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Comments
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
I don't think I have EVER seen a VSC "off" capability except the PSM on a Porsche and even then the Trac functionality does not turn off and PSM (VSC "equivalent)" will be re-enabled if you even touch the brakes lightly.
My former Avalon (2000 XLS) had the option of turning off the VCS. Or was it my 1996 Avalon? Anyway one of them had the option to disable VCS.
The Crown Concept's innovative styling and superior driving performance makes a shift in the Crown's concept of being "stationary" to being "active," raising the traditional feeling of hospitality to the world's highest level so as to propose the ideal for a next-generation luxury class sedan.
It seems like there is a very good chance that the Crown is coming over here. So the question is will the Crown replace the Avalon as Toyota's flagship sedan or will it be a notch above the Avalon in terms of luxury and performance ??
I have the EXACT same problem. It drives me nuts. The dealer said it was the sunroof and nothing can be done. I think it is BS. I had my son listen and he thinks it is something where the dash is touching something like the windshield. It goes away as soon as the car warms up a little bit. I am thinking I will put some anti squeak felt along the dash to see if it stops. I will let you know if it does anything
If if were to come, it would likely be a replacement to the Avalon so there would be more separation from the Camry, but more likely it wouldn't come since Toyota would not want a vehicle even more expensive than the Avalon that would further dilute the worth of getting a lower end Lexus.
I consider myself a reasonable guy, but a $38K should not sound like a 20 year old car.
As an aside, our front wheel drive Bonneville SLE had a traction control switch.
Can the noise be reproduced by pushing or gently moving any panels?
Try pushing on the top of the dash, pushing the glovebox, air vents, pillar covers etc. Move upwards and press on the headliner, moonroof cover etc.
Can the sound be heard from outside the car? Try driving with the passenger window open. For example, a suspension-induced noise may sound like a dash noise.
Sounds can be deflected and also travel, so sometimes the source of the noise is a distance away from where it sounds like it is coming from.
Agreed. The new Camry is just like the Avalon albeit a tad smaller in terms of performance and luxury. So it naturally makes sense to make the next Avalon or whatever is replacing it to move higher up the luxury and power quotient.
Japananse market sedan.
I only wish that Toyota would make us a RWD Avalon, but can't imagine that they would actually do it - the Lexus dealer is already losing LS sales to those customers that put more value in $25k than they do the better vehicle dynamics and upgraded fit/finish of the LS. The Avalon as a RWD car would create even more of a problem for Lexus. As it is the Avalon is larger and quicker than the current LS (new LS460 coming), and also leaves the ES and GS300 in the dust. To make the Avalon any better, creates more problems for that higher priced (and more profitable) Lexus brand.
The Avalon's competition (other than Lexus)- more likely the 07 Camry, the Azera, the 300, and possibly that relabelled DTS called the Lucerne (with the V8). But, I wouldn't expect Toyota to make any major changes in the Avalon (other than cosmetics) over the next several years.
(sorry if this has been discussed already - - couldn't find anything)
I had the same transmission issues you describe. You may see some of my previous posts on this forum. The dealer eventually reset the transmission management system to factory default and the problem seems to have gone away. The alleged "intelligent" adaptive transmission apparently can develop an irregular shift pattern, and needs to be reset to restore "normal" operation. Pretty dumb in my opinion, and obviously a software bug. I recently drove an ES330 and it had the same problem only WORSE.
Re engine knocking - I switched to synthetic oil and the engine runs quieter. It still has some of that diesel knock initially when cold, but it warms up within a few minutes and the knock goes away.
The particular upper-level Crown model shown on www.toyota.com under Concept vehicles, is called the Crown Athlete in Japan and is built on the same platform as the Lexus GS430 and depending on grade, is available with either 3 liter V6 or 4.3 liter V8 engines. The luxury version of these Crown models (Crown Majesta) are considered just below the Celsior (LS430) in status in Japan.
