msavalon - I don't think you got a raw deal - but you did not get the best deal. They started at $399 with me. When we were done it was factored into the final price at $199. I am sure they took it out of somewhere if their cost was $275. Please note, I have been in sales for 24 years and formerly car sales so I usually do quite well on car buying. I did not press them as hard as I have on past vehicle purchases (Avalon is fairly popular currently) - but still received what I perceive to be a very good deal.
Today, I went to local Toyota to get oil changed. The quick change artist was just finishing another 05 Avalon. I told them I had my own oil. This was OK. I put 6 qts on the work stand. The oil guy took a quart and was putting it back into the car. I asked why. He said it only took 5 qts. I said that the book read 6 qts. He looked puzzled and only put in 5, but then shut it off and checked. He said I was right. It needed another quart. Actually, I read it wrong. From my interpretation on pg 375, it needs 6.4 qts with filter change. Now I wonder how many Avalons have gone out the door over a quart low.
I also watched him change the filter just so I would do it right next time. What made Toyota change to a cartridge? This change is going to make it very hard on people like me who like to change their own oil.He didn't have the correct wrench and had to use some type of long-nosed pliers to hook into the notches around the housing.
Had the exact same problem at my dealer. I called Toyota Hdq's to verify that the Owner's Manual was correct. I added the necessary quart after I arrived home.
Changing to a cartridge ensures that most if not all customers will return to the dealer's service department giving them a chance to "upsell" some needed or not service. Mackabee
The other day I ordered a 06 limited, $2000 under MSRP. I think this is going to be the best deal I will get in MD. ANyway the salesman says he will put my order in this week and wait to see if Toyota accepts it. I ordered the Nav., Remote Start, VSC and preferred package(carpets), this was the same set up of a car I test drove at another dealer a day before.
I think they are going to call me and say Toyota won't except that package for whatever reason. They will say if you add XYZ it will go through. That way they can squeeze more $$$ out of me. I understand Toyota builds cars with packages that sell well. But when you order it and put a down payment on it what else could it be but the dealer trying to get more cash.
I told them if they don't except it I will e in for my deposit and then I'll head over to another dealer that will do a DX for the car I want. I bet get the same deal when they see the purchase order I had with dealer nnumber 1.
I have an update to my earlier post. Power and ground ARE available at the ECU connector, although tapping into them would be difficult. I will explore doing so before I complete my installation .
Thanks for the reply. Do you think that since you ordered multiple items they gave you this price? I only ordered the moldings. Overall, I'm still happy, but a woman at a dealership is still a balancing act. The guy in the parts dept wouldn't bulge off the price. I was feeling good about Molle until this. Oh well. Thanks for the explanation.
Take you time and use minimal force until you have a feel for how much is necessary. Separate the assemblies a little at a time to avoid breaking anything. You can shorten your plastic putty knife to make it stiffer. Lowering the driver's seat and sliding the passenger seat all the way rearward will give you better access.
When finished, you will understand why this is not an easy job for a tech accustomed to removing heavy transmissions.
I am looking to buy the same car. I want the XLS with Blizzard Pearl paint, mud guards, and car mats, nothing else. I have been looking in the Austin, Houston, San Antonio area. The best price I have found is 31,900. I tried to work with a dealer, but he sniffed that I wasnt really ready to buy so he only offered $1,000 off MSRP. I originally wanted to get a decked out camry and test drove one at 27,500, but then I drove the Avalon and couldnt believe all the extras for only 5 thousand more. How did you get $3,100 off MSRP. Dealer told me he couldnt keep the white Avalons in stock so he wouldnt go lower than 1,000 off. Anyway, I have to wait until my hubby clears his on-line poker bonuses before I can buy anyway. I am looking at late September. I spoke with a dealer in Houston who said that since the 05 is a new body style, they wouldnt be getting in the 06 until late, so the clearance of the 05 wouldnt be until later in the year.
