By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
This will be my long/short haul, 35-40K miles yr company car.
Any opinion on which of the interior colors will be the easiest to keep looking clean( fabric seats)
Inputs appreciated.
Good point on the leather- I've had a number of Leather interiors and feel that once you get past the status and expensive/luxurious feel you'll find that fabric works better, is just as comfortable and saves money.
Although to Toyotas credit the Avalon offers perforated leather which should help avoid that "sticky" feeling on hot/humid days.
Hopefully it's different in GA, but in NY they collect the Tax at when you get your tags so it's hard to avoid.
Avoiding taxes is one of those things that is illegal without being immoral.
By the way, if you buy a Prius you can get a $2,000 deduction on your tax return. But if your heart is set on the Avalon you cannot avoid the sales tax.
Tempted to take it elsewhere at this point. NOT happy with this dealer. Neither are several other folks, by the scenes I've witnessed when there. Live and learn, I guess.
Oh well, I suspect we'll eventually resolve this, but sure wish it hadn't happened. To any prospective buyers, the Avalon is GREAT, but choose your dealer carefully!
Any good deals available on line?
E-mail me if you like!
Dave
The dealer said for approx. $250.00 more we could get the 100000 mile. My wife will only have 50K in 7 years so we do not need the longer warranty. Just a guess --- probably anything under $1000.00 is a good price.
I usually do not purchase warranties, I did not on my 02 4Runner, they never break. Plus I drive 25K plus a year and will be out of the Platinum warranty in less than 4 years. With the Avalon I decided that $765. was not much for 7 year protection and she will get the full use out of it. And if she sells before 7 years, it is transferable, a real plus. Suggest calling dealers and compare prices. 0 deductible is the best choice!!
Good Luck and advise how you make out.
We have been buyers of extended warranties for the last decade. They've all paid off. We got a new motor for a Sable wagon ($3600 + numerous other items as you can imagine) and a good payback on one for a used Camry we bought that was already 4 years old w/67K on it.
Also, the extended warranty actually does begin the day you buy it. If you cancel the warranty before the 3/36 would have expired, you will still get a pro-rated refund, deducting for the time you have owned the car. I know that doesn't sound right, but that is the way it works. It is as if you have purchased a superceding warranty.
If I had purchased a warranty on my Sable, it would have saved me over $6000.00. Engine (infamous head gasket) went at 3 years/7 months with 53,300 miles, the transmission at 33,600 (factory warranty) and at 72,500 (no warranty). Plus many small things like climate control $1200.00 and others. NO MORE FORDS FOR US!!
The 7yr/75K $765.00 warranty for the additional 4 years or 39,000 miles is for piece of mind only. I doubt we will ever need it. With engine oil & filter changes every 2000 miles and transmission fluid changed every 20000 miles, plus doing everything in the book on schedule, we should not have a problem.
cliffy - thanks for the info. on the prorated refund. If for some reason we decide to trade before 4 years, it may be worthwhile to request a refund.
If we sell private, we may recover some of our investment by selling the car for more. And if we need it for anything, we will really fell good that we bought it.
And am I wrong, do Toyota warranties cost less than for a Ford or GM? A person I work with just paid twice what I did for a comparable warranty for his Chevy. He could not understand how I only paid $765. Maybe they break more often??
If the flow is higher than spec, they can pull the fuses in the fuses box one by one, while measuring the battery drain, to see which circuit the juice is going down.
Any suggestion?
So I haven't been able to see a NAV for Avalon and I'm really keen to compare it with what the TLS has. I'm pretty impressed with the TLS NAV...
Has anyone faced similar issues? I doubt that I'd be able to get a good deal for such a scarce commodity!! Acura TLS's seem to be pretty freely available...
To make things worse, it takes me a while to convince the sales person to show me '03 models thanks to Toyota's heavy incentives for pushing the '02 models.
Thanks
As for the bench seat, I can't help much there. I am not as involved in day to day sales and operation to know right now what is up with those. Historically, we get less than 5% of our Avalons so equipped.
After looking at Acura, Infiniti and others, I have a 2003 XL parked in the garage. It feels a little faster and has many more options (list $31,200.) than the '99, but it rides like the same car. Gas mileage only 25 mpg highway so far but it may improve with time. And the perforated leather seats are a LOT more comfortable in Florida heat..trust me.
THANKS to all who post here. With Town Hall comments, and Edmunds and KBB pricing, everybody should be well informed when they go shopping.
Thanks for your feedback on the XLS w/nav availability. Its a pity, as the posts on this board, had me convinced on an Avalon.
But am now going in today for an Acura TL-S. Probably, look at the Avalon a few years down the line when I change my wife's car.
I responded by providing the following stats for the 2003 Accord Vs 2003 Avalon:
Length: Accord 189.5" Vs Avalon 191.9"
Width: Accord 71.5" Vs Avalon 71.7"
Height: Accord 57.1" Vs Avalon 57.1"
Wheel Base: Accord 107.9" Vs Avalon 107.1"
Based upon the above the two vehicles are very similar in exterior dimensions except for exterior styling that I would give a big edge to the Accord. But once you sit in or drive an Avalon XLS you probably will not give the Accord a second look.
