2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

tstrick320

re: my post in the prices forum -- it's gone. I'm trying to find out where it went and will re-post it as soon as I know.

just__me

Check this link, wood dash for the XLS for under 200 bucks. Looks nice.http://wooddash.com/dashes.html

55396

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2006-01-26-lucerne_x.htm

Jim Healey - USA Today just posted a review of the Buick Lucerne with many references to the Avalon. Is GM finally getting it together - or is it too late? Playing ostrich too long can be fatal.

tkevinc1

There were some posts a couple of days on leasing. Wanted to give you something to consider. I once wrote a computer program for figuring lease payments. Everything worked properly on the interest, residual, etc, yet it was always $30-40 per month low on actual quotes from dealers. That entire amount was finally tracked down to intangibles that every dealer/finance company manages to work in as fluff. If you can overcome these, leasing is not a bad deal. Remember that you are paying a higher interest for a shorter period. Example, a money factor of 2.5 equals a 6% interest rate. Every .5 above that equals and additional 1.2% so by the time you get a money factor of 5 you are paying 12% interest. Approach a lease from an educated standpoint and if you like a new car every 3-4 yrs you can make it work tremendously in your favor. Go into it dumb and get robbed blind thereby doubling your handicap.

On the engine knock, I have three appts with local dealerships just to see what each says. Will update when complete.

pat

You should have an email about your missing post. If you don't, email host kyfdx and ask him what's up.

ederzawiec

My dealer just informed me that after months of searching, a 2006 Avalon to my specs will be delivered in 2 weeks.

Any suggestions on Final Questions to ask, things I might have forgotten? The Price is already a done deal. I've asked that they Not put a decal on it. I'm not interested in Extended Warrantee or dealer add-ons. Anything else?

zekeman1

Not sure I understand Any suggestions on Final Questions to ask. Questions about what? You didn't indicate any options that are on it. Hopefully you won't have to ask whether it's an XL, XLS, or LTD since you say the price is already a done deal.

Give us some more hints about the specific car!
zekeman1

disco340

Does anybody have a install guide to do it yourself? I found guides for other Toyota's but nothing for the Avi.

zekeman1

See message #10743.
zekeman1

nanpaul

I AM LOOKING FOR MOULDING STRIP TO GO ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE DOORS, IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE DOORS. THE MOULDING THAT IS AVAIALBLE FORM THE DEALER IS VERY EXPENSIVE. ANY INFORMATION WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

limiteddriver

Do a search and you'll find where several people have gotten them. I got mine at Dawn Interprises 1/800/548-4867. They have a website where you can order them. About $139 IIRC and a body shop put them on for $40.

uncommonman

I purchased Prostripe body moldings at an automotive paint supplier for under $60, and cut and installed them myself. This is the same high quality product used by body shops. It comes in all shapes and sizes, and some shapes also come in several colors. Our Avalon is Blizzard Pearl, and we got 1.25" wide white molding. It is 0.25" thick, and has 5/32" chrome top and bottom edges, and looks perfect on the car - just as if it came from the factory. This molding comes in two 14 foot pieces, which I cut with a radial arm saw, but you could cut it with any saw or sharp utility knife. I wanted beveled edges which perfectly matched the contours of the door edges and fender seams, so I cut it with a saw, lined up the attachment point with a 4 foot aluminum straightedge taped to the door, and simply peeled back the adhesive's backing film, and pressed the moldings in place. Prostripe is made by Spartan Plastics in Ontario, Canada. You could call them for the location of a supplier near you. 800-248-7800 is the phone number on the box. Jeeze, this sounds like a commercial. Sorry for that! Good luck.

notyme

The deal is done we took delivery of our 2006 Avalon Limited on Friday 01-27-06. Had all options installed from the factory and this car is great as a whole. But there are some small things that don't make since at least to me.

1. No light on the home link garage door opener mounted on mirror. They should at least have bumps one two and three so you know where you are in the dark.

2. The navigation system can't find my address so setting up home gives an address that's doesn't exist? Our 2002 Jag X-Type could find it and any address we ever put in. Even if the area was new to the system you would be in blank space but it was the correct location.

3. Ok this is total bull with the display, the factory install XM radio with 10 charter display for song and artist and no scroll. There needs to be an software upgrade for this. No outside temp over map just on climate display, and yes I would like to have the song display over map when they change, my friend's Honda Accord has that.

4. Can't seem to change the CD from the steering wheel controls, may just be user error I need to read up on that. Also have not use the voice so I will update on that later.

