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Thanks
i'm getting an x-type instead.
MMG1
Also, it will change the speedometer..it will not be accurate. We were talking about all the information on this forum, and I mentioned that some were changing or wanting to change. This is when I found out. Thought I would give a HEADS UP !!
20 and you (Dad?) can afford an Avalon? When I was 20 I had a 1941 Pontiac with a black finish that was so dull it wouldn't even shine in the rain. The trunk was tied to the bumper, the shifter in second gear had to be held up by hand, and top speed was about fifty, although you felt like you were breaking the sound barrier. The back seat was incredibly roomy, though, kind of like a motel on wheels. Cost me $75 and took me a year to pay off. Plus I learned a lot about do-it-yourself repairs. These days I'm feeling kind of like that car.
20 and you (Dad?) can afford an Avalon? When I was 20 I had a 1941 Pontiac with a black finish that was so dull it wouldn't even shine in the rain. The trunk was tied to the bumper, the shifter in second gear had to be held up by hand, and top speed was about fifty, although you felt like you were breaking the sound barrier. The back seat was incredibly roomy, though, sort of a motel on wheels. Cost me $75 and took me a year to pay off. Plus I learned a lot about do-it-yourself repairs. These days I'm feeling kind of like that car.
I parked next to a black BMW 5 series today, and with my limited being black, it really looked great next to it!!! And you know, I liked the looks just as well if not better. Someone posted a few back that they thought this car was boring...I really can't believe they would have the nerve to say that......hope they by a Ford 500 to see what boring is like
sward
Charcoal interiors come only on the Touring, which is the only color offered on that model. The other three models (XL, XLS, and Limited) come with Ivory, light gray, or graphite (a medium gray) interiors. Not all interior colors are available with all exterior colors. The Toyota website ("Build My Toyota" section) covers the combinations. The wood is not as clearly specified, but it appears that light gray and ivory get the light wood, and graphite gets the dark wood. At least one poster has stated that light gray can have either wood color. If you do a search on this forum, you will find that post.
sward
Titanium and graphite with dark wood will be stunning. I've seen the titanium, and it's a beautiful exterior. I've only seen pictures of the graphite interior, but it appears to be similar to the gray interior in my 1990 Lexus LS400. I'm not tired of it yet! My wife picked Blizzard Pearl and Ivory for her new Avalon, and it's also a gorgeous combination.
sward
I just noticed that the brochure that a dealer gave me has two rear view photos. Both appear to have uneven exhaust pipes.
I called the dealer about the wood/leather situation, and they said it MIGHT be possible because I am ordering the car before it goes into production; however, it is conditional to the manufacture agreeing to the change, which they might not. Toyota said they were going to get back to me when they have an answer. I'm not sure how the light wood would look with dark grey, b/c my camry is two-toned with light & dark grey (which I really like) So having dark on dark might look better with the preset choice. Maybe the dealer will tell me it was a no-go & I won't have to worry!
Also, Thank you so much to whoever posted www.mynewavalon.com I spent the better part of my weekend watching the video's! I found great things the dealer never even mentioned!
Drove 120 miles home from dealer: impressions: very quiet, laser cruise control is incredible!! What a great option, I couldn't believe that it applied brakes! XM radio is not activated until you call/get online and pay activation fee; I thought Toyota would have paid for one year or at least 3 months! NAV is not as easy to use as the touch screen I have on my Land Cruiser. The joystick does not always give you the precision to select points of interest or destinations etc. It takes longer to punch information into the system using the joystick. Voice controls need more precision, but will be cool once I learn all the commands. Stereo has a great rich sound, especially after you set balance, bass, mid, treb and surround sound. Rear shade is great item for privacy.
Seats are so comfortable. Rear seats are huge!! Seat ventilation/heater are great. Smart key is wonderful. Remote engine start (hit lock 2x's then hold for 3 seconds) took several attempts before it would work. Really have to push that button down VERY hard, or it won't work. Engine is powerful, although I still haven't tested it, I'm being very very gentile with the engine & brakes during break in period. Car looks awesome, have received many comments and looks. Dealer had a dealer front license plate. I asked them to remove it, which they did. When I got home, I found 2 nice screw holes in the front bumper! I couldn't believe that there are no mounting brackets for front license plates, you just screw it into the bumper!! Any suggestions on covering those screw holes up????? I guess some type of puddy/wood puddy and then touch up paint?? ANy other suggestions???