On second thought do you guys really believe an Avalon is that superior to the 2003 Honda Accord EX V6 to command a price premium of $7,000? or would you expect Toyota to sharply discount the Avalon to maintain market share?
1. Is the 3.0 V6, 210hp powerful enough for this type of luxury automobile?
2. Since the manuals and internet can be deceiving, what color does the dash and sound/climate control gauges light up, and are the gauges different from the '02 models? I have seen it in both blue and green in the Toyota brochure....
3. Is there a major price difference in leasing vs. buying this car?
4. Which option package comes equipped w/every imaginable option, except NAV system?
5. What is the difference in the Ivory and Taupe leather interiors?
6. How much headroom is gained w/out a sunroof?
Good luck.
Gauges and other dash/radio lighting is very good in my opinion. But the trip mileage/odo button is a long reach for most people.
This car is smoothe, but not powerful. No 260hp Acura TLS. But the ride is great, the trunk is large and the quality is well known. This car is hard to beat if you need the size.....
The XLS is a better value than the XL if you load it up with stuff. But the perforated leather buckets (XL only) are wonderful in the heat. Enjoy......
I have known several men who are in the 6'3+ height range, who wear only a pants size 33" inseam! In fact, if you look around, you will most likely observe that the tall man with short legs is more common than is the tall man with long legs.
And by the way, several reviewers have rated the Lexus Nav systems as the best of all the manufacturers, at least for 2002.
One of the options is for aluminum alloy wheels with the standard 15" tire. Also you can get 16" tires. I'm really looking for a quiet ride so does anyone know if there is a big difference in choosing the type of wheels/tire? Although I probably will not get the 16" tire because I don't really want the leather interior, but I may get the alloy wheels if the rest of the car has what I want on it.
Also, I've checked with a couple of dealers about the extended warranties available and one quoted $1695 for 7 year/75,000 miles and another quoted $1597 for the same warranty. This seems pretty pricey to me. From what I've read on previous posts, it should be under $1000. Does anyone have any other info that might be useful for me?
Also, what about getting the paint sealant and fabric protection package? Is this a good idea? If so, what would be a good price for that?
You know, this board has been extremely helpful to me since I began shopping several weeks ago. Until then, I didn't know I could get so much useful information. Thanks to you all for your time.
I agree with Cliffy1. He's a great source of info.
Warranties -
There are other places to shop for warranties besides Toyota dealerships too. We got one from AAA at a very good price.
I would also suggest that you NOT buy it now. You don't have to buy an extended warranty until your primary warranty is ready to expire.
Who knows, you may have a change in car need in the next 3 years.
Wheels and Tires -
Go back to the dealership and drive Avalons with the 16" alloy wheels and tires. Drive it on the kind of highway surfaces you are likely to drive the most.
The tire noise definitely varies betweeh asphalt pavement and concrete/cement.
Paint and Fabric Sealants -
These are an utter dealership rip-off. They are common in the Southeast Toyota Dealerships as $600 option and sometimes you see them on Gulf State Toyota cars.
If Toyota and other manufacturers needed paint sealants to help the paint weather, etc. they would put it in the paint or on in the factory for a few $ / vehicle.
If you will be driving a lot on the highways or where dust and chips fly, spend your money on an 'invisible bra' for the nose and front bumper and get mudflaps.
Fabric sealant is a joke. If you really have to have fabric sealant, why wouldn't it be something the factory would have done in the fabric for a few $.
The best fabric protection is called leather seats.
The 2003 in my garage has 16" wheels. Drive both 15 and 16 to see the difference. Check the tire brand also. My '99 had Toyo Proxes and they were much firmer than Michelin. More noise, better feel.
The '99 had Toyoguard sealant. Paint was beautuful, except for the chips from rocks, after 4 years. Leather held up well, but there is better quality out there, at least there should have been. My 2003 has Toyoguard also and I looked only at cars that had it. Personal preference here, and, yes, "sealing leather" borders on nonsense. Most buyers don't want this pricey option.
Have fun shopping......
If you are curious about the cost of 'sealants' and what they do, go to prowax.com. Their best sealant, which is applied just like wax with an electric buffer is $20/quart. It's good for 6 months or so. After that, you get to, guess what, wax your car! (See the first paragraph.)
I don't think that Toyo Guard at $600 is a good investment. You could even go to a good detail shop and get the same done for less than 1/2 of the SET/GST typical charge.
Good luck
On your advice I'm also going to decline any paint and fabric sealant protection package. I talked with my brother yesterday who thought that a good wax job once a year would be just as effective. I've never had a car with leather interior and frankly am not sure that I would like it; I think I would just prefer fabric. The downside right now is that most people seem to want leather and it is hard to find an '03 XL in Diamond white with a stone fabric interior. I thought the hard part would be making up my mind what I want. :-)
Thanks again for this board and your advice. The last car I bought was 17 years ago so I'm definitely out of practice.