While I don't think they will be Avalon replacements because of their smaller size, I wouldn't rule out Toyota bringing the Crown to the US in addition to the existing Avalon.
What confuses me is that Toyota and Lexus already have a very crowded and somewhat cannibalistic selection of models in the $30k - $40K segment. Where is there room for the Crown?
The distinction between upper level Toyota models and Lexus models is already blurred, and as Toyota has recently learned with the new Avalon, Lexus and Toyota buyers do cross shop the brands in that segment, taking sales away from the more profitable Lexus models. The new Camry looks like it could eat into Avalon sales, so perhaps the Avalon XL will disappear. The new ES350 needs to move upmarket away from Avalon without crowding the GS300 which is saddled with a smaller engine than the IS, Avalon or new Camry and costs more money. A GS350 would threaten the GS430 in performance... perhaps the GS300 will go away - all very complicated and very interesting to watch!
:shades:
Mackabee
Goodness:
Comfort - no stiffness after the 450 mile straight thru drive except for one stop for gas.
Good visibility.
Very quiet interior. Especially noted when passing trucks.
Like outside dichromatic outside mirrors at night.
Headlights gave good coverage at night - both hi and low beams.
Small XM antenna on rear deck works well. Only real drop out was going through Baltimore tunnel. Worked so well that CD's didn't get used.
Rear deck screen sure helps with low setting sun behind you.
Pickup and quiet engine are wonderful.
Good legroom for driver.
Laser cruise control works well. Wouldn't buy a car without it anymore.
Like extra sweep of wipers when cleaning the windshield.
Like backlit buttons on steering wheel.
NAV worked well even though I don't need it for this frequently traveled trip.
Center handrest is at perfect height for me. I like that it slides forward for more comfort.
Heated seats work well. Have to wait till warm weather to see how blowing air through the seats works.
Annoying things:
Regular brake pads make brake dust. Hopefully can get ceramic pads for the LTD when needed. My ceramic pads on the LHS lasted for 110K miles with little brake dust.
Garage door buttons should be backlit like steering wheel buttons.
Why is the XM radio limited to 10 characters? My Delphi XM radio shows all the info.
Exterior miorrors should fold in.
Some road noise from Michelin tires. But tires stuck well to the road in rain.
Much easier to enter info into NAV on Sienna with touch screen. Joystick is not real easy for big fingers. Some voice commands work well and some not so well.
Need extensions on visors when used on side windows to cover the sun.
Speedometer should go to 120MPH so speed reading could be spread out more.
Outside temp should be displayed all the time next to the compass heading.
Trip info screen should be a one button selection like to get to climate and audio screens.
Reset of trip info, MPG, distance should be manually reset by driver, not when filling the tank.
Can't get door locks setup to lock at 12MPH using directions in the manual. Have to have dealer take care of it at 5K oil change.
Wish trunk was somewhat larger.
I like the car. It was a good decision to buy it. Now if I can only combine the good features of the Sienna, LHS and Avalon. Let's see what lasts longer - LHS or Avalon?
Tony
Excellent summary - I agree almost exactly with your impressions. A couple of things -
I have chromed the wheels on my 05 Limited, and the brake dust does not stick to the wheels - no problem with brake dust whatsoever.
The sun visors do slide backward to help block the sun from the back/side. My old 2000 Avy has sliding extensions, which I wish the new one had, but at least with the new Avy you can slide the entire visor back and forth as needed.
Happy motoring.
Max
are there anyone who can get me thoes stock side mirrors with LED turn signals ?
cuz my limited avalon dosent comes with that only the parking light under the mirror !
plz if someone could find me used ones in blizzard color would be appreciated
thanks
ali
__________________
Thanks for that input on the visors. I missed that feature.
I like the look of the chromed wheels. Haven't found anyone near me that does it. Would you mind saying what it cost to have done?
Tony
And if so....how much?
