Just loving my 2011 Avalon so far… anyone else?



Recently swapped my Honda Civic for this beauty, and it’s a huge upgrade. The Avalon has way more power, space, and comfort. The previous owner was an older lady who took it to the dealership for every service. I even found her Facebook—full of church photos! It’s basically a classic ‘only driven to church on Sundays’ car. Super clean inside and out, not a mark on it. Only minor issues are a missing chrome vent tab and a rear sunshade that doesn’t work. It has 66k miles on it.

@Wynn
Such a great find! Enjoy it, hope it lasts you 300k miles and beyond!

@Wynn
Nice! Congrats on finding this gem

@Wynn
Looks like it’s in perfect condition!

Awesome find .

@Wynn
This is the kind of car dreams are made of

Wow, this is a steal! Enjoy the ride! I felt the same when I got my 2015 Avalon with 71k miles—it still looks brand new, especially with those leather seats.

Looks amazing .

Looks fantastic! You’re going to keep loving it.

Curious though, why do so many people on this forum call the Gen 3 Avalon a ‘grandpa car?’ It doesn’t bother me, but it seems to come up a lot here.

For a bit of context—I got my Avalon 8 months ago, a 2008 Limited model. I remember people worrying about my safety driving my old 2000 Malibu, and I just knew the Avalon was going to be my next car.

Was working at a car-buying place when it happened. Now that I’m not there, I’m noticing people are holding onto their cars longer. Just something I’ve picked up on lately.

@Flann
People call it a grandpa car because it’s so comfy and solid. You can drive it for hours, and it’s a tank that can take some real wear and tear. I actually got my ‘09 Avalon totaled by an older lady in an ‘11 Avalon. Neither of us were hurt, and both cars held up pretty well.

It’s really the perfect retirement car—just a step down from a Lexus, which is why they stopped making it. The Avalon started to compete too closely with Lexus models, so they pushed buyers toward Lexus instead.

@Zayne
Thanks for clearing that up! And yeah, glad we both made it out okay. These cars really are built like tanks.

I totally get what you’re saying about the Lexus comparison too. I test-drove an ES350 a while back, and it did handle a bit tighter than my Avalon, but I like the Avalon’s ride. And by the way, I’ve heard of people lowering them or adding stiffer springs to improve handling—might be something to try.

Thanks again, really appreciate the info .

We’ve had our 2011 Avalon for 9 years now, and it’s still going strong at 128k miles. Great car.

I’ve got the same model too .

Same model here, 132k miles, and no issues beyond the usual maintenance. Perfect for road trips—so comfy .

Congrats, looks like a great car! I’ve got a 2019 Limited and love it, but I bet your Avalon has an even smoother ride.

Best body style for an Avalon in my opinion, and they only made it for 2 years. Beautiful car.

Hey, we’re Avalon twins! Mine came with a handwritten maintenance log that looks like it was kept by someone older. Feels like a real treasure since no one keeps maintenance logs anymore. This is my second car and definitely a big upgrade .

Same year here! Love it. Mine’s at 178k miles, still no mechanical issues, and barely uses any oil. Averages 36 mpg but has hit 38 mpg on a good day. Only small issue is the headlights flicker sometimes—probably the ballast. Such a comfy car, especially with that slight back seat recline. You’re going to love yours .