Awhile back, mikes asked for suggestions to remove splattered bugs. One difficult thing about these forums is the helter-skelter of replies. I have taken upon myself, then, to test and rank suggested replies to Mikey's question. And, I have decided to present another Car Crazy Award of the week to the best response. Just so you know, I am eminently qualified as bug remover extraordinaire, living in south Florida.
The list that follows in bold letters are the suggested products, then the poster's name in parentheses. Short commentaries on products and techniques are also offered below. Here we go.
WD40 (Groza): This cheap, multi-use product is wonderful for both small and large bug removal. Very pleasing smell. A strong contender for the CC Award.
Pam Cooking Spray (rwb2): I was not sure if rwb2 meant to use Pam before bugs hit, or after. Frankly, this product is better suited for cooking. Sorry, rwb2. No American Idol for you, bud.
10W40 (Groza): Groza tried to withdraw this product from contention, but rules are rules, and withdrawals are not recognized. Motor oil, even detergent type, is not the best for bug removal, unless applied with coarse Skotch Brite pad. Sorry, Groza.
Meguiar's Cleaner & Liquid Wax (just me): A little hoity-toity for my taste. And expensive? Wow. After all, we are talking about bug guts here, not caviar. Nice try, just me. At least we know you're a classy guy, which we can't say about rwb2.
Turtle Bug Cleaner (mikes): That's right, Turtle Bug Cleaner, not Turtle Wax Bug Cleaner. I was sure Mikey really meant the Johnson & Johnson product, but again, rules are rules. It wasn't easy, but I managed to find an Eastern Box Turtle in the neighborhood, and can report that if you hold the little bugger at the right angle, larger splats can be removed quite well. Finer gnat-size protein is a different story.
Blowtorch (anonymous): Not recommended for use on Toyota's. Very effective for simultaneous bug and paint removal.
Vasoline Jelly (libertie): Inexpensive. And easy to clean.
wHY BUY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH A tOYOTA? mY 96 aVALON HAS 171,000 MILES WITH ONLY POCKET CHANGE SPENT ON NON MAINTENANCE ITEMS. sOME FOR MY 93 cAMRY.
OK Groza, what's the best product to place on painted surfaces (where bugs will splatter) if you apply the stuff before you hit the Interstate and plan to wipe it off that night? Seems like good ol' petroleum jelly can't be beat for this purpose.
Hi johni, I hope you are reading this and can update us on your experience with installing the parking sensor system in the Avalon.
I received today a kit just like you described in posts #3865, 4098 and 4143 and I plan to install it this weekend. You mentioned on April 6 that you might relocate the speaker, as the volume was somewhat muffled where you had it in the trunk. Did you find a better place for the speaker? Any other recommendation, before I proceed to install it?
Your a nut Groza but my kind of guy. Don't worry only my wife for me, lol. RONN, they posted my review, I hope they find yours. Put the Pam cooking spray or vaseline on before and no problem removing the splatters. My brother lives in FL as well, and he puts the Vas. on for ther long trips, no problem getting the splats off. Your a class act as well Groza, a cool dude..
Hi Tuffy: My 1st tank of gas was gratis from the dealer. I never thought to ask if it was reg or prem. I added 1/3 tank of prem later, and found that my average mileage remained in the low 20's but this was largely due to the many speed bumps and stop signs in my neighborhood. Also, most of my hwy drives have been 10 miles or less. On one five mile stretch of Georgia avenue in Onley, MD, the computer showed an average of 29.2 mpg and was as high as 32.5 on a long downhill stretch (never hit any lights on that trip).
Basically, my low 20's overall mileage is a function of short trips and a lack of open roads in my immediate area - not a fault of the car. The mileage difference in premium vs reg gas should be proportional to the drop in horsepower (maybe on the order of a few percentage points?), but I don't plan on measuring it. Toyota says it's okay to use regular so don't sweat it. However, I've found that with my 96 Maxima (which prefers prem but reg is okay per the manual), warmer weather requires prem to avoid pinging which can lead to long term carbon deposits/ potential engine damage. As a precaution, I'll probably use prem during the warmer months out of habit, but I'm sure Toyota engineered the Avalon engine around that flaw. Call me a creature of habit.
My Avalon is Phantom gray pearl with gray leather/dark wood. Yes the leather is very nice, but understandably the quality/feel seems a 1/2 notch below that found in pricier cars/premium nameplates. I love the door coverings as they will be easy to clean and will prevent dust/food particles/etc from invading the cracks and crevices of such areas
One way to save on gas is to buy from the no name stations. Freestate in Maryland sells all grades for 10 to 20 cents less than the mainstream brands - exxon, amoco, etc, so I can rationalize buying prem at the same price that others pay for reg. There's no difference in the quality of gas between no-name and mainstream brands (they all get their gas from the same refineries). Another thing to do is alternate between reg and premium as you see fit.
The Camry is a great car, and provides the underpinings (bones) of the Avalon. It can also be bought for not much above invoice, and has incentives on it to bring the price perhaps below invoice. Camry offers most of the safety benefits of the avalon (less the knee air bag, and being a slightly smaller car), and can be had with VSC on the better handling Camry-SE as well as on the Luxo-oriented Camry XLS, which is not the case with the Avalon Touring. But, there's also the 55 hp advantage Avalon offers (wow!). The price diff bet. Camry and Avalon will be substantial because it's tough to get within $1000 of invoice with Avalon. Both are great cars - which suits your needs best? Hope I've helped. Regards, Deanie
Oh yeah, if you don't live in L.A. or N.Y., you don't really exist. I forgot.
Actually, you are factually wrong because the NAV routing capabilities are not IN ANY WAY limited primarily to major cities. I live in a town of 10,000 residents and every retail business is listed. Gosh, even roads to tractor pulls and demolition derbys (our only forms of entertainment durn it) are on there. I can route myself to any city or location in the state, or any other state. Heck fire, it would even let me route myself from Illinois all the way to, golly gee, L.A.
