2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

just__me

Yes, I feel the same way. They have upgraded it as well to give people a reason to buy the Avalon over the Camry after losing sales to the Camry since both cars were very close in looks and not far apart in Power. My guess is an increase of $500 to $1,000 and possibly another item or two to make it seem like you got something extra for the increase. If this happens I would think our 2005 won't depreciate as much. I heard, but don't quote me from my sister that a hybrid Avalon might become available in 2007 and might give you 38 AVG. MPG on the Highway and cost more. So not a great deal if true like the Prius since the current model Avalon is touted at 31 Average MPG on the highway.

dan41

It doesn't seem like a bad deal based on what others have been posting. Regarding your comments on both Laser Speed Control and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC); the Laser Speed Control option may be worth it for people who do a lot of highway driving. With respect to VSC, this is one safety feature, I believe, is an absolute must. I'd suggest that no matter what car you purchase, make certain that it has VSC. Although I realize VSC will add cost ( so do seatbelts ), given its safety value, I am puzzled why VSC it is not a mandatory feature in all cars. Good luck: Dan

clipper1

Please tell us what you paid -- total -- before taxes and tags --

star51

Make sure what the "+ fees" means to avoid surprises. They should give you an itemized total.

bushka

From the April, 2005 "Annual Auto Issue" of Consumer Reports ... The '04 Cadillac CTS gets perfect scores (red bullets - 2% or less problems) in all rated areas. That means "much better than average" according to the CR data. The CTS also gets a red check for better than average reliability in '04. The '04 Avalon rates nearly as well, but not quite the perfect score of the CTS. The '04 Avalon dropped to a half red bullet (2 to 5% problem rate) in only one area: suspension ... and also got good marks for better than average reliability. In terms of predicted reliability, the '05 Avalon scored well, better than the CTS, but not as highly as the forecast for the '05 Camry. I believe the '05 Avalon and '05 CTS price ranges overlap in terms of actual sale prices, but a loaded CTS is more spendy.

The two cars have different concepts. The CTS is sportier, smaller, and feels MUCH smaller and tighter inside (too much of a cockpit feel for me). The Avalon is pleasant to look at, but bland compared to the CTS. No claustrophobia inside an Avalon! IMHO ... No matter how much you like the new Avalon, I doubt it will win any beauty contests. Pleasant, sophisticated and understated as a family sedan should be, but still looking a bit like a Grampa car compared to a Cadillac CTS. I'd love to have either one of these vehicles, because they both look like winners to me. Regards - Bushka

ronn

bmwdoug...I'm not sure about the Consumer Reports, but Edmunds reviews will be in about two weeks. By the way, do you have a BMW?

barclay3

I still have the window sticker from my 1995 Avalon XLS and the MSRP is $28,617. Take the MSRP of $28,617 and project it out to today at an inflation rate of 3% per year and that gives you a MSRP of $38,458 in today's dollars. No CD player or upgraded radio, no sunroof, only 192 hp, cloth seats, no side airbags, 20 city/ 28 highway. The 2005 is a bargain in comparison.

I do not know when Consumers Report will do a review.

ronn

Wanted to share with you guys that I am a musician, and I played for a wedding today. While my Limited was in its usual parking place by itself, it was surrounded by lookers. Many had not seen the Avalon yet. I must say they were very impressed with it. While I bought this car for my own pleasure and without bragging, I do have to be proud of what I have, and what others see in it. There were many questions asked, and I'm sure Toyota will have a few of these folks in soon. Alot of these folks were driving Lexus, BMW, Volvo, and Audi. Thought this was cool!!!

buckwheat

Be sure you check out post 3191 by [Bushka], I appreciate his taking the time but it is more related to a question you asked..

quest2

I saw the Avalon in the Mirage Blue today. It was beautiful. The salesman said it is a new Toyota color.

ronn

Mackabee..I'm not trying to confuse any issue, but I was told I have the light gray interior and my description sticker on the car said BLACK/LB16.
It doesn't matter to me..I'm happy with whatever I have. I'm sure there isn't a lighter gray than mine? I wish I could send a picture, but I'm not able. Just wanted to share with you what I was told I had and the number. I don't want to confuse this, just thought it was interesting.

