There ya go. Now how about those people that just bought the regular cruise control. How about it. Are they any malfunctions with it to date on the new model???
my cruise control works perfect Abe like my other Avalons, maybe this one is more exact? It stops right at the speed I want it at when I push up, and when I release it it doesn't climb even a mile above on a flat surface. My others might have increase a couple of miles.
Many newer cars have MP3 technology included in their sound system. I would like to see that added to the '06 model year. It's a very desireable feature and would help the Avalon attract the younger buyer thereby increasing sales.
You can also try to sell your 2000 Avalon on eBay, Craigslist.org (free) or Yahoo (also free). Another option is to try get a fair trade from your dealer. Good luck!
"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 different price on same exact car same options and they insisted that was also 1000.00 over invoice........ "
analyticangel, base dealer invoice cost for the XLS is $27,104. Since you're in Edmunds.com now, go to new car pricing for option invoice costs. The only differences in invoice costs from one dealer to another for similarly-optioned cars, will be due to Destination Cost ($540 for a south Florida location), or for dealer "markup". Here in south Florida, we found dealer "markup" could be as high as $799, at Palm Beach Toyota, and zero at Earl Stewart Toyota of North Palm Beach.
I certainly agree that there is a greater chance for problems during the first year but I do not agree with consumers reports statement "often means". I have purchased many new cars during the past 40 years and a least 25% of them have been first year models. My worst experience has been with older models ..... chevy van, ford thunderbird, buick century. I haven't had any significant issues with a new car since the 1980's.
I haven't experienced any significant torque pull with my Avalon. There has to be some torque pull with a high torque 280 HP FWD. I did have significant torque pull with a Cadillac STS and Volvo V70T5. My last 5 new cars, prior to buying the 2005 Avalon, were either rear wheel drive or AWD rear wheel.
I've driven my Avalon 500 miles, washed it three times, waxed it once myself and once professionally, played with all of the options. I can't find anything I don't like. That is unusual for me. I think they did a great job putting together a great car for what I want .... power, size, reasonable handling, comfortable ride, long list of options at a reasonable price. It's my first Toyota and I'm impressed.
First I want you to know my nephew took a picture of my black bumper guard on my Avalon, when he gets home he will email it to me, if I'm able to post it here you will see how beautiful it is and I believe actually dresses up the car. gschultz3, it's my fourth Toyota and the best one IMHO, power wise and the clean interior with the little doors covering the buttons and keeping the dust away, the sliding arm rest , the reclining rear seats and power etc. Something else that I'm sure many aren't aware of. The black trim on the exterior around the windows and door with their shiny look stay shiny. When I used to wax the other cars and touched that area by accident or put my fingers on them you had to rub the black area to try to get it back to how it looked new, this new black material is a dream, so another overlooked plus improvement over the others. RONN, what do you think. I have waxed my car three times, ha, ha, thats how crazy in love I am with it and only have 903 miles on it. It is the best car I have ever owned, when I put the car in drive,I don't hear the engine, it rolls down the highway as if on bearings, no friction it rolls so easily and smoothly. I'm a dot your i cross your t kind of person and I can't find anything wrong with my XLS. Maybe I'm just lucky that I got a great one from production. Yup you can tell I love this car. I will be holding unto this one for at least 3 to four years.
Introducing the '06 Avalon in Jan of '06 makes absolutely NO sense at all. I can understand when a totally re-designed vehicle is introduced early or late, so it gets lots of attention, or because of other marketing reasons - but it makes no sense to do that in a successive year. That would almost seem stupid. I am personally considering an '05 or '06 Avalon, and I've almost decided to wait for the '06. I'll have to talk with my local Toyota dealer, althogh they frequently don't hav answers to questions like this. After all, they want to sell now, not next season.
Another thing. After visiting the local auto show, it is obvious that there are a lot of other excellent new cars out now, and a whole bunch more this Fall. Plus, incentives are again (still?) excellent on many makes and models. Even Toyota has rebates on some models, including the Camry, right now. A year from now, rebates on Avalons would not surprise me.
