2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

havalongavalon

Impartial, the outside looks ain't everything. Try sitting inside an Avalon and driving it. Owners and enthusiasts are impressed by the jetliner-like performance: powerful, effortless takeoff, roomy first-class type seating, quiet, smoooth ride, and fast and reliable braking. Add to this Lexus (I mean, Toyota) comfort and convenience features, legendary reliability, and surprisingly affordable price. Oh, I forgot to also mention the fuel economy factor.

Yet others may prefer noisier, crammed props over jets; or quirky, thirsty fighter planes over thrifty jetliners. If so, the Avalon is not for them. It's just a matter of personal choice.

If you prefer to fly in jetliners, let us have your impressions after a test drive.

p.s. I don't work for Toyota; I'm just another satisfied repeat Toyota owner. I agree with you that Toyota has not been a leader in style, although I do think that the new Avalon is quite a bit better looking than most recent Toyotas. Again, a matter of taste.

havalong

pmcb48

"The 36 months of Toyota Warranty seems good enough for me. The 3 years of paying additional even at around $1,000 a year is $3,000 additional dollars, (while still being under warranty including the power train) and in the 4th year around $4 grand."

Hey Just Me, check your math again! It's $1000 for all 7 years, not $1000 per year for years 4-7. So technically $1000 for 4 more years of added coverage beyond factory warranty. As I said, in my last two cars, both times I needed repairs were in year 6. You can change engine and transmission fluids all you want, but I don't know of a way to baby the air conditioner to prevent a condenser leak, which is what happened to me, or a freak circuit board going out in one of those many computers. That's just a matter of fate. Some things are more related to the car's age than mileage, again like circuit boards and A/C problems. I tend to keep my cars 5-7 years, so it makes more sense for me. It wouldn't for people like you who trade more often. Bottom line, it's whatever helps us sleep at night.

loudspeaker76

havalong

I completely agree with your jetliner analogy. This analogy is especially true when you have the NAV system on and talking to you. During my test drive I was waiting for "Your seatbacks and traytables are not in their full and upright position". It was great.

As far as performance looks go, IMHO spoilers and ground effects don't impress me as much as torque and HP. I'd rather have something that doesn't look very fast, but is than something that looks fast but can't outrun a go cart.

-LoUdSpEaKeR

alphawolf

I wasn't interested in the GS at all. It's nice, but rear seating is too small for my needs and the premium over the Avalon isn't something I'm willing to pay right now.

alphawolf

Has this option been discussed much?

For $700 you get:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exterior Paint Sealant, Undercoating and Interior Protection Application

No Charge for First Oil and Filter Change at any Southeast Toyota Dealership

Rental Car Assistance for Warranty Repairs

Roadside Assistance Program

Vehicle VIN Etch Glass Product Protection Program
-----------------------------------------------------------

I don't know...to me this seems like a big juicy dealer profit option. Exterior paint sealant? Is this an additional clear coat or like a good wax job? :-)

Undercoating protection- maybe good if one lives near the ocean...

Interior Protection Application? What is that? Armourall? ;-)

mevande

For 700.00 you get "ripped off":). I agree w. many posts re: Lexus like quality/equipment. Not a bad looking car at all. The 2004 and Prev. Avalons were just plain dull! :P

havalongavalon

LoUdSpEaKeR,

Exactly. I've also always preferred to drive powerful, understated sedans. My first real car was a (used) 1971 Alfa Romeo Berlina, a 4-door boxy body but with the same1750 cc aluminium fuel-injected engine and 5-speed transmission as its Spider convertible sibling. Driving the Avalon now, I get the same exhilarating feeling at casually leaving everybody else behind when the light changes!

havalong

mackabee

We offer an "Environmental protection package" at our store that is basically another warranty for your paint job. If you take a close look at the warranty on all Toyotas, paint is not covered against acid rain (very prevalent in my area), tree sap, bird droppings, industrial fallout, etc, etc, also the interior is treated against stains like ketchup, ice cream, candy, etc,.etc, Our package is considerably less and it's not pre-printed on the window sticker like on some distributors cars. We offer at no extra charge to the customer 5 oil changes at 7500 mile intervals, lifetime VA state inspections, 2 year roadside assistance including out of gas, key lock-out, flat tire change, etc, and more. No charge. The "pro-pack" as we call it in the biz is good for dark color cars. I wish I would have gotten it on my 92 Wineberry Camry. Beautiful paint job but after 3 or 4 years the clear coat started to rub away, there were water spots that would not come off which I later found out were acid rain spots, I would have had my car repainted as this warranty was good for 5 years. It's not for everyone but it is there for the folks that want it. It's good to have choices.
Mackabee

just__me

Thanks for correcting me, that shows how much I know about the financial end of these extended warranties. Your right, if you don't keep the car that much beyond the Toyota Warranty, why get it, but thanks again for what you pointed out, I guess it's worth the price for a good nights sleep, since we never know what can happen. Thanks again.

