I’ve seen more than one person on the Range Rover forums go from an Range Rover to an Avalon.  Usually from an older out of warranty Rover to a newer Toyota.  I pondered it for a bit.  TBH I picked up a Toyota Avalon as well as sort of an interim car until I can get into an L405.  I think there are several reasons for such a hop, but not all of them materialize to be a positive.

  1. Range Rover buyers want a nice interior.  While the Toyota Avalon and ES350 are not on the same level as a Range Rover even a P38 or Classic, they are better than the average “Camry.”
  2. Range Rover owners get burned out by some nagging issues, or even big ones and may want a reprieve with a “Reliable” car.
    1. My last three Range Rovers had water ingress issues, from the roof, even though they were waded a lot.  So I bought a 2016 Avalon without a sunroof, the XLE.  It still leaked, and it seems like any standing water you drive through will make the floor wet, even an inch.
    2. My Toyota Avalon keys fell apart.
    3. I think the interior is a bit tougher and the exterior are both tougher on the Range Rover
    4. But my Avalon always starts, even when I’ve left it in a parking lot in Illinois for a 8 weeks.
    5. So The Toyota definitely has its issues, however, they are not “big issues”
  3. The Toyota Avalon is much less “solid” feeling than a Range Rover.  There are many rattles and build issues whereas a Range Rover, particularly newer ones feel solid the Toyota feels a bit, rattly.
    1. Driving in my Dads Maserati, Q5, and Jaguar today I noticed the Maserati also feels like the Toyota where as the other cars absorb bumps without rattles the Maserati and Toyota let you know the road is rough with various interior cabin noises.
  4. I think the real moral of the story is buy a Range Rover with a warranty and you’ll be happy with a combination of reliability and luxury in a way that a Range Rover or a Toyota can’t provide, unless you own both the Toyota/Lexus and a Range Rover, which isn’t a bad combination either, as I owned a Prius and Range Rover combo for quite some time.
  5. The upholstery is really different.  One of the things I miss most in the Range Rover is how soft and nice the steering wheel is.  Something subtle but very tactile, the leather wrapped Avalon steering wheel is hard, the Range Rover steering wheel is soft and supple.
    1. The leather seats in the newer Avalon are hard, in the Range Rover they are supportive and comfortable.

My takeaway is that you’ll always regret selling your Range Rover.  They are just endearing cars, even when they are not great.  I look back at the sale of my Range Rovers as I do a break up, or perhaps selling a prized Rolex.  Whereas a Toyota will likely live beyond the time you want to have it.

 

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