2011 Toyota Avalon

nan48

Wow, I met another owner of a Dodge charger. I had a 1970, with a 318, loved the car.

Update on my 2011 Avalon. I would have to agree. Amazing car. Last MPG was 24.8 city driving, computer said I was getting 27.6. I am happy with the 25 MPG. After a long drive your not tired, just like you said. I do have the "low tire" light on. I am told probably due to weather change. I did go through the class today and was impressed by Toyota information on my new car. I asked about Synthetic vs. regular oil. Both oils was used in different engines he said. LOOK at your oil cap to which oil is in your Avalon. He recommended Synthetic.

Extended warranty?? Any thoughts out there? The man next to me said he paid 22 hundred for his. Wow, no way! There is a number some where on our blog were it's a lot cheaper, about 900 dollars I think. Anybody buy an extended warranty? All in all this seems like a great car. Hope this helps everyone!

nimimi

Just bought a Toyota Platinum Extended Warranty, $0 deductible, 7 year/75,000 miles for $656 from Jerry Johnson at Midwest Toyota/Superstore in Hutchinson, KS. Found it for $9 less at other dealers in KS and MO but liked the response from Jerry. I'm in the state of WA and this warranty is the exact same one my dealer would have sold me for $1,500.

nan48

nan48

Do you have a phone number? Can I purchase this warranty? IS IT a Toyota warranty? When the man next to me told me what he paid for his extended warranty, I was shocked. I really didn't know what to say. I think I was quoted 900 dollars for the Platinum Warranty. But I am not sure.

nan48

Oh yea, I have 5w30 oil in my Avalon. My oil cap says I do so I assume I do. I won't change to synthetic until the free service is up. In the class today they said synthetic change is every 10 thousand miles, regular oil is 5 thousand. Hope this help all the talk about the oil in the Avalon. One person said MPG would increase with nitrogen in the tires. Any thoughts or feedback on this?

Hey everyone, I'm still wanting information on extended warranty. Thanks!

bdyment

Your gas mileage will not increase enough to make up for the cost of the nitrogen. Just keep your tires inflated properly with good old air.

manatoc5

You are wrong. In Canton Ohio ( Terry's Tire Town) they put Nitrogen in your tires for free to generate goodwill, so it cant cost that much at all. Secondly, I tried nitrogen on two different vehicles on a 60 mile expressway trip in a 2006 Corolla and a 2010 Avalon at 60 mph. Nitrogen increases mileage by 4mpg in both vehicles. Try it yourself.

popsavalon

Phone number was 800-530-5789 when I purchased my warranty a couple of years ago from same place. It is the Toyota warranty offered by any Toyota dealer. The Platinum Warranty covers all major components and is available in various years/mileage coverage. The warranty can be purchased at any time prior to 3 yrs./36000 miles for Toyota vehicles.

If your vehicle is sold prior to warranty expiration, it can be transferred to new owner.

robsis

Not sure about any mileage gains; however, where I have been pleased with the nitrogen fill is in the ability of the tires to keep their correct pressure even with severe temperature swings...I used to get the TPMS lights on regularly when the temps swung...haven't had a single one since switching to nitrogen...and I've checked the tires regularly. They just hold their pressure better, IMHO. Worth it, for me...and the wife, as she hates it when the light comes on as she panics, thinking there is a flat coming.

robsis

Just a thought on buying the extended warranty from other than your servicing dealer....when I have had a warranty issue over the years that seemed like the service manager was waffling on, I would go see the sales manager or F&I manager for assistance. This has always worked for me and gotten quick results, versus the hassle of calling Toyota CS, etc etc etc.

When the pricing is better elsewhere, I just get it and plop it on the F&I guys desk. It is amazing how much they will come down at that point, as they want that sale. I can usually get pretty close in price and I love that I can get help from them (GSM or F&I Mgr) if I ever need it.

YMMV, of course, as some F&I guys just won't price match; however, it is at least important to try......

gramz

I think your are 100% correct. Everything I've read leads me to believe that the ability to maintain the correct pressure is the only benefit of adding nitrogen. You don't lose pressure so you don't lose mpg.

All tires will have up to 70% nitrogen without anything added.

iamknott

"All tires will have up to 70% nitrogen without anything added."