Shoppers who get "new car fever" and absolutely must immediately have a new model (like the '05 Avalon) pay a premium price when the supply & demand factor is not in their favor. I just don't have that kind of money burning a hole in my pocket. Norskey
Good, save your money and don't go throw a car wash and watch out for gravel trucks or gravel on roads! Because if you get a small crack you will only have cruise control if you preset it before you leave your driveway. Or pay $1,600. to $2,000. in repairs for it to happen again.
Attention 05 Avalon junkies. How many added pinstriping to your car? Dealer added two thin gold stripes on each side of my black XLS during final prep (no extra $'s). Stripes are decals, not painted. The effect is very subtle - Draws the eye along the side line of the car. Gets a lot of positive comments. Probably would not be as good looking if there were plastic rub strips.
Thanks to Mackabee for tip on removing engine cover.
JUST ME.... I will be anxious to see a picture of the bumper guards if you can. I have waxed my Limited once, and washed it alot!!! It is a great car. I have 1300 miles now, and I love it. I got 23mpg at the last fill up for city driving..LOVE THAT!!!! I have had no problems either!! ONE GREAT CAR! I do wish all the talk about 05 vs. 06 would stop some. It really shouldn't matter. If someone needs a car now, I would go for it and not wait. I do not beleive you can go wrong with the dependability of Toyota, and a friend of mine that use to work at Toyota said he finds it very doubtful that they would release a 06 this summer.Anyway, all of you in Toyota land, just get the Avalon whether it be an 05 or 06. You won't go wrong !!!!
Groza...would it be possible for you to put a picture of your XLS with stripes for me to see. I have a Black Limited, and thought about adding stripes. I have only seen one with stripes, it was the white one. It did look great. Someone told me not to put stripes, because they look bad when they get older, and peel as well. Can you give information on that?? I have never had stripes before, so I wasn't sure about the wear etc.
RONN. I've had stripes on all my Avalons except this one. None of the others peeled. I think the stripe might look great on the black. I'm not sure whether it would look good on my Desert Sand Mica because of the way the lines run on this new design. I will discuss it with my dealer probably at the end of this week if I hit the 1,000 mile mark and go in for an oil change. I will also at the same time nearby have the windows tinted. Once I get the bumper picture Ronn, I will look into how I can scan it into this forum for all to see. Right now I don't know how to do that. I'm sure when the time comes someone here will hold my hand and will help show me about how to post it.
I have regular cruise control on my XLS, not laser. I've never had a problem with my other 3 Avalons even though I did get the gravel hitting and chipping the bumper and hood. I personally didn't want laser cruise because I would rather stay awake and drive alert without the laser slowing me down when a car or truck jumps in front of me, I want to do that, but that is just me.
norskey, buying a brand new designed car like the Avalon doesn't mean you have to pay MSRP or higher. I was the first one with my dealer in Savannah to order my Avalon and the first one to get it. I got close to $3,000 off of the MSRP. So a lot depends on your past relationship with the dealer, your research of invoice online with Kelly, Edmunds etc., and coming in with the print outs and your negotiating skills always in a courteous manner, at least that's the way I do it and they appreciate it, then it's their decision. I always have a friendly relationship with them and not an adversarial one. They are in the business to make a profit just like any company, be it your electric gas utility, phone company, oil company or department store. Knowing this I don't come in with the attitude that they are trying to rip me off, and I honestly believe my relationship with them is excellent because of it and they always enjoy seeing me when I come in for my quick 29 minute oil lube, or I get a free one if they are a minute over. One time they were and offered to me a free one and I said no, (but not always),not for one minute, and that guy remembers me. Scrounging for every buck may make some people feel good but I value an excellent relationship much better. I never lied to them about a deal offered elsewhere, they all know one another and can check it out if they want to. So honesty I think for me is its the best way to go. They value my business and I value their excellent service. It makes perfectly good sense for them to not introduce the 06 until end of October but now believing from what I heard maybe introduced in January 06. While I'm waiting to hear back from Donlen, possibly tomorrow, I made another call to a Tampa Dealer called Stadium Toyota and they also like Courtesy Toyota haven't heard anything about an 06 Avalon August delivery to the dealers and thought that would be crazy on Toyota's part. I've only called the two Tampa Dealers because of what clipper1 said and I'm sure analyticangel who lives in Tampa can check it out as well. Once I hear back from Donlen I will let everyone know. Yes Norskey, there are other car companies, and you are certainly free to purchase what ever you feel you like best or can afford or not afford.
