Just want to say that I have learned so much from this forum. Thanks to all for the continued help and learning process for these great cars. Thanks especially to MACKABEE for his wonderful knowledge and interesting post. Also to JUST ME for his great comments. I didn't realize the arm rest moved forward on the Limited, until it was mentioned here. I also didn't realize the protection for the Laser cruise had to be watched carefully. These are just a few little things that can make the difference. Keep up the great work!
I read this post often. My wife had a Av 95 with 205,000 miles with no problems. Have looked at the new ones and they appear nice. However have any of you recent owners considered the 300 C as they both seems in the same price ball park!!?? Would like to hear your comments. Best to all.
Thanks for the analysis, Jordan 7. We actually like the Limited for many of the reasons you stated. Looks like there will be one in our garage. Just not sure about '05 or '06!
Wow.205,000 miles. That's great!!! I drove the Chrysler 300, and it was nice, but there was more road noise than the Avalon. Second, I really don't like the interior as well, and I felt very closed in with the windows smaller and up higher, and I'm tall. 6'2. It also has taken me a long time to get use to the front of the 300. I think it is very massive...some like that look, but I don't care for it. I am not a fan of Chrysler products, and the resale on Chryslers is terrible. If you read other reviews from people that have them, there are many problems with getting parts, as it is in demand. One lady waited 3 months for a part, and couldn,t drive it at all!! I forgot what it was. There was also a bad problem with it pulling to one side. Many had this defect as I read about it. As I drove the 300, the BMW 3 and 5 series, the Acura RL and TL, the Avalon beat them all with the smooth quiet ride I was looking for. I also find Toyota to have the better interiors. The Lexus I drove was nice also, but I felt the Avalon was a better price, and not much different. In fact, I found the styling to be better, especially better than the Lexus 330. I think you will have better customer satisfaction with the Toyota Avalon. The 95 Avalon that your wife had should tell the story in itself. I hope this helps some. Maybe others can add their opinion as well. Happy Easter and best of luck. RONN
Here's my experience with the 300C. I was in the market for one last summer when the car was very much in demand. Dealers were selling at sticker and folks were buying eagerly. My test drive didn't impress me. I felt the interior was less than I expected, especially the carpeting...kind of flimsy IMHO. Anyway, since the dealers would not play "let's negotiate", I looked at other options and bought an '04 Cadillac CTS for somewhat less than the 300C. I'm extremely pleased with the CTS but that's for me. The Avalon Limited will be for my wife. She did not care for the 300C either. Go Avalon and get more dependability, luxury, value.
I find this to be one of the coolest parts of my LTD. Every1 I show it to thinks it is totally slick!
Some1 posted in the last day or 2 about the Laser cruise had to be put into normal mode before moving the vehicle. I've found on the Avalon that you can be moving, but you have to switch before engaging the laser mode. It can be on but not been used.
Luxosport...Have you chosen a color yet for the Avalon.?? The black is very sharp on the Limited..That's what I bought. Some don't like the black because of it being hard to keep clean. I don't find it much harder than the other dark colors. Anyway, you are getting a great car no matter what color. I just wanted to share with you that it is sharp in Black..I got the dark gray interior ( Graphite) Best of luck and Happy Easter! RONN
Just because the 2005 Avalon came out late in the model year, don't think that Toyota won't introduce the 2006 models in August. In June, 2004, I traded my 2000 Avalon XLS in on a 2004 Solara SLE convertible. The 2005's came out in September and the 2006 models are now showing up on dealer lots. The whole situation pisses me off as I have suffered two years depreciation in the past nine months.
You make a statement off the top of your head about August and Avalon based on nothing but pure speculation when in fact it isn't true regarding the Avalon. If Toyota did such a thing they would be written up in the Harvard Business School as the Corporate mistake of the year.
Really? I thought that was you. Here's the member's direct thread started on another Sienna club. (rules says I can't mention the name)
My laser cruise control lens was chipped by a very tiny stone from a dump truck causing the E3 error code. I went to the dealer and learned the entire unit has to be replaced. I have only 9,000 miles and was shocked to find out the unit will be $1400.00 plus 4 hours of labor for almost $2000.00. The Corporate office classified the event as a road hazzard and won't even assist with the cost. I'm angry the replacement part has the same poor quality plastic lens and will be chipped the same way over a period of time for the same $2000.00 repair bill for a very expensive reoccurring cycle. Any one have any suggestions or similar experiences?
It's very easy to pop it out. Stick your finger into the right side of the Laser Box and into the bumper and you will feel the prongs holding the box in place. Unhook those prongs and it should come out with the other side hooked on.
Last Sunday my husband drove me to the door of the church and let me out. I happened to remember just before I closed my door that I still had the key. This may be a dumb question, but does anyone know what would have happened if I had walked away with the key? Would the car have died? Would he have been able to drive away? Just curious.