Thanks stlmo for the reply and the link. Enjoy your Avalon, it really grows on you. We got ours in late June, flew from Detroit to Wichita Kansas just to save $4700 off best price we could get in our area-- $500 over invoice --with everything!! It was really hard to keep it under 60 on that 1000 mile break-in period ride home. If you ever have any doubts about your purchase, just get in the car on a four lane road,wait till a Grand Prix or a Jaguar or a Cadillac is next to you at a red light. When it turns green just TROMP the gas and show them your taillights. It's a good feeling!! I'm thinking maybe this won't just be "My Wife's Car" dandl
The oil filter change has more to do with *recycling* than Toyota and profits. As posted some time ago, it is much easier to get used oil out of a paper filter than it is to cut open a metal spin-on type can and get the oil out. Time is money.
Expect to see more of this on other brands in the future. Toyota is just staying on the leading edge of engineering thought here, others will follow. Buy the tools and keep doing it yourself, if that is how you maintain your car.
There also appears to be some confusion about the exact amount of oil necessary to properly refill the 2005 Avalon. Read the manual, remind the dealer, to be safe. Check after service to be sure.
Baby Penguin, I had just cancelled a $1K off MSRP order the prior day as dealer had said 4-6wks; it was the beginning of wk9 and he still couldn't give me a build date. It was my 1st Toyota & I didn't realize the frustrating ordering (Allocation) process they have. I originally asked him if Blizzard Pearl would slow it up & he of course said "no problem". At least they were nice about the cancellation & gave me my $500 deposit back. Anyway, I was just driving by another dealer in the area & stopped for a look & the saleslady came up & offered $2,900 off. It wouldn't be dealing if we then didn't go through the dickering routine and we ended up with what I thought was a fair price. As I said in original post, there are many on these Avalon forums who have done better, but after my original deal and given the lack of deals in my locale, I took it. I made the original "bad" purchase order before I started reading this forum. Had sort of relied on the TMV price given by Edmunds not realizing it reportedly has a severe time lag-or the majority of Avalon buyers are paying MSRP or above.
I think if you find one on the lot you like, go through the dickering process, give them your final price and are willing to walk away (they will likely call you later), you can deal similar to mine. If you are willing to expand the distance you can likely do even better. Read the posts on this topic and the "Prices Paid & Buying Experience" topic for Avalon for great info. I know several posts mention an Arkansas dealer who reportedly sells for $500 over invoice & I think another in Hutchinson, KS is $1K over invoice if I recall. You can do a search on both these States on the topic discussions & hopefully find more info. You may have trouble finding an XLS without at least the upgrade stereo and the VSC as Toyota seems to add selected items to every car. The option coupling may vary by region but they all seem to have those items on them here. Mats also always seem to be on all of them & OEM mudflaps are easy to get at a lesser price. Even if you have to take a limited number of items you don't care about, I guess if you can get the price down you could look at it as coming out ahead.
Maybe Houston is different but a number of posts have said 06s are on the lots now. I know that I am now seeing ads in the ST Louis paper for one dealer I tried to deal with that wouldn't budge from MSRP. His last ad had an XLS for what looked like at least $2K off (hard to tell exactly as ad didn't provide detail on options). Hope this is of some help.
Bob, you posted "BMW has used cartidge filters for several years. It's not new engineering, except for some manufacturers."
Bob, let's give credit where credit is due. I remember using cartidge oil filters in 50's era Chevy's, too. But you're a retired Chemical Engineer, right? Then you know that Hero proposed the first engine, in circa 500 A.D.. A British version of his idea, from an 1851 College of London paper, is at link title. A couple drawings from the Brit paper could qualify as the first cartridge filter.
I am looking at purchasing an '06 XLS. I don't like the dark woodgrain so I am looking at interiors that have the lighter colored wood (plastic). My preference is for the phantom grey exterior, which I have only seen with the graphite interior and dark wood. A salesman said I can order from the factory with the ivory interior, which would get me the lighter wood tone. I have never seen this combination on the lot at any of the local dealers. Has anyone seen this combination and care to comment on it's look?
I had a similiar experience regarding delivery. After 8 weeks I was told, no build date or vin number assigned and no-one could promise a date. However, there just happened to be a loaded Limited with vin number and a build date After 2300 bucks more and 7 weeks more the car arrived.