Obviously, you have not used the routing capabilities or you would not make such a statement. I believe there are over 7 million POIs (Points of Interests) on the current DVD, and believe it, or not, they are not all in L.A. Get over yourself.
From Podunk, USA (home with wheels, multiple dogs on porch, near tornado) and very happy with my NAV system. And I even know how to use it. Can you imagine that?!
Please don't tell people the routing capabilities are limited until you know what you are talking about. At least use the darn thing a few times before speaking. I have.
Hi Havalongavalon: I think Toyota could have added nearly another cubic foot of trunk space by offering hydrauIic struts instead of the invasive existing trunk supports. I would have gladly paid the extra couple hundred bucks that might have cost. By the way, I believe Nissan Maxima offers reclining rear seats as an option with one of the premium leather pkgs. I wish I had the time to play enough golf to have the golf bag dilemna. Some manufacturers offer advice in loading the maximum # of golf bags in the trunk. I do not know whether or not Toyota does this, but it can't hurt to look, or do a google search. Good luck. Regards, Deanie
"Oh yeah, if you don't live in L.A. or N.Y., you don't really exist. I forgot. "
You are absolutely right, I barely have used the NAV at all. Only had the car for one week now. My comments were based on the maps they show in the NAV User's Guide (pgs 56 - 66), where they say they do not provide detailed street by street route guidance everywhere, just in selected areas.
I've lived in LA for almost 40 years, and it's been a long time since I've been impressed with life in the big city. I HAVE gotten over myself, long ago. Sorry if I sounded like I was putting down small town living - didn't mean that at all.
Anyway, I'll refrain from giving info on the NAV system until I have more first hand experience. My son lives in a very small town, so once I visit him I'll get a better feel for the NAV's usefullness away from the big bad city.
Thanks for the tip. I hadn't thought of doing a google search on how many golf bags can fit in a trunk, so I did. Didn't find an Avalon answer yet, but hit upon a Ford review that claims:
"The Five Hundred is a roomy, comfortable sedan that has plenty of space for 5 adults with room to spare for their belongings in the cavernous trunk. In fact, one of the things that Ford proudly stated at the press introduction was that the trunk could hold 8 golf bags. They even had 8 bags full of clubs to prove the claim (they all fit)."
All right -- so Avalon is outdone by Ford 500 on this one count, anyway. But, hey, so what? Why would 5 golfers ever need to carry 8 bags, anyway? We just need Avalon to comfortably transport our foursome and 4 bags!
Thanks Deanie for the very informative message as I appreciate your time. My wife and I will be going to test drive a black XLE Camry 4 cylinder along with a titanium metallic XLS Avalon this weekend at Miller Toyota in Manassas Va. The sticker on the Avalon is $33,528 and the dealer gave us a price of $30,800. The Camry XLE has a sticker of $25,300 and the dealer gave us a price of $21,137 (includes the $750 rebate). Miller Toyota is discounting the Camry below invoice since they have over 80 Camrys and 4 black XLEs that are identical so they want to move them quickly.
Both are great cars and I am sure we will opt for the Avalon even though it is $10,000 more. I was very impressed with our 99 Camry and would probably stick with another one if they weren't coming out with a totally new Camry in 2007 and I even heard the 2007 Camry model may come out in January of 2006, only 7 months from now. However, can't wait that long for another vehicle and I do really like the safety features available on the Avalon (VSC and Knee airbag). Neithe are available on the current Camry XLE 4 cylinder as knee bags are not offered at all and VSC, even though it is an option for the Camry XLE 4 cylinder, it not being packaged on vehicles sold in the mid atlantic region.
I tend myself to want to get another Camry as it is such a great car, very quiet and refined with great gas mileage and dependability. However, my wife, who also likes the Camry very much, wants to move up to more room and things the new Avalon is so much more stylish. I agree but have always liked the value of the 4 cylinder engine and dependabily of the proven Camry. However, I will succumb to my wife's opinion as she is a smart lady and she deserves the extra comfort, even at a $10,000 premium and a little more cost at the pump.
Maybe we can get rid of our other vehicle in anohter 12 to 15 months and get a new 2007 or 2008 Camry and then do a true side by side test 2005 Avalon vs. 2008 Camry 4 cylinder.
If you have any more words of wisdom, please pass them on to me!
One other question, what do you suggest using to clean and condidtion the leather interior in Avalon? I am very particular about a car and try to keep it looking in showroom condition. Our vehicles are garaged at home and at work. We was and polish them monthly and usually wash them at least weekly. However, I have never had leather interior. I want to use something that will not cause a high gloss, but will clean,condition and protect the leather and hopefully prevent the ugly cracking I see in some or many vehicles with leather after several years.
HEY JUST ME, They lost mine so I had to do another review. I saw yours, and it was great!! Has your wife calmed down from thinking we are all crazy with our cars? Hope so......How is Golden Chariot? Black Beauty is great, had to wash the pollen off yesterday. It was turning green LOL! Have a great day,
"...What's the best product to place on painted surfaces (where bugs will splatter) if you apply the stuff before you hit the Interstate and plan to wipe it off that night?"
Libertie, I'm certain you're a conscientious, thoughtful person. Otherwise you probably wouldn't be posting on a board as high class as this one. Knowing you're that kind of person, how is it that you can determine, as you have said, "where bugs will splatter" on the car? In my mind, that can include fully 50 percent of the car's frontal surface area, not including the windshield of course, as smearing Vaseline there would probably result in a Libertie splatter. I'm also trying to figure out how you're going to wipe off the mess, post splatter. After a good day's run on the interstate, you're going to have more than bugs stuck in that there Vaseline. You're bound to have dirt in there, too; we call that kind of concoction "Mung". Now, Libertie, wiping Mung off the hood of your brand new Avalon with what's probably going to be a dry towel is going to give you bigger problems than bug splatter.