These things said this is a great car so far we drove around town all weekend about 110 miles and my wife has taken to it just fine. So back to my 2004 Avalanche until the weekend when she will let me play in her Avalon.

I read this forum two weeks before we ordered the car and everyday for 3 weeks until taking delivery and this has been a great source of information, thanks for all the information so this is my addition. My salesman was floored by how much I knew about this car. He is the fleet guy and I got COSTCO price that ok about 3700 off list. I live in Lakewood, CO.

Again so far this car is great.

gedgoudasl

In message 9043 Kirkendoll discusses success with replacing the radio door and references a potentail TSB for such a problem. I have had my cover replaced and while the tech demonstrated the new door it would still open only 1 out of 4-5 times. He said the TSB called for replacing the defective unit with the same part number. I am looking for the TSB number. This is the only problem I have with my Avalon, my wife and I love it.

tmeframe

"...4. Can't seem to change the CD from the steering wheel controls, may just be user error I need to read up on that. Also have not use the voice so I will update on that later.....

Use the same keys on the left-side of the steering wheel, only hold the directional arrow for longer than 2 seconds or so, and that'll change the CD going up or down depending on which arrow key.

Steve

limiteddriver

The TSB is dated 08/30/05 and is # BO0-11-05. My new door has a different feel when closing and has never failed to open. Try the door on a '06 and you'll feel the difference.

disco340

It's a dead link. No worries I found it elsewhere. Has anybody checked this site out?

https://techinfo.toyota.com

For $10 you can spend a day downloading the tech manuals.

disco340

Some feedback

2. Mine does the same thing. It might be a theft deterrent as it only changed the street number by a few digits.

4. Hold down the track skip button to change the disc. Another neat trick hold down the Mode button and the radio will turn off.

notyme

Thanks,

For the informative post, this forum is still providing a great service.

Tonight will be a long one in the garage working on the voice system so there will be more questions and remarks too come.

Tim

mycheese

Help me guys! Does anyone know how to program a keyless remote? My dealer is going to charge me $65 otherwise. Oh by the way, is the extended warranty really worth getting? (2005 XL)

disco340

Do you have the smart key system? If so you may be at the mercy of the dealer, unless you can get your hands on the hand-held tester. Otherwise try this

http://www.carlsonfamilies.com/avalon/ciregist.pdf

ange

I have exactly the same problem. The door has been replaced with up the grade number and there is no change.If you close the door overnight it takes 3-5 attempts to open. After opening several times it works almost all of the time . I tried a silicone lube and it did not help. There is a TSB for the door. I reminded the service manager and sure enough he found the TSB and told me mine is the new version. I guess they will have to try again. angelo1

j_hbrock

As I have been researching and "reading up" on the Avalon before purchasing one I have become more and more convinced this is the car for me!!!

BUT......

The new Camry is looking NICE.

MANY of the new features of the Camry are on the Avalon.
With the significant increast in the '07 Camry's engine/HP, what SIGNIFICANT features make the Avalon still the car of choice??

Obviously the rear seat room is second to none which I love. But inclining rear seats, big engine, NAV system, premium audio, redesigned body and suspension, etc... are all part of the new Camry.

Soooo, my question (again) is : What significant features make the Avalon the better buy considering the $5-8K more than the Camry?

Thanks in advance!!!

retired7

Have you noticed any change in AVY acceleration and any change in mileage w/enhanced chips? Also, explain more about changing air filter; was yours dirty or did you install a low resistance filter to pick up the 3-5 HP?

Thanks,
NWBLIZZARD

retired7

It just costs a little more to go first class!

ski1003

I had the same problem with "no light on door opener". How I solved it (two doors to open) was to program each door code button to each side of green light that is in the middle of door opener. Left side of green button opens door on left and right side of green button opens door on right side of garage. It works for me.

sjohnson11

With the features available on the new Camry, when are they going to be added to the Avalon? What features you ask? How about REAL wood inlay, blue tooth, LED tail lights (hybrid I know). Come on Toyota, bring these to the Avalon

motownusa

It wouldn't surprise me if the 07 Avalon comes with some of the features you want. I don't know if 60 year olds care too much about bluetooth technology though. :P

musouka

Hi everyone

I am new around here. I have been reading this loooong topic for a while now. I benefited from it a lot. So big thanks to everyone. I am planning to buy an Avalon this coming fall. Hence, I will be getting the 2007 model. Hopefully, I will have enough saved for the Limited trim.