Exactly. And this is why I have a problem believing that an extra 30% of nitrogen is going to yield a significant advantage. Have any of the car magazines addressed this issue?

tjc78

Secondly, I tried nitrogen on two different vehicles on a 60 mile expressway trip in a 2006 Corolla and a 2010 Avalon at 60 mph. Nitrogen increases mileage by 4mpg in both vehicles. Try it yourself.

If there was that much of an MPG advantage the auto makers would be putting it in at the factory to bring their CAFE numbers down. 4 MPG on a 29 MPG rated vehicle is almost a 15% increase , I just don't see it.

Just to feed the forum what did your Avalon deliver on this test? I would think a solid 31 to 32 MPG. I know at 75 - 80 I could get 28.5-29 fairly easily with regular air and the tires at 33PSI.

popsavalon

With my Toyota Extended Warranty in hand, I would have no problem leaning on anyone at my dealership. When I bought my Avalon, the F&I guy couldn't (wouldn't) get within $500 of the Hutchison, Kansas price; which appeared to be very near the best price in the U.S. The Extended Warranty is a cash cow for a lot of dealers, they make more on it than on the actual vehicle sale.

Calling Toyota CS should be the "last resort, all else has failed" step for any warranty problem.

kenb757

Actually, the atmoshere is 78%, 21% oxygen, and about 1% other gases at sea level. By adding nitrogen, you're primarily eliminating oxygen from the tires. The nitrogen molecules may be larger than oxygen's and may leak less, thereby maintaining the original pressure longer and nitrogen may expand less with heat and contract less with cold? With air, most tire pressures increase by about 4 psi when warm. Is it substantially less with 100% nitrogen?

iamknott

kenb,

You're right about nitrogen composing 78% of air. My fault for not looking it up, but it does strengthen my doubt that the addition of a relatively small amount of additional nitrogen (at a premium price) is going to yield big improvements.

I am certainly no chemist. It was only by virtue of the fact that my college chemistry lab partner's father had access to a mass spectrometer that we were able to pass Qualitative Analysis. Nevertheless, I also have strong doubts about the theory that nitrogen leaks slower than oxygen because its molecules are bigger. I can't imagine that the tire, wheel rim, and valve manufacturers are measuring the fit of their products down to the molecular level.

fin

Don't worry about how N works... just enjoy the fact that N will leak out significantly slower than ordinary compressed air and will hold a set pressure much longer as the tire temp rises and falls while driving. This is most noticeable on a hot day on the interstate, the car feels a lot better.

N by itself will never add 4 mpg or anything close to it to gas mileage. But it does, as noted, keep tire inflation consistent and thus produces slightly better fuel mileage over a longer time. N is almost free to a dealer so pay a little and feel good. Heavy trucks and pilots have used N for years for different reasons but the results are good in both applications. We have used it for years in all our cars....

bdyment

Do they charge you to top up the nitrogen? I am not aware of any dealer, service station etc. that offers free nitrogen in our area. 4mpg seems way too high. If this was the case all manufacturers would install nitrogen from the factory. They spend millions of dollars on engineering to gain a fraction of a mpg.

robsis

In my area, the dealers who charge for the N allow regular top-offs for free. You'd think they would as some charge up to $60 to do the original charge (outrageous, IMHO...). There are some smaller mom-and-pops who charge $20.

twinb

My local Costco uses N in their tire store, signified by the green valve stem cap I think. Never a charge for it.

robsis

Ya...we're Costco members, but have to drive 90 miles to get to one....not convenient when it comes to tires....

gilseidman

I have the 2008 Avalon Ltd and use regular oil which I change with the filter every 5000 miles, as stated in the manual. I have driven 36,000 miles and have not had any problems with the car. I also have a 1995 Toyota Avalon with 165,000 miles and have always used regular oil which I have changed every 3,500 miles. On that car, I change the filter every other oil change and I have never had any engine problems with that car, which also runs like new. What is important, is how you drive the car. No jack rabbit starts and no racing to lights to jam on your brakes. If you take care of your car, it will take care of you.