Remember, the way to deal is to decide on your car with the color/options you want ( and are likely to be available - use buildyourown at Toyota.com to find out ).
Use Edmunds or other good pricing source to figure out invoice price and local fair market value.
Add in what you think is reasonable profit for a dealership to take a car off a truck, clean it up, and put it on the lot. We paid about $700 over invoice for our Avalon XLS. A little money for the sales team, something for the building, a few donuts and coffee. But no dealership needs $1K or $2K per car - or $6K which is what the Mercedes dealerships get for a car no where as well built as the Avalon.
Then add in taxes, title fees. So invoice + dealer profit + taxes + title fees = your out the door price. Nothing else matters!
Dealers try to sell you Toyo Guard in the South and Gulf States, here in New England they try to sell window VIN etching and Lojack. All of these are low value compared to costs, so avoid them like the plague.
The way to avoid them is to not talk about them. Only talk about out-the-door-price.
You don't talk about how much you can afford or what your trade is worth. Only out the door price. Postpone any financial discussions until the deal price is done.
Get the dealer to meet your out the door price first. If they won't or say you have to take the car at your OTD price + the VIN etching + Toyo or + whatever, just say NO. Toyo is $20 quart, VIN etching is less. Lojack modules cost $40... and so on.
Keep shopping. Remember, there's a dealer somewhere that wants to move the car you are looking for at the price you want to pay for it.
Toyota is a national brand, so you can buy it 100s of miles away and still have it serviced at the local dealership.
When you find the car you want, particulary something like an Avalon that will cost $30K plus, take it for at least a 50 mile test drive - 20 miles on and off the interstate, over the strips in the highway, down pot holed roads.
It should be rock solid tight. If it rattles, chirps, squeaks or belches, take it back and try another. Rattles show up a good bit in discussions on this board, and they are not so easy to find and fix. Don't drive one away on the dealer's promise that they'll fix it when you bring it back for it's first check up. Take one home that's rattle free.
Take your favorite CD with you. Listen to it as you drive around. And so on...use the car like you will. Drive it in an out of your driveway and/or parking lot at work.
A one hour test drive now is worth its weight in gold!
Good luck shopping
Great advice, but will a Toyota dealer really let you text drive an Avalon for an hour or a 50-mile road test? I would expect an extended test/(guest) drive from one of those upscale snooty car makers but probably not at Toyota.
Cliffy, are you guys as accommodating as footie suggests? Just checking.
Our intention was to test drive the specific vehicle we were interested in negotiating a deal on.
We had already driven another Avalon XLS at a different dealership that had two different rattles in it that were apparent shortly after leaving the lot.
We brought it back and told the sales guy about the issue. We got the 'it will get taken care of message' at which point we left.
These days, if we can't drive the car 'for an hour' we won't buy it.
I think that dealerships wouldn't mind the long test drives since the statistics seem to favor the probability that the longer the consumer is in their store or in one of their cars, the more likely we are to buy something.
This is also why we aren't prone to 'order' a car unless we have a money back guarantee that when it shows up and we test drive it, we can walk the deal if we don't like it.
In specific instances, a long test drive can be arranged. It is not normal.
On the plus side, they are cheap.
You are right, of course. Long test drives aren't the norm, but then the visitors to these boards are a tee, tiny portion of the automobile buying public.
No reason to believe that they can't ask and I think its a good strategy to ask. All the dealership can do is say no, then they get to keep the car.
Plus dealers cycle lots of cars through their management teams in our neck of the woods. So what if someone took an Avalon out for 50 miles and found it had a few rattles, squeaky struts, chattering CD's or other issues.
Do you want this car in an unhappy customer's hands (warranty revenue aside, thank you). Not really. It's easier to fix out back, and let the next Asst GM of Sales put 5K on it, shake it down really good, before you move it as a very low mileage cream puff.
What's good for the geese is almost always palatable to the gander.
I agree with you that a long test drive would be the ideal. But it probably is a little unfair to ask a dealer to allow you to drive their brand new car into ground.
From my recent buying experiences, I was hurried at Acura, Honda, Volvo and Toyota dealers. Ten to fifteen minutes tops was all the time they allowed. However, the experience was much different at a Mercedes dealership. He allowed us to take the car (an E320) home and drive it for four hours without any hesitation, but in the end we did not buy it and he was very disappointed.
Like Cliffy said they use demonstrator models for that purpose and not the brand new ones. It would be tough to let people drive brand new cars in the rain or on dusty construction roads and not buy. I don't think Footlocker would allow you to jog a mile or two in a running shoe then return and say, "I don't like it, it doesn't feel right".
I could use some guidance as to how much to factor for that 8000 mi when calculating what I want to pay for the car.
The car is in excellent shape.
Thanks
John