norskey

I would hardly expect the new Avalon to be in the top 8 luxury cars. It is not in the luxury car class. Would you expect a loaded Chevy Impala to be considered a luxury car? NO, because Toyota is not a luxury brand, Chevy is to Cadillac what Toyota is to Lexus. The new Avalon looks fine but there are at least a hundred other cars that are clearly more luxurious, and a few that make the Avalon look like a plain jane by comparison. I am not knocking the Avalon, but lets get some honest perspective here. A few months from now, the Avalon hoopla will be displaced by talk about some other new model. Remember all the buzz over the new Ford Thunderbird, the new VW Beetle, etc. Give the Avalon its 15 minutes of fame, but don't tell me its a luxury car.

Speaking of the Thunderbird: Remember how buyers were clammoring for it, and paying thousands over MSRP just a couple of years ago. Well, demand is now subsided, and the T-Bird is available with no waiting, and discounts off MSRP not added dealer profit! THe same thing will happen with demand and pricing for the Avalon in just a matter of months, or maybe weeks. Ten or so years from now, it will be worth only 10% of what you paid anyway. Nels

ronn

Thanks Norskey. I do agree with most of what you said, however, the Acura RL is getting rave reviews, and is one of those in the top 8 I mentioned. While it is a great car, my point is the Avalon was quieter, less road noise, and to me looks just as good. I guess that's what I wanted to say. Of course, the Acura was 10 grand more than the Avalon, and I must say it's value will not be in different in years to come. At least, I don't think it will.
Thanks for your discussion on it.

jordan7

Just picked up my Limited and it looks great. Got the VSC but not the Nav. With United Buying Service you can get a great deal. The graphite interior with the dark wood looks beautiful. Hope it gives me as good service as my 98 XLS which will now be my in-town car.

buckwheat

A quick note here, Ford has retired the T-Bird, with the last to be made in July, the name will be placed in Ford's vault for a future resurrection..

burl

Have owned several cars with the factory and local plateing. If yoy can wait you will be much much happier with the factory package even if U have to wait several months. A lot happier with the new and after a few years U will take the non factory off. Not even close, factory is much thicker and IS TRUE GOLD INSTEAD of "kind of gold".
The after market is Put on by electrolis and fades in the sun if nothing else. It goes on about one molequel thick.

To the 2-3 Folks that mentioned that they liked to "hear the Big Dog growl in a while",( Me to )
I will bet a $100 that for a tiny investment you can get 10-15 more Hp/Torque minimum out of this Truly sweet engine. By #1 removeing the Spare Tire and Jack,
About a 40 lb weight reduction.... NOBODY HAS flat tires on newer rubber anymore and even if it happened you are going to call AAA or somebody anyway... if it makes you to nervous, replace them for trips and such.
#2 get a R&N air cleaner will take 95% of the dirt out and give you another *- 8 hp for about $45 and again You can replace in 2 minutes so that Moma doesn't know that the little Boy is still alive in you (it sounds great to us retired RACERS.)
For another Several $100 you can get a good muffler man to MAKE IT A REAL DUAL EXHAUST in stead of 2 tips off 1 muffler, again 8-10 additional hp. But have to be willing to live with Higher Sound level

Puts the game at 16-20hp additional, Or About 300Hp total.... Plus the 40lb weight drop for the spare tire.

100 + octane gas which is still available even if it is hard to find will do About 3% IMPROVEMENT in
In torque and lower your max power curve About 300 rpm so that you get to full power on this thing EVEN QUICKER>

Nobody has mentioned that the FIRST gear is LOWER than a Full RACE street car used to be (411)....ONE of the reasons that it has such fanonimul 0-60 times.... 6.6-+

I am Guessing 5.9..6.0 0-60. After a little tweaking.

And that my friends comes from a very beautiful and comfortable Luxury family car.
Where is that guy in that red Mustang when you need HIM.