nan48

Thanks for the input on the air, warranty, and oil. I'm not sure about the nitrogen vs. air. I guess the cost of adding nitrogen would be a big factor. On the extended warranty, I will take the persons advice about taking the price from Kansas to the dealer and try to get them to come close or even match that price. I probably would get better service. ? ( any thoughts) ? My light is still on (tire light) and the man at the dealership said to put 36 PSI in all my tires. Wow, I thought, 36. He said it would help the wear on the tires to be more even, he also said to rotate the tires regularly. Of course I know that. I have 53 thousand miles on my 2001 Dodge with the same tires since new. I've rotated them regularly though. I have about est. 30% tire thread left, perhaps a little less. Anyway thanks to everyone. If I do change to nitrogen then I will let everyone know and I keep very close on my MPG, so if any improvements I will note them for everyone. I can only hope that the person who said they got 4 MPG better is right. I can't see that happening though. With MPG being such a big factor these days, the dealers would push that. Don't you think? Just a thought! Again thank you. Oh yea, Another question. Pin strip. I have a coupon for FREE pin strip from the dealer. Anyone have pin strip on their cars? My Avalon is Silver.

nimimi

I can't comment on Nitrogen or pin stripes. On the warranty, it's the same warranty no matter where you purchase it. If you think your dealer would give more credence to your warranty if you purchased it from him, I'd find a new dealer. I've never heard of dealers giving better service to those who'd purchased from them as opposed to purchasing from some other dealer. What happens if you move in from out of town? Are you expected then to put up with arbitrary and capricious service merely because you didn't grow up in that town? Makes no sense. The warranty is a Toyota warranty regardless where it is purchased.

Don't put 36 lbs. in your tires. They're supposed to have 32 lbs. I would put no more than 34 lbs. in them. Anything more and the wear pattern would be such that they'd become bald in the center with more tread on the edges.

fin

Using 36 PSI in a cold tire on an Avalon is excessive. Use 34 max, as mentioned above.... My '07 Limited has a dealer installed stripe, looks fine, no problem. But I have never used an automatic car wash either, always hand washed, something to consider. Pay a few bucks to put N in the tires and see if you can tell a difference, can't hurt....

chief41

Wierd thing about our heat system on our 200 Avalon. It has dual climate controls and the heat works fine on the drivers side blowing nice warm air. The passenger side however blows cold air with the temp settings for both at 82 degrees. What is the solution to this?

nan48

Well, I did put 36 PSI in my tires today. At the time I have not read any post from anyone. I thought perhaps that's too much. The car did steer better though. I had very low air pressure. as low as 18 psi in one time, 20 in all the rest. (if my gauge is right).

I will add the pin strip after the Holidays. No way would I go through an automatic car wash with this big car. At the class Toyota gives, one person already had scratches on there Avalon from a automatic car wash, she really looked sick too. Her car was black.

About the warranty. I think you're right. I use to wholesale cars. I bought cars still under factory warranty and always told people the warranty stays with the car. These were program cars from auctions. I miss the auctions. The warranty was still good as long as miles was right, time had not run out and no repair frame damage.

Thanks for all the advice on everything. I can't tell how good they are but this dealership is owned locally. THEY SAY they roll out the red carpet. The salesman put no pressure on me what so ever and even matched a low price in Atlanta. They also said they are not a stickler on warranty times. In other words in you come in with 36,500 miles they'll cover most anything. The pin strip is free from them also. Nice class with some extra stuff to take care of your car. I would say "all for free" but we all know these cars are NOT free. Take care everyone. I will post MPG with inflated tires but I will lower the PSI to 34. I think it should get better. I have about 1900 miles on it now.

nan48

Oh yea, anyone put any mud flaps on their Avalon? The only reason I thought about it is because of the layer of carpet like stuff in the wheel well. Just seems to me that's not a good choice of material. Probably is though. Would mud flaps slow down the MPG? After all it might create drag. Any input on this?

popsavalon

If you are talking about the Toyota splash guards, they are a good addition to keep the lower part of the exterior free from excess road grime, tar, and other "stuff".

