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2012 - 2013 Toyota Avalon

494 messages,  Last post on May 22, 2013 at 2:34 PM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota Avalon, Toyota, Sedan

    

Messages Page 1 of 50

#1 of 494 2012 - 2013 Avalon:) by ncee

Sep 01, 2011 (8:40 am)

I just had lunch with my local Toyota dealer who said "Man the new Avalon is simply stunning". "the one they showed was a very pretty Red with creme and walnut interior". "I think it looks most like the new Jaguar, but only a little, in the sense of looking like another car".
 
He went on to say, he thought it was the biggest change in any toyota in many, many years, and that if this is what the Avalon is going to look like, then he couldn't image what the new LS 510 was going to look like.
 
He also said that it WAS a car, and not a model, and that he would order one like the one he saw - for me, as he knew I'd likely want one:)
 
He didn't think there would be any or many photo's of it, for 6-8 months or so. They could take any electronic gear into the meeting when the saw the car:(
 
Skip

#2 of 494 Re: 2012 - 2013 Avalon:) [ncee] by bwia

Sep 02, 2011 (8:58 am)

Replying to: ncee (Sep 01, 2011 8:40 am)
Toyota fell asleep at the wheel and while they were snoozing they let the Buick LaCrosse and Hyundai Genesis set the new benchmark for the upscale premium sedan market.
As a former Avalon owner who now owns a Buick LaCrosse CXS it would have to take a homerun for me to return to the land of Toyota blandness

#3 of 494 Re: 2012 - 2013 Avalon:) [bwia] by tjc78

Sep 02, 2011 (9:28 am)

Replying to: bwia (Sep 02, 2011 8:58 am)
You are just the person I want to talk to.
 
I had an 06 Avalon... Loved It.
 
Got an 09 Genesis.... hated the ride, sold it to a dealer and got out of the lease (with no damage to my wallet thankfully.)
 
Now completely undecided, want to know your thoughts on the LaCrosse. How does it compare to the Avalon mainly in the ride. Does it ride pillow soft and isolated like the Avalon? It also doesn't appear as roomy as the Avalon.

#4 of 494 Beware the Underpowered Buick by 03avalon

Sep 02, 2011 (10:27 am)

All reports indicate that the Buick line, especially the Lacross, is terribly underpowered. In order to get power comparable to the Avalon, you must upgrade lacross to the largest engine size available. Then, of course, you will suffer terribly in the MPG game. Stick with the Avalon, Lacross is terribly underpowered.

#5 of 494 Re: 2012 - 2013 Avalon:) [tjc78] by bwia

Sep 02, 2011 (3:03 pm)

Replying to: tjc78 (Sep 02, 2011 9:28 am)
Buick LaCrosse One Year, 8000 miles and loving it
 
I wrote this review one year ago when I was at 1000 miles and so far everything has changed for the better, except my overall MPG that has fallen from 19 to 18.10 mpg. Thanks GM and Buick for an extremely satisfying year.
  
One Month, 1000 miles and Loving it by bwia Aug 20, 2010 (8:21 am)
  
What can I say. After one month and 1000 miles [8000 miles now] of mixed driving my 2011 CXS has met and exceeded my expectations. Coming from a flawless Avalon I was looking for a car with similar characteristics: smooth, quiet, a great sound system, premium quality leather stitched together with excellent fit and finish and highway driving free of road noise.
 
The CXS delivered on all of these except for cabin road noise, which is a little louder than expected for my tastes, on rough highway patches and bridge expansion joints. By comparison, my Avalon XLS was a little more quiet in terms of road noise but the opposite was true for wind noise. Perhaps the 19” inch wheels and Good Year RSA tires on the CXS might explain the cabin noise. However, on LaCrosse models with the 17” and 18” wheels the cabin road noise is more hushed than in the Avalon. So there is a tradeoff between 19” wheel aesthetics and decibel levels.
   