You don't necessarily have to pay a premium price for the 05 Limited and I am not worried about new design issues since Toyota has an excellent track record. I paid $500 over invoice (cash with no trade) for my Limited and it was delivered one month from the date I ordered it. I did not get Navigation or Laser Cruise so not all Limited have to be loaded. I did opt for the VSC since it is a great safety item. I doubt if you will do better for an 06 model!
jordan7 - $500 over invoice for a new Avalon is excellent. I would definitely buy one on that basis, even though I feel there are some advantages in waiting for the '06 Avalons. Having an '06 instead of an '05 is an advantage in itself, just in terms of resale/trade value a few years down the line. I looked again this weekend at a different dealer, and he had only two Touring Avalons in stock, with no Limiteds coming soon. I have a case of the "new car bug", but I'm trying to temper it with some common sense restraint. The Toyota dealership I bought my current Toyota at 3 years ago is now a "one price" store, and offered a measly $250 dollar discount based on "market conditions". The salesman was excellent, but I told him I wasn't the least bit interested at his price, and to call me when prices settle down. IMHO, there is no question about IF prices will soften, only about WHEN it will happen. Norskey
In terms of alternatives to the Avalon - it depends on what your parameters are, in my view. Are you considering domestic as well as Asian brands? Can the size be a bit smaller? For a large family sedan, I think the Avalon is hard to beat, but there definitely are alternatives. What's more - For '07 (if you're patient enough), the new Camry and Lexus ES series should be out. I would expect both to be outstanding, probably surpassing Avalon technology in some respects. Many seem to think the new Avalon engine (or a variant) will be used in them.
Buy yourself a copy of the Consumer Reports "Annual Auto Issue", on the news stands now. It identifies what's new, and/or what's comparable. The new Mercury Montego and Ford 500 seem to be getting generally positive reviews from those who are open minded enough to consider them. The Buick LaCrosse comes to mind, but if you want a Buick, I'd wait for the new Lucerne this Fall. It looks like the beakthrough car that Buick needs. Norskey
I was wondering if anyone considered having moldings installed on the doors to prevent door dings? I have real mixed feelings about this. I think it looks sharp without them and it would be difficult to find something that would match in color (leaving you with a contrasting color). My wife's Celica doesn't have any molding and hasn't had any problems (2 years). My Camry was nailed numerous times even with my selective parking choices. Yeah right let my wife park my car ....
I agree that if I needed a new car soon and wanted the new Avalon, Toyota is probably one of the best auto makers to gamble on. As a 1997 Avalon owner, I feel I can comment on another Toyota new design, my Toyota Sequoia (based on the Tundra platform,and engine). It came out in 2001 and I waited a year to buy the 2002 in November of 2001. The first year model had two major problems, 1) brakes wore rapidly,didn't break well and 2) AC compressors failed frequently because of a poorly designed lubricating tube. Neither of these poor designs was corrected until well into the 2002 model year. My early 2002 had the defects Although TSBs were put out, the dealer did not install new larger disks/calipers up front until vibrations began to occur at about 33,000 miles. Fortunately it was still under warranty. I am holding my breath on the AC. So even buying an early second year model may be too early for those of us who like to keep our vehicles a long time.
I really don't think the Avalon would look good with moldings. There have been several post back about this issue, but with it's new design, I sure wouldn't want them on mine, eventhough I have a black Limited. I think it would ruin the look of the car. Also, many moldings don't prevent dings , such as a bigger car or truck parked next to you. I had a 92 Camry that the mirror got badly dinged by a larger truck next to it. They often get dings were the molding isn't. Maybe this will give you some help...Best of luck with your decision. I would leave it without molding!
Please let me know on the name & phone # of dealer that gave you such a great deal. I am interested to buy one from them! I am unable to find any 05 Limited with VSC in the Houston area.