I know that most of the people in here are aghast at the thought...... Thats OK..... It makes MY heart go Zoooooom.

Thanks for your time

just__me

Hi Ronn. One of my neighbors who saw me putting on the Black bumper guards today and asked me about them rang my door bell. He said your Avalon really looks like a beautiful car. Is there any chance I can take a rid in it. I said I don't mind, but right now it's like my new baby and I hope you don't mind if I don't give you the key, he said he wouldn't ask me for the key, he just said when it's convenient if I would drive him around a few blocks. So I took him for a ride right then and there. He was extremely impressed and asked me what dealer I bought it from. I told him, he didn't ask me what I paid for it and I didn't volunteer that. If he is interested that is between him and the dealership. Anyway he asked for my sales person and the phone number. He said he will call. He drives an infinity, I didn't look at the model number. He really liked the interior and loves the styling and how quiet it was. So like you Ronn, people are noticing and asking questions. I believe Toyota hit a home run with this car. I love the black bumpers I put on back, it gives it a neat look besides acting as a protector. The front is nice but on the back it's awesome IMHO. Hope you enjoyed playing at the wedding.

just__me

Burl, thanks for sharing. Even though I won't be doing any of the things you spoke of, it was a pleasure to meet someone who knows that much about cars. My 280HP is enough for me. Have a good one.

mackabee

Ronn, you have the darker gray not the light gray. I got the codes right off my allocation/inventory sheets and the color/fabric/leather samples we got from Toyota Motor sales. Trust me on this one, I've got just about every color made in the last 8 years by Toyota in my memory bank.

P.s. the Blue mirage is not new this year. It has been available on the Sienna since 2004.
: )
Mackabee

mackabee

quest2, see my last post regarding Blue Mirage.
: )
Mackabee

sixtynine

No, and all it would take is a change in the software that reads the CD's to add a CODEC for MP3's. I can't believe that there are still CD players that don't read MP3's. Get an Infiniti, they read MP3's!

gschultz3

I like the CTS too but at 6'4'' with a long torso I can't see out of the windshield. I think Cadillac has a winner but as you said it is smaller. I've seem many 60 plus people in CTS's. I wonder what the average age is for CTS customers?

ronn

Okay, I guess I might be crazy for asking this, but the other day I loaded 6 disc. One of the six came up on the screen under text with the title of the CD, and each song. Do some do this and others don't ??

gschultz3

I disagree that the Avalon is the same as a Chevy. Cars are changing and it is difficult to just class them according to their name. I think price represents a better standard and the Avalon LTD is in the same price range as near luxury cars such as the Lexus ES330,Acura TL, Volvo S60, Cadillac CTS, BMW 3 series, Mercedes C series. Would you feel the same if Toyota had upgraded the Avalon and sold it for $45,000?

clipper1

L-16 is Graphite -- in all except the Touring -- HOWEVER -- the graphie is really a darker version of LITE Gray -- confused?

Another words the graphite is really a lite gray

gschultz3

Your ability to get the best price will depend on supply and demand at the dealer. If he has more orders than cars available he won't discount much. Prices will decrease with time "if" the demand slows down. I have read that the best deals come at the end of the month? Typically car sales are slower in the winter months in the north so more deals should be available? The dealer has plenty of room to lower the price all the way to invoice but they want to make as much money as they can on every sale so the average sales price is higher. Be aware of any last minute surprises like advertising fees.

ronn

Thanks Mackabee..I guess the darker gray isn't as dark as I thought, because mine looks lighter. Thanks for your memory bank. You probably know more than most of the salesman !!!!! It amazes me what they don't know about this car yet....I realize it takes time though. Mine was to go to a special "class" on the new Avalon.
See if you can get me some help on the CD question? ( #3209)

3puttmax

"Get an Infiniti, they read MP3's!"

I think I'll base my buying decisions on a $37k car on stuff like engine, transmission, ride quality, quietness. While it would be nice to play mp3's in the car, I'm not going to switch to an Infiniti just for that feature.

Now if only the Avalon had a proper rooftop XM antenna, painted same color as the car, like the Acura's have. Oops, there I go losing perspective!

