Avalon vs. LS430

ifcar · Moderator

Avalon vs. LS430

Fire It Up · Moderator

More looks and more engine.

-- Edited by Fire It Up at 20:26, 2005-03-05

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: Fire It Up
"More looks and more engine. -- Edited by Fire It Up at 20:26, 2005-03-05"

According to Toyota estimates, that "more engine" only nets you a 0-60 time of .7 seconds less. Is that plus the look worth $20,000?

Fire It Up · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
" According to Toyota estimates, that "more engine" only nets you a 0-60 time of .7 seconds less. Is that plus the look worth $20,000? "

Im not looking up specs or anything, but the Lex should have faster on highway accelration and merging than the Toy.

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: Fire It Up
"Im not looking up specs or anything, but the Lex should have faster on highway accelration and merging than the Toy."

\

Well in that case, where do I sign?

Seriously, that's not the point. Would you really want to pay an additional $20,000 just to get slightly quicker acceleration and better styling?

Kevin · GMPenguin

Well, I don't really know much about either, but since they're nearly identical, and a $20,000 price difference, I'd of course take the Avalon, if money was no issue I'd no doubt take the Lexus though.

thewizard16 · V-12

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
"

According to Toyota estimates, that "more engine" only nets you a 0-60 time of .7 seconds less. Is that plus the look worth $20,000?
"

I would imagine it's bound to feel torquier, and the Lexus has the low, beautiful V8 exhaust note. At any rate, here are my reasons:
larger trunk, Levinson sound system (expensive, but an option), massaging heated/cooled rear seats with their own icebox, audio and climate controls; adjustable air suspension, and a few more safety features. I know it's a lot more to pay, and the new Avalon is impressive, but the LS430, in my opinion, still tops the charts in quality, comfort, and overall good-ness.

-- Edited by thewizard16 at 00:23, 2005-03-06

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: thewizard16
"
I would imagine it's bound to feel torquier, and the Lexus has the low, beautiful V8 exhaust note. At any rate, here are my reasons:
larger trunk, Levinson sound system (expensive, but an option), massaging heated/cooled rear seats with their own icebox, audio and climate controls; adjustable air suspension, and a few more safety features. I know it's a lot more to pay, and the new Avalon is impressive, but the LS430, in my opinion, still tops the charts in quality, comfort, and overall good-ness. -- Edited by thewizard16 at 00:23, 2005-03-06"

The massaging seats puts you in the Ultra Luxury package, putting you in a $70,000 LS430 compared to a $38,000 Avalon. You'd $33,000 for a few extra nice features? And what extra safety features are you referring to?

MX793 · V-6

What does the LS do better? Minus a fairly slight performance advantage, not much. But, it's got that Lexus badge while the Toyota is just a Toyota. It's all about status and the respect that the badge on the grille brings. Hence why Toyota had to spin off the Lexus nameplate in the first place, because nobody would take a run of the mill Toyota seriously as a premium car.

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: MX793
"What does the LS do better? Minus a fairly slight performance advantage, not much. But, it's got that Lexus badge while the Toyota is just a Toyota. It's all about status and the respect that the badge on the grille brings. Hence why Toyota had to spin off the Lexus nameplate in the first place, because nobody would take a run of the mill Toyota seriously as a premium car."

That's true with some Lexuses (RX and ES, mainly) but the LS430 has a unique and more-expensive setup (RWD V8 w 6-speed auto), so you'd expect a lot more than just the badge with it.

Fire It Up · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: thewizard16
" I would imagine it's bound to feel torquier, and the Lexus has the low, beautiful V8 exhaust note. At any rate, here are my reasons: larger trunk, Levinson sound system (expensive, but an option), massaging heated/cooled rear seats with their own icebox, audio and climate controls; adjustable air suspension, and a few more safety features. I know it's a lot more to pay, and the new Avalon is impressive, but the LS430, in my opinion, still tops the charts in quality, comfort, and overall good-ness. -- Edited by thewizard16 at 00:23, 2005-03-06"

And that weird cruise control thing...

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: Fire It Up
"And that weird cruise control thing..."

Nope, the Avalon has that too.

