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that was my fave series of ls400, the earlier ones. one of these days i'd like to see how much difference there is between an es350 and a top-line camry.

up until the mid 2000s it was mostly a rebadge job. they have their own platforms now but especially in the late 90s it was very easy to confuse one for another. most of the lexification money went into sound deadening, tech and interior trim it seems.

is the es350 head and shoulders quieter and smoother than a camry xle, or is the difference more subtle?

i've never driven either, but the ES has always had a v6 whereas it's an option on the xle camrys, so power delivery is going to be smoother than a 4 cyl xle.

i think all derivative lexuses have softer suspension and more sound deadening than the cars they're based on, but the avalon might be closer to the ES than the camry, if not nigh identical.

I owned a Japanese taxi model [very rare] Avalon xl, '04 model, column shifter and front split bench seat, power adjusted. its ride was firm, superficially soft/smooth on mildly lumpy roads. but it was nowhere near as absorptive as even a C-class merc. if the ES350 rides the same, i'd say its purchasers were getting ripped off. I had a '02 chevy impala that swallowed bumps far better, but it didn't handle as well as the Toyota. in any case, I wish I didn't have to sell the gal, she was the best car I ever had.

maybe it was the tire pressure? my LS was riding pretty firm recently until i checked the tire pressure and saw it was like 10 PSI too high. (it should be 29 all around.) bled some air and it rides better now. the folks at the tire shop must have overstuffed it when they did the balancing/alignment.

how did you manage to get your hands on one of those? my dream car is a v12 toyota century, but the crown might be a little more realistic.

it belonged to a fleet, it had sat on the Toyota dealer's lot for over a year, so I got it for less than the cost of a good used camry. it was the quietest car i'd ever driven or ridden in. in a parking lot, you couldn't hear it until you were right up on its exhaust. hadda sell it when my folks passed away and I had to quickly raise fundage to move outta their house [I was their caretaker in their final years]. so it was a casualty of not having enough duckie$. I doubt I will ever drive anything that nice again. and I made sure the tire pressure was spot-on 30 psi. the previous model Avalon was firm-riding also, and the ones that came after 2012 are atrociously stiff-riding, google it.

I suspect the ls-400 was based on the Japanese market v8 crown.

My little Volvo is stiffer than the Saabs preceding it. As much as I'd like a wheeled couch, that trend will probably continue. Grip supersedes comfort in the mountains.

I can't really believe it but the nicest looking new car in my opinion is a fancy Hyundai.

_________________
"Standing on a well-chilled cinder, we see the fading of the suns, and try to recall the vanished brilliance of the origin of the worlds."
-Georges Lemaitre
"I fly through hyperspace, in my green computer interface"
-Gem Tos

eh....that glossy square in the grille doesn't do it any favors. not bad otherwise. the new volvos are pretty stunning too, and while us 'mericans will never be able to get our hands on one, peugeot's new 508 looks damn good as well.



but tell us more about the volvo.

I remember the old Peugeots were slower than molasses in January, but they sure were exceptionally comfortable little cars.

My car's a lucky Craigslist score (manual wagon with a turbo i5), basically a bigger C30 minus the good audio. Inside it's cushy but the suspension is GTI-level stiff, at least laterally. Bringing the stereo up to date is going to be costly & the AWD system might need an axle or diff but the grip is still overkill. It's like a WRX with highway manners & decent MPG.

_________________
"Standing on a well-chilled cinder, we see the fading of the suns, and try to recall the vanished brilliance of the origin of the worlds."
-Georges Lemaitre
"I fly through hyperspace, in my green computer interface"
-Gem Tos

v70r?

Nah just a V50, an R would exceed my parts budget although I may eventually tune mine that far. The simpler motor is actually tougher though & my car's put up with far more than the big ones would. Taller suspension & hypermiling were priorities even though I enjoy rally shenanigans.

_________________
"Standing on a well-chilled cinder, we see the fading of the suns, and try to recall the vanished brilliance of the origin of the worlds."
-Georges Lemaitre
"I fly through hyperspace, in my green computer interface"
-Gem Tos

My very loved little 2003 VW Beetle called Ramone. Been into VW Beetles & Kombies from a young age. I've had Ramone for three years now.