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2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

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Comments

  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Anything dealertricks.com posts I take with a grain of salt. There is plenty of misinformation on the internet.
    : )
    Mackabee
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    My advice and professional opinion on undercoating is this: Don't do it! Every car sold in the USA is undercoated at the factory. Any additional undercoating done at the dealer or Ziebart or wherever may cause problems. Cars have drain holes to drain rainwater, car wash water etc,. When additional undercoating is put on the vehicle some of these drain holes are clogger and the water has nowhere to go. All this does is create premature rusting of the vehicle that remains unseen for years to come until it's too late. However, it's your money and if it makes you feel better and gives you peace of mind go at it.
    : )
    Mackabee
  • solara00solara00 Member Posts: 81
    No shouting implied, even though you might have inferred some. WHEN YOU CAPITALIZE AN ENTIRE SENTENCE, then shouting might well be inferred. Don't be too sensitive about a few caps here and there. It's not that uncommon.

    I was really just pointing out that anytime you "unbalance" an image by placing something only on one side, it will be noticed more so than inserting something in the center which maintains the balance. I'd say if you took that same image and inserted the sensor in the middle of that picture, hardly anyone would notice. IMO. Oops, imo.
  • douglas1douglas1 Member Posts: 130
    I have read the owners manual. If the switch is not in Auto mode then the Daylight Running Lights are not on as they are supposed to be. However, once the Auto mode turns the headlights on in the garage they won't turn off even when I back out into the sunlight.
  • analyticangelanalyticangel Member Posts: 83
    Thanks for the info about undercoating
    What state are you in? I am in South Florida and it seems impossible to get an Avalon without the added 699.00 undercoat/sealant pacakage by the Southeast distributor. Any suggestions ?

    Also, am curious as to whether you think the 2006 XL will have the VSC as an option and/or if that can be changed by Toyota mid year if enough consumers ask for it . Thanks for your expertise
  • bmwdougbmwdoug Member Posts: 248
    Bluetooth can be added after-market. Motorola recently announced a kit for all cars to allow for handsfree link calling. It sounds pretty sweet. Here is the link, check it out:
    http://www.phonecontent.com/bm/news/motorola/706.shtml
  • agentagent Member Posts: 56
    http://www.pricequotes.com/cars/reviewqr.html?review=1237
  • markermarker Member Posts: 4
    Two weeks ago, I test drove an Avalon touring and liked the car and its tight suspension. I drive through twisty canyons everyday. I decided to buy an Avalon Touring in Blizzard Pearl with Ivory Leather. We found one in San Diego except that it was super loaded with every single conceiveable high-cost extra. I told the autoland agent to look around for another car in the same colors but without the satelite radio etc. No news.

    Last week, I wanted some action so I called an AAA agent to connect me with a AAA dealer. I then formally placed a factory order for a Touring in Blizzard Pearl with Ivory Leather. The agent calls back yesterday and tells me that Toyota has changed its production plans and now will only supply the Touring model with charcoal (black) leather and interior. This is regardless of the exterior colors. Bad idea. I live in southern california and park my cars in the hot sun much of the year. We cannot handle a black interior.

    Q: Does anyone know if the Touring model is available in Blizzard Pearl with Ivory Leather available in Northern California?
    Q: If ones buy the XLS (in the blizzard and ivory colors) and then tunes the suspension to be sporty, firmer, what do you think the cost would be? Other solutions or ideas? (besides going for an Infinity, Nissan Maxima, or BMW which are availabe in the white with light tan leather)? Thx.
    mww
  • mikes.mikes. Member Posts: 337
    "I haven't heard the JBL radio yet. For those of you that have, how does it sound?"

    Suprisingly good, I've never thought of a car for audio quality but I am pretty impressed by the sound quality in this car. I run a pretty high end componet system in the house and do my serious listening there. My Limited is now a good second choice.

    MikeS.
  • fd1000fd1000 Member Posts: 47
    It's surprising how much of the discussion here is about trying to get a car 'without' certain features.