I was so close to asking for my 1000 dollars back after 8 weeks. I asked the dealer to at least give me a couple of oil changes, Nothing. These guys are really not customer friendly.Their service department is the same way. Three small fixes requested and they caused three more mess up's. ange1
I attempted to glue a plastic shield to the laser lens and gave up because it was hard to glue without getting some on the lens. I ended taking off the cover and getting clear packaging tape and taped the shield to the back of the cover. There is a gap between the plastic and the lens. I don't know how long the tape will last but it is an easy fix.ange1
n0v6or Thanks for the reply. Your photos and directions are great. I had expected to have to take the whole console out instead of the top portion. I can appreciate the care needed to keep from denting.. ange1
Own a Touring, 10K+, no problems and an absolutely astounding car - power, economy, comfort and quality. Last April found a total of 6 cars of all trims available in the entire Houston area - was 'lucky' enough to get my optioned Touring at $32K (drive out )amounting to a whole $800.00 off of sticker from a dealer lot - this in my second color choice. Had I held out for the dark blue, I would still be waiting. In the meanwhile, have several friends interested in the car and the problem apparently has gotten worse. Houston is the major distribution point for this part of the country and is where the distributor 'gingerbreads' the cars to get the price up a little and then turns around and portions (allocates) inventory to the dealers seemingly in order of dealer size leaving the smaller out of town dealer at a disadvantage.
There seem to be 2 prices for this car: one for the car actually on the lot (pretty close to sticker) and the other for that 'ordered car' which mysteriously never shows up, takes forever to come in (the distributor actually controls what cars what dealers get), or as one note in this forum says 'subject to acceptance by Toyota" (pure BS). The dealer without the inventory will simply take your order and deposit by offering you a better price and then try to use it as leverage with the area distributor to get anything he can get (Avalon wise).
All sounds kind of hokey, suppose it is - but common practice when demand for a vehicle far exceeds supply. Advice: if you gotta have one now, work at finding an Avalon you can actually put your hands on and don't expect much haggling - the dealer understands better than you how fortunate you were to find one!
I have ssen this combination on a few occasions - I can tell you that it is absolutely beautiful. I actually have an XLS in BLizzard Pearl with the ivory interior. Like you, I am not a fan of the darker woold - all a matter of personal taste.
Captain2: As you likely saw in my prior post, I ended up cancelling an order and buying off the lot from a different dealer. I failed to mention 2 points. The dealer promised to try to trade for a similar car from other dealers so I would get the car sooner. I really got the feeling this was never done. Also, after about 5 wks he called about one that was coming in that was totally loaded thus a much higher price. Of course he still wanted to only give me the same $1M off sticker.
Seems odd that people seem to be traveling to, and getting great deals, in places like Hutchinson KS and Ames IA and can find the cars they want there while in some major metro areas they won't deal at all. Maybe it's just supply & demand but it seems odd. Overall, Toyota's ordering method, or its lack thereof, compares poorly to my experiences with GM and Ford. I am enjoying the car after finally getting it though.
Accidentally i noticed that 06 (268) avalons have less hp than 05 (280) Is it a typo error in edmunds or true?
Same horsepower. A different method of measurement was implemented this year and many of the slightly "inflated" numbers have suddenly "dropped" a bit. It affected many Toyota models, not just the Avalon and now reflects a more "real life" measurement than the previous method.
> Of course he still wanted to only give me the same $1M off sticker.
That'd be a remarkable deal, if you could get it. ($1M stands for 1 mega-dollar or a million dollars! $1K is a thousand dollars or 1 kilo-dollar.) I couldn't help imagining the dealer giving you a million bucks, minus the price of the Avalon. One can always wish.
Good catch, sorry but in my job they make us use M for thousand, as in in the Roman numeral, never understood why they don't use K but now it is ingrained after using it so long. Hopefully you got the idea though.