Fire It Up · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
"\ Well in that case, where do I sign? Seriously, that's not the point. Would you really want to pay an additional $20,000 just to get slightly quicker acceleration and better styling?"

Wait, what does taht mean? Are you partially agreeing or still arguing?

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: Fire It Up
"Wait, what does taht mean? Are you partially agreeing or still arguing?"

It's called sarcasm. My point was that your statement that the LS430 might also have a few more quicker acceleration measurements didn't really change any aspect of the argument.

Fire It Up · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
" It's called sarcasm. My point was that your statement that the LS430 might also have a few more quicker acceleration measurements didn't really change any aspect of the argument."

Oh...

I cant sense sarcasm much on the net...

thewizard16 · V-12

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
"

The massaging seats puts you in the Ultra Luxury package, putting you in a $70,000 LS430 compared to a $38,000 Avalon. You'd $33,000 for a few extra nice features? And what extra safety features are you referring to?"

It's features like that that take you from a luxury car to an ultra-luxury car. The LS does have several things that the Avalon does not: Adaptive front lighting (the headlights that "see around curves"), Parking Assist, back up camera, Bluetooth in-car integration (though I've read your NAV system can get viruses from your cellphone that way

), power everything on the rear seats (headrests, reclining, etc.), four wheel ventilated disc brakes, speed sensitive steering, pre-collision system, brake assist, and a tire pressure monitor. Add in a better suspension, a V8, an extra gear on the transmission, longer wheelbase, a much larger trunk, and the option of bigger wheels, and I think the LS430 is still a very appealing vehicle, even at the price. However, I'll readily admit I'm impressed with the number of features they've put in the Avalon, and if Toyota is willing to do that with a sub 40K luxury car, I'm anxious to see what Lexus has planned for their next LS.

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: thewizard16
"
It's features like that that take you from a luxury car to an ultra-luxury car. The LS does have several things that the Avalon does not: Adaptive front lighting (the headlights that "see around curves"), Parking Assist, back up camera, Bluetooth in-car integration (though I've read your NAV system can get viruses from your cellphone that way ), power everything on the rear seats (headrests, reclining, etc.), four wheel ventilated disc brakes, speed sensitive steering, pre-collision system, brake assist, and a tire pressure monitor. Add in a better suspension, a V8, an extra gear on the transmission, longer wheelbase, a much larger trunk, and the option of bigger wheels, and I think the LS430 is still a very appealing vehicle, even at the price. However, I'll readily admit I'm impressed with the number of features they've put in the Avalon, and if Toyota is willing to do that with a sub 40K luxury car, I'm anxious to see what Lexus has planned for their next LS."

But most, maybe even all of the features you named are part of very pricey options packages, and I am almost certain that several of them are also on the Avalon. And those options are mostly largely-useless gimmicks (power rear headrests?).
Let me just say that for that price, I'd rather have an Avalon plus a $30,000 second vehicle.

thewizard16 · V-12

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
"

But most, maybe even all of the features you named are part of very pricey options packages, and I am almost certain that several of them are also on the Avalon. And those options are mostly largely-useless gimmicks (power rear headrests?).
Let me just say that for that price, I'd rather have an Avalon plus a $30,000 second vehicle."

Those are ones that I side by sided the features lists from the Avalon and the LS and found the Avalon not to have. I agree that power rear headrests are largely useless, I'm not saying I'd need them, I'm just trying to show what the price difference between a luxury and an ultra-luxury car buys you. To put it in a word: decadence. As for having two vehicles, unless I was really rich, I would prefer that too, most definitely.

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: thewizard16
"
Those are ones that I side by sided the features lists from the Avalon and the LS and found the Avalon not to have. I agree that power rear headrests are largely useless, I'm not saying I'd need them, I'm just trying to show what the price difference between a luxury and an ultra-luxury car buys you. To put it in a word: decadence. As for having two vehicles, unless I was really rich, I would prefer that too, most definitely. "

Even as a billionaire, I don't think I would see any reason to get an LS430 over the Avalon. And I recognize what buying an ultra-luxury car gets you: the illusion that your $30,000 extra was actually worth it.

thewizard16 · V-12

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