    I personally won't take a car unless it's loaded. That's just me. My problem is trying to find a car that is loaded, in the color I want.
  • hutch34hutch34 Member Posts: 34
    I just took delivery of my Blizzard Pearl Limited on Saturday. It took three weeks exactly, to receive my car. If you can learn the scheduled build date then you can estimate approximately two weeks from that date.
  • hutch34hutch34 Member Posts: 34
    You are correct about Nissan, you could substitute Peugeot for Nissan as they were purchased by Peugeot.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    It was Renault, and Nissan wasnt necessarily PURCHASED in whole by Renault, that company has a controlling stake.

    ~alpha
  • isdsmsisdsms Member Posts: 3
    I am disappointed that there is no way to interface my iPod with this unit. It does not have a tape player in it and no other apparent way to interface other than an FM signal. That alone is causing me pause in purchasing the Limited.
  • dshimkatdshimkat Member Posts: 54
    isdsms,

    If you purchase the Limited without the Navigation option, then it comes with a tape player where the Nav controls would have gone.
  • bperrymanbperryman Member Posts: 15
    I have purchased the gold package on my last two Toyotas(Camry XLE and Avalon)--I just bought a 2005 LTD and am not sure what should have been included in the gold package. Could any of you tell me what is the standard gold package.

    Thanks
  • abfischabfisch Member Posts: 591
    Exactly what I was talkinng about. The roofline to the seat line is lower, and you have to duck to get out. Those of us who are older or have back problems cannot appreciated this. The old one is better for some of us.

    abfisch
  • abfischabfisch Member Posts: 591
    Be careful with the Ziebart process. They spray the interior doors, and that is where the speakers are. Many times, the undercoating gets on the back of the speakers, diminishing the fidelity especially at louder volumes since the woofers cannot move adeuately.

    I disagree with soundproofing from the Ziebart standpoint for many reasons. First, you just paid 30K or more for a machine you ride in.

    Second, Ziebart used to drill holes sometimes through painted surfaces to get their undercoating in. This violated the paint and may set up surface rust sooner.

    Soundproofing a car's interioris best done from the inside out, like they do at the factory. This would entail using material made for that like styrofoam and "Dynamat", material areas of sound infiltration.

    Thirdly, underdcoating on the bottom of the chassis wears down with time.

    Application of sound deadening materials to the truck, doors and fire wall, along with a quieter tire might be more fruitful, and less invasive.

    Not the gospel, just my opinion.

    abfisch
  • tommyg12tommyg12 Member Posts: 158
    Wow, that's interesting. Did you actually see the Touring with Ivory interior? The brochure released by Toyota on the introduction date only listed Graphite for the touring model, and is still the case on the Toyota website. Not having an alternate interior color and lack of VSC availability is a turn off for me for the Touring.
  • pmcb48pmcb48 Member Posts: 192
    Mackabee expressed a negative opinion on dealer-done undercoating, citing, among other things, drain holes that could get plugged. Are you equally negative on the dealer version? Also about rustproofing?
  • boatsmanboatsman Member Posts: 37
    Mackabee when I was going through the manual etc in the glove box I noticed two plastic wrapped packets each containing two black oblong rubber plugs which said they were supposed to be put in the frame. Apparently they weren't and also weren't checked off on the make ready sheet either. I haven't been back to the dealer yet. Should I be concerned about this. Can I drive in the rain without a lot of water and road dirt getting into that area until the plugs are put in?
  • mtwmtw Member Posts: 3
    Is this antenna a magnetic box that can be easily moved ? Is it possible to put the antenna inside the car under the back glass? Do you think the reception will still work ?

    MTW
  • cc12wittcc12witt Member Posts: 8
    I too am disappointed with the lack of an interface for an i-pod. Even though this is a new model Avalon, the i-pod has already been around for a number of years, so, WELL DUHH !!!, Toyota planners!