Dealers do operate in cooperative groups in Houston, ideally to trade cars between each other so that particular colors/option combinations etc can be supplied quickly - works fine until nobody has anything to trade. Some dealers do try to 'go it alone' often at a competitive disadvantage. That one car that came in later - probably more a function of what he could get, not a desire to make a little more profit. Although it is certainly possible that the Avalon is in lesser demand in other parts of the country, I seriously doubt that there is any self respecting dealer selling this car at 'invoice' or even close - despite advertised and buyer claims. There is no logical reason for the dealer to sacrifice the extra grand or two when they can sell all they can get at sticker and there is such high demand. And, although it may sound colusive a dealer found to be selling any vehicle significantly under market would have problems not only with the other dealers in the area but also with the distributor. Witness the recent Cooper fiasco and current pricing on the Infiniti M. Call it the curse of the discriminate buyer or call it economics, but those of us who recognize a superior vehicle will generally pay too much for it - or did we?
babypenguin, have any of you Avalon owners run into a problem with the air-conditioning. Having had the air-condition set on automatic at a temperature setting of approx. 73 duel mode I came out to find that the air-conditioning was shut off. It was a hot day with approximately 100 degrees inside the car even though I had a window cracked. After fiddling with the controls I finally got the air to come back on. My question is, "What happened causing it to shut down after is had been parked for a couple of hour's?" Is this a flaw or normal? I was thinking that perhaps the controls shut the compute circuitry so not to harm the air. However, I just do not know. Your help would be appreciated. Yes, I too have the hesitation in the transmission. In one of my old cars I started to have the same problem simulating slippage of the transmission when it was shifting.
If there is anyone knowledgeable of the above, I would appreciate your assistance.
There are no Toyota dealers in my remote Wyoming town, but because we do happen to have telephones, I have been calling dealers around the western USA and have been astonished by the incompetence and tactics I've encountered -- not all the time, but disturblingly frequently.
Many salesmen knew little about the Avalon. How can they sit at their little desks praying for the occasional customer and not fill that time at least reading the brochure?
Some implored me to be "loyal" by buying "in state." I said I'd send the state some cash if they needed it that badly, but couldn't understand why he was pleading on their behalf.
Two tried to get a deposit on '06 cars that were actually 05's (which I discovered by demanding VINs).
One salesman said, when I challenged the model year, "I'm 99.9% sure that car is an '06." He said he'd double check and call me right back. He never called. When my wife called him, he muttered something about the car not being "available" anymore.
When I told one sales manager (he may have been the dealership owner) in New Mexico the price I had been offered in Montana on the car I wanted, he said "That guy is an idiot....and I'd tell him that to his face...he makes it hard on all the rest of us." Then he offered me a price that was $1,800 higher and bragged that he'd get it "for sure." But not from me.
I did finally order exactly what I wanted from a northern Montana dealer (LTD, Lt blue/ivory, mats, VSC) for $2,305 off MSRP...O.T.D., no documentation/title or other fees (it's even better for Montana residents....no sales tax). Given how long I've been looking, I'm happy and am looking forward to the week of Sept 12.
A dealer in central Wyoming called this afternoon and became all worked up that I'd made the purchase for $559 (including his documentation fee) less than he had quoted me. Clearly irritated, he wanted to know why I didn't give him "another chance." I said, "When we first spoke I told you I don't dicker...give me your best price. You did, and it wasn't good enough." He thought my tactics somehow unfair.
When I had a similar conversation with a different Wyoming dealer he said, "But your wife really wants this car.....I sacrifice when my wife wants something important....your wife seems very nice...you must love her as much as I love my wife....aren't you willing to sacrifice a little for the woman in your life? Besides, if you buy this car it'll help me put food on my family's table."
Understandably, I was shattered by his plea, but somehow pulled myself together and went on my merry way to buy from someone less intellectually manipulative and insulting.
I haven't bought a car in six years (GMC Denali) so I can't compare the Toyota buying experience with other brands, but I do feel that this car has the potential to make me forget purchasing irritations soon after I get my paws on it.
I do have one question: does anyone on this board have experience installing a trailer hitch on an 05/06 Avalon?
Pablo, you posted "My question is, "What happened causing it to shut down after is had been parked for a couple of hour's?" Is this a flaw or normal? I was thinking that perhaps the controls shut the compute circuitry so not to harm the air."
Pablo, here are my guesses:
1. Was Poochy in the car while it was parked for a couple hours? Maybe the little booger got cold and leaned on the steering wheel buttons?