libertie

I also ordered a 2005 Avalon Limited in April and now they say there are none available and that there will be a delivery delay because I didn't order the NAV option. Seems like a counter-productive policy.

agent

Alphawolf. I'm not sure about all dealers but my experience is that the dealer invoice for the Toyoguard Plus is $231 so yes, it's a profit maker. That doesn't mean that it's not worth it. The extra paint sealant protects from fading. The undercoating not only protects the "under" from damage, it also lessens road noise. Read the fine print on the Rental Car Assistance. It's not as good as it should be. Roadside assistance is great. No charge for tire changes, a little gas to get you moving again because you ran it dry, anything else you may need a tow truck for. The VIN etched in the glass is also a nice touch. It deters a little from theft and some insurance companies will give you a lower rate because of it. Interior protection application is basically scotch guarding the carpets and treating the leather. Darn have I done a lot of research. lol

lnt

I had a 95 camry that had to have computer replaced(26,000mi.) -over a thousand dollars, my 98 Avalon airconditioner went out at 24,000mi., struts had to be replaced-another $1,000+, my 2000 Avalon drivers side power seat track had to be replaced at about 24,000, plus the dash had a crack and had to be replaced, the computer that makes all the electrical stuff run had to be replaced -all of this at between 24,000 and 30,000 miles - cost - around $3000. Yes, all under manufacturer's warranty, but I won't buy a car without an extended warranty - do you blame me? And, yes, I bought 2005 Avalon - Why after all these problems? Well, I just think I am jinxed when it comes to cars, so I am trying again.

alphawolf

Good to know. I wonder if the undercoating would make an actual real world difference in noise. At $231 it doesn't sound bad at all. However, in configuring the Avalon via the dealers invoice, $699 MSRP is what comes up. If they have that much wiggle room on that option...I'd consider it. Thanks for the info.

BTW, every Avalon I've looked at in dealer stock seemed to have that option tagged on. May have just been a random selection of the 5 I looked at...but methinks they load up the stock with all the goodies.

alphawolf

You can be pretty sure that with a lot of younger buyers (myself included) there will be aero kits for it soon. IMO it's not boring at all. In fact, before I knew what it was- they caught my eye on the freeway with the LCD indicator in the mirror.

The dual exhuast is a nice touch. The reclining rear seats. 280HP with great gas mileage, to my eye a great interior...excellent safety features, etc...

But to each their own.

holysmoke

Holy cow! That's a lot of warranty work at low mileage. I'm still in my 96 Av with 150K and I've never had a better car. Glad I never had that run up in repairs. Better luck with your 05 Av.

ronn

impartial......I dont think you have taken a close enough look at this Avalon. YOU Might not think this car has excitment, but I will tell you that you are wrong. The styling is wonderful, and you get looks with this car. As I have a black Limited, I get stopped all the time and people say what a sharp, great looking car. I get looks at stop lights etc. I hardly think you could come close to comparing this to a Buick....there is none. Why...because I had one!!!
This Avalon has appealed to my friends with BMW, and Lexus. And quess what....one of them bought the Avalon!!! BORING>>>I DONT THINK SO!!!!!!!
If you dont want to get excited about the Avalon, go buy a car that is boring....maybe a Ford 500 or Buick Lacrosse

Avalon4u

ronn

Hey friends....can anyone suggest a carpet mat cleaner to keep the Avalon mats looking sharp. I did not buy the all weather ones....thought I would try keeping the carpet ones looking nice. Any suggestions?

RONN

ronn

Hope all of you will vote for our Avalon to be CONSUMERS' MOST WANTED for 2005. We can do it!!!

