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Comments
1) there's no place to put loose change
2) there is no slot / ledge / holder to hold things like pens, parking pass, tic-tacs, etc other than the center armrest holder.
3) as thick as the center armrest holder is, how come it does not have a top partition to hold additional knick-knacks?
Anyone have suggestions? If I can't find any pre-made holders that does not clash with the interior, I may have to resort to fashioning one out of Texalium cloth / epoxy and place it in front of the cassette.
pay for your extended warranty? I am wanting a 7 yr/100,000 $.00 deductible.
Was told by F & I guy that it would be $2,100. - He's definately yanking my
chain!
Ditto on #1, #2,& #3. So glad you said that. I have missed those little things so much! I spent a couple of hours just today looking for a "holder" for all the things you mentioned. No luck! I traded in a 98 lexus es300 and lack of storage space for "small" items are the only Gripe I have about my XLS. Hate to put a rubber band around my visor (tacky) to attach my neighborhood pass so it is in easy reach. (It gets tangled up with my sunglasses if I try to put it there and drops down in the bottom of the console when I tried it there .) Nearly ran into the gate trying to dig it out one day. Not a bright move!!! Maybe one day they have a replacement for the center armrest top and I WILL buy it!!!
mmg1
I traded in my 85 Toyota for a 90 when my kids outgrew its rear seat. I kept my 90 until last years when a truck destroyed it (it had 240,000 miles on it), I traded by 98 Avalon (86000 miles) for the 2005 when I fell in love with it. My 2003 Echo now has 12000 miles on it.
All cars were serviced at the dealer - oil, tranny fluids, filters and tune-ups. I needed an exhaust pipe & muffler job on my 90 Camry at 140,000. I needed struts on the Camry at 90,000.
Mr. (Ms.?) earth: Don't sweat the small stuff. Put the hammer down.
Groza
Nick, you're kidding us, Right??? This forum has well over 5,000 posts about this car. From when it was still speculation back in 2004 to today.
Yes, many of us have bought the 05 in various models, trims and colors.
Let me put it to ya this way, The car became generally available on February 7th, 2005. I bought my Indigo Ink Limited fully loaded except for XM on 02/10. I now have over 5,000 miles on it in 3 months. It is the best car I've ever driven.
If you want a LTD be prepared to wait up to 2 months for it. They are in tight supply in most parts of the country. Prices are ranging from ABOUT 600 over invoce to 4-5,000 over MSRP, mostly in South Fla.
People seem to be getting the best deals going through UBS (United Buyers service, I think) and don't pay more then 1,000 for the Toyota Platinum 7yr/100K mile/ 0 deductible warranty. It is available from Greenfield Toyota in Ma for 985 USD.
Good luck,
MikeS.
Given the repeated requests, I took photos to show where I installed the AW-20E0 silver bumper sensors and buzzer from Awell Logistics Marketing that johni and I mentioned in earlier posts (#4143, 4809, 5192). etc.--------
Can you provide any additional info on where to purchase the sensor&buzzer. I've done a Google search on both AW-20E0 and Awell Logistics Marketing and came up empty handed.
Right now I'm looking at a AudioVox 2 sensor unit installed for $229.
Thanks
if you Search this Discussion for "awell" you get 8 (now more) hits and their address pops up in #5192: www.awellmarket.com.
We bought the Pro-series with 4 sensors and buzzer. The silver (code AW-20E0) matches titanium perfectly. The installation instructions are straightforward, only flaw is that the two supplied wire connectors may not make a reliable contact -- this we discussed in previous posts. Cost is under $100 + shipping but you'll need to install.
Best wishes,
havalongavalon
I keep coins in an old 35 mm film plastic cannister, as well as mailbox key and ring, a short pen and cards, inside the compartment directly behind the transmission shifter, where the cell phone holder and 12 V outlet are. The compartment bottom is lined, so these things don't rattle much. I think there is room for tic-tacs, too
Best wishes,
havalongavalon
Mackabee
It's a beutiful day in the Old Dominion!