2. DId the car have any gas left in the tank when you returned? Maybe you ran out of gas?
Haven't seen the manual for the '06 but would imagine that the 268hp is rerating the same engine running on regular fuel. Have the '05 and it clearly recommends premium for 'maximum performance' and it does do a little better with the higher octane. Most the higher horsepower engines these days use multiple variable cams that effectively changes valve timing at higher rpms, increasing engine efficiency as it does - putting the higher octane to good use. Read a C&D road test (7-05) that had the Av running 6.0 0-60 on premium, and a CR (09-05) test on the car at 6.7 running on regular. Even running on regular, CR had the Av outrunning a number of $50k 'performance' sedans (A6, M35, RL, 530 etc.) running premium! In these days of gas getting near $3.00, Toyota is simply acknowledging that the Av does run fine with the cheaper gas - would guess that the '06 models actually get the same 280 hp if you do spend the extra 20 cents/gal.as I do.
gypsy13: would suggest to you that the BS you have been putting up with from your 'local' dealer is more a function of the demand for the car (and his inability to get one) than it has anything to do with Toyota, in general. I think you would find the same conditions at your Infiniti dealer if you wanted an M35! hope that your limited does arrive as promised in September.
My salesperson gave me (free of charge) the ashtray that fits in the cup-holder. It works, but has a few big drawbacks plus a few livable features.
Negatives: 1) The cover for the cupholder compartment won't close with the ashtray in place. 2) No lighting. 3) Not anchored, so the "slot" to place a cig is not always in the same place, nor is the corrugated "surface." You take your eyes off the road to store/put out a smoke. My solution was not to smoke as it's quite distracting.
Positives: 1) Fits well & does not rattle. 2) Self contained lid that seals very well. 3) Can be removed and put in other storage locations even if it has ashes & [non-permissible content removed] ends (for any Jethro Tull fans.)
Just bought my avalon lmt from Wichita dealer and received the car fully loaded with all extras on it for 34550.00 Car had 38 miles on it and was the higher cost white metallic.
I would like to put on blue tooth ---does anyone have any ideas?
ksairman - If you are interested in adding Bluetooth to yout new Avalon, Motorola makes a kit for autos. You can view the info here Hope this helps you. - Paulex
I bought my hitch from etrailer.com. It fits perfectly and barely shows from beneath the rear fascia. Most hitches are made by one company. I ordered the Draw-Tite. It was the cheapest and looked the same as the Hidden Hitch which was quite a bit more expensive. Mine with shipping and the receiver bar? was $141. Very fast shipping and helpful people on the phone.
The instructions are not the clearest I have ever read. To be short, remove the two muffler pipe brackets, then remove muffler hangers from their rubber isolators and lower the system. Then remove the isolator brackets. These will be replaced by the hitch brackets. After the muffler system is lowered, you remove three screws from each heat shield, and then pull out two plastic screws from the fascia. Everything is clear now. Loosely install the new hanger brackets with four bolts each(incl) on the outside of the frame. Now, you definitely need a friend to help you install the center part of the hitch on the insides of the frame with four bolts on each end at the top, then you will couple the hanger brackets and the center part together with two large bolts each. Then replace the heat shields, replace the muffler pipe brackets and put mufflers back on the isolators, then replace the two plastic screws on the fascia. Very important you do not tighten ANY screws until you have all the parts in place. Do not believe the description where you can install it in 40 min. Plan closer to 2 hours. However, if I had had these instructions, it could have been faster. Their instructions are a bit hazy. You must have help on the center part. It's really heavy. Sorry to go on and on but I just got carried away.
Thanks for the info on the Motorola Bluetooth kit. Do you have it installed? If yes, where did you locate the User interface module. The oval talk/hanhup/etc box.
See post #8222. The new horsepower rating has nothing to do with regular gas vs. premium. It is a new way of calculating power and seems to have affected lower ratings for various cars, especially Toyota, Honda and Nissan. All auto makers will eventually have to post power ratings according to new testing methods.
Don't know all of the intricacies of the new testing procedures but post #8078 has a link to an article on the subject that is similar to captain2's reply. Toward the last of the article its says:
"Under the old testing procedures, there were small factors that required a judgment call: how much oil was in the crankcase, how the engine controls were calibrated and whether a vehicle was tested with premium fuel. In some cases, the little adjustments added up to a big change in horsepower ratings. The new SAE procedures allow less wiggle room."