RONN

gschultz3

I'm sure that I am tempting fate but I never buy warranties on anything and won't start negotiating for a new car until the dealer agrees that he will not add any administration, advertising, warranty, preparation, environmental charges at the end . It has never been a problem for me yet but the Avalon is the first car I have purchased in many years which did not have 4 years warranty protection. I just realized from a prior post that the Avalon doesn't even have road side assistance! I'm an AAA member but have always had road side assistance. I've never used it. I guess I just assumed Toyota (Avalon $36,000) was like Volvo, Nissan, Infiniti, Audi, Acura, Buick etc. Undercoating is a waste of money since I don't see rust on older cars anymore and paint protection is just sophisticated wax as far as I'm concerned. How in the world can Toyota prove any paint damage is due to acid rain? I once got a new Ford delivered with so-called "acid rain" spots which turned out to be the dealers fault. An honest employee from the dealership gave me the info needed to get a free paint job. I've had many cars since then and never experienced any damage from acid rain ....... a good polymer wax is as good as any paint treatments the dealer uses. I use Carnauba on top to get a better shine. I hope the Toyota paint suppliers know that all of the rain is acidic where I live. It's up to Toyota to provide quality cars ...... I hope they do!

ronn

Mackabee....there were two 300's for sale on the Toyota lot that I saw this week. One traded in on the Avalon. They are becoming WISE arent they?

ronn

I got the protection package for my Avalon. I keep it very clean, and waxed, but I found a recent bird dropping very hard to wipe off. I couldn't figure out why? Any suggestions to make it easier? I thought with it being cleaned and protected it would come off easier.

RONN

gschultz3

The 2005 Avalon is a nice looking large sedan. It appeals to people who are looking for a large sedan! My black Avalon LTD looked as good as the BMW's, Cadillacs, Lexus, Lincolns and Mercedes sedans lined up at my Country Club tonight waiting for a parking attendant. In motion, and under spot lights, the wheels on the Limited are spectacular. To each his own. I replaced a beautiful uniquely styled Infiniti FX45 with the Avalon.

gschultz3

Mothers Clay Bar - most auto supply stores. Read the instructions carefully.

ronn

gschultz3........ Yeah for the Black Limited, my twin!!!! Don't they look great!!! At the church I am a musician for, because of mine, two more have joined in! The Avalon looks great against those others you mentioned......I can't imagine anyone thinking boring !
Have a great weekend!

RONN

gschultz3

Hope you are jinxed bushka. The Avalon is my first Toyota!

gschultz3

You sure are busy! I use an inexpensive small carpet cleaner (wet vac) available at Walmart .... Little Giant? I purchased the the all weather mats for the first time. We purchased a new house in a new development under construction ....... my wife says we live in the little house in the mud.

dan41

Yes, as much as I enjoyed my 300 GS, I grew to dislike the upkeep in keeping my black beauty clean. Yes, I strongly considered buying the new 06 GS, but I just couldn't justify the additional $12K+ to stay with the Lexus cache - especially when I saw and drove the new Avalon.

just__me

RONN..I use the "Meguair's NXT Generation Tech Wax", and the first large bird dropping came off easy. The car probably got hit by it a couple of hours earlier before I returned. I have three coats on my car (crazy I know), maybe that is what made it come off easy or the fact that it was only on maximum, 2 possibly three hours before I noticed it, or it's the brand of wax I'm now using. I know you use the Eagle, try Meguair's and see. Most of the detail people here when I asked the question recommended it. I hope that makes the difference.

bushka

You hope I am jinxed? Sorry. I don't understand the drift of your message.

There's a lot of hi-tech stuff on the Avalon Limited, and if one intends to keep the car for 6+ years, it might make sense to spend $995 on an extended warranty plan. Also, keep in mind that this early in the production run, problems (at least in theory) are more likely. I don't have a new Avalon yet ... and with the seeming shortage of Limiteds, I just might wait for the '06 model rather than take an '05 late in the model year. I've been bitten by the new car bug, but I'm going to be deliberate and objective in my purchase - not obsessive-compulsive. Bushka

bushka

Most every critic agrees that the new Avalon's look is improved, but still a bit bland. It is not as exciting to look at as a Chrysler 300C or a handful of other cars, but it has a durable kind of good looks that I think will wear well. In a few years, the 300C may look very dated because it is almost to unique in its style. Bushka

gschultz3

Bushka, You said it! I just hope that the problems you had are not typical for Toyota. I think warranties are good for many of us just not me. I am not concerned about the Avalon I purchased. You should do what you feel is best for you.