Also......good question about having the rims chromed?
How is that done? How long does it take? How much?
Thanks in advance!
I exchanged my rims for chromed ones, same style. Took 1 or 2 days waiting to get them (I kept the car), then an hour or so to do the exchange. They keep the original rims. Cost me about $700 including labor, balancing, etc.
Had it done at Service Tire Co in Van Nuys, CA. Obviously in LA there are a zillion places to get wheels. Don't know about where you live.
Max
(sorry if this has been discussed already - - couldn't find anything)
that if it is something bad it should get worse while still
in warranty.
Expect that the new Camry, especially with the V6, to open with rave reviews and to poach not only Avalon sales but also Lexus - as the waters become more muddied. As you say, interesting to watch!
Will there ever be an Avalon L? Most likely not. That would definitely infringe too much into Lexus territory.
havalongavalon
The following is copied from the Toyota Question and answer web page.
It may well answer some of the questions as to why you and I don't get what is posted on the label.
It is just a controlled test so that the playing field is level for ALL cars.
"The EPA fuel economy tests are conducted in a laboratory that simulates conditions to allow repeatable test
results. Tests are conducted at an ambient temperature between 68–86°F with the vehicle’s air conditioning
turned off. The highway mpg test simulates a 10-mile trip with no stops and an average speed of 48 mph.
The city miles-per-gallon (mpg) test simulates a 7.5-mile trip with 18 stops and an average speed of 20 mph.
Both EPA tests simulate driving on a level, dry, straight road. Though the tests reflect a portion of real-world
driving conditions, actual driving is highly variable. The EPA results serve as a guide by which all vehicles can
be compared. Many vehicles, when driven in real-world conditions, may not achieve the EPA-estimated fuel
economy figures."
I have seen rust at the end of my avalon tailpipes. I know 316 stainless and some some other lower grades do not rust. I believe the cheaper grades of stainless do rust.
Short drives cause moisture to condense in exhaust systems.The metal does not get hot enough to heat it up enough to pass through and dry the pipes. In normal steel exhausts, short trips, cause excessive muffler system corrosion.
I trust the listing of stainless exhaust system is not like the first item listed on the 2005 window sticker re HP. ange1
oooopppsssss......the dealership can do nothing for you....
Hate to say it....but buyer beware.....just enjoy your XLS anyways...... Happy Motoring!
I had the same problem with a 99 XLS. Was there almost from the start of driving it off the lot. Took many trips before a good old boy mechnic in AL figured it out. Toyota could not. Said I must be hearing things. It was the turntable on top of the strut, once replaced rattle was gone
I am actually enjoying the car more each day I drive it. The car initially seemed to ride a lot harsher than I remember my test drive so I checked the tires and they were inflated to 44PSI! Lowering that to the recommended 30PSI made the car handle and ride like I remembered it: great. Very quiet and everything works with no problem.
The only annoyances are pretty minor: I think Toyota's 'flagship' ought to come with Bluetooth at this point. I would have rather had rear seats that fold down as opposed to reclining. No coin holder. Nothing in the storage compartment to hold CD jewel cases in place.
One interesting episode related to a feature: The owner's manual points out that the car's response to the remote door lock/unlock can be customized. You can choose to have the lights flash, a beep sound, both, or neither. My wife and I find the beeps from seemingly everywhere these days to be annoying so I wanted to turn that off. Unfortunately, the user can't change this. The manual says the dealer has to do it. I went to get this done and the service department wanted a $90 service visit for this. I made it pretty clear that I had no intention of paying that much money to set a feature that should have been user adjustable in the first place. Eventually the service manager agreed to do it for free, but it took them ages to figure out how to do it. It took a call to Toyota HQ for them to find the right spot in the diagnostic computer's menu for the option.
Overall a fantastic car initially: plenty fast, smooth, not a sports car but handles well, plenty of room, quiet, nice quality interior. No buyer's remorse here.