I subscribed to XM. Never had it before. XM is simply incredible. You can preset 18 SAT channels. The sound and selection is incredible. The car is my wife's and she just loves it.
Rented Chrysler 300 Touring Last week on vacation. Nice ride: received many more looks/turned heads in Chrysler as compared to the Avalon. Kids went wild over "pimp mobile". Visibility is much, much worse in 300. To me the visibility caused a "closed in" feeling. Toyota gives the feeling of a quality vehicle, while the 300 did not.
Dealer said (based on Corporate) initially, 7% of Avalon's being built were Limited's. Demand has far outstripped supply for Limited's, so they are going to double the percentage of Limited's up to 14%. That will help to even out the supply/demand for all 4 models.
For those of you on the fence, we strongly considered the ES 330, Acura TL and Avalon, and after test drives, the Avalon was the clear choice. I feel very confident in saying, that we made the correct choice. Best of luck to all....
Josh
MMG1
Sorry for the earlier post about the Jag--I got too carried away. My apologies
TripTrix
MISS66 IMHO, Yes it is the best placement because the top of the bumper when you see it from the side sticks out the furthest. The bottom of the bumper which also sticks out is quite low and probably will void any contact with another vehicle. The placement as you see it also adds a nice look to the rear giving it a european flair. The people who sell the bumper guard are in New York. You will find there phone number on their web page if you look for it. I would call and speak with a knowledgeable individual there and I'm sure they can answer your question regarding long term use, pertaining to aging etc. Although it's over a month now for me, it's gone through a few car washes etc., and looks the same the day I put it on. Miss66, it's not something you have to do. I did it for some protection from scuffs and back up and for the looks, and for $16.19 for a set of four plus shipping it, I think was a bargain compared to other links that started at 18 (with higher shipping charges) and charge up to 32 bucks for the same thing. Let us know how you make out. Best of luck.
I too had the tire pressure problem, but this forum alerted me to the problem in advance and I lowered the pressure to 32 psi as soon as I drove my new Avalon home.
Regarding extended warranty, my auto insurance company, the one with the lizard as a mascot, offered me 7yr 100k mile mechanical breakdown extended warranty when I called in to insure my new avalon. Price? How does $68.00 per year sound? Of course if they ever drop me for speeding tickets, accidents, etc, I lose the coverage, but there are other reliable aftermarket extended warranty providers. That "good hands" company does them - I had one for 96k miles on my 96 maxima and the warranty paid for itself after a second repair covered.
Thanks to all whose input helped me make an informed decision! I was patient and did not succumb to the feeding frezy going on at Toyota dealerships. My phantom gray pearl XLS w/VSC, JBL stereo, floor & trunk mats, wheel locks, glass breakagge sensor, mandatory (in my state) 2yr registration, a bogus $100 dealer fee, and 5% sales tax came to $32,399.84. Not bad at all. I had to work through 3-4 dealerships to get this deal, but spoke on the phone with a manager who had 12-16 avalons in stock and was willing to deal.
Time to sleep. Good night and thanks again.
Regards,
Deannie
2005 LTD; Has 2 dome lights, plenty of light in the cab now. 2. the air flow onto/around the back window has been improved. It now clears the rain off while driving. Much better car!
2005 complaints, very minor. Placement of cig lighters/power points. NAV system could be easier to use.
My youngest keeps trying to "steal" the 05 from us.
MikeS.
I too have a more aggressive driving style, and wanted the Touring, but now that I'm a parent (3yr son, 4week daughter), safety is paramount, and the better handling of the Touring is far outweighed by the VSC which is only available on the XLS and Limited. I drove a BMW X3 w/sport suspension at a BMW driving course, and try as I might, I could not flip the X3 because it had a VSC-like system.
I test drove a Touring and and XLS (w/vsc), and while the touring's suspension handled corners marginally better, when I approached a known difficult off ramp, I found the XLS maintained the same speed as the Touring throughout the ramp because I had to keep dialing back speed and correct the Touring's attitude as the front tires kept giving out (oversteer?) . The computer in the XLS did it all for me, and in an emergency, I'd rather have the computer do the work than have me make a mistake. Something to think about. But make the XLS handle like the Touring, and then you have something that handles more akin to the base lexus GS that just came out (a very good thing).