I agree with everything that you said. My previous car, a 2000 Avalon XLS had places for loose change, gum, tic tacs, etc. My new 2005 has none (unless I am willing to move or raise the arm rest.. When going through a toll booth, I suppose that I'm expected to throw the change on the floor.
A couple of suggestion:
If you do not use the cup holder, it will snap out leaving that cavity available to hold lots of miscellaneous stuff.
I moved everything out of the forward storage compartment. The is plenty of space in the compartment behind it. I now use the lid of the forward compartment to hold small stuff. It has raised edges so items will not slide off. I just don't open that compartment. There is still more space left in the compartment under the arm rest than I ever had with my 2000 Avalon.
Regards :confuse:
FYI I not have about 550 miles on my car and thus far it runs very well. No rattles, squeaks, hesitation or anything else. The gas mileage is just as advertised.
This is usually where the Navigation DVD system is installed. I suspect that your two circular wells are about the diameter of a DVD. My Limited has a rectangular, carpeted cap over this area, presumably protecting the DVD system.
+ 7% Tax + Destniation Charge = 32123/- ( O.D price )
Can someone please tell me whether this was a good bargain ??? ....
I have been thinking about this for a long time ...my initial offer to any dealer way
30,500 ( O.D ) for an XLS..which drove many dealers crazy
I also find the Invoice price on edmunds & KBB 27104 USD for an XLS
but if I goto BuyaToyota and check ...the invoice is well over 28K
which one to believe ......
Good one Mack! I was thinking the cupholders were for all the change you saved getting an Avalon.
-LoUdSpEaKeR
"My kingdom for a cupholder!"
Good job!
Pricecutter
Easy to take out and flat on the bottom, makes a nice drinking water bowl for the dogs..
El Jefe
Ken
Ronn and Just me...come back on board.
Also, just a note, I have been have problems on my remote start.
I appreciate your comments. Except possibly for the color of mudflaps, this may have been the most controversial issue in the Avalon forum so far, so I "hesitate" to approach it again in the absence of more data. For the moment, this term seems to describe the observations reported by a number of Avalon owners, my own included. For me, the occasional cases of transmission indecision have been no more than minor hiccups, a benign sign of an adaptive system, and at no time have constituted a safety issue.
Best wishes,
havalongavalon
We are told that the Avalon has an adaptive transmission that "learns" the driver's patterns/habits and can modify the car's responses and performance accordingly. It is important to remember that during learning tasks, initially one may make mistakes. The Avalon's occasional shifting indecisions may be a reflection of this learning process when conditions are changing.
An example: suppose you suddenly change your driving style, say from conservative, gas-saving to more agressive if you realize that you are running late, or if the road opens up ahead of you. It could take the transmission some time to catch up with your change in driving style and it may seem indecisive for a while.
Another example: you leave home with a full carload in the morning, drop off the four teens and slowly leave the School Zone, then suddenly you step on it to catch up with the 300C you just saw waiting at the next stop light. How predictably will your Avalon respond to these changes in payload AND in your driving style? Couldn't it possibly shift into a "wrong" gear at that initial moment?
Here is another thought: In cars with two or more regular drivers, different drivers may have very different driving styles. So, after you switch drivers, initially the transmission may need some time to catch up with the change. There could be what you could consider an inappropriate response to your foot's wishes, a momentary hesitation, before your Avalon realizes who is the new rider on the saddle.
What all this seems to mean is that the Avalon's learning period may never end, it could and should go on forever. As is the case for us evolving people, this should also be the case for a flexible, adaptive electromechanical system. So if you are a sole, very consistent and very predictable driver, your Avalon will have figured you out right away and has probably performed flawlessly ever since. But if you have variable driving conditions, or change your style often, or are one of several drivers, your Avalon will need to be continually adapting to the changing conditions and may sometimes seem to be indecisive while in the process of adapting.
For me, the occasional cases of transmission indecision have been no more than minor hiccups and at no time have constituted a safety issue. On the contrary, this adaptability should allow the car to perform in a safer manner in the presence of typical changes in conditions, demands or driving styles.
Some cars used to come with a two-position switch: "Power" or "Economy". The Avalon appears to do this and more, in a subtle way.