So take it from old Groza. Go with the proven winner of the CC Award.
"...Seems like good ol' petroleum jelly can't be beat for this purpose."
Libertie: No more lobbying for the Bug Splatter Car Crazy Award. Results are final, and the prize has already been claimed by Groza for WD40.
Here are some prices quoted to me on my 05 Avalon. How do they comapre with others and does anyone recommend this company. Thanks to those that reply. See the link below to this company. http://www.onesourceautowarranty.com/
Hi RONN, Thanks. Your not alone with this pollen on your car. We have the pine trees and it's been on my car now for roughly 3 weeks and still some to go. I actually after washing and waxing my car, I have a very soft rag and wipe the green stuff off, but I haven't done it this week and will wash my car again tomorrow. Hopefully by then most of it is gone. I know it shows up more on the darker colors. I look forward to your Edmunds review and know it will be a ten. Mine would have been except that even though I enjoy driving it, I know from driving a fast low slung sports car with road feel and manual driving down a country road at 100 is a lot more fun, but I did that in Europe when in the service with a friends car, a Sergeant no less who came from a wealthy family. I should have gotten killed the way we drove on the autobahn at 130 MPH Plus, but than I was young and foolish. Yet that was a fun car to drive, that's why in all honesty in comparison I couldn't say my Golden Chariot is a fun car to drive, but's it's basically a ten otherwise.
Sorry, I could not update the web address from yesterday. I did not copy it correctly. Thanks for finding it. I happened to like the second review better though since it was more informative.
A local N. CA newspaper has 2 Avalon Ltds (don't know what color) for $34,448 plus tax and license (MSRP 38,192).
I also checked with two dealers and they have 17 and 11 Avalons in stock. So, it appears that supplies are finally arriving. I am dying to see the silver metallic color, but especially the Blizzard Pearl.
For what it is worth, when I activated the XM radio, I asked if there were any "deals" to be had for the new Avalon. The answer was no (as far as the activation fee and any free monthly service).
Then, by chance, I said "Well, Toyota builds the Lexus, and Lexus customers get breaks, don't they?"
Bottom line: they waived the activation fee, and gave me three months free, not a lot, but worth a few beers.
I should have gotten killed the way we drove on the autobahn at 130 MPH Plus, but than I was young and foolish.
Hey, driving 130 mph on the autobahn is like keeping up with the traffic. I have read that high performance sports cars routinely go well over 160 mph on the autobahn.
"This sounds like a classic head fake from the Toyota guy who answered my question. I can almost see him winking as he typed "A V rating has a maximum speed rating of 130 mph.", because we all know that a V rating is actually 149 mph, not 130 mph. My guess is that he was saying the car is really limited only by the tires, not by an electronic governor (notice he made no reference to a governor) - that the motor, drivetrain and chassis are capable of speeds somewhere north of 149 mph."
Groza, I'm probably a fool to suggest you are wrong, as you seem very knowledgeable. However, it looks to me as though Toyota was telling you, aside from the politeness and caveats, that the tires they furnish are V-rated at 130 (not 149), which certainly makes it sound like governing the speed at 127 is very prudent. I know that aircraft tires are rated as to top speed, which can vary widely, and it is very risky to land or take off at higher speeds because the tires will shed rubber --or worse. So I suspect Toyota's response was just a carefully worded factual statement--and for any number of reasons the company would not confirm or deny any speed limit.
Sorry Old Groza, but I can't lay claim to "Turtle Bug Cleaner " That came from Just Me in a response to me (MikeS.)
"4540 of 4756 Re: Bug splatters [mikes.] by just me Apr 17, 2005 (3:52 pm) Bookmark | Reply
Mikes, one other thing I forgot to tell you. I also have McGuiars cleanr and wax liquid, which also takes care of most of the lighter insects, cleans them off and waxes at the same time. I just got home from a Sunday ride and cleaned them off the bumper with the McGuiar without a problem. The turtle bug cleaner for the real splats from the larger ones that like to leave their innards. Uggh! Good Luck"
Sorry for the sarcasm. It was one of those days...
The NAV really is good. I travel on business often and it is quite handy. I first had NAV when I was in a Hertz car on the I-405 on a rainy night just north of the LA airport. 4 or 5 lanes across and not knowing where I was going - well, you can imagine how nice it was to have someone telling me what lane to be in and what exit to take.
Out here in flyover land, we sometimes get a little ruffled when we hear about the "big city"! But, again, sorry for the sarcasm.
I think you will like your NAV more and more as you get a chance to use it..
"wHY BUY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH A tOYOTA? mY 96 aVALON HAS 171,000 MILES WITH ONLY POCKET CHANGE SPENT ON NON MAINTENANCE ITEMS. sOME FOR MY 93 cAMRY."
Why? Cheap insurance. This car is all new. It has quite a few computerized systems that if I fails will cost quite a pretty penny. Because i got burned by GM back in 94 and the extended warranty saved my heinie.
Picked up my new Blizzard White Pearl Ltd. on Tues. It has Nav, VSC, Laser Cruise, Remote Start, and Mats. MSRP was 38,383. Got it for 36,000. It has the graphite interior and the dark wood. Looks very nice. Had the Venture Tape paint protection film put on. Did the bumper, hood, fenders, and mirrors. Lots of bugs in Texas it looks great. Also did the dark window tint. Info on this forum is great I think I read all of them before bying. I was comparing the M35 the Mercedes E320 CDI and the Lexus GS300 06. I couldn't justify the additional $18k. I got 26.5 MPG on the dealers tank of gas it was all highway but still not bad for first tank! Thanks again to everybody for their insights and information. Ron
Havalongavalon, I did take another look last weekend. I put the speaker on the left side on a vertical strip of metal, close to the rear seat near the middle facing the passenger compartment. The sound is still somewhat muffled, but still audible. The best place is probably inside on the rear shelf, but I couldn't find an easy entry point into the passenger compartment - other than the pass-through opening and I didn't want wires going through there.