jkalo

For those with XM: I'm picking up my Limited tonight....it was ordered w/XM......is XM service prepaid for some time frame with Toyota, or will XM NOT work since I haven't subscribed as of yet???
Josh

sward

I'm picking up my blizzard pearl Avalon Limited for my wife today. There are those who will consider the styling to be "bland". I prefer the term "understated elegance", which describes the Avalon styling precisely. The last sedan I bought was also criticized as being "bland"--the 1990 Lexus LS-400. Fifteen years later, I still love my car, and it will share our garage with my wife's new Avalon. It is also pearl white. The 1990 Lexus was the first production car to ever offer a metallic white.
The Lexus and Toyota lines are built with quality fit and finish, reliability, efficiency, safety, and value as the dominant considerations. The styling is conservative, but conservatism in style tends to produce a timelessness, and many years of satisfied ownership. Your best bet may be to consider another make of car, such as a Nissan or Mazda. For myself, I'll stick with Toyota and Lexus.

iflyx5

Factory-installed XM comes with one year complimentary subscription. If it is not yet activated, you can only listen to preview channel (Ch. 184 I believe). You will have to active the service with XM using your XM tuner's ID You will need the tuner's ID to activate it. To get the ID, push the SAT button on your radio, then rotate the channel dial (the right knob) to channel 000. The tuner's ID will be displayed.

mikeroch

Hi,

Went to dealership recently to look at the gold avalon xls in the showroom. The interior was on the light tan side (finally resolved that leather colour thing!) - it was nice.

Side note - I thought the interior wood trim wasn't quite as well "applied" as in the earlier one we'd test driven. One of the pieces looked a bit "off" or slightly damaged (didn't take a long look at it though).

Also, went to Nissan dealer Sunday and looked at the Max's on the lot. Liked them outside and in - nice tan leather and wood applications also. Smaller inside though....

Yesterday, drove past an Infinit dealer - saw a new M in the showroom....going to go take a look - prob tomorrow. Don't know if was a 35 or 45, but was an orange colour - looked awesome!!. Problem is that a loaded M35 all wheel drive is another 25k (Cdn) including taxes over the Max and another 20k incl taxes over the avalon xls. Will post impressions after look/drive....

Sorry to keep bugging you all with this.....decisions, decisions.....

(Also, sorry about the poor grammar - need to get back to work)

Regards,
Mikeroch

tinatina

Hey sward,

I like that color as well. I will be possibly orderingt the Avalon XL with that color and the Option Package A. The dealer told me that "this color is usually the last color made and is very difficult to get at this time." I like the pearl look, but I have only just started looking to buy a new car. I saw a dark colored Avalon a few weeks ago. The only problem is that dealers have between 10 to 12 Avalons on the lot, but seldom any XLs. My car has an MSRP of $27,540, but I'm shooting for $2,000 off of the MSRP, or $25,540 plus tax, license, registration, and CA Handling. I got one soliciation for $1,000 off of the MSRP. Still waiting for responses from the other dealers.

But thumbs up for the good color choice!!!

54gradsteds

Re: "wiping-off " bird droppings....

I would strongly advise against any "wiping" off. I did that once, and the droppings were dry. I was left with a small area where I had no clear coat on the paint. What works best for me, in cases where I'm not just ready to wash the entire car, is to just to saturate a folded paper towel until it is just "sopping wet", lay it over the "bomb" for a half -hour or less to soften everything, and just wipe it off. The idea is to get it SOFT !

groza

I find the following works best for bird droppings:

Birds up to crow size: 20 gauge Winchester, game load.
Birds above crow size: 12 gauge Winchester, game load.

Groza

loudspeaker76

RONN

Already voted the Avalon in. What else could I do? I'm going to buy the thing for goodnessake!

-LoUdSpEaKeR

loudspeaker76

Groza

That could get messy if they "land" on your Avalon.

Just Me, do you have any wise suggestions for this age old problem?

-LoUdSpEaKeR

zoomer1

Seems to me that Toyota could have spent the extra $50 bucks to make folding side view mirrors. To have a car that size and at that price and not have folding side view mirrors is cheap. I hope Toyota reconsiders and make the change ASAP...it is hard to fit two cars in an "average garage" OR to park in some places if your side view mirror doesn't fold....either you ding it or some else does it...

mmx6

Alpha, I actually wrote the http://www.automotive.com/2005/43/Toyota/Avalon/reviews/full-article/index.html review. Thanks for pointing out the typo; I meant you can only get those options on the XLS or Limited, not XLS or Touring.