Max

cherie1

can you share how much you paid for your Limited with the VSC. Did you see my message that I got a quote from the dealer for a Limited with dynamic cruise, VSC, rear spoiler and floor mats for $33,988 + tax & license and fee's (that could be interesting)? Was yours close to that or did you get a beeter deal? This is the first quote I have received so I am unsure if it is for real or if it is to pricey? What is United buying service? They told me I could use reg. unleaded also; true or false? Sure would appreciate your comments.

mikes.

"This is the first quote I have received so I am unsure if it is for real or if it is to pricey? What is United buying service? They told me I could use reg. unleaded also; true or false? Sure would appreciate your comments"

Cherie1, the quote is good, I bought my LTD on 2/10 and paid 36,800 plus tags & title. About 500 under MSRP. This for a LTD with VSC, laser cruise and remote start.

You can use any gas of 87 octane or higher. The 280HP and other specs are based on 91 though. I've been burning mostly 87 and don't notice any less performance.

I don't know United buying service but there are a number of people/companies around that you can hire to negotiate car purchases for you. They either charge a flat rate for their service or they charge a % of purchase price. Good luck and watch out for those FEES, they can really try to stick you with some junk.

MikeS

mackabee

cherie1 that's a steal! Jump on it before they change their mind.
: )
Mackabee

just__me

Yes, it's true Cherie, you can use regular gas. They recommend 91, but regular is okay, like on all there other Avalons they have said the same in the manual. As far as the price, only you can make the decision but I would recommend you know what the MSRP is and take $2,500 off of that price and compare it to what they quoted you. If it's two thousand below the MSRP it is not a bad deal. You might do better elsewhere or not. The rest will be up to you and how crazy you want to drive yourself. Good Luck.

just__me

I meant to say $2,000 off of the MSRP, not $2,500, and if you get it, it IMHO it would be a good deal.

marcom

Teereeves ... where did you get the information that "initial deliveries of the 2006 Avalon will start in August"?

It makes absolutely no business sense for Toyota to come out with a new model, with new stocked parts, new documentation, and annoyed '05 buyers only six months after the 05 model.

Unless his came directly from Toyota ... and not from a third party ... I find it hard to believe.

Source of information?

Marcom

gschultz3

"I am Guessing 5.9..6.0 0-60. After a little tweaking."

I am ready for 5.0 ...... all suggestions welcome. It's fun to surprise the guy in the red mustang.

I decided not to get a gold package yet. What has Toyota charged for the factory stuff in the past? I got quoted $895.00 ..... not sure if the financial guy I was talking to knew they didn't have any for the 2005.

barclay3

Toregano... you wrote "if i were ugyze". What is an ugyze? Excuse my ignorance.

jordan7

you appear to have a fair deal but without going into specifics, i did get a better deal. i am in the Maryland area and United Buying Service is throughout the US. Most credit unions have this service and it is in the yellow pages. each area negotiates different prices for just about every car and they do an excellent job especially when it is a "hot" car like the 05 Avalon LTD. The dealer has all the negotiated UBS prices and you simply order the car. Painless. good luck.

jordan7

read my message i just posted. UBS, which I am sure you are familiar with, has negotiated better prices. i picked up my titanium limited yesterday.

just__me

Barclay3, I'm sure he means you guys. How he can speak of the Kia in the same breath as Toyota is beyond me even though Kia has come a long way.

teereeves

marcom, I'm sorry, but I cannot reveal my source.
It is what it is. Thanks for asking.

Tee

mackabee

Mackabee: "Surely, you must be joking!"
toregano:"I'm not joking and don't call me Shirley!
; )
Mackabee

mackabee

Yes, based on the coding that's on the cd.
: )
Mackabee

mackabee

I'll check on this tomorrow with the factory and let you guys know. Why teereeves wants to keep his source secret is beyond me. It's not a matter of national security.
; )
Mackabee
p.s. time for a nap.

bushka

I find it ironic that those who compare the Avalon to a Lexus or other true luxury car can't accept its comparison to a Kia. How about comparing the Hyundai Sonata to the Avalon? You could buy THREE new 2005 Sonatas ($10,746 in today's paper) for the price of one Avalon Limited! The Sonata also has been redesigned for 2005. The 2004 Sonata actually was rated higher than the '04 Avalon, in terms of reliability, and has a much longer warranty. As a matter of fact, based on one post I read, the Sonata was THE most trouble free model of 2004 ... better than Toyota or anyone else! The Korean nameplates are coming on strong.