The only problem I had with the installation was getting good electrical contact with the supplied connectors and as previously mentioned finding the ground wire. Use needle nose pliers to firmly close the connector so that it tightly squeezes the wires and goes through the insulation.
Tuffy, re leather cleaner: I'm using Meguiar's Gold Class Leather Cleaner and Conditioner. It contains aloe. It does not leave a high gloss. Mequiar's products come recommended by other users of this forum so I figured it's worth a try. Like you, however, I have not had leather interior before - so time will tell if this product works as advertised.
As to the dilemma of Camry versus Avalon: a man can never go wrong listening to his wife.
Anyone trying to decide on what extended warranty to buy should be sure to benefit from other Forums' members experiences posted in our Extended Warranties discussion. There's lot of useful stuff there. Don't miss the "Search This Discussion" feature on the page bar to look up posts on specific providers (or any keyword that interests you).
Thank you very much, johni. The kit looks well thought out, but I see what you mean about the supplied connectors. I'll try to place them where I can find them easily again, in case they malfunction later on.
For those of us lucky? enough to live in Florida the warranty price offered by One Source is considerably higher. For a 7 year/ 100,000 mile Platinum (B to B, $0 deductable) warranty with tax is $1345.10 for an 05 Limited.
I have attempted to read most of the past posts but must confess that I’ve only been through about 3000 of the 4750+ comments. So if I over looked something that someone else has discussed in depth I apologize. We have just purchased our 2005 Avalon (phantom grey, graphite interior, XLS w/ vehicle traction control & mats as the only extras; $1600 below MSRP w/no trade in). We subsequently sold our 1995 Volvo 850 with 100K miles on it. We looked for the following things in whatever new car we were going to own: 1. High reliability based on several years of much better than average frequency-of-repair records as indicated in Consumer Reports. While the 2005 is a totally redesigned car I was not terribly concerned that it had been designed and brought to production in 18 months nor that it was essentially designed via computer. I believe Boeing just completed a similar exercise and called it a 777. Besides, computer design has come a long way in just five years and I suspect other manufacturers will follow in the same approach if they haven’t already done so. 2. Dual air controls a must! You married? In your 50's or later? (I’m 62 which I guess qualifies me for ownership! LOL!) Then you’ll understand why the need for dual air controls. 3. Good gas mileage - this is somewhat relative but looking for at least 29 highway/22 city. 4. Very good to Excellent safety design. Side air bags, etc. a must. 5. Comfortable seats - wanted power seats and heated (dealing with Northern Vermont here!). Tilt & telescoping steering wheel. 6. Wanted “adequate” power, good turning radius, quiet, comfortable ride. 7. Would have preferred NO SUNROOF. 8. Low routine service costs. Our Volvo had all the above plus the seats had memory but it was not a quiet, comfortable ride (specially with Conti all seasons on it). Service costs were always excessive. But it hugged the road and had excellent brakes.
We looked at the following: Nissan Maxima (ugly inside - normally we don’t care too much about looks; didn’t like the torque oversteer issue; really didn’t like the ‘sky view’ design; didn’t trust the sales force - something about young fellas with hair-moose/grease/oil and calling us 2-3 times a week to see what it’d take to get us in a new car. Subaru Outback - gas mileage wasn’t good, turning radius poor, trunk space was unacceptable (11 cu.ft.). Honda Accord Hybrid - cramped for space, trunk space unacceptable (11 cu. ft.). Lexus - not even in consideration since no dealership locally (I think I mentioned - NORTHERN Vermont, right?). Not interested in Ford or Chrysler products. Been there. Plus the Avalon.
So now we’ve driven the car for only 200 miles (will put another 1000 or so on this weekend) but we’re extremely happy with our Avalon. Even in this limited bit of driving we’re getting around 22 mpg around town. Very comfortable, verrrry quiet. Met all the criteria except we were stuck with the sunroof since we wanted the other ‘stuff’ only available on the XLS or Limited. Tried the Limited but wife did NOT like the key fob. Ours has been excellent - great acceleration, no transmission issues, no hesitation. Of course I remember our 1967 Dodge Dart slant 6 - hesitation??? Tromp the gas, hmmm - the acceleration will begin any minute now. And if you accelerated making a right turn when the engine was only partially warmed up it’d stall dead in the road! Now that’s hesitation!
Some Nit-picky things. These would not be ‘deal-breakers’ in my opinion but just stuff that I’d change if I could control the design guys just for a day or two! 1. The top of the driver’s side doorsill is a bit low with the seat raised (as mentioned in post # 2033). This is easy enough to deal with by lowering the seat. Better approach would have been to have memory seats that lower and move back to allow for ease of entry/egress along with adjusting the steering column. For the record, neither of us is tall or large but we’re finding that flexibility ain’t what it used to be! 2. The rear-view mirror is a bit too tight to the top. While I don’t have pudgy fingers I find it difficult to put my fingers over the top of the mirror and thumb below to adjust the view (have to do this after my wife drives). The space is a bit too tight. Easy fix would be to have it a bit lower. 3. Instruction manual is a bit confusing: see p. 151 third column on right discussing vehicle stability control. What’s with those bottom two paragraphs? 4. I realize that the synthetic wood trim alignment issue has been discussed before but I did notice that it depends (at least for me) on the relative position/perspective. For example, when sitting in the passenger’s side the driver’s side trim looks reasonably lined up. But when sitting in the driver’s side it looks a bit out of wack. 5. There appears to be a small area of distortion either in the rearview mirror or the rear window. Visibility out the rear window is somewhat restrictive.