    On another subject, as one who has had leather in his '85 Cressida and '95 Avalon, and wouldn't be without it in terms of ease of entry/exit, comfort and durability, I fail to see the need of air-conditioning OR heat for my tush, and look at this as another example of un-necessary price-gouging!! That feature makes it necessary, I suppose for the perforations in the leather, which, to my eye, look pretty damned cheap and crappy! The "leather" looks thin enough to read a newspaper through, and it has a puckered and wrinkled appearance, definitely unacceptable on a car that costs this much!
  • pmcb48pmcb48 Member Posts: 192
    Wouldn't it be faster to call your salesperson and/or the service department at your dealer and ask them? That's what they're getting paid for. :-)
  • abfischabfisch Member Posts: 591
    WALK away from both, if you can. They are both the 1st model year.

    abfisch
  • boatsmanboatsman Member Posts: 37
    Yes of course it would be but I thought the purpose of this forum was to share experiences, good and bad with this vehicle and I wondered if this had happened to anyone else. I also wanted another opinion in case the dealer told me they weren't needed. Sorry I'm not as smart as you "pmcb48"
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    I'm in Va. We are in a different distributor area that Florida as you know. I think if enough people call 1-800-GO-TOYOTA and complain they will do a mid year change and add vsc/TRAC to the XL and Touring. You know what they say; the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
    ; )
    Mackabee
  • prigglypriggly Member Posts: 642
    I am disappointed in the overall quality of the JBL Synthesis system. It is supposed to be 7.1 surround sound but in fact the sound is simply adjusted by means of digital signal processing instead of true discreet multi-channel sound as is available with DVD-A discs. If you compare it to the ELS system of the Acura TL there is simply no comparison. Also, the quality of the speakers in the Avalon is not as good as it could be or should be for the price of the car, especially in Canada where there is a multi-thousand dollar premium on the car over its US price and where the Limited model with its multiple additional useful features is not available at any price. Not good at all.
  • douglas1douglas1 Member Posts: 130
    I went of to the dealer this morning and they plugged in this hand held device like a game boy. You can make adjustments to almost everything on the car. The tech pulled up the auto headlight menu and you can set the sensitivity to 5 levels, normal plus 2 lighter and 2 darker. Moved to one setting darker and now the lights don't come on in the garage.

    The tech let me play with it a bit and I changed several other settings too. Way cool to play with and really customize your Avalon.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    I'd take the car back to the dealer and have them put in. They are in there for a purpose.
    : )
    Mackabee
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    marker, you were probably confused with all the excitement surrounding the new Avalon. The Touring is only available with charcoal interior.
    : )
    Mackabee
  • dshimkatdshimkat Member Posts: 54
    mtw,

    My XM antenna, that was installed by the dealer not the factory, is attached by a magnet and double sided tape. It can be moved, but takes a lot of effort. I don't have any experience with placing the antenna inside the car for the Avalon, so I can't comment on whether it would work under the back glass. I have read on other car forums (Corvette) of XM antenna placement on the front dash and inside the rear bumper of the Corvette and the signal worked just fine. The Corvette body is made of a synthetic molded compound, so the signal is able to go through the rear bumper. I am not sure if the Avalon rear window that contains the diversity antenna would interfere with the XM reception. Hopefully another Avalon owner that has had their XM antenna installed inside the car can comment.
  • dshimkatdshimkat Member Posts: 54
    mikeroach,

    Sorry for the delay in posting pics of the ivory interior in my Avalon. I am a novice when it comes to lighting and taking good digital pictures, so these are not the best, but hopefully they will give you an idea of the ivory color.

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/dshim/8.jpg
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/dshim/9.jpg
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/dshim/10.jpg
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/dshim/11.jpg
  • 1violinist1violinist Member Posts: 338
    I guess "Ivory" is not an accurate description. It looks more "Taupe" to me. Best way is to see the color in person and judge for oneself.
  • tommyg12tommyg12 Member Posts: 158
    Either way, Dark Charcoal (basically black) is the only interior option listed on the Toyota web site for the Touring. Wish they offered the light grey.
  • dajabdajab Member Posts: 35
    Speaking of woodgrain color, does anyone know
    how to ensure getting a darker wood color?

