I’m looking to get a used Avalon and can’t decide between the XSE and Touring. Is the Touring worth the extra cost? What features do both models have?
I recommend the Touring or Limited. The seats for me were what made it worth the extra cost compared to the XSE.
I’m also on the hunt for a 2019 or 2020 XSE or Touring. So far, it seems like XSEs aren’t much cheaper. For example, I found a 2019 Touring with 53k miles priced at $26.5k and a 2020 XSE with 47k miles for $28k. Both are one-owner vehicles with no accidents. If there’s not much of a discount for going down to the XSE, then I might as well aim for the Touring.
As for your question, here are some features I’m looking for in the Touring: ventilated seats, cornering lamps, adaptive dampers, interior ambient lighting, and JBL audio (which is optional on the XSE). Features I don’t care too much for: rear heated seats, heated steering wheel, optional heads-up display, and the optional Birds Eye camera. I might be missing some details.
@Baylor
I found an all-black Touring with 101k miles for $22k and it’s accident-free with a clean title. Is that a good deal, and how much should I negotiate?
Personally, I prefer the wheels and front design of the XSE.
I would recommend the Limited instead. I drive an '22 XSE Nightshade hybrid and have to be honest, the Avalon isn’t a fast car, regardless of its appearance. Not even the Touring is really ‘fast.’ It’s more of a large cruising sedan. If you go with the Limited, you’d get all the tech that makes it feel premium and save about $10k compared to a similarly equipped Lexus ES. Plus, you’d get 18-inch wheels which offer a smoother ride more in line with the car’s design.
If you don’t want the Limited and are deciding between the Touring and XSE, go for the Touring. Both options have the attractive 19-inch wheels, but the XSE has a harsher ride. You’d miss out on tech features if you pick the XSE instead. The small savings from choosing the XSE isn’t worth it, considering the tech you lose. Features like cornering lights, a heated steering wheel, JBL audio system, projector LED headlights, heated and ventilated front seats, dual lumbar support for both front seats, a 360-degree camera system, and memory seats are all great to have. You won’t find them in the XSE. The additional $2k for the Touring is justifiable when you consider all that extra tech. Many community members mention that they end up swapping out the 19-inch rims after finding the ride too harsh. So take it from a real XSE owner, choose the Limited, or if that’s not an option, go for the Touring. If that’s not available, the XLE offers a comfortable ride with 17-inch rims and the same tech as the XSE.
@Gracen
What are the tech differences between the Limited and Touring?
Jody said:
@Gracen
What are the tech differences between the Limited and Touring?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmR0gnc-MPY
I own a 2020 V6 3.5L Limited, and it’s basically a Lexus. It accelerates smoothly after a bit of initial lag. This video compares the two.
Jody said:
@Gracen
What are the tech differences between the Limited and Touring?
Not much, but you lose features because the Limited has sports exhaust and adaptive variable suspension (AVS) along with nicer wheels for about the same price. Touring offers cornering lights, which are important because the Avalon has visibility issues at night, and it has a HUD, ventilated seats, and a heated steering wheel. You used to be able to view all the trims on Toyota’s website, but that information might be gone since the Avalon is no longer in production.
@Gracen
Limited is the optimal choice.
@Gracen
The XSE has keyless entry on all four doors.
I have the XSE Nightshade and disliked the 19-inch tires so much that I replaced them with 17-inch wheels. The ride is now much softer, plus it feels faster and more powerful. The cost of the upgrade was $2500.