeply recessed screen on the ES.

With regard to country of origin, I've had, over the years, about 15 vehicles from Toyota, Lexus, Infiniti, and Nissan. About half were built in the US, and about half were built in Japan. While all of them were well-built, the Japanese-built vehicles from both companies were just a bit better in terms of fits and finishes. While to most, the differences might not be noticeable, to someone like me, for whom fits and finishes are very important, those differences are easily seen. When I bought my ES, I was happy that it was built before Lexus announced that it was going to start producing the ES in the US.

As far as appearance is concerned, I'm sure that a preference for the Avalon or the ES would be highly dependent on personal tastes, but there is no question that, especially in recent years, auto manufacturers have designed their vehicles so that they clearly show a "family resemblance". When an Avalon is approaching me coming from the other direction, long before I can see the Toyota insignia on the front of the vehicle, I can recognize that the vehicle coming toward me is a Toyota. There is nothing wrong with that, but, for a variety of reasons, I would rather have the the "Lexus family resemblance".

Again, the Avalon is a fine vehicle, but once you have driven both it and the Lexus for a while, it isn't difficult to that the Lexus is, in many ways, a cut above. Is it worth the price premium? I'm sure that, to some, it is, and, to others, it isn't.

 

I really like what Toyota has done with the Avalon. They have finally gotten it right, in my opinion. However, I will gladly keep my Lexus.

 

Since the two are being compared... Taking both ES 350 and Avalon and completely optioned out, here is what's missing from each vehicle:

* Not available on ES 350
Rear zone climate control
Heated rear seats
"eBin" electronic device bin
Paddle shifters (really)

* Not available on Avalon
Intuitive Parking Assist
Semi-aniline leather
Panoramic glass roof
15 speaker sound system (vs 11)
Remote Touch
Power Tilt/Telescoping steering wheel
Power trunk
Real wood trim
Wood trimmed steering wheel
8" Navigation display (vs 7)
Passenger seat memory
Rear passenger sunshades
Ambient Lighting
Direct Tire Pressure Monitoring
Deicing windshield wiper
Lane Departure Alert
Destination Assist

I'm surprised there is no park assist on the new Avalon... even though it has the backup camera and rear cross traffic alert

 

Interesting comparison. Other than the appearance, the available trim and options really differentiates the two. Built for two different clients. Thanks.

 

I have driven many Toyotas with good results, so I presumed that I would move to the Avalon. The main thing that deterred me was the use of significant amounts of chrome in the cabin. In hot climates, it creates some very hot spots, especially on the driver's door where my leg often makes contact, and there is frequent reflection when driving on east-west roads during rush hours.

There were many other less material differences, but I could have overlooked most of them. The chrome was a showstopper for me.

 

I debated which to purchase. I had a 2006 ES - but the Avalon was very tempting. My test drive of the Avalon was accompanied by a very annoying rattle in the dash area. Although I am sure it was just a "fluke" - for a car the dealer used for a test drive, it turned me off. The Lexus test drive was as it should be, quiet comfort. No regrets!