However, all in all we’re very pleased; probably rate it around 9.4 or so. Would I buy the car again tomorrow knowing everything I know now? (That to me is the true test, I guess) – yes, in a heart beat. But I wish they’d let me get it with the goodies I want and without the sunroof!
Now a question. At some point I believe I read that because of the engine redesign and the catalytic mufflers that this vehicle now falls under the classification as an “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle”. I do not recall where I read this. But.. if this is true, does this mean that we now qualify for some of the federal tax credits that apply to such vehicles???? I somehow would really enjoy the irony of having a 280 HP vehicle of this size and performance qualifying as ‘green machine’!!!! LOL!
I have enjoyed all the commentary and learned a great deal from this forum. Thanks folks. Sorry about the length of this dribble.
Yours is one of the most insightful posts in a long time. As far as first year concerns, many "luxury" items have been time-tested on the Lexus. When I purchased my 2005 Limited I kept my 96 Avalon with 105,000 and sold off my 99 Camry. I knew I couldn't go back and forth between the 280 horses and the 130 horse 4 banger. Of course horsepower is not everything. I still remember my 59 black Karmen Kia convertible. 34 horsepower. 69 mph top speed. But it was like a go-cart on the curves. And no people, I'm not 60 quite yet.
You are absolutely correct on the placement of the rear view mirror and the rear window. I did find the mirror a little tight on the available space for adjustment. The rear window also felt small to me. Granted I only drove the car for 10 to 15 minutes and would probably get used to it after awhile. I'm glad to read that you actually opened the owner's manual!! You'd be amazed how many people don't ever take it out of the glove compartment! :confuse: That's the first place one should look when a question arises, saves a trip to the service department. Enjoy your new Lexus, ...er I mean Avalon! Mackabee
One of our more enterprising posters -- one4damoni -- has done a superb job of upgrading wheels and tires on his '05 Avalon. The designer of the car, design74, known to many here, has done the same. The results appear on another forum and are also an exciting improvement to the car -- certainly, in appearance and probably in performance. However, as far as I can determine, we don't know the exact size of 74's wheel and tire upgrade. What can we do to persuade him to provide this information for those of us who admire his creation and want to improve ours, as he and one4damoni have done? If anyone should know what wheel/tire combinations would work with the car, he's the man, is he not?! Please --- if you're listening, design74, many of us are waiting eagerly and only want to enhance your already-outstanding brainchild!
Thanks Watereduck. Nice reporting job. Fore those looking for a critical or positive review, I believe your review is unbiased. Your report says it all, the heart of this car, engine, comfort, space etc. is all positive. The mirror being to high etc. is a design issue, same as top door jamb etc. I believe you have been very sincere and appreciate your comments for that reason. Good luck and welcome Avalon owner. I too would have loved not having the moonroof which I don't use, (another design decision) but took it because the car offered everything else I wanted in a car.
Desaign74 posted it, and before I could write it down the post disappeared. Pat I believe notified him and asked if he would repost again, so maybe we will hear from him.
REF. Msg #4671 For me, McGeorge priced the 7/100,000/zero Platinum Warranty at $1691.
Not sure why you got such a different price than I did. I did very extensive research on the prices and McGeorge was the best I found. I would post my contact information for the dealer, but I don't think that is allowed. Maybe there is some magic word you have to say, I'm not sure.
I 'm sure Toyota's decision to use the space for the reclining rear seats instead of the trunk was discussed by the marketing guys for a long time. If they could have had seats that also folded down it would have been a first! The Infiniti G35 priced simular to the Avalon also has reclining rear seats.
I went to the link provided and didn't even list the 05 Avalon Limited or Touring models. That does not give me a warm, fuzzy feeling that they know what they are doing. I would never purchase anything but the Toyota warranty from Toyota. It may cost a few pennies more (the platinum cost me $1000) but I have piece of mind.
Comments
Consumers gave it 9.5
"The full-size spare tire reduces trunk space by at least 2 cubic feet."
Did pre-2005 Avalons have compact spares and small wells? If not, the spare size argument won't work for solving the mystery of the shrunken trunk.
Gotta go, ttyl,
havalong
The list that follows in bold letters are the suggested products, then the poster's name in parentheses. Short commentaries on products and techniques are also offered below. Here we go.
WD40 (Groza): This cheap, multi-use product is wonderful for both small and large bug removal. Very pleasing smell. A strong contender for the CC Award.
Pam Cooking Spray (rwb2): I was not sure if rwb2 meant to use Pam before bugs hit, or after. Frankly, this product is better suited for cooking. Sorry, rwb2. No American Idol for you, bud.
10W40 (Groza): Groza tried to withdraw this product from contention, but rules are rules, and withdrawals are not recognized. Motor oil, even detergent type, is not the best for bug removal, unless applied with coarse Skotch Brite pad. Sorry, Groza.
Meguiar's Cleaner & Liquid Wax (just me): A little hoity-toity for my taste. And expensive? Wow. After all, we are talking about bug guts here, not caviar. Nice try, just me. At least we know you're a classy guy, which we can't say about rwb2.
Turtle Bug Cleaner (mikes): That's right, Turtle Bug Cleaner, not Turtle Wax Bug Cleaner. I was sure Mikey really meant the Johnson & Johnson product, but again, rules are rules. It wasn't easy, but I managed to find an Eastern Box Turtle in the neighborhood, and can report that if you hold the little bugger at the right angle, larger splats can be removed quite well. Finer gnat-size protein is a different story.
Blowtorch (anonymous): Not recommended for use on Toyota's. Very effective for simultaneous bug and paint removal.
Vasoline Jelly (libertie): Inexpensive. And easy to clean.
Those are the contenders.
And the wiener? Drum roll, please! WD40 by GROZA!
Thank you, thank you very much.