From what I understand, the Touring suspension differs from the others only by its slightly firmer shocks/struts and springs. You can probably make the change at any Toyota, though I don't know whether or not they'll credit you for the originals (probably not). Either way, these new suspension pieces + labor will be in the $1,000+ range (I haven't priced anything yet) and willl make for a more satisfying drive and a safer car. I plan on making the switch after I've put 60-80K on the car as a present to myself, to refresh the car and make it feel new again, and to get some use from the parts for which I've already paid (money doesn't grow on trees).
With the car so new, I don't think you'll find Touring suspension parts readily avaialable yet. What dealer will stock parts for a car that won't need them for the next 3-5 yrs? Maybe there are aftermarket parts that'll fit, but the end product would be an unknown, whereas the Touring's ride is a known quantity, and a good blend of sport/comfort. Hope I've helped.
Regards,
Deannie
x-type is a ford taurus.
they are so disgusting when they do that especially on green or burgendy cars
they get it those most.
that stuff is so corrosive it fades the paint especally in the summer.
The trick is to make it soft(apply hot water) and wipe as soon as you can, thats why it is so
impotant to have wax so that the little layer can save your paint from that monster. :sick:
function on the engine------there is no way that engine can have problems,its the talk of the town----real sweet 280/h voooom roooom
I just dusted out a lexes 430 voooroooom
back wheels especially those truck and those annoying SUV that shine those
spot lights in your face or behind you some of them do not have peeble protector
in the back of the wheel wells--------thus is the reason why you get chips ON YOUR PAINT
get use to it.
Both have same tire diameter because they use different tires. The 18 inch wheel uses a lower profile tire (45% I believe) than the stock 17 inch with 55% profile. The lower profile means less radial distance from the rim to the outer tire diameter. It also means increased susceptiblilty to tire bottoming and rim damage, and probably somewhat harsher ride quality.
Max
I know, the liberal artsy fartsy types' eyes are glazing over, but bear with me. All of you (Marvin included) will be able to impress your friends with what follows.
We know that our cars have Toyota's mighty 280 hp, 3.5 liter V6. That it goes zero to 60 in 6-1/2 seconds; that it gets fantastic mileage - 31 mpg on the highway; and that it's an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV in EPA speak). How many of you know how Toyota's engineers have managed these competing accomplishments, which as far as I can tell, no other manufacturer can match, hybrids excluded?
One way they've done it is with a camshaft design trick called concave cam flanks. Bear with me, now. Think of a normal camshaft profile - looks like an egg. Got the picture? Now morph the egg in your mind into a pear shape. You know, with a little "waist" between the small end and the big end. Voila - concave flanks!
So what, you say? What's the big deal? The big deal is that this shape forces intake and exhaust valves to open and close faster. This yields more power, more efficiency and less emissions. The real breakthrough that Toyota has managed is not the geometric change but a new camshaft "follower"; aka "lifter"; that withstands the roller coaster directional changes of the cam. If I were a betting man, I would bet that GM, Ford, BMW, Honda, etc., etc., have bought Avalon's and have them torn apart to see how Toyota did it.
By the way, I did some research (read Google-ing), and found that these funny-looking camshafts are not new. They were used as early as the '30's, in Bentley and Rolls Royce engines. And so, another Avalon legend is born (the last one was the lady whose coffee cup on the roof didn't spill on her way to work).
Discuss.
Groza
-LoUdSpEaKeR
then compare to third party HID installer :shades:
Being an owner of a european sedan I'm going to have to weigh in on this... I know what you mean about the Avalon styling, it isn't my Audi's look either, BUT there is one thing I've come to understand with european engineering... You'd better make sure when you purchase that car it comes with a mechanic! Jaguar was known for that years ago, and is still known for that now. Consumer Reports will back me up on that. So if you'd like a car that looks fast, goes fast, but will be in the shop for 1/12th of every year, excellent. If you'd rather a car that looks refined, goes fast, and is in the shop when you don't take care of it, with maybe a few exceptions, you have the Avalon.
...Oh yeah, and the sound systems in Jags suck compared to the Avalon.
-LoUdSpEaKeR
It's a good thing X-types look fast when parked.
I would be interested in the same concept----what was the total cost
of device and install ?
thats some alarm system you have
26.4 - 17 = 9.4/2 = 4.7, sidewall height
26.4 - 18 = 8.4/2 = 4.2, sidewall height
in this case you are only loosing about 1/2" of sidewall. Most 18" applications are either a 35 or 40 series so the ride should not be "harsh", I doubt there will be any tire bottoming or rim damage.
http://www.vinshield.com/vs/Public/Home/SeeHowtoInstall/index.cfm