So far I have no issues, knock on wood. The car has been flawless and fast. With the 3.6V, 280-hp engine, performance is abundant and immediate. The manual calls for regular gas but I use Shell premium. Buick will boost performance to 303-hp for model year 2012 while retaining the same MPG numbers.
 
I am having a ball with all these technology features: The Xenon headlights are blindingly bright and it has brought confidence back to my night driving again. I would advice all future owners to get the Xenon because it is a small price to pay for such an improvement in night vision. Other important options I believe a buyer should consider are: Blind Side Zone Alert System, Back-up Camera, Heads-up Display and the touring package with adaptive suspension. Rear visibility is not a strong suite of the LaCrosse so the Back-up Camera is a real safety enhancement.
   
Two things I care strongly about are the navigation and stereo systems. The navigation system works great but the map is not as detailed as my Magellan portable device. But it is certainly much better than in the Avalon. The Lacrosse’s nav works independently or in conjunction with OnStar and with the eNav feature you can download directions from MapQuest and Google maps directly to your car. Still, XM traffic is great and is well worth the extra $3.99 monthly fee.
   
The sound system is very good but the bass sounds a little muffled (much better now), certainly not as clear as the JBL in the Avalon. I don’t have an iPod (yet?--still don't) so I have not yet used that feature but recording my CDs directly to the hard drive make a CD changer look primitive by comparison.
   
On the road the car gives me pleasure as I drive each mile. The ride is firmer than the Avalon but not as taut as in the Genesis. I believe GM got it just right, plush but not floatty, firm but not hard. The handling is crisp, the car soaks out road bumps, and the adaptive suspension really does work. The adaptive suspension can best be explained as walking barefoot on gravel. You feel every pebble under your foot so you adjust your walking accordingly. I am averaging about 18.10 MPG overall, down from 19 mpg one year ago, because I do a lot of stop and go driving as well as I left the engine running idle on a couple of occasions for well over two hours. True story, the engine is so quiet that sometimes I forget to shut it off.
   
Final verdict: The CXS is an alluring, upscale and great car! I like the looks of the 19” wheels but I hate the ride on rough roads. (Update: After break-in the ride has become very quiet and handling is superb especially in Sport Mode)
 
tjc78, I hope this helps.

#6 of 494 Re: 2012 - 2013 Avalon:) [bwia] by popsavalon

Sep 02, 2011 (5:30 pm)

Replying to: bwia (Sep 02, 2011 3:03 pm)
Sounds like a good vehicle. The only major differences I see are the mileage figures (bad), interior room (especially the rear seats), and rear visibility.
 
I looked at one, but just could not give up the Avalon's 30 MPG on the road and the extra room, no matter how bland some folks think the styling is.

#7 of 494 Re: 2012 - 2013 Avalon:) [bwia] by tjc78

Sep 03, 2011 (5:31 am)

Replying to: bwia (Sep 02, 2011 3:03 pm)
Thanks, Bwia. I am going to test drive one soon.

#8 of 494 Re: yes É 2013 Avalon:) [ncee] by ncee

Sep 03, 2011 (6:12 am)

Replying to: ncee (Sep 01, 2011 8:40 am)
Yes, in fact it will likely be a 2013 as they aren't announcing until the fall of 2012.
 
This I knew and should have better stated it É sorry.
 
Skip

#9 of 494 Saw One by sandman_6472

Sep 29, 2011 (8:28 am)

Saw a new Avalon last night and it is a stunning car...a little large for what we're looking for but it looked beautiful in the white color. At first, I thought it was a jaguar from the rear until my kid was able to read the name of the car from the chrome strip on the trunk. Very nice looking ride! Hopefully, this style will trickle down to the new Corolla...something similar to what Hyundai has done with the Sonata, Elantra & the Accent...that I'd be very interested in for the wife!
 
The Sandman

#10 of 494 Redesigned Avalon for 2013, probably available fall 2012 by marv15

Oct 16, 2011 (6:12 pm)

http://www.toyotaofmerrillville.com/page/custom/en/2013_Toyota_Avalon_Merrillvil- - le

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