Groza
Who is your local Toyota Dealer and Parts Manager as my dealer in NJ is clueless.
Thanks
Puente Hills Toyota in City of Industry, CA
I received today a kit just like you described in posts #3865, 4098 and 4143 and I plan to install it this weekend. You mentioned on April 6 that you might relocate the speaker, as the volume was somewhat muffled where you had it in the trunk. Did you find a better place for the speaker? Any other recommendation, before I proceed to install it?
Thanks for your help!
havalongavalon
RONN, they posted my review, I hope they find yours.
Put the Pam cooking spray or vaseline on before and no problem removing the splatters. My brother lives in FL as well, and he puts the Vas. on for ther long trips, no problem getting the splats off. Your a class act as well Groza, a cool dude..
My 1st tank of gas was gratis from the dealer. I never thought to ask if it was reg or prem. I added 1/3 tank of prem later, and found that my average mileage remained in the low 20's but this was largely due to the many speed bumps and stop signs in my neighborhood. Also, most of my hwy drives have been 10 miles or less. On one five mile stretch of Georgia avenue in Onley, MD, the computer showed an average of 29.2 mpg and was as high as 32.5 on a long downhill stretch (never hit any lights on that trip).
Basically, my low 20's overall mileage is a function of short trips and a lack of open roads in my immediate area - not a fault of the car. The mileage difference in premium vs reg gas should be proportional to the drop in horsepower (maybe on the order of a few percentage points?), but I don't plan on measuring it. Toyota says it's okay to use regular so don't sweat it. However, I've found that with my 96 Maxima (which prefers prem but reg is okay per the manual), warmer weather requires prem to avoid pinging which can lead to long term carbon deposits/ potential engine damage. As a precaution, I'll probably use prem during the warmer months out of habit, but I'm sure Toyota engineered the Avalon engine around that flaw. Call me a creature of habit.
My Avalon is Phantom gray pearl with gray leather/dark wood. Yes the leather is very nice, but understandably the quality/feel seems a 1/2 notch below that found in pricier cars/premium nameplates. I love the door coverings as they will be easy to clean and will prevent dust/food particles/etc from invading the cracks and crevices of such areas
One way to save on gas is to buy from the no name stations. Freestate in Maryland sells all grades for 10 to 20 cents less than the mainstream brands - exxon, amoco, etc, so I can rationalize buying prem at the same price that others pay for reg. There's no difference in the quality of gas between no-name and mainstream brands (they all get their gas from the same refineries). Another thing to do is alternate between reg and premium as you see fit.
The Camry is a great car, and provides the underpinings (bones) of the Avalon. It can also be bought for not much above invoice, and has incentives on it to bring the price perhaps below invoice. Camry offers most of the safety benefits of the avalon (less the knee air bag, and being a slightly smaller car), and can be had with VSC on the better handling Camry-SE as well as on the Luxo-oriented Camry XLS, which is not the case with the Avalon Touring. But, there's also the 55 hp advantage Avalon offers (wow!). The price diff bet. Camry and Avalon will be substantial because it's tough to get within $1000 of invoice with Avalon. Both are great cars - which suits your needs best? Hope I've helped.
Regards,
Deanie
Actually, you are factually wrong because the NAV routing capabilities are not IN ANY WAY limited primarily to major cities. I live in a town of 10,000 residents and every retail business is listed. Gosh, even roads to tractor pulls and demolition derbys (our only forms of entertainment durn it) are on there. I can route myself to any city or location in the state, or any other state. Heck fire, it would even let me route myself from Illinois all the way to, golly gee, L.A.
Obviously, you have not used the routing capabilities or you would not make such a statement. I believe there are over 7 million POIs (Points of Interests) on the current DVD, and believe it, or not, they are not all in L.A. Get over yourself.
From Podunk, USA (home with wheels, multiple dogs on porch, near tornado) and very happy with my NAV system. And I even know how to use it. Can you imagine that?!
Please don't tell people the routing capabilities are limited until you know what you are talking about. At least use the darn thing a few times before speaking. I have.
I think Toyota could have added nearly another cubic foot of trunk space by offering hydrauIic struts instead of the invasive existing trunk supports. I would have gladly paid the extra couple hundred bucks that might have cost. By the way, I believe Nissan Maxima offers reclining rear seats as an option with one of the premium leather pkgs. I wish I had the time to play enough golf to have the golf bag dilemna. Some manufacturers offer advice in loading the maximum # of golf bags in the trunk. I do not know whether or not Toyota does this, but it can't hurt to look, or do a google search. Good luck.
Regards,
Deanie
"Oh yeah, if you don't live in L.A. or N.Y., you don't really exist. I forgot. "
You are absolutely right, I barely have used the NAV at all. Only had the car for one week now. My comments were based on the maps they show in the NAV User's Guide (pgs 56 - 66), where they say they do not provide detailed street by street route guidance everywhere, just in selected areas.
I've lived in LA for almost 40 years, and it's been a long time since I've been impressed with life in the big city. I HAVE gotten over myself, long ago. Sorry if I sounded like I was putting down small town living - didn't mean that at all.
Anyway, I'll refrain from giving info on the NAV system until I have more first hand experience. My son lives in a very small town, so once I visit him I'll get a better feel for the NAV's usefullness away from the big bad city.
Again, my apologies for any offense given.
Max
Thanks for the tip. I hadn't thought of doing a google search on how many golf bags can fit in a trunk, so I did. Didn't find an Avalon answer yet, but hit upon a Ford review that claims:
"The Five Hundred is a roomy, comfortable sedan that has plenty of space for 5 adults with room to spare for their belongings in the cavernous trunk. In fact, one of the things that Ford proudly stated at the press introduction was that the trunk could hold 8 golf bags. They even had 8 bags full of clubs to prove the claim (they all fit)."