My 07 had them from the factory and I still get 29-30 MPG.

jwillin

I want mud guards on my Avalon, but the dealer claims they can only get them in the matte finish which does not go with the black satin finish of my car. I was told they are not in high demand and/or they haven't sold enough cars yet the reason they don't have them. I am almost ready to just go with the matte finish because I believe that is the only kind they are making for the Avalons. I don't think there is any other finish, but the matte.

nan48

Yes, you correct my grammar before. It's ok, I'm use to it. My wife is always correcting my spelling, and English skills. This is what happens when you quite school at an early age and go to work. I can take constructive criticism and I can only spell that because of spell check. :shades:

nan48

On ebay there are several to chose from. I do not know which to chose and I certainly don't want to cut MPG down any . jtalentino@toyotaofmcdonough.com Here was the cheapest place, I found this man through ebay and he wrote me telling me he's outside Atlanta. Near us. I have not checked out all he has OR do I know what to ask for. So help me out here if you can. I do believe mud flaps would be good for nicks cause from rocks.

nan48

Put this number in your ebay search engine: 170544615927 This will show you one set of mud flaps that are 61.00 and 8.00 shipping. The other man with the address above. His are cheaper and look (my opinion) to be the same thing. His are about 46 dollars. Here is the other item number for ebay. Remember to open ebay and put this number in YOUR EBAY search. 220690934146 What I would like to know are these good ones? I know you don't want mud guards to stand out. That would hurt the looks of the car, again my opinion.

nan48

I called Jerry in Kansas today about extended warranty, here's the number in case anyone is interested. 800-530-5789 He quoted me 1,564 for 8 years, 125 thousand miles. He did explain the better warranty depends on your driving habits. The 8 years 75 thousand miles is $564.00 (I think, but close). I then called my dealership and they said the 8 yr. 75 thousand warranty cost them more than 564.00 and they could not come close to the price. So needless to say our conversation was over. Does anyone think it's worth the investment? I kind of do. IF you buy the warranty it starts from the day you bought it, so it is an extended warranty but not till after 3 year or 36 thousand miles. So it's really quite deceiving. 0 deductible by the way. Just an update for everyone

twinb

So are you saying what you're really buying is a 5 year 39,000 mile warranty? If that's the case, its still not bad for ~ $564. Or is it bad?

popsavalon

With the complexity of today's autos, any major blip after the original 3 yr/36K warranty will cost you at least a thousand dollars. Because you can get zero deductable coverage for 75-100K miles for less than this (Toyota Platinum), I justified the $604 that I paid as reasonable insurance.

Hope I don't have to use it.

twinb

My question is still unanswered about what I'd be buying; does the 75-100K miles include the original 36K miles warranty that came when I bought the car new? Or does the 75-100K warranty begin at 36,001 miles?

popsavalon

75-100K is total mileage, includes the original 36K. For the quoted payment, we are just extending the factory warranty to 75-100K on the odometer.

nan48

The warranty starts the day you bought your car. I re-read what I wrote and it sounds as though I was saying from the day you bought the warranty. So let me be clear. The warranty starts from the day you purchase your care. Is it worth it? I would certainly believe it is. I hear the parts are very expensive and our cars have a lot of things that could break, or go of whack. Jerry, from Kansas was supposed to e-mail me with information on the warranty but never has.This has been several days ago. I guess I'm from the old school and try and do what I say. IF I can't then I explain why. No exceptions. So yes twinb you're right the warranty is NOT actually 7-75 thousand miles. Jerry explained to me that this is a Toyota warranty and once I bought it, the warranty would be registered in Toyota's data banks across the US. But how can you know that's true if the man doesn't send information on the warranty. So has anyone used this Jerry from Kansas? If so IS IT truly a Toyota warranty? I think I will check with my local dealer first before jumping in. I mean 600 dollars is 600 dollars. Right? I would love the feeling of having an extended warranty. I know 3 years will pass by fast. Oh yea, my dealer said it was 7 year 70 thousand miles for the extended warranty. I asked, "are you sure", he said yes. So there something wrong somewhere.

popsavalon

I purchased my warranty a couple of years ago from Jerry. He e-mailed me the mileage/price options and a copy of the Toyota Platinum Warranty booklet.. I used my credit card to make the purchase, and my paperwork arrived in a week or so. It was a very painless process. I would call Jerry and see what might have happened to your information.

There are various mileage/years options available, and I think you will be shocked at your dealer's prices. My local dealer wanted $1500 for the same warranty. Also be sure that any warranty you consider is genuine Toyota Platinum.

fin

If you buy the 0 deductible Extended Warranty the day you buy the car you have, say, 7 years or 75k miles, which ever comes first, of warranty. The factory basic B2B 3/36 is included in that coverage. This assumes the terms of the EW are the same as the basic 3/36 so read the fine print carefully. Do not add the time and mileage on the EW to the basic warranty.