No idea how much of the 12 missing HP would be attributatle to this. It might have something to do with it as Toyota does indicate performance is lessened if premium is not used. Also, don't know if using premium in the testing would add significant HP to most any engine or it would have to be a type that is similar to the Avalon's.
Speaking of fuel. Has anyone else had their fuel economy reading reset between fill-ups? This happened twice to me in the last few days. I hadn't put gas in or touched the fuel cap.
Has anyone installed body side moldings on the 05 Avalon? I found a web site, sprotwing.com, that offers them to match whatever color of car you have. Would like to see any photos out there with them installed. Charlie
I live in Kansas City, Mo. I brought my body side moldings from a company (Cover-Up). They came to my job and installed them. I just went outside and wrote him a check. Couldn't beat that. I love em! They look like the pictures in the previous post.
Comments
I also watched him change the filter just so I would do it right next time. What made Toyota change to a cartridge? This change is going to make it very hard on people like me who like to change their own oil.He didn't have the correct wrench and had to use some type of long-nosed pliers to hook into the notches around the housing.
Mackabee
I think they are going to call me and say Toyota won't except that package for whatever reason. They will say if you add XYZ it will go through. That way they can squeeze more $$$ out of me. I understand Toyota builds cars with packages that sell well. But when you order it and put a down payment on it what else could it be but the dealer trying to get more cash.
I told them if they don't except it I will e in for my deposit and then I'll head over to another dealer that will do a DX for the car I want. I bet get the same deal when they see the purchase order I had with dealer nnumber 1.
Greg
Take you time and use minimal force until you have a feel for how much is necessary. Separate the assemblies a little at a time to avoid breaking anything.
You can shorten your plastic putty knife to make it stiffer.
Lowering the driver's seat and sliding the passenger seat all the way rearward will give you better access.
When finished, you will understand why this is not an easy job for a tech accustomed to removing heavy transmissions.
We got ours in late June, flew from Detroit to Wichita Kansas just to save $4700 off best price we could get in our area-- $500 over invoice --with everything!! It was really hard to keep it under 60 on that 1000 mile break-in period ride home. If you ever have any doubts about your purchase, just get in the car on a four lane road,wait till a Grand Prix or a Jaguar or a Cadillac is next to you at a red light. When it turns green just TROMP the gas and show them your taillights. It's a good feeling!! I'm thinking maybe this won't just be "My Wife's Car" dandl
Expect to see more of this on other brands in the future. Toyota is just staying on the leading edge of engineering thought here, others will follow. Buy the tools and keep doing it yourself, if that is how you maintain your car.
There also appears to be some confusion about the exact amount of oil necessary to properly refill the 2005 Avalon. Read the manual, remind the dealer, to be safe. Check after service to be sure.
I think if you find one on the lot you like, go through the dickering process, give them your final price and are willing to walk away (they will likely call you later), you can deal similar to mine. If you are willing to expand the distance you can likely do even better. Read the posts on this topic and the "Prices Paid & Buying Experience" topic for Avalon for great info. I know several posts mention an Arkansas dealer who reportedly sells for $500 over invoice & I think another in Hutchinson, KS is $1K over invoice if I recall. You can do a search on both these States on the topic discussions & hopefully find more info. You may have trouble finding an XLS without at least the upgrade stereo and the VSC as Toyota seems to add selected items to every car. The option coupling may vary by region but they all seem to have those items on them here. Mats also always seem to be on all of them & OEM mudflaps are easy to get at a lesser price. Even if you have to take a limited number of items you don't care about, I guess if you can get the price down you could look at it as coming out ahead.
Maybe Houston is different but a number of posts have said 06s are on the lots now. I know that I am now seeing ads in the ST Louis paper for one dealer I tried to deal with that wouldn't budge from MSRP. His last ad had an XLS for what looked like at least $2K off (hard to tell exactly as ad didn't provide detail on options). Hope this is of some help.
MikeS.