Well, you turn your nose up and say, the Sonata is not in the same class as an Avalon. True ... and, in similar terms, the Avalon is not in the same "luxury car" class as Lexus, Infiniti, BMW or Cadillac, even though the size is comparable to some larger luxury cars. Putting all that silver plastic on the dash cheapens the interior immensely, though that's one of the few faults I can find with the Avalon. The Avalon looks like a wonderful family sedan, but it is NOT a luxury car. It is Toyota's Buick ... and there's nothing wrong with that! Regards - Bushka

gladiator99

Hello again!! Got news that my new XLS has arrived and I pick it up Wed. Was wondering if the new halogen headlights are brighter than the older halogen lights. My trade in was an 02 Acura TL with the HID headlights. I sure liked the light output with these lights. Has anyone who has the new Avalon any comments re the halogen lights. The HID lights ar only available on the Touring edition in Canada, however with that model you lose vsc and traction control.
I know there are several replacement High output halogen bulbs available, but I hope the standard equipment bulbs will be good enough. Any comments will be appreciated.

burl

Think about this way......You can buy a rereallyereallyice 14K GOLD BRBRACELETor about $400-500 on a big sale that is about 1 once of 14k gold (about .6 ounce of pure gold at about $450-+) and very expertly arartisticallyHand" made into the item. Even if it is factory made it has almost an unmearsuable amount of gold electronically deposited on the Letters. More by the factory supplier But.......

$895 is a fairly profitable trans acction for the "Bad" Guys LOLOLOLOL

The factory gold papackageSED to run about $295+-
The after market $100-900 a pop at about a cost of
$20........ They often would throw it in to CLOSE a deal by saving the customer $Big
Negoshite it but realise what it realy costs the Factory or as and an after market item.

They useded to have "may still" a package that instead of being gold was kind of like a dark smoked shiney glass of which very few were sold but it was rather pretty

just__me

I have the XLS, and honestly they seem like my 04 for distance, but maybe that isn't fair not having them side by side, but they do seem to have a wider arc. Either way, they work fine.

gschultz3

"$895 is a fairly profitable trans acction for the "Bad" Guys LOLOLOLOL "

Thats what I thought. Thanks for the info! The financial guy was probably mad at me because I didn't buy anything he was selling. He said the paint would be ruined by acid rain if I didn't buy his environmental package or wax the car every month. I told him I was retired and needed something to do.

burl

2006 Avalons are really 2005 (new body stile) 6 months later ....there is no new body stile for 2006 other than upgrades from 2005.
If they had called the new body stile which came out in feb-march of 2005.....a 2006 then there would be 11/2 years production of 2006 and NO 2005 production.
Beats me why they did it this way

just__me

I test drove the large KIA Amanti, no way does it compare and it got a bad review. A couple of reviews, even one from Detroit disagree with you, they say it's no longer a Buick and almost a Lexus. That is their experienced humble opinion, and they are paid to test drive the cars and hopefully don't have an agenda. I trust the Detroit reporter isn't or he will get slammed, so hope they share the facts as they see it. I'm sure once Consumers does the road test the Avalon will be at the top of the list. Here is one from Detroit of all places in Mo town, they will call him a traitor.
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosconsumer/0503/16/G01-118415.htm
http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/roadtest,view,Toyota.spy?artid=37606&pg=1
Even though the new Avalon is really a luxury car, the press group cars by size and price, and the Avalon doesn't fit into the price catagory of Luxury cars, another reason why the Avalon is a great buy for those who don't need a status label but more inclined to pocket the 10 to 20 thousand bucks.