With the all-new ES 350 hitting the road soon, the gap (both in price and quality) between it and the Avalon will increase dramatically. Heck, even the new Camry has got some cool features not available in the current Avalon model. For these reasons, I hope Toyota will add more features (even if as optional). Here is my current wish list. I will love Toyota forever if all of these were included, but I am being realistic and a few of these will satisfy me.

1) A coverless stereo system. I don't see the benefit (or the gain in styling) from having a cover on the stereo system. It isn't like thieves wouldn't know the car has one. I could be very wrong, though. What is your opinion/experience with that?

2) MP3/WMA In-dash DVD Changer. The new Camry will get an MP3/WMA CD System so why shouldn't the Avalon have a better deal? Okay I will settle for MP3/WMA In-dash CD Changer. But the latter is a must.

3) LED taillights and these are a must. I mean everyone got it; Accords, Azeras and many others. So please Toyota... please!

4) Signal indicators on the outside of the side mirrors case. These seem like common sense. The signal indicators currently available on the Limited trim are quite nice but why not have the more useful formal? I guess I can always have these installed by some customization shop but it wouldn't hurt if Toyota decides to include them.

5) I don't think this one will materialize, but... just to get it out of my system; a bigger trunk. Sigh, I currently drive a 1996 Lincoln Town Car Signature which has a 22.3 cubic feet trunk. The Avalon has a 35% smaller trunk. This will be the hardest part for me to adapt.

Hmmm, that is it for now. I will add to the wish list as I dig up more information on the upcoming ES and Camry.

Have a nice day

ojor

Hello NWBLIZZARD:
Can not give you times but if I were to guess I can say either at 6 or under seconds 0 to 60.The air filter is a K&N filter and you can write 2005 toyota avalon on ebay and see the one they have there.
Mileage wise I can see an improvement in town of maybe a 1/2 more to the gallon but on the highway the gain is considerable but at higher speeds,like 85 mph.I had to send the computer to be recalibrated, it is not a chip.
Any other questions feel free to ask.By the way this is for the old at heart so you have to have enjoyed the late 60 or 70 to rekindle some type of performance twicking to do this.
ojor

captain2

doesn't sound like you need any convincing - in fact, if you are looking for 'value' (as you perceive it) you probably need to look past the Camry as well and into some of the Korean and even the US brands.
It wasn't until the 05 Avalon that there really was any significant difference between the Avalon and Camry - in the spring the '07 will blurr that difference back to what it always has been. The same 'problem' exists with Altima/Maxima, the Accord/TL, the Passat/A6, the Lucerne/DTS etc. etc. etc. Doubt very seriously that you will be able to get a loaded '07 Camry XLE for under about $30k, perhaps 3 grand or so below a comparable XLS. But, if you want a Toyota and want the best, then you buy the Avalon and don't worry about an extra few thousand or so.

limiteddriver

With all the LED bulbs that you see burned out on 5 year old or less cars, I want as few of these as possible. Look at third brake lights on low and high cost cars. I like several of your other suggestions.

musouka

Hmmm... yeah, I haven't thought of that. Thanks for the insight. Again, what is the difference in cost between LED and normal brake lights?

tmeframe

LEDs are brighter unidirectionally, so a bunch of them would be very, very bright. The upfront cost for the LED-style will be higher, but LEDs last a heckuva lot longer than incandescent bulbs.

Steve

uncommonman

LEDs typically have a life in excess of 100,000 hours, so it's unlikely the device itself has failed. I work for a company that uses tens of thousands of LEDs, and we have not yet encountered a failed LED in our products. Most "burned out LEDs" typically are the result of a failed solder joint where the device is connected to the circuit board. This is particularly prevalent if the circuit board has copper on only one surface as opposed to a board with 2 sided copper and PTHs (plated through holes), which provides a significantly more robust connection.

self_mechanic

According to Edmunds' review, 07 Camry V6 is getting 6sp automatic transmission. When will the Avalon be getting the same 6sp?

Alland

texasred1

I am back.....here is my report on our ordered 2006 Avalon XLS, that we picked up last Thursday. I have been holding my breath, until I could drive it and see if it had any of those problems that some people have talked about. I am relieved to report that the Blizzard Pearl color with a gray pin stripe and Light gray interior, is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! It drives like a dream and so far, IS PROBLEM FREE! (NO SQUEAKS, RATTLES OR HESITATION! We took it for a short trip, breaking it in, and LOVED IT! Left in the rain and came back in the sun shine. According to the car computer reading, we averaged 31.4 mpg (did not need air). We have not checked it manually yet, with the gas input, but hope that it will check out the same. I did not expect a good reading, so soon. Thanks to messages that I read on Edmunds.com, I too, contacted Champion, Toyota in Austin, Tx. and could not believe the price he quoted me over the telephone. Barely over invoice and I ordered it the way I wanted it. He gave me NO HASSLE, just a FANTASTIC DEAL! It was worth the two hour drive to go pick up the car, when it came in. We are thrilled with our choice. This is our first Toyota.
Sheila (Texasred) :shades:

dmarcus48

Mike

That cloth is called microfiber. Costco used to have a package of the towels for about $8.00. Any good auto store should have them.