On March 12,I ordered 05 Limited,Phantom Grey Pearl with dark Grey interior,nav,Laser Cruise,remote starter and rear spoiler. Dealer said I'd have to wait 6-8 weeks for delivery, since this is a factory order.I got excellent deal,though,$34,224,which is $1000 above invoice.Of course,to compensate for that,dealer offered only $9800 for my 2000 Avalon XLS.To make the matter worse,he guaranteed that price only for 3 weeks,which means I'll have surrender my trade-in without having a new car instead. I've never bought a new car before,has anyone heard of something similar and suggest if I can do something to keep my trade-in untill new Avalon arrives. Thank You
As a soon-to-be Avalon owner I am interested in saving money as gas prices continue to rise. I’m willing to give up some horsepower and perhaps miles-per-gallon to do this. However, does anyone know if long term use of regular octane will have a detrimental effect on the engine or perhaps the catalytic convertor?
Dan41 "Why not post it here? As a new owner of the Limited, I would like to have seen the following options available:"
Blue Tooth - Third party options available Coin Holder - I use a plastic bag Back-up Sensors - readily available from third parties at a reasonable price. I have them!
I agree that Hyundai has a way to go but I just purchase a Hyundai Elantra GLS hatch back for my daughter for $12,800 power steering,windows, brakes, locks, mirrors, AC, AT, carpets acceptable interior, well aligned exterior, plenty of room front seats for 6'4" me and better storage than any sedans. The price was $1.750 below invoice. I could have had 3 Elantras instead of my LTD!
They should have the Nav system on their web site. There are other interactive systems available for third party Nav systems. It's a great way to learn. I must admit I still haven't mastered all of the functions ..... this is my 5th Nav system. Must find time to get out the manual!
Tampa area -- AND yes -- he confirms the August date for the '06!
Also to those who say it can't be done without knowing the new price -- give me a break -- who cares -- as long as the dealer agrees to a cost (invoice) plus an amount ='s price.
If you go to LEXUS.COM, under a model (say, LS430), hit the INTERIOR and scroll down to the TUTORIAL for the VOICE-ACTIVATED NAVIGATION. It is the same software as in the ones in Toyotas. There's no difference.
Agree, no harm. You just won't get the best performance and mpg will drop a bit too. My experience on three other cars that recommend premium or say premium will provide superior performance is that you will not 'feel' the loss in performance, though it will be significant when checked with a stop watch. Highway mpg will be as much as 8% less, about the current difference in cost between regular and premium around here. BTW, one of the cars I tried it on is an older Avalon.
has anyone experienced that you can only change the memory seat AFTER the car has been turned on. my wife sits very close to the steering wheel so when we are exchanging drivers on a trip, she has to change the memory seat BEFORE she stops the engine or it is hard for me to get in the car when we come back from our pit stop. on my 98 avalon, you could change the memory seat WITHOUT the engine being on so after we came back from our pit stop and it was my turn to drive, i could push the memory seat button prior to getting into the car and starting the engine. any thoughts or are we doing something wrong?
Looks like most dealers are preferencing the Limiteds with nav. Have you contacted your local dealer to have them preference one without it? : ) Mackabee
Thanks for the honest feedback on NAV system. Though I like it, there are still a few quirks which are quite irritating. As you both stated, another avenue, other than the manual, for learning would have been most helpful.
Hi Thanks for the email back I am in same dilemma you were in I have an XLS (not a Limited) on order and I am having buyers regret due to 2006 coming out I have not called the dealer yet I am a bit afraid to ask then agree(if they are willing) to a number over invoice How do you know they really are showing the true invoice ? I had a price amount for car on order and was told it was $1000.00 over invoice , a friend emailed the same internet and got a differnt price on same exact car same options and they insisted that was also 1000.00 over invoice........ Is your deposit refundable if you dont come to an agreement on 2006 Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated We are in same state ....Also wondered did you explore Extended warranty if so please see my post #3542 and kindly respond to that I value your opinion Thanks
Can someone tell me if buying a "used" fleet vehicle is ok. I would like to know if the resale value drops for a fleet vehicle far more significantly than a non-fleet vehicle.
I can understand that the price of gas annoys, but if you can't afford the higher octane gas, why buy the Avalon? You could have gotten a Camry with 4 cylinders, or a Corolla or an Echo.
I understand it's a two second faint sound which is the pressure being built for the ABS. Check it out with your dealer. Room for a womans purse, that is a new one. Can anyone tell me which car sedan provides that not including the Rolls or Bently?? How about for an umbrella? Just kidding.
Thanks fndlyfmrflyr and justme. I was afraid that the spark advance being retarded more than normal to avoid knocking with lower octane might have adverse consequences. I guess not. I'll probably try a few tankfuls with premium and then regular and see if I notice any difference. rewop
Here's what Consumer Reports says: "Our surveys underscore the wisdom of waiting a year to buy a new or redesigned vehicle. Buying in the first year often means being taken on a bumpy, shakedown cruise". This kind of advice is hard to argue with. Without question, Toyota has a record of building great vehicles. Still, the new Avalon was taken from the design and engineering stage to full production in a relatively short time, leaving buyers with no track record to research. That said - Consumer Reports surveys show the previous generation Avalon as the "most satisfying" car in its class in the '02 through '04 model years.