Laura
Bob, let's give credit where credit is due. I remember using cartidge oil filters in 50's era Chevy's, too. But you're a retired Chemical Engineer, right? Then you know that Hero proposed the first engine, in circa 500 A.D.. A British version of his idea, from an 1851 College of London paper, is at link title. A couple drawings from the Brit paper could qualify as the first cartridge filter.
ROBERTU
Is it a typo error in edmunds or true?
drb
I was so close to asking for my 1000 dollars back after 8 weeks. I asked the dealer to at least give me a couple of oil changes, Nothing. These guys are really not customer friendly.Their service department is the same way. Three small fixes requested and they caused three more mess up's. ange1
There seem to be 2 prices for this car: one for the car actually on the lot (pretty close to sticker) and the other for that 'ordered car' which mysteriously never shows up, takes forever to come in (the distributor actually controls what cars what dealers get), or as one note in this forum says 'subject to acceptance by Toyota" (pure BS). The dealer without the inventory will simply take your order and deposit by offering you a better price and then try to use it as leverage with the area distributor to get anything he can get (Avalon wise).
All sounds kind of hokey, suppose it is - but common practice when demand for a vehicle far exceeds supply. Advice: if you gotta have one now, work at finding an Avalon you can actually put your hands on and don't expect much haggling - the dealer understands better than you how fortunate you were to find one!
Seems odd that people seem to be traveling to, and getting great deals, in places like Hutchinson KS and Ames IA and can find the cars they want there while in some major metro areas they won't deal at all. Maybe it's just supply & demand but it seems odd. Overall, Toyota's ordering method, or its lack thereof, compares poorly to my experiences with GM and Ford. I am enjoying the car after finally getting it though.
Is it a typo error in edmunds or true?
Same horsepower. A different method of measurement was implemented this year and many of the slightly "inflated" numbers have suddenly "dropped" a bit. It affected many Toyota models, not just the Avalon and now reflects a more "real life" measurement than the previous method.
That'd be a remarkable deal, if you could get it. ($1M stands for 1 mega-dollar or a million dollars! $1K is a thousand dollars or 1 kilo-dollar.) I couldn't help imagining the dealer giving you a million bucks, minus the price of the Avalon. One can always wish.
Although it is certainly possible that the Avalon is in lesser demand in other parts of the country, I seriously doubt that there is any self respecting dealer selling this car at 'invoice' or even close - despite advertised and buyer claims. There is no logical reason for the dealer to sacrifice the extra grand or two when they can sell all they can get at sticker and there is such high demand. And, although it may sound colusive a dealer found to be selling any vehicle significantly under market would have problems not only with the other dealers in the area but also with the distributor. Witness the recent Cooper fiasco and current pricing on the Infiniti M.
Call it the curse of the discriminate buyer or call it economics, but those of us who recognize a superior vehicle will generally pay too much for it - or did we?
If there is anyone knowledgeable of the above, I would appreciate your assistance.
Paul
There are no Toyota dealers in my remote Wyoming town, but because we do happen to have telephones, I have been calling dealers around the western USA and have been astonished by the incompetence and tactics I've encountered -- not all the time, but disturblingly frequently.
Many salesmen knew little about the Avalon. How can they sit at their little desks praying for the occasional customer and not fill that time at least reading the brochure?
Some implored me to be "loyal" by buying "in state." I said I'd send the state some cash if they needed it that badly, but couldn't understand why he was pleading on their behalf.
Two tried to get a deposit on '06 cars that were actually 05's (which I discovered by demanding VINs).
One salesman said, when I challenged the model year, "I'm 99.9% sure that car is an '06." He said he'd double check and call me right back. He never called. When my wife called him, he muttered something about the car not being "available" anymore.
When I told one sales manager (he may have been the dealership owner) in New Mexico the price I had been offered in Montana on the car I wanted, he said "That guy is an idiot....and I'd tell him that to his face...he makes it hard on all the rest of us." Then he offered me a price that was $1,800 higher and bragged that he'd get it "for sure." But not from me.
I did finally order exactly what I wanted from a northern Montana dealer (LTD, Lt blue/ivory, mats, VSC) for $2,305 off MSRP...O.T.D., no documentation/title or other fees (it's even better for Montana residents....no sales tax). Given how long I've been looking, I'm happy and am looking forward to the week of Sept 12.
