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Well, I know these issues are real, and customers have been complaining for a long time, but that happens in all businesses. What bothers me is the dealers' responses to their customers. I went thru a similar experience with run flat tires on our Sienna, and had the service 'advisor' tell me and my wife some gobbeldygook that wasn't true and made no sense. This was before the lawsuits started piling up and Toy finally agreed to include the tires on the regular warranty and replace them. (I know they don't make the tires, but they decided to use the run flats on the AWD van after they redesigned it and took away the space for the spare.)
Normally I'd just sit back and watch the circus with the politicians on TV going on and on about Toyota vehicles. But after months of researching new cars I'd decided to buy a '10 Avalon XLS. Shortly afterward the recalls began, and I've since cancelled the order. So what to do now? Buy one of the cars I crossed off my list and feel like I have a make-do car, or put an order in for an '11 Avalon and hope for the best, sitting on the edge of my seat with my fingers crossed everytime I drive it? That's a rhetorical question, I know none of you can answer it. And even though Toyoda has bowed and apologized, and Lentz and the suits have said with straight faces their customers are most important to them, that doesn't undo what's been done. I'm gettin' too old for this crap. What a mess.
http://media.toyota.ca/pr/tci/en/toyota/toyota-reveals-redesigned-2011-153672.as- - px
I have ordered a 2011 Avalon, but I have also told the dealer, it's not a done deal. I told them, I'd drive it first, and then decide. I also told them, that if these issues keep coming up, I might just pass on the car.
I must admit, I haven't been following it close enough to know, but what percentage of these cars, are being assembled in the USA?
I'd sure hate to think it's our own fault for these cars? YES, this would be good news for the American Auto Industry, but these are the same folks (American's) putting these cars together?
God, I hope nobody named "Ford, GMC, Chevy (Chevy Chase)," is employed here, it would look like a bit questionable if so:)
***So which car(s) will folks around here look at, if they don't purchase a Toyota?
Skip
All of the them. The problem pedal assemblies used in the USA plants were made by a company based out of Indiana with that specific part being produced in Canada.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
Should Toyota left the (sort of) re-design to it's people in Japan and not American's?
Most of us are not real excited about the changes (or lack thereof), but wasn't it an American firm that did the re-design? Do they take orders, direction from someone else, or were they given a blank slate to work with? Are they design challenged? Maybe they were told, don't spend much time, energy or money on tis model, as you don't expect to sell many with all of the [non-permissible content removed] that's coming our way?
Will they try and do a TOTALLY new design of many of their cars next year, to try and get back consumers confidence?
I think they would have done themselves more good, by coming out with a TOTALLY new Avalon, that looked great, drove like a dream, was just we all wanted, and at a price that couldn't be matched. It sure in hell, would have gone a long way towards public opinion.
Skip
Perhaps a small picky thing.....but my 1999 Avalon XLS interior looks richer with its contrasting leather colors and tortoise trims. If one likes the navigation feature...no question....wait for 2011. The 2010 is not as functional. It is impossible to find a 2010 WITHOUT Nav....therefore I will probably wait. One can buy an XLS without nav...but by the time you add the extras that are mostly std in Ltd (with exception of 8way passenger seat/lumbar option)....it is nearly the same price as the LTD. The interior of the XLS is so bland, that it is worth the small price difference to upgrade to the LTD. The price on the 2010s will have to come WAY down before I would choose it over the 2011. Little upgrades..like USB, back up camera, turn signal in the side mirrors, and current options that will become standard...could be worth the wait if the prices are going to stay relatively the same.
Does anyone know what is Standard equip in Base model and what is Standard in the Ltd. models of 2011 Avalon? I am wondering if the options packages are going to be what becomes pricey here. Also...anyone know what is base price for Avalon LTD? I am hearing they will be out in Spring........another says summer....today they said November! I guess it depends on how fast they can get rid of the 2010s! Thanks all for your input....very helpful!
Pricing hasn't been announced yet. A dealer told me the car would be in showrooms in March, same time as the Sienna arrives. Another source said April, and on the weblink above it says it will be available in the spring. Waiting until November is unlikely.
When looking at most of the photo's I've found online, none show what seemed to be a radio / CD player, at least I couldn't see the slot for the CD player.
The spec sheet at least notes that the base model is a CD player, but not 4 or 6 CD's, just one. Of course I still don't see the slot for the CD, but now I know, IF I purchase a new avalon, it will be the Limited (as it has what I'd like to have in my car). I guess I may have to wait until I see the pricing before I decide if I want or NEED those options. They all come at a price, but to high, and it's used Mercedes or Lexus for me:)
I'm ok considering $35, to $38,000., but not much more then that.