Hope this helps,
havalongavalon
Also, several people here, including me, think the Acura RL is a much better comp to the Avalon than the TL. Apparently you agree if you have had 3 RL's in 7 years and now go with an Av. Any one thing make you change? Or many? Let us know....
I have been busy doing as some suggested and taking it back to my Toyota dealer. Here is what happened. I called Tuesday and it turned out that the mid atlantic toyota "guru" was in baltimore and could swing down to Vienna to see my car. I was supposed to leave work early to meet this guru and take him out and show him what the car did. He was supposed to be there until 5. I got there at 4:30 and was told he left at 2 :mad: I wish they would of called and told me. I would not have taken off work to meet him.
The bad news: There is a fix for the Lexus which displays similar issues but they can not apply it to Avalons. The transmissions are the same but the engines are different. I could not get a commitment from anyone on whether they are trying to get a fix for the Avalon. The service director told me there many others like me. I asked for names and numbers so we could lobby Toyota but he would not oblige.
He said that many of them were having the problem ALL the time. Not only is it happening in the Avalon but also in the Highlander. Toyota is pretty much leaving it to the dealer to try and fix the problem but the dealer is telling me they have no where else to go. I think the car being a program should compensate for driving style differences. This version does not.
The service director explained it this way. It is a combination of car and driver. The car is computer controlled. The software only knows that you want to go forward when your foot is on the gas pedal. The same for the brake. In this car you lose the ability press the pedal to reach speed and then ease off and only put your foot on the pedal again when you want to increase speed again. The service director called them pulse drivers. The computer picks up the on and off action on the pedal and that makes for uneven acceleration and shifting. So you need both a car with an electronic pedal, a computer directing the gas release and a person who drives the pedal in pulses instead of continuously leaving your foot on the pedal.
The dealership can not do anything because Toyota claims no one is having the problem/it does not exist. What can we do to help ourselves? Pay attention to the pedal and the way they explained it was press with purpose and do not release even if the car kicks or jumps. (I recommend a empty parking lot to a highway). After several times it picks up that the pedal stayed depressed and lets the gas out gradually and continually. this tends to minimizing the jump (it will happen less often and not be a bad). He also advocated using the standard shifting anytime the traffic is bad and you do not feel comfortable pulling out. Kick it over to standard and shift it 1, 2, 3. In this way you can be sure you are getting the pick up you need. Another thing to keep in mind, moving to standard erases the learning and so provided you know how to drive standard you can switch over to that side drive it in standard for several stop lights and reset the computer. I was doing it the past few weeks and the car would drive fine for a while but then it would hiccup. Also the standard shift at level 4 will adjust down if you are not going fast enough to be in 4.. so in 1 you can only drive 1, in two it will adjust between 1 and 2 and so on up the line to 4. It sounds like if you leave it in 4 will will still drive like an automatic only you will not have the 5th gear. I am testing these things over the next week or two to see if I can make the problem "disappear". I will let you know how I fare. The other alternative is that we can do the lemon law arbitration thing. I am not to that point yet. I spent two months looking before I settled on this one. So, I kind of doubt I am going to find something else.
If you are looking to go into a Avalon my advice is to ask to drive it over night and make sure you take if for 100+ miles in automatic. If you get up the next morning and it still drives ok in automatic, the car is a gem for you.. run to the dealer and buy it. If you have problems, give serious thought to how much time and effort you will can put into retraining yourself so that the car is not a nightmare to drive. If we are lucky there will be a update or change to the software code to lessen the effect of drive style on the car.
I'm in complete agreement. Based on no problems for drivetrain, mechanical and electrical systems for our four toyota's spanning 21 years (all vehicles still running and being used), I did not purchase the 7yr/75,000 $1500 warranty being offered for our 2005 XLS. Although others in this forum have expressed a recurring concern on the quality of this NEW model year, our 1995 XLS reliability has been excellent which, statistically, should carry on with the 2005's. By the way, Consumer Reports has a great article concerning extended warranty's and in general, do not think the extra bucks warrant the additional coverage, which as a whole, I have adhered to and have not been disappointed, as long as a quality and highly rated product is purchased.
