I'm considering trading my 2000 Cadillac Deville for a 2006 Avalon. Any comments
Thanks
Thanks
Toyota Avalon
- Thread starter santiago
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I have known a few Avalon owners who were not wild about their car. They were expecting zero problems from Toyota and their cars had rattles, door/window seal issues, suspension prolems, and electrical gremlins. This does not appear to be as perfect as the Toyota reputation would lead you to believe.
JHZR2
Staff member
they look pretty decent, IMO!
The perpetual question will be if the v6 is a sludgemonster, and if the AT will hold up... but thats the question with most any car.
A good friend's mother bought one of the later year previous models... she has been very satisfied with it.
economy-wise, it seems tobe real good for a large car. It seems pretty well decked out, even in base trims.
The real question is if it is economically smart to trade the caddy - but only you know whatyou paid for it... see what youll get for it, and let that guide you.
JMH
The perpetual question will be if the v6 is a sludgemonster, and if the AT will hold up... but thats the question with most any car.
A good friend's mother bought one of the later year previous models... she has been very satisfied with it.
economy-wise, it seems tobe real good for a large car. It seems pretty well decked out, even in base trims.
The real question is if it is economically smart to trade the caddy - but only you know whatyou paid for it... see what youll get for it, and let that guide you.
JMH
My dad has the Avalon. He loves it and puts a lot of miles on it. Only issue to date (15 months) was the stereo cover rattling.
Required BITOG info: It takes the cartridge filter.
Required BITOG info: It takes the cartridge filter.
Whether or not you get an Avalon, hurry up and ditch that 6-year-old Cadillac before it begins to nickel-and-dime you to death.
The caddy has already started the nickel and diming and the extended warranty will expire in 2k miles.
Should I order it withe stability and traction control? The salesman says 90% are sold without this option. Of course this is Texas, not much snow and ice.
Thanks for your comments.
Should I order it withe stability and traction control? The salesman says 90% are sold without this option. Of course this is Texas, not much snow and ice.
Thanks for your comments.
Even though it's Houston you do get some nice downpours. Traction control is nice to have on rain slick city streets. You will find that Toyota packages are significantly tiered. If you want leather you have to get "limited" etc. You may also find three differnt brand tires on the same model. One care may have Bridgestones, another BF goodrich and another Michelins. ANd there may be no price difference. I got a base 4 runner(base is nice enough w/cruis trip computer power windows selective traction control etc for 23,500
) this year with Michelin Xterrains. Most of these trucks had Bridgestones and other tires. If you browse the inventory(especially with all you can look at at differnt dealers in a metroplex) you may find a gem.
Santiago:
IMO, you should insist on the traction control and VSC. I had it on my 03 V-6 Camry (close cousin of Avalon), and I've got what Nissan calls "VDC" on my present G35(same idea, they just call it "vehicle dynamic control" vs "skid control"), and in each vehicle, it has saved my butt. In the Camry, I took a tight freeway off-ramp, that unknown to me was wet (it had rained a while before, but only the shady ramp remained damp). Though I was going about the posted limit (maybe a small tad above...), the car started to break free. Without VSC, I'd have spun into the grass before I knew what hit me. It's hard to describe in words, but you can feel the system working, correcting your steer -- and it's a good feeling! Of course, VSC doesn't repeal the laws of physics, so for example, if I'd tried that off-ramp at 100 mph, I'd have been in the grass (and beyond) no matter what. Still, I recommend it strongly. Think of it this way: if it saves you just once during the car's life, it has probably more than paid for itself -- not something you can ever say for a six-disc CD changer.
IMO, you should insist on the traction control and VSC. I had it on my 03 V-6 Camry (close cousin of Avalon), and I've got what Nissan calls "VDC" on my present G35(same idea, they just call it "vehicle dynamic control" vs "skid control"), and in each vehicle, it has saved my butt. In the Camry, I took a tight freeway off-ramp, that unknown to me was wet (it had rained a while before, but only the shady ramp remained damp). Though I was going about the posted limit (maybe a small tad above...), the car started to break free. Without VSC, I'd have spun into the grass before I knew what hit me. It's hard to describe in words, but you can feel the system working, correcting your steer -- and it's a good feeling! Of course, VSC doesn't repeal the laws of physics, so for example, if I'd tried that off-ramp at 100 mph, I'd have been in the grass (and beyond) no matter what. Still, I recommend it strongly. Think of it this way: if it saves you just once during the car's life, it has probably more than paid for itself -- not something you can ever say for a six-disc CD changer.
ekpolk,
Thanks for the reply. I'm convinced and will order it with VSC and traction control.
Thanks for the reply. I'm convinced and will order it with VSC and traction control.
Well, I can say these are very nice cars! I work on them all the time. Very nice (and powerful) driveline. The cartridge filters are not bad. There have been a couple TSBs regarding console covers that are easily fixed. On the earliest ones, there was a TSB for an oil leak from an oil pipe on the front side of the engine. These few problems have quickly been phased out as the production has changed. Great cars.
Greg
Greg
The v6 all aluminum GR series powerplant in this vehicle is really nice. My newest 2006 Toyota vehicles seem to have better initial quality(no squeeks or rattles and no reason to go to the dealer) than the 2001 and 2002 model years I had previously(the 2002 was a squeeky dash Tacomathat I fixed myself after 2 dealer atempts). I have been very satisfied in observing how quickly Toyota will fix design issues in there vehicles when they are recognized.
I looked one of these Avalons over at the car show, and I found it to feel very cheap. The doors feel to be made out of plastic. I even felt the Camry sitting next to it was more "solid" feeling.
I'm sure the car drives excellent and all, but there's something about a nice solid feeling door that I prefer....my mom's new Passat is an example.
I'm sure the car drives excellent and all, but there's something about a nice solid feeling door that I prefer....my mom's new Passat is an example.
My wife and I tested one a couple months ago, and we didn't have that impression at all. In fact, she'd been lusting after one of those new Buick Lucernes -- until we drove an Avalon ten minutes after the Lucerne. I drove it and rode in the back seat. I was left with the impression that the car had been machined from one giant block of solid metal.
I'm going to start shopping for a new Avalon soon to replace the '96 we now have. Primary reason for sticking with Avalon is 193,000+ miles with almost no problems after a few warrenty repairs in the first year. The only problem is that Toyota dealers won't deal on Avalons. For that reason, I may wait until the 2007's come out. No point in overpaying for a year old car. Also what is the deal with the cartridge filter? I have enough trouble with the spin-on on the 96. Oil drips off the frame and other stuff for a week and burns on the muffler even longer. I've never figured out a way to eliminate this problem.
Alamogunr, the cartridge is not that bad and i assure you it is cleaner than what you are accustomed to with the 1MZ. By the way, newer 1MZ's in camrys and highlanders have put a baffle under the filter to catch oil and drain it away from the block. However, the blocks are different and im pretty sure the bolt holes are not there on older ones so that one cannot be added. Try this: get a long screwdriver and sharpen it to a point. Before you take off the filter, take a hammer and your new punch and put a bunch of holes in the filter top. Wait a few minutes and then take off the filter. Sometimes you get lucky and the oil drains back into the block. Sometimes.
Greg
Greg
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