Skip
STANDARD AUDIO SYSTEM
Avalon
AM/FM CD player with MP3/WMA playback capability, nine speakers, XM® Radio (includes
90-day trial subscription), auxiliary audio jack, USB port with iPod® connectivity, hands-free
phone capability and music streaming via Bluetooth® wireless technology, and Vacuum
Fluorescent Display
Limited
JBL Synthesis® AM/FM 6-disc CD changer with MP3/WMA playback capability, 660W (maximum
output) with 12 speakers including subwoofer, XM® Radio (includes 90-day trial subscription),
auxiliary audio jack, USB port with iPod® connectivity, hands-free phone capability and music
streaming via Bluetooth® wireless technology, and Vacuum Fluorescent Display
Skip
http://www.netcarshow.com/toyota/2011-avalon/800x600/wallpaper_11.htm
Skip
Until the car is available for review at dealerships, it will remain a mystery as to where Toyota has hidden the CD load slot.
On a sidenote regarding styling revisions, it appears they heavliy revised the front/rear clips, the dash/cockpit area along with minors tweaks to the wheels and side trim. Still, its a somber looking car and a value that seems to appeal to retirees and those wanting a Lexus-like vehicle without spending Lexus money.
Regards -
M. J. McCloskey
Any comments?
That's one of the reasons I'll be test driving the Limited 2011 Avalon when it gets to my local dealer.
Skip
Toy replied to an email today from me and they said there are no plans for a front bench seat in the '11, despite the report in a Detroit newspaper about a week ago. So much for automobile writers. The car will be in showrooms in 'the spring', but no word whether that means April. When they finally do appear, maybe the mods here will start one of those threads about the lowest pricing people have found & the names/locations of the dealers.
Question for all of you: has anyone bought a new car going through the Costco or AAA referrals to a specific sales person? When I was shopping in the fall the prices I got through those sources seemed lower than the ones I felt like I could negotiate going into a dealer 'cold turkey'. You know the scene: Hi, I'm old, dumb, and rich, how much can I give you for that car in the corner with the nice color? You'll be friendly if I buy it, right?
They are expecting 2011 Avalons at their dealerships before the end of March...that's a lot sooner than I thought.
Sounds like they keep everything under wraps until the last minute. Last week when I went in, the salesman had never seen a photo of the 2011....this week, they've had staff meetings...and they are up to speed on the 2011s...and they are soon to be here.
Looks like base price on LTD. is going to be basically the same....not sure on the baseline Avalon. Dealer on coast was willing to take a deposit for an order today!
Think I'll wait to see in person first. I really didn't want NAV in 2010 limited....and on the West Coast you can't get a limited without! Seems it really isn't an "option" unless you live in the midwest or east coast!
Thanks everyone for answering previous questions...
I'll bet he was, hehe. Still living in the past when folks would buy something 'sight unseen' just to be the first one on their block to have one. Reminds me of the early MS Windows programs when folks would be lined up the night before they'd be for sale; remember Windows95 and Windows98?
So if you decide to buy a Ltd without the Nav, would you have to go to Nevada to get one or what?
but to find a 2010 without nav.....you would have to get it from a dealership in another state. For whatever reason, the option NOT to order it with Nav was only extended to midwest and east coast states this year. Go figure!
The closest one I could locate on the internet in the color I wanted without Nav was in Wisconsin! The deal would have to be pretty sweet to pay the additonal charges to ship it here.
The Avy remains priced the same as last year's XLS, and the asking price for the LTD is $200 higher.
Availability is mid-March.
Everything I'm hearing and reading say's Toyotas are taking one hell of a hit on trade-in, something that won't settle very well with me.
I'm guessing, IF Toyota can prove that the NEW ones don't have ANY (major) problems, and they give GREAT trade-in value for use Toyotas, they may be able to keep some of us.
As I have said in earlier posts, I have first refusal on the first in 2011 Avalon at my local dealer, and I will be taking it for a test ride, and we'll see from there.
I had decided to look at a new Avalon way before the [non-permissible content removed] hit the fan for them (my Touring Edition isn't as comfortable as I'd like (35,000+ miles a year, and my [non-permissible content removed] is sore) it to be, nor as quiet.
I must admit, I haven't put much time or energy into what other car(s) I'll consider, if the new Avalon doesn't do it for me.