The only characteristic that concerned me a bit, based on my short test drive of an '05 Avalon Limited, was the annoying torque pull felt in the steering wheel that was obvious in a rapid accelleration. It's an issue for higher powered FWD cars. Anybody else notice this? Bushka
All I’m looking for is a Phantom Gray XL with VSC. Either that, or an XLS with VSC and cloth seats rather than leather. I’ve emailed and phoned Toyota about adding VSC to the XL or adding an option of cloth seats to the XLS. Hope they listen! If they do, I’m looking forward to becoming an ’06 Avalon owner! Glad everyone has had such good luck with the '05! Hope everyone had a great Easter!
I am selling my 2000 XLS on the market,however I don't have any buyer.I don't think I can take a chance of accepting delivery of new Avalon and also having my old one and continue selling it. What if don't sell it soon enough and it deprecites close to the number dealer gives me for it.
I think you meant FALKENS!!!. Yes these are made in Japan, and they were sizes available for the Avalon, as I have them on my car. A very good tire rated very high by CR in almost every category including value. I do find them noisier, oddly enough , from the OEM tires that came with the car.
Is this comment meant jokingly cause I cannot believe you are really serious. Past Avalon owners were attracted to the car because of many attributes, and one of them was efficiency for a large car. Either you are a millionaire, driving a new Avalon, not an Avalon owner at all, or .............
Comments
As I drove the 300, the BMW 3 and 5 series, the Acura RL and TL, the Avalon beat them all with the smooth quiet ride I was looking for. I also find Toyota to have the better interiors. The Lexus I drove was nice also, but I felt the Avalon was a better price, and not much different. In fact, I found the styling to be better, especially better than the Lexus 330. I think you will have better customer satisfaction with the Toyota Avalon. The 95 Avalon that your wife had should tell the story in itself. I hope this helps some. Maybe others can add their opinion as well. Happy Easter and best of luck.
RONN
Some1 posted in the last day or 2 about the Laser cruise had to be put into normal mode before moving the vehicle. I've found on the Avalon that you can be moving, but you have to switch before engaging the laser mode. It can be on but not been used.
MikeS.
Best of luck and Happy Easter!
RONN
My laser cruise control lens was chipped by a very tiny stone from a dump truck causing the E3 error code. I went to the dealer and learned the entire unit has to be replaced. I have only 9,000 miles and was shocked to find out the unit will be $1400.00 plus 4 hours of labor for almost $2000.00. The Corporate office classified the event as a road hazzard and won't even assist with the cost. I'm angry the replacement part has the same poor quality plastic lens and will be chipped the same way over a period of time for the same $2000.00 repair bill for a very expensive reoccurring cycle. Any one have any suggestions or similar experiences?
It's very easy to pop it out. Stick your finger into the right side of the Laser Box and into the bumper and you will feel the prongs holding the box in place. Unhook those prongs and it should come out with the other side hooked on.
Thank You
Blue Tooth - Third party options available
Coin Holder - I use a plastic bag
Back-up Sensors - readily available from third parties at a reasonable price. I have them!
Also to those who say it can't be done without knowing the new price -- give me a break -- who cares -- as long as the dealer agrees to a cost (invoice) plus an amount ='s price.
(Ask the employee how he buys his cars)
: )
Mackabee
: )
Mackabee
Thanks for the email back I am in same dilemma you were in I have an XLS (not a Limited) on order and I am having buyers regret due to 2006 coming out I have not called the dealer yet I am a bit afraid to ask then agree(if they are willing) to a number over invoice How do you know they really are showing the true invoice ?
I had a price amount for car on order and was told it was $1000.00 over invoice , a friend emailed the same internet and got a differnt price on same exact car same options and they insisted that was also 1000.00 over invoice........ Is your deposit refundable if you dont come to an agreement on 2006 Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated We are in same state ....Also wondered did you explore Extended warranty if so please see my post #3542 and kindly respond to that I value your opinion Thanks
Have you had a chance to check with your dealership regarding the noise we are hearing .
i live 180 miles from a dealership and your response will be appreciated.
Contacted Toyota , want my car to be brought to a dealership.
Can someone tell me if buying a "used" fleet vehicle is ok. I would like to know if the resale value drops for a fleet vehicle far more significantly than a non-fleet vehicle.
Would appreciate any input.
Regards.,
Room for a womans purse, that is a new one. Can anyone tell me which car sedan provides that not including the Rolls or Bently?? How about for an umbrella? Just kidding.
You deserve what your dewaler is screwing ya.
How do ya know what is invoice:
Go to kbb.com/edmunds.com and others....
rewop
The only characteristic that concerned me a bit, based on my short test drive of an '05 Avalon Limited, was the annoying torque pull felt in the steering wheel that was obvious in a rapid accelleration. It's an issue for higher powered FWD cars. Anybody else notice this? Bushka
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