All right -- so Avalon is outdone by Ford 500 on this one count, anyway. But, hey, so what? Why would 5 golfers ever need to carry 8 bags, anyway? We just need Avalon to comfortably transport our foursome and 4 bags!
Regards,
havalongavalon
Assuming you did congratulations What state do you live in ?
Good luck with the car
Both are great cars and I am sure we will opt for the Avalon even though it is $10,000 more. I was very impressed with our 99 Camry and would probably stick with another one if they weren't coming out with a totally new Camry in 2007 and I even heard the 2007 Camry model may come out in January of 2006, only 7 months from now. However, can't wait that long for another vehicle and I do really like the safety features available on the Avalon (VSC and Knee airbag). Neithe are available on the current Camry XLE 4 cylinder as knee bags are not offered at all and VSC, even though it is an option for the Camry XLE 4 cylinder, it not being packaged on vehicles sold in the mid atlantic region.
I tend myself to want to get another Camry as it is such a great car, very quiet and refined with great gas mileage and dependability. However, my wife, who also likes the Camry very much, wants to move up to more room and things the new Avalon is so much more stylish. I agree but have always liked the value of the 4 cylinder engine and dependabily of the proven Camry. However, I will succumb to my wife's opinion as she is a smart lady and she deserves the extra comfort, even at a $10,000 premium and a little more cost at the pump.
Maybe we can get rid of our other vehicle in anohter 12 to 15 months and get a new 2007 or 2008 Camry and then do a true side by side test 2005 Avalon vs. 2008 Camry 4 cylinder.
If you have any more words of wisdom, please pass them on to me!
One other question, what do you suggest using to clean and condidtion the leather interior in Avalon? I am very particular about a car and try to keep it looking in showroom condition. Our vehicles are garaged at home and at work. We was and polish them monthly and usually wash them at least weekly. However, I have never had leather interior. I want to use something that will not cause a high gloss, but will clean,condition and protect the leather and hopefully prevent the ugly cracking I see in some or many vehicles with leather after several years.
Any tips from anybody?
Thanks Deanie!
Tufy
Have a great day,
RONN
Libertie, I'm certain you're a conscientious, thoughtful person. Otherwise you probably wouldn't be posting on a board as high class as this one. Knowing you're that kind of person, how is it that you can determine, as you have said, "where bugs will splatter" on the car? In my mind, that can include fully 50 percent of the car's frontal surface area, not including the windshield of course, as smearing Vaseline there would probably result in a Libertie splatter. I'm also trying to figure out how you're going to wipe off the mess, post splatter. After a good day's run on the interstate, you're going to have more than bugs stuck in that there Vaseline. You're bound to have dirt in there, too; we call that kind of concoction "Mung". Now, Libertie, wiping Mung off the hood of your brand new Avalon with what's probably going to be a dry towel is going to give you bigger problems than bug splatter.
So take it from old Groza. Go with the proven winner of the CC Award.
"...Seems like good ol' petroleum jelly can't be beat for this purpose."
Libertie: No more lobbying for the Bug Splatter Car Crazy Award. Results are final, and the prize has already been claimed by Groza for WD40.
Groza
http://www.onesourceautowarranty.com/
72 Months/100,000 mi $700.00
84 Months/100,000 mi $750.00
120 Months/100,000 mi $990.00
A local N. CA newspaper has 2 Avalon Ltds (don't know what color) for $34,448 plus tax and license (MSRP 38,192).
I also checked with two dealers and they have 17 and 11 Avalons in stock. So, it appears that supplies are finally arriving. I am dying to see the silver metallic color, but especially the Blizzard Pearl.
Then, by chance, I said "Well, Toyota builds the Lexus, and Lexus customers get breaks, don't they?"
Bottom line: they waived the activation fee, and gave me three months free, not a lot, but worth a few beers.
Hey, driving 130 mph on the autobahn is like keeping up with the traffic. I have read that high performance sports cars routinely go well over 160 mph on the autobahn.
Groza,
I'm probably a fool to suggest you are wrong, as you seem very knowledgeable. However, it looks to me as though Toyota was telling you, aside from the politeness and caveats, that the tires they furnish are V-rated at 130 (not 149), which certainly makes it sound like governing the speed at 127 is very prudent. I know that aircraft tires are rated as to top speed, which can vary widely, and it is very risky to land or take off at higher speeds because the tires will shed rubber --or worse. So I suspect Toyota's response was just a carefully worded factual statement--and for any number of reasons the company would not confirm or deny any speed limit.
"4540 of 4756 Re: Bug splatters [mikes.] by just me Apr 17, 2005 (3:52 pm)
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Mikes, one other thing I forgot to tell you. I also have McGuiars cleanr and wax liquid, which also takes care of most of the lighter insects, cleans them off and waxes at the same time. I just got home from a Sunday ride and cleaned them off the bumper with the McGuiar without a problem. The turtle bug cleaner for the real splats from the larger ones that like to leave their innards. Uggh! Good Luck"
Thanks anyways though
MikeS.
Sorry for the sarcasm. It was one of those days...
The NAV really is good. I travel on business often and it is quite handy. I first had NAV when I was in a Hertz car on the I-405 on a rainy night just north of the LA airport. 4 or 5 lanes across and not knowing where I was going - well, you can imagine how nice it was to have someone telling me what lane to be in and what exit to take.
Out here in flyover land, we sometimes get a little ruffled when we hear about the "big city"!
But, again, sorry for the sarcasm.
I think you will like your NAV more and more as you get a chance to use it..
Why? Cheap insurance. This car is all new. It has quite a few computerized systems that if I fails will cost quite a pretty penny. Because i got burned by GM back in 94 and the extended warranty saved my heinie.
MikeS.
Ron
http://www.onesourceautowarranty.com/ShowContent.aspx?content=home
The only problem I had with the installation was getting good electrical contact with the supplied connectors and as previously mentioned finding the ground wire. Use needle nose pliers to firmly close the connector so that it tightly squeezes the wires and goes through the insulation.