Re: Post #3604 -I have 1400 miles on my Cassis Pearl now and have probably got you beat on the washing! However, I have been afraid to wax it because I don't want to get the swirl marks on it. I had a black avalon and this one is just as hard to keep clean. The dealership gave me a bottle of Toyota wax in a white bottle(did anyone else get this?)and said it would be best to use it. What kind of wax did you use?
Was looking at an Avalon in Stuart FL. Always liked the rep and quality but my wife said that other than the 98 & 99 - they weren't good looking. Have to agree - seems they focus on boring. The new one seem much better, and bigger inside. First, the S/E distributor had added 1,6oo worth of garbage to the factory list. Then they added almost $7,000 avability profit. Must see a lot of addled old people. He had only one car. I drove it liked it. Wanted a white XLS with electric stability control and mats. He found one on a boat - these are made in the USA of course. He also swore that these ran on REGULAR GAS NOT PREMIUM. I don't think that is correct. There was so much wrong with that dealer that I left. Think I will wait until the 2006's come out and , fully armed, go to a better dealer. My summer home is near Boston. They did a nice job with the new Avalon.
www.photobucket.com is a site I have seen others use. They have a free basic membership that allows you to upload your photo to their site. You then have a URL (web address) for each photo, which you paste into your message (post) on this site, giving a link to the photo. Works well. See my earlier post on the Blue Mirage color.
I don't like pinstripes in general, although I tolerated some on a van we bought due to getting a good price. Dealers put them on (decal type) to pack $200 of profit on the unwary, or try to get $200 of good will for $20 investment by giving them for "free." Most are of only fair quality, and will ultimately fade with time. Handpainted ones are obviously potentially expensive, but much nicer in appearance. My Avalon won't have them.
NXT Generation Tech Wax is what I use, it cost me $15.49 a bottle. It seems to work like the Toyo Guard I had gotten with my 04 Avalon. It goes on as easily, you can do the entire car, wait for it to dry and it comes off easy and does a great job. This forum advised me on this brand of wax and it's very nice applying and you get a beautiful shine. It says if you have swirl marks it will take it away. I have no swirl marks, good luck.
Thank you so much pmcb48. I asked my nephew about how to do this. He said you have a host on the forum, that's Pat, he said she has an email. Email her after you receive my email,then have it attached to her email AND SEND IT to her and she will post it. So as soon as he emails me I will proudly do that, and if she doesn't do it, I will follow your advise, so thank you. I will also let you know once I hear from Donlen about 06 in August, I know you have been interested in the facts as they are without the spam, so am I.
vho--I live in Maryland and the dealer was near Baltimore. It was through United Buyer's Service . They are nationwide I believe and are connected with trade groups or credit unions. Check the yellow pages or call them in Bethesda , Maryland and ask if they are available in your area.
Regarding the pin striping like you I probably won't do it, but my dealer does it for around $78 to memory. The other Avalons I had were not as nicely styled so I had the pin striping done. This 05 is so nicely styled I don't think adding to it will improve the look. I will wait however until I see one done, and if I think it's a definite improvement then I may have it done. Just checked the pin striping options on the Kelly site for our car. Stripe, Custom (PIO) SA1 • Models in SoutheastRegion Invoice $47.30 MSRP$79.00. So my memory was almost correct. So whoever wants 200 is off base.
Thanks for the advice on the wax. What the salesman gave me wasn't wax, it says it is Sealant Cleaner, Vehicle Shield Protection. On the back it says "To maintain Vehicle Shield Protection Warranty, apply at least twice a year to a clean vehicle." I guess we are supposed to use this in addition to waxing it?? Did everyone else get this stuff, too? I have gotten bottles of it with all of my Toyotas, but didn't always use it.
Finally, everything you and I and some others here have said besides some of the silly critiques. The reason we love our Avalon and the pluses we felt as why it was the best in its class is right here. I told you Ronn that it will be at the top once it gets tested. So here it is the link again as posted above, and like us they love the little doors hiding everything. I said it was the best car I ever owned, like the first Lexus that arrived years ago that I drove and wish I could have afforded then but for a few thousand less do now even though it doesn't have the Lexus name plate, it feels almost the same. I have to believe the 06 will cost more, my dealer thinks probably a 1% increase which I figured anywhere from around $200 to $500, we will see. It can only make the 05 worth more if that happens. http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=105147/pageId=63224 .