- Used LS460 (L)?
- Used Mercedes S600 - E class, C Class?
- BMW?
- Audi?
I do like the looks of the new Lacrosse, but like the size of the Lucrene?
Skip
The problems I see are the cost cutting methods aren't changing, and the computer chip controlled electronics are probably being made in third world places like China where quality control is lousy. I've been reading other sedan forums here and the quality of Avy's competitors can be shabby too.
Do we actually have to start looking in the above $75,000 range for a good machine to drive?
I wish the politicians would solve this problem once and for all. Maybe another committee...
http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/limited-service-campaign-for-vvt-154549.aspx?- - ncid=12025
No? How about a new marketing program:
http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota-announces-march-sales-event-154598.asp- x
Go figure!
I was hoping to be able to get the great sound system but without the Nav., as I must admit, my Garmin does a wonderful job, and well, I don't get lost that often.
I put on over 35,000 miles a year, and well, I ask for directions if it's a big deal, but must of the time, I can get away with the Garmin, and before that Google maps. So my point is, I'd rather not pay any amount for something I don't need, to get something Id like to have.
I haven't check to see if I can order it that way yet, but I will be checking. I thought an earlier posting here had a breakdown of the models and what came with them.
Skip
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
Assuming you are serious about the 20-year old Rolls, here are some things to think about:
1. Everything on that car made of rubber or plastic (belts, hoses, tires, wire insulation, etc.) is going to be dry and/or brittle. The parts and labor could double the asking price.
2. Where will you get it serviced? What if you are far from home when the old Silver Ghost starts acting funny?
3. Ask your insurance agent how much your premium would go up, because it will.
4. Even at the far end of the grocery store parking lot, you are going to find lots of strangers looking, touching, trying to steal the Flying Lady hood ornament, etc.
It would be cool to have as a second or third car, but I would be reluctant to use it for my primary transportation.
Thanks for the replies to my post. Since this is the Avalon forum I guess we should get re-focused on the '11 model which will be in showrooms in a week or so.
http://www.rroc-mcs.org/galleries/gallery-sz.htm
1988 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur NAJ-23060
Still looking forward to driving the new Avalon.
Avalon is a giant step or three down from the Spur, eh? Thanks for the pics.
at least an inch and half in front and three inches in the back seat. I wanted to sit in one before I made a decision to buy a 2010 or a 2011 Avalon. Yesterday I bought one of the last nice 2010 Avalon Limited on my local dealers lot for $6,000 off list price due to their discounts. If you are a tall guy waiting to buy a 2011 Avalon you are screwed. They started taking the headroom out of toyotas with the redesign of the Camry, then the 2011 Corolla and now the 2011 Avalon, and in addition the new design of the interior of the 2011 sucks. Take my advice, if you are a tall guy run out and try and buy one of the last 2010 Avalons. If you are 6'1" or shorter you dont have to worry as long as none of your passengers are taller than you but 2010 will be the last great year for the Avalon
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
Sit in both the 2011 and the 2010 and make your decision. That is why I bought the last loaded Avalon limited on the lot, and it had everything I wanted.
I wanted to wait until I could sit in the new 2011 before making my decision.
That is why the mpg rates up up by 1mpg because they took out the height in the car, and it uses less steel to make it. It is simple math.
2010
2011 see page 14
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
I am 6'2" and typically drive with the seat all the way back and as low as it will go. So, I will be interested in your answer to tjc's question about whether you were able to adjust the seat of the 2011 Avalon. Usually, the exhibitors at car shows have the batteries disconnected in order to avoid damage to the cars' sound systems by half-deaf teenagers.
I have been waffling back and forth re;: 2010 vs. 2011. This may be deciding factor. My husband is 6'3".
There are no 2011's around to see first..and the 2010s are in short supply.
Since you saw the 2011 in person...can I ask a few questions? Re: changes...that you can't tell without seeing in person...
1. Did they change the faux woodgrain? I see that the other 2011 Toyotas have this woodgrain with a satin (not glossy) finish. The 2010s are glossy.
2. Did you think the leather/seat quality was really any different? Promos say improved leather/cushion?
3. Is Dash board considerably higher in 2011? One of things I like about 2010 is the lower dash..makes the front seem roomier.
4. Any other style change/quality change details you can add will be helpful.
I appreciate your feedback, as I have a 2010 on hold now and need to make final decision. Would like to feel as informed as I can on this :-)
Thanks!!