Good luck.
As to the dilemma of Camry versus Avalon: a man can never go wrong listening to his wife.
But do keep us posted as well.
havalongavalon
1. High reliability based on several years of much better than average frequency-of-repair records as indicated in Consumer Reports. While the 2005 is a totally redesigned car I was not terribly concerned that it had been designed and brought to production in 18 months nor that it was essentially designed via computer. I believe Boeing just completed a similar exercise and called it a 777. Besides, computer design has come a long way in just five years and I suspect other manufacturers will follow in the same approach if they haven’t already done so.
2. Dual air controls a must! You married? In your 50's or later? (I’m 62 which I guess qualifies me for ownership! LOL!) Then you’ll understand why the need for dual air controls.
3. Good gas mileage - this is somewhat relative but looking for at least 29 highway/22 city.
4. Very good to Excellent safety design. Side air bags, etc. a must.
5. Comfortable seats - wanted power seats and heated (dealing with Northern Vermont here!). Tilt & telescoping steering wheel.
6. Wanted “adequate” power, good turning radius, quiet, comfortable ride.
7. Would have preferred NO SUNROOF.
8. Low routine service costs.
Our Volvo had all the above plus the seats had memory but it was not a quiet, comfortable ride (specially with Conti all seasons on it). Service costs were always excessive. But it hugged the road and had excellent brakes.
We looked at the following: Nissan Maxima (ugly inside - normally we don’t care too much about looks; didn’t like the torque oversteer issue; really didn’t like the ‘sky view’ design; didn’t trust the sales force - something about young fellas with hair-moose/grease/oil and calling us 2-3 times a week to see what it’d take to get us in a new car. Subaru Outback - gas mileage wasn’t good, turning radius poor, trunk space was unacceptable (11 cu.ft.). Honda Accord Hybrid - cramped for space, trunk space unacceptable (11 cu. ft.). Lexus - not even in consideration since no dealership locally (I think I mentioned - NORTHERN Vermont, right?). Not interested in Ford or Chrysler products. Been there. Plus the Avalon.
So now we’ve driven the car for only 200 miles (will put another 1000 or so on this weekend) but we’re extremely happy with our Avalon. Even in this limited bit of driving we’re getting around 22 mpg around town. Very comfortable, verrrry quiet. Met all the criteria except we were stuck with the sunroof since we wanted the other ‘stuff’ only available on the XLS or Limited. Tried the Limited but wife did NOT like the key fob. Ours has been excellent - great acceleration, no transmission issues, no hesitation. Of course I remember our 1967 Dodge Dart slant 6 - hesitation??? Tromp the gas, hmmm - the acceleration will begin any minute now. And if you accelerated making a right turn when the engine was only partially warmed up it’d stall dead in the road! Now that’s hesitation!
Some Nit-picky things. These would not be ‘deal-breakers’ in my opinion but just stuff that I’d change if I could control the design guys just for a day or two!
1. The top of the driver’s side doorsill is a bit low with the seat raised (as mentioned in post # 2033). This is easy enough to deal with by lowering the seat. Better approach would have been to have memory seats that lower and move back to allow for ease of entry/egress along with adjusting the steering column. For the record, neither of us is tall or large but we’re finding that flexibility ain’t what it used to be!
2. The rear-view mirror is a bit too tight to the top. While I don’t have pudgy fingers I find it difficult to put my fingers over the top of the mirror and thumb below to adjust the view (have to do this after my wife drives). The space is a bit too tight. Easy fix would be to have it a bit lower.
3. Instruction manual is a bit confusing: see p. 151 third column on right discussing vehicle stability control. What’s with those bottom two paragraphs?
4. I realize that the synthetic wood trim alignment issue has been discussed before but I did notice that it depends (at least for me) on the relative position/perspective. For example, when sitting in the passenger’s side the driver’s side trim looks reasonably lined up. But when sitting in the driver’s side it looks a bit out of wack.
5. There appears to be a small area of distortion either in the rearview mirror or the rear window. Visibility out the rear window is somewhat restrictive.
However, all in all we’re very pleased; probably rate it around 9.4 or so. Would I buy the car again tomorrow knowing everything I know now? (That to me is the true test, I guess) – yes, in a heart beat. But I wish they’d let me get it with the goodies I want and without the sunroof!
Now a question. At some point I believe I read that because of the engine redesign and the catalytic mufflers that this vehicle now falls under the classification as an “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle”. I do not recall where I read this. But.. if this is true, does this mean that we now qualify for some of the federal tax credits that apply to such vehicles???? I somehow would really enjoy the irony of having a 280 HP vehicle of this size and performance qualifying as ‘green machine’!!!! LOL!
I have enjoyed all the commentary and learned a great deal from this forum. Thanks folks. Sorry about the length of this dribble.
Mackabee
One of our more enterprising posters -- one4damoni -- has done a superb job of upgrading wheels and tires on his '05 Avalon. The designer of the car, design74, known to many here, has done the same. The results appear on another forum and are also an exciting improvement to the car -- certainly, in appearance and probably in performance. However, as far as I can determine, we don't know the exact size of 74's wheel and tire upgrade. What can we do to persuade him to provide this information for those of us who admire his creation and want to improve ours, as he and one4damoni have done? If anyone should know what wheel/tire combinations would work with the car, he's the man, is he not?! Please --- if you're listening, design74, many of us are waiting eagerly and only want to enhance your already-outstanding brainchild!
Regards,
JP48
For me, McGeorge priced the 7/100,000/zero Platinum Warranty at $1691.
Not sure why you got such a different price than I did. I did very extensive research on the prices and McGeorge was the best I found. I would post my contact information for the dealer, but I don't think that is allowed. Maybe there is some magic word you have to say, I'm not sure.