    Yesterday we drove an XLS with the graphite
    (NOT the near-black touring charcoal) color and
    really liked the dark reddish woodgrain trim.
    On the other hand, my wife really didn't like
    the blondish wood trim that seems to come with
    the lighter (ivory? light grey?) interiors.
  • analyticangelanalyticangel Member Posts: 83
    Can you explain to me how it works if you use AAA agent and whether you can get below MSRP pricing on the Avalon Thanks
  • analyticangelanalyticangel Member Posts: 83
    pmcb48 Congrats on ordering your car !
    Where do you live and how tough is it to get an Avalon by you? Thanks
  • buckeye6buckeye6 Member Posts: 8
    I did not have the Ziebart rustproofing. No drilling doors, or spraying inside cavities. This was undercoating/soundproofing(their terminology). I had the car up on a rack today, looking for plugged holes and didn't see any. But, I appreciated your posts and you could be right. But, I felt like I had to do something, and it did help.
    The car goes to the dealer tomorrow for a several day stay. I'm having a little work done at a local hospital and won't need it for a while. I talked with the mechanic who does all the new car service work and we covered everything. example, about the wind noise, he was surprised, said "thats a 2, lexus is also a 2" whatever that means. I'll check back in a couple days.
    Oh, the company who did the soundproofing used to be Ziebart company, but now calls themselves Z-tech. Said they still do exactly the same things. They are located in Huntington, W Va.
  • hutch34hutch34 Member Posts: 34
    I got the dark wood with the dark gray.
  • mjb56mjb56 Member Posts: 170
    I know this has been addressed before but really needs to be reinforced. It is absolutely ridiculous that Toyota does not offer the option of Stability Control on the Touring trim level of this car. You can order it on the Matrix/Vibe, not to mention other lower priced models. What are they thinking? Can any of you long time Toyota experts explain the logic behind this? (Heated seats would be nice too, but I can live without that)
  • douglas1douglas1 Member Posts: 130
    When someone is sitting in the passenger seat on my Limited there is an orange light "AirBagON". This light comes on for several seconds at startup, goes off and then comes back on and stays on. The owers manual says it is supposed to come on at start and then go out but doesn't say anything about coming back on.

    The dealer says it is supposed to be on all the time. Can any other owners confirm that your passenger airbag light is on or off when there is a passenger in the car. Thanks in advance.
  • bmwdougbmwdoug Member Posts: 248
    No bluetooth for the Avalon. I am surprised Toyota did not put this feature in the car. Anyone tried the after market bluetooth?
  • pmcb48pmcb48 Member Posts: 192
    Fair enough. You could also call several dealers to get several opinions, for that matter. No offense meant, however easily taken.
  • dajabdajab Member Posts: 35
    During test-driving yesterday, I didn't notice if the AirBag Light went off briefly at startup, but it DID stay on during the entire drive on at least of 2 of the 3 models we tested. The salesperson said that it comes on when anyone over 60 pounds sits in the passenger seat. (Small children, therefore, will not trigger the airbag, in theory.)

    So, your light staying on when there is a sizable passenger is perfectly fine. (Perhaps the light comes on and then goes out only when NO one is in the passenger seat.)
  • pmcb48pmcb48 Member Posts: 192
    Thanks for sharing your experience. This is clearly a complicated car.
  • pmcb48pmcb48 Member Posts: 192
    I am in SE Virginia. My dealer is getting 20 Avalons in March. I'm estimating about 2 months from preference placement to arrival.
  • pmcb48pmcb48 Member Posts: 192
    "about the wind noise, he was surprised, said "thats a 2, lexus is also a 2" whatever that means."

    An introductory DVD on the Avalon for dealers, of which I got a copy, discussed that. It refers to the relative wind noise level. Toyota was talking about all the measures they had taken to reduce wind noise in the Avalon, and had reduced it from 3 previously down to 2, same as Lexus.
  • markermarker Member Posts: 4
    The way that car purchasing works with AAA here is that a) you pick out the brand, model, color, and options. b) AAA gives you the dealers with those kinds of cars in your area for which they have already pre-negotiated terms. The dealer gets an exact $XXX margin above manufacturers invoice. c) you call them and see if they have the car in stock. d) If so, you go and check out the car, see the invoice (not MSRP) and pay them exactly $XXX above the price on that specific car's invoice. no haggling.
  • markermarker Member Posts: 4
    Mackabee
    Thank you. You may be right. It could have been a mistake. I did not see the car itself but I almost bought it "sight unseen" over the telephone via our local AutoLand agent. (This is a car purchasing service for members of my credit union). On the other hand, the car might have been an anomoly since she swore that it was a touring. I will ask her to send over the spec sheet on that car since she mentioned that she did receive one from the SD dealer.
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