Dave

sjohnson11

If 60 year old people don't want blue tooth, then why does toyota put it in the LS 430 and ES 330?

henryat1140

Howdy,

I would appreciate your comments on the following:

1. Does the PT546-07050 part # include everything necessary for a complete install? XM unit, brackets, cables etc?

2. When you are listening to XM, does the XM display overlay the nav display, or is it on a separate screen (like the regular audio and climate controls)? How do you switch channels? If you are listening to XM, and also following a nav route, do you have to keep switching back and forth between the two screens?

3. When/how can you see the XM info regarding artist and song title? The regular FM unit has the text display inhibited when the vehicle is moving. Does the XM unit do this too? It's important for me to see the artist and song title.

4. Do you remember how you got the parts guy to print out the instructions? Or what you said to induce him to do so (fifth of Jack Daniels perhaps ). Harley Davidson has all the instruction sheets available by part #, is this what Toyota has too? If so I think it would be easier if I just said "could you please print a set of instructions for part # PT546-07050" rather than getting into a discussion about why I wanted them.

5. It is true the song title and artist info is only 10 characters long, and does not scroll?

I appreciate any responses

Henry

driek

I just ordered a Limited with the special adition package and my salesman called me (actually CALLED ME) to let me know a kit to support bluetooth is now available for the Avalon. Price is $299 and will be installed in Jacksonville when my car arrives there in a couple weeks.

henryat1140

Neat movie - Avalon aces BMW. It looks like they may have removed the word 'A V A L O N" from the trunk. In the movie at 3:00 there is a shot of the back of the car and I don't see the AVALON emblem.

Reverse product placement??

tstrick320

Thanks! That may be good news.

Can you give us some specifics on this? Wondering if this is a genuine TOYOTA bluetooth add-on or one of the many aftermarket units. I'm interested in bluetooth if it is integrated with the NAV display and audio system but the 3rd party units don't seem to do much more than provide a wireless speaker & microphone.

disco340

Answer to item 4

You can check msg#10743 but I found it to be a dead link. So I went to https://techinfo.toyota.com/ Costed me $10 but there was tons more info to look through as well.

henryat1140

A small item, but IMO a necessary one is the mudguards. My dealer threw them in as part of the deal. They quoted list price of $199, but they seem to be available generally in the range of $125 installed.

mldj98

I have read in a couple of different places some complaints about the front seats of the new 06 Avalon.
The articles I have read on the internet mentioned that the front seats are firm or hard and it is hard to find a comfortable position. Has anyone come across this? The article mentioned a couple of people who had the limited model and complained about lower back pain.....to the point of wanting to get rid of the car......any input would be much appreciated.......

billygator

I tried searching the board but came up empty. Didn't someone say you could have the auto headlights programmed to turn off when the door opened? I asked the dealer at my 5000 mi service and he said the only options were time settings - and he gave me the shortest. It did not see right cause they stay on for about 30 seconds now and it seems longer than before. Thanks for any insight.

billygator

For what its worth - I was concerned with my Limited seat at first and had a little trouble adjusting mine, but now I love it. I had the same experience years ago with seats in a Passat that felt overly firm but turned out to be great.

My only gripe is the lateral support could be better, but I don't drive this car that aggressively. What makes up for it though on the Limited is the power seat extension, which is the best thing since sliced bread if you have longer legs.

I'm sure there is someone who doesn't get along with any given seat, but I don't think this is a wide spread problem. Enjoy!

driek

On Monday my local Tampa dealer told me Toyota was working on a genuine Toyota Bluetooth add-on for the Avalon. The next day I placed a deposit down for a Limited. Today when he was in the system putting in my new request to install the additional woodgrain package on the Limited, his computer also had available a Toyota integrated Blutooth kit specifically for the Avalon. He said it was just entered into the computer on 2/1. I don't have any additional information other than that for now. If I can get more info, I will make sure to pass it on.

douglas1

Tell your dealer to look on page 1531 of the Avalon Repair manual. My dealer set my lights to go off when I open the door.

Doug