Hi INT..... I used Eagle One wax. It was highly recommened from a friend. I purchased it at an Advanced auto store. It does not show swirl marks at all...also another friend uses Turtle wax. He doesn't have any problems with swirl marks either. The Eagle one did a great job!! It is suppose to be great for scratches too!! Hopw we don't get any of those!! Hope this helps...RONN
I highly recommend the stripes. My dealer puts pinstripes on all of their vehicles and does not charge the buyer for them. They are painted, not decals. On the Avalon they go all the way around the back (trunk lid). They really add to the looks of the Avalon. Typically they choose gold (with tan interiors) and silver (with gray interiors), but they do other colors as well. The darker exterior colors (black, indigo and dk red) look real nice with the stripe. So does white, lt green and lt blue. I am a little mixed on the desert sand (or whatever they call the tan/gold color these days) but I have seen it with both gold and dark brown stripes. I have silver stripes on my Phantom Gray Camry and it looks great.
YES, YES, YES.....JUST ME I hope everybody reads the edmunds review. WOW!! WE MADE IT Thanks for sharing, because I hadn't seen it yet. Have a great evening...and try the EAGLE ONE WAX..it works well.
I hope everyone has or will read the review. It was excellent. Click on from 3635 post that Just Me did to read!!! We should be so proud. I would like to add that my local newspaper in Virginia had a big article on the Avalon as well. The headline stated "YOU JUST CAN"T GET ANY BETTER THAN THE 05 AVALON".
Does the XM radio option use the existing radio that comes in the Avalon or is it a different radio that's used? Is it a dealer installed accessory or must something be installed at the factory?
ejmann...the XM Radio can be used with the existing radio in the Limited model. It can be installed when ordered at the factory, or it can be added with a kit from the dealer.
JUST ME... not sure if I need to have pinstripes as the design is so wonderful on the Avalon already as you agree, but on the Black Limited with dark gray interior, would you go with Gray Sripes? Anybody else with an opinion?
Again, stripes are a matter of taste. If you did it, stripes matching the interior I think is best and about the only choice. What other color would you choose? Red? No. Silver? No. Color choices for stripes are more limited in a dark color like black, but I think your first thought is the best.
Comments
abfisch
MikeS.
analyticangel, base dealer invoice cost for the XLS is $27,104. Since you're in Edmunds.com now, go to new car pricing for option invoice costs. The only differences in invoice costs from one dealer to another for similarly-optioned cars, will be due to Destination Cost ($540 for a south Florida location), or for dealer "markup". Here in south Florida, we found dealer "markup" could be as high as $799, at Palm Beach Toyota, and zero at Earl Stewart Toyota of North Palm Beach.
I haven't experienced any significant torque pull with my Avalon. There has to be some torque pull with a high torque 280 HP FWD. I did have significant torque pull with a Cadillac STS and Volvo V70T5. My last 5 new cars, prior to buying the 2005 Avalon, were either rear wheel drive or AWD rear wheel.
I've driven my Avalon 500 miles, washed it three times, waxed it once myself and once professionally, played with all of the options.
I can't find anything I don't like. That is unusual for me. I think they did a great job putting together a great car for what I want .... power, size, reasonable handling, comfortable ride, long list of options at a reasonable price. It's my first Toyota and I'm impressed.
gschultz3, it's my fourth Toyota and the best one IMHO, power wise and the clean interior with the little doors covering the buttons and keeping the dust away, the sliding arm rest , the reclining rear seats and power etc. Something else that I'm sure many aren't aware of. The black trim on the exterior around the windows and door with their shiny look stay shiny. When I used to wax the other cars and touched that area by accident or put my fingers on them you had to rub the black area to try to get it back to how it looked new, this new black material is a dream, so another overlooked plus improvement over the others. RONN, what do you think. I have waxed my car three times, ha, ha, thats how crazy in love I am with it and only have 903 miles on it. It is the best car I have ever owned, when I put the car in drive,I don't hear the engine, it rolls down the highway as if on bearings, no friction it rolls so easily and smoothly. I'm a dot your i cross your t kind of person and I can't find anything wrong with my XLS. Maybe I'm just lucky that I got a great one from production. Yup you can tell I love this car. I will be holding unto this one for at least 3 to four years.