A dealer in central Wyoming called this afternoon and became all worked up that I'd made the purchase for $559 (including his documentation fee) less than he had quoted me. Clearly irritated, he wanted to know why I didn't give him "another chance." I said, "When we first spoke I told you I don't dicker...give me your best price. You did, and it wasn't good enough." He thought my tactics somehow unfair.
When I had a similar conversation with a different Wyoming dealer he said, "But your wife really wants this car.....I sacrifice when my wife wants something important....your wife seems very nice...you must love her as much as I love my wife....aren't you willing to sacrifice a little for the woman in your life? Besides, if you buy this car it'll help me put food on my family's table."
Understandably, I was shattered by his plea, but somehow pulled myself together and went on my merry way to buy from someone less intellectually manipulative and insulting.
I haven't bought a car in six years (GMC Denali) so I can't compare the Toyota buying experience with other brands, but I do feel that this car has the potential to make me forget purchasing irritations soon after I get my paws on it.
I do have one question: does anyone on this board have experience installing a trailer hitch on an 05/06 Avalon?
Pablo, here are my guesses:
1. Was Poochy in the car while it was parked for a couple hours? Maybe the little booger got cold and leaned on the steering wheel buttons?
2. DId the car have any gas left in the tank when you returned? Maybe you ran out of gas?
ROBERTU
He relayed that there is no trans fix, but he opened another ticket on it with Toyota, said they are aware of it, and they are working to resolve it.
In these days of gas getting near $3.00, Toyota is simply acknowledging that the Av does run fine with the cheaper gas - would guess that the '06 models actually get the same 280 hp if you do spend the extra 20 cents/gal.as I do.
hope that your limited does arrive as promised in September.
Negatives:
1) The cover for the cupholder compartment won't close with the ashtray in place.
2) No lighting.
3) Not anchored, so the "slot" to place a cig is not always in the same place, nor is the corrugated "surface." You take your eyes off the road to store/put out a smoke. My solution was not to smoke as it's quite distracting.
Positives:
1) Fits well & does not rattle.
2) Self contained lid that seals very well.
3) Can be removed and put in other storage locations even if it has ashes & [non-permissible content removed] ends (for any Jethro Tull fans.)
I would like to put on blue tooth ---does anyone have any ideas?
Hope this helps you. - Paulex
The instructions are not the clearest I have ever read. To be short, remove the two muffler pipe brackets, then remove muffler hangers from their rubber isolators and lower the system. Then remove the isolator brackets. These will be replaced by the hitch brackets. After the muffler system is lowered, you remove three screws from each heat shield, and then pull out two plastic screws from the fascia. Everything is clear now. Loosely install the new hanger brackets with four bolts each(incl) on the outside of the frame. Now, you definitely need a friend to help you install the center part of the hitch on the insides of the frame with four bolts on each end at the top, then you will couple the hanger brackets and the center part together with two large bolts each. Then replace the heat shields, replace the muffler pipe brackets and put mufflers back on the isolators, then replace the two plastic screws on the fascia.
Very important you do not tighten ANY screws until you have all the parts in place. Do not believe the description where you can install it in 40 min. Plan closer to 2 hours.
However, if I had had these instructions, it could have been faster. Their instructions are a bit hazy. You must have help on the center part. It's really heavy.
Sorry to go on and on but I just got carried away.
C
"Under the old testing procedures, there were small factors that required a judgment call: how much oil was in the crankcase, how the engine controls were calibrated and whether a vehicle was tested with premium fuel. In some cases, the little adjustments added up to a big change in horsepower ratings. The new SAE procedures allow less wiggle room."
No idea how much of the 12 missing HP would be attributatle to this. It might have something to do with it as Toyota does indicate performance is lessened if premium is not used. Also, don't know if using premium in the testing would add significant HP to most any engine or it would have to be a type that is similar to the Avalon's.
Speaking of fuel. Has anyone else had their fuel economy reading reset between fill-ups? This happened twice to me in the last few days. I hadn't put gas in or touched the fuel cap.
http://www.dawn-ent.com/molding/pntmld.htm
I pick my new '06 Blizzard Pearl from the dealer tomorrow.