Laserpam, It's your money and your peace of mind! : :
canefire : :shades:
Thank you for sharing what you learned today, very interesting. I just re-read your original post as well. The advice you were given, to "pay attention to the pedal and ... press with purpose and do not release even if the car kicks or jumps" sounds a lot like the technique for braking with ABS; never pump the brakes but rather hold a steady pressure because if you pump, the ABS gets confused.
What did he tell you about how hard or far to press the gas pedal? I find that my Avalon requires unusually low pedal pressure (and, on the other hand, requires a fair amount of brake pedal pressure) compared to my previous Camry or my 2003 Honda Pilot. Maybe it's how it has trained to respond by now; but as I recall, both pedal sensitivities were like this, from the beginning. In normal traffic driving I just step on the gas very lightly, over a small fraction of its travel. If I suddenly press the gas pedal 1/4 of the way down, my car instantly downshifts and roars away.
When you follow the advice you received today to hold a steady pressure, I'd suggest to try to press on the gas pedal as lightly as possible. If you hold this level the car shouldn't kick or jump; it should soon learn to accelerate gradually and smoothly.
If training Avalonkitten in this manner is successful, but still doesn't do the trick of taming Avalonkitten's Avalon, then clearly your Avalon may be a problem learner and need drastic remedial help.
Best wishes,
havalongavalon
havalong
Hi There
What weather tech mat did you get I went to site where you got it and spoke to customer service and they say the cargo mat for 05 Avalon is available in Black only (never came in grey)Your pic looks grey ?
Can you tell me if it is grey or black
Also looking to change out license frame from black plastic dealer frame Anyone find anything nice ? Thanks
Congratulations!!!! Mine still seems to be a week or two away. Hope to hear today on the exact delivery date. Ordered on March 5
I did see a Cassis Pearl Limited in a dearership in Sarasota FL which had just been prepped for delivery. It was gorgeous. I think you will be pleased.
Please let me know how the pinstripes look (color, number, width, etc.). Maybe I can talk my dealer into a freebie also.
Are you planning on installing "back-up" sensors?
Please keep me posted at "first1@ix.netcom.com" or on this forum.
By the way, today is THURSDAY the 13th, so no need to worry about omens.
Bakeroid
My WeatherTech cargo mat is black. Most Toyota dealers sell custom chromed license plate brackets with "Avalon" on the bottom in fancy black letters. I got one for the front - looks very nice. On the back, I use a simple chrome one with no lettering, since Avalon is already spelled out on the trunk.
Max
Yes, it does. Sounds like a good idea, but I don't know where you would start looking for such a cover. Dealer? Toyota? Third party?"
I've only driven it 20 miles but there have been no strange shifting of the transmission, the ride is very smooth and quite.
The driver seat adjusts in so many ways that it took me awhile to get it to my liking but I did and it is very comfortable. I especially like the ventilated seats blowing out cool air.
The pin striping will be painted on next Friday. I don't really need back-up sensors. I only park backing up at the train station.
The sunshade goes up and down quietly. I'll put my change inside the front armrest (no problem there). The radio cover works easily and looks good.
I know I just got it today but I am very happy with my choice. I don't think I made a mistake.
This is one great looking car!
I have a $38,500 limited on order. I don't think for one minute that I should have to tolerate hesitations etc. while the transmission tries to figure out who is driving the car. The examples you put fourth are exactly the reason why this "learning" process will never provide the owner with the consistence performance one should expect from a luxury automobile.
This “learning” concept really has me concerned because I just talked to a friend who has a 2004 Lexus ES330 and was told they would reset the computer and the learning would restart, hopefully eliminating the hesitations.
I’m not interested in hearing justifications or excuses for the way the 2005 transmission may perform. I’ve driven a Touring and a Limited and for the short spin I took I’d say the transmission performed flawlessly. And, that’s exactly what I expect from the Limited, due to be delivered to me on 5/29/05.
Thanks for your toutorial, even though it sounds like what I'd expect to hear from an enthusiastic used car salesman.