Another thing. After visiting the local auto show, it is obvious that there are a lot of other excellent new cars out now, and a whole bunch more this Fall. Plus, incentives are again (still?) excellent on many makes and models. Even Toyota has rebates on some models, including the Camry, right now. A year from now, rebates on Avalons would not surprise me.
Shoppers who get "new car fever" and absolutely must immediately have a new model (like the '05 Avalon) pay a premium price when the supply & demand factor is not in their favor. I just don't have that kind of money burning a hole in my pocket. Norskey
Thanks to Mackabee for tip on removing engine cover.
Groza
I have waxed my Limited once, and washed it alot!!! It is a great car. I have 1300 miles now, and I love it. I got 23mpg at the last fill up for city driving..LOVE THAT!!!!
I have had no problems either!! ONE GREAT CAR!
I do wish all the talk about 05 vs. 06 would stop some. It really shouldn't matter. If someone needs a car now, I would go for it and not wait. I do not beleive you can go wrong with the dependability of Toyota, and a friend of mine that use to work at Toyota said he finds it very doubtful that they would release a 06 this summer.Anyway, all of you in Toyota land, just get the Avalon whether it be an 05 or 06. You won't go wrong !!!!
Someone told me not to put stripes, because they look bad when they get older, and peel as well. Can you give information on that?? I have never had stripes before, so I wasn't sure about the wear etc.
BTW, when the car jumps in front of you, it beeps loudly at you.
Buy yourself a copy of the Consumer Reports "Annual Auto Issue", on the news stands now. It identifies what's new, and/or what's comparable. The new Mercury Montego and Ford 500 seem to be getting generally positive reviews from those who are open minded enough to consider them. The Buick LaCrosse comes to mind, but if you want a Buick, I'd wait for the new Lucerne this Fall. It looks like the beakthrough car that Buick needs. Norskey
Thoughts?
dcallies
I am unable to find any 05 Limited with VSC in the Houston area.
First, the S/E distributor had added 1,6oo worth of garbage to the factory list. Then they added almost $7,000 avability profit. Must see a lot of addled old people. He had only one car. I drove it liked it.
Wanted a white XLS with electric stability control and mats. He found one on a boat - these are made in the USA of course. He also swore that these ran on REGULAR GAS NOT PREMIUM. I don't think that is correct. There was so much wrong with that dealer that I left. Think I will wait until the 2006's come out and , fully armed, go to a better dealer. My summer home is near Boston.
They did a nice job with the new Avalon.
I don't like pinstripes in general, although I tolerated some on a van we bought due to getting a good price. Dealers put them on (decal type) to pack $200 of profit on the unwary, or try to get $200 of good will for $20 investment by giving them for "free." Most are of only fair quality, and will ultimately fade with time. Handpainted ones are obviously potentially expensive, but much nicer in appearance. My Avalon won't have them.
Looks like the Avalon won the comparo by a wide margin.
Now my question is what did you find under the engine cover?
; )
Mackabee
Stripe, Custom (PIO)
SA1 • Models in SoutheastRegion Invoice $47.30 MSRP$79.00. So my memory was almost correct. So whoever wants 200 is off base.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=105147/pageId=63224 .
Hope this helps...RONN
Also, I have a 2000 XLS and the dash display includes the DAY and DATE. I have not seen such a complete display on the 2005. Is that the case?
BillyG
Thanks for sharing, because I hadn't seen it yet.
Have a great evening...and try the EAGLE ONE WAX..it works well.
RONN
We should be so proud. I would like to add that my local newspaper in Virginia had a big article on the Avalon as well. The headline stated "YOU JUST CAN"T GET ANY BETTER THAN THE 05 AVALON".