And Ronn, where do you want me to stick it?

perico1

I need to know something. When the sound system is on zero fade, should the sound come out of the front and back speakers equally? For some reason, I cannot hear any sound out of the back unless the fade is set to rear speaker. I would really appreciate some help on this one. Also, does anyone else have a problem with the voice activation on the Nav? I keep telling my nav to go home but it seems to ignore me totally and yes, I read the manual. Thanks

impartial

I could be wrong, but I always thought Audi was the first with pearly (metallic) white paint. They've offered it for about as long as I can remember. The Avalon's Blizzard White is nice, but not as deeply pearlized as some of the Audi pearls --- and not as striking as the current Cadillac pearly white. Impartial

ronn

Thanks groza....that might not be too good for me to do in the church parking lot where I work....I might hit one of my rich old ladies that give me a big salary and anything else I want! I'll try the paper towels first

RONN

impartial

I looked closely at several Avalons at my Toyota dealer last night. All of them had uneven tail pipes. Each, without exception, had one pipe lower than the other. Also, on a couple of them, one pipe was extended further out than the other. I can't imagine a detail like this getting overlooked in a Lexus, BMW or other premium brand. Maybe this is an issue that will be corrected in the 2006 Avalon.
Some of the sheetmetal seams (hood & trunk) seemed a bit uneven. Again, not quite up to premium car standards. Impartial

just__me

I pretty much do what 54gradsteds said. I did it today because I got bombed in Savannah. However I must say since I was away from my car for perhaps 3 hours, the coats of Meguiars NXT TECH Generation Wax I have on the car I do believe protects the paint before the acid eats through for a short period of time, because when taking it off my paint is fine. I always check the car after I have it out because one day years back on my Black Mazda, I didn't notice the bird dropping and by the time Igot to it it did eat through the paint and no buffing or wax took the blemished look away.
HI RONN READ THIS. In one of the Consumer Magazines today, the Scion was First place, Lexus Second and Toyotas cars in Third place were at the top of the list for least number of problems. (notice Lexus, also a Toyota product, Scion owned by Toyota took top three spots.) Now get this, the Jaguar was last, the Mercedes was way down as well as the BMW's, the european cars got bad ratings and that included the Passat, Jetta etc. Honda (Acura) was below but close to Toyota. American cars fared better than the expensive euro cars, but worse than the Asians. Nissan was below Honda (Maxima) . So you know what, I LOVE THE QUIET ELEGANCE OF THE AVALON as some one put it here, and for those that want style in place of quality I wish them the best, let them by whatever style ignites their emotions,
( the 300 in MHO will be dated and tired looking ina year) and the same for people that think a name plate means they arrived. I like to arrive in my Avalon. Different strokes for different folks.

ronn

LOUdsPeAker.......Thanks for your vote.You are a true hero of the Avalon like JUST ME and myself!! Get all your friends to vote for it next!
Have a great weekend, and be nice to your wife-----remember I'm single ...she might run away!!!!!!!

just__me

There is always something Toyota could do or add, but they had to stop somewhere to keep the price where they wanted to be. They added a lot of wonderful touches to the Avalon this year and only tacked on a couple of hundred or so. They are aware of this, but whether the mirror folds or not is not I'm sure in their opinion a deal breaker. I'd rather have the reclining rear seats and more powerful engine they the folding mirrors. Just watch how you park.

ronn

HEY JUST ME....... That's cool that Toyota is getting the news they deserve. Quality !!! Yes, it amazes me that people would find the Avalon as bland! I personnally think it has alot of style. Style that is gently given to it to say wow in a reserved way. I have friends that have BMW and Mercedes, and let me tell you..they are having lots of problems with them. One friend said" Ronn you should have bought the BMW for the name. It's awesome to tell people you have one"and with your concerts and such, you need to drive that "!!! I just LOL. I told them I was proud to drive this baby,and the name was good enough for me!
I could have bought any of those, but I found the Avalon to be the choice!! I am lovin the gas mileage also! Hope you and everyone have a great Saturday. I plan to drive some.

RONN