There may be products out there that DO add time/miles to the miles on the car but this is not a standard Toyota policy. Check the issuer carefully. Most consumer mags agree that all EW's are a waste of money if you buy a reliable brand to begin. My experience with Honda and Toyota is just that. Only one $400. alternator repair on a 2000 v6 Accord would have qualified out of 8 new cars since 1995 and we put 90k+ miles on all of them... But, I agree with others, peace of mind is worth a lot, so buy an EW if it feels right to you.

nan48

Thanks Pop, That makes me feel better about Jerry in Kansas. It's probably the Holidays and we all know how busy this time of year is. I think I will buy the extended warranty. Jerry did offer two Warranty's, but since we don't drive much I will stick with the 7-75 platinum warranty. I will do as you said and make sure it's a genuine Toyota warranty. For 5 or 6 hundred bucks, I like the piece of mind. Pop, since you bought the warranty. Just what does it cover? I know it does not cover regular maintenance.

tome1

Anyone else noticed that rearview mirror of 2011 Avalon doesn't seem to dim as much as previous vehicles with this feature? I seem to be bothered more by glare from behind with 2011 Avalon mirror; to the point where I frequently have to engage rear window sunshade to reduce headlight glare.

twinb

Thanks for the explanations everyone. I bought one for our '05 Sienna & it covered a major repair after the 3-36 expired. Six years later the electronics have clearly gotten more complex & expensive, just to name one area that can go wrong.

As for the rear view mirror question, mine dims the reflections fine, as do the side view mirrors. No complaints here. I really like the side mirrors dimming as my eyes were getting so sensitive to the glare of the passing cars at night.

twinb

Here's a link I found to Toy's vehicle service agreements, along with the MSRP.

http://www.toyotafinancial.com/consumer/tfs.portal;ofsc=GxjdMtgBvpQ5SCkMFDhFGyqF- NXjpLn9JnJ9lPSZS9ps1mSdbxhRh!1734885630!-2005427096?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_VSA- Pricing&carSelected=Avalon

popsavalon

It does not cover wear items such as belts, hoses, brake pads, tires, uphostery, etc.or maint. items such as oil changes, fluids, batteries, etc.
There are two or three pages of what is covered, broken down by major groups such as engine, transmission, electrical, computer, etc.

You can go to any dealer and ask for a copy of the Toyota Platinum Extra Care brochure. Just tell them you want to see the details of what is covered before making a decision.

oldman925

New to the forum, 1st post, really appreciate all the great info, a few questions:

Owner's manual said 3 key FOBs were included, I was only given 2, dealer says I should have only gotten 2 has anyone else had this issue? I know they are not cheap, if everyone else got 3 I want my 3 as well.

Also, I bought the 2011 Avalon Limited, fully loaded except for remote starter option, paid $35,206, traded 2000 Avalon in for $6,800, $31,944 my price, Good deal or no? I live and purchased in Northern California.

Love the car and any info you can give me is much appreciated.

-Dan

gramz

If you're happy then you got a good deal.

I only received 2 FOBs. This is my first Avalon and I like it more each time I drive it.

nan48

To answer first question, We received only two. I am told the cost of each key is 300 dollars. Yes, they are expensive.

Second question is impossible for anyone to answer. I also traded a 2000 Avalon in fully loaded. I gave 28 and my car, that includes all taxes, hidden fees everything (OTD price). It's still impossible to say I got a better deal than you did, simply because of numbers. The condition of your 2000 verses mine, the miles so many different factors come into play, it's simply hard to tell what kind of deal you got. I did not get the GPS system in my new Avalon. I just didn't think it was worth the added cost. I did buy the LTD. I am happy, that's the main thing, and they allowed me about the same thing they allowed you. I had 108 thousand miles on my 2000 which had been in an accident (hit in side panel), a lot of door dings, a few problems with the electrical system. HOWEVER I did NOT buy that 2000 Avalon new. Again hope this helps. Gramz said it best, "if your happy" then it's a good deal. I DO NOT think they took you to the cleaners. Now if you had a papered 2000 Avalon with very low miles, one that you bought new, then that MIGHT be another story. I suspect that's not the case.

Thanks POP for the information on the warranty.

oldman925

my 2000 avalon had 77000 miles and i bought it new, very good condition . looks like i did not get a good deal , price wise .