Considering Avalon purchasement ...

[Grumpy Rooster]

if your talking about an avalon - no , dont care to either
I had a BA XT co car for 40000 km was OK . Highly recommend it as Forg's suggests his old man is planning to drive the car into the dirt i would stick with a falcadore as some of the jap cars bite hard on spares in old age. I mean if he has the car in 5 years how much is an avalon waterpump going to set you back , for example . Stuff like that on some japs will bring tears to a man's eyes.And given forg is about 50 that makes his old man what 75-80 years old ? he'll blow the inheritance

That is all bullshit. I changed a waterpump on my 94 Camry last year and it was bloody cheap. Nothing I have had to do has been a killer and that includes changing the head gasket and waterpump on the 4cyl and radiator on the V6. They would have to be one of the cheapest cars to fix and since the Avalon has the same engine it isn't going to be any dearer.

Also, my old man sold his VXi Vienta and bought a BA Fairmont. He hates the Fairmont and would gladly go back to the Vienta any day. Much more comfortable, reliable and cheaper to run than the Ford.

[Chipper]

In all other conditions the massive lack of traction in a FWD tow car in pretty much negates that singular advantage. In the wet my RWD ute has some traction issues with close to 1600 kg inc. trailer and 200 kg in tray- so lots of weight over the driving wheels = max traction.. I'd hate to attempt to tow that in a FWD car that has to drive and steer through the 2 wheels with the least weight on them..

Rowds

Anyone seen that vid with the FWD shitbox towing the caravan up the hill, only to shortly afterwards see the whole show going backwards down the same hill with smoke pouring off the front tyres? piss funny, and FWD's would have to be inferior to a RWD/AWD/4WD for towing

I have driven a friends mums Avi, not a bad old slug, the V6 seems willing enough, and a very comfy car. I would do a trip in it for sure, they seem to be an ok car in my opinion if comfort and ease of use is high on the agenda.

Chip

[Paydirt]

You can pick up top of the range Grande, with every conceivable gadget at the goverment auctions here in Brissi for around 20k. They look very comfy.

[MR-PUNANNY]

That is all bullshit. I changed a waterpump on my 94 Camry last year and it was bloody cheap. Nothing I have had to do has been a killer and that includes changing the head gasket and waterpump on the 4cyl and radiator on the V6. They would have to be one of the cheapest cars to fix and since the Avalon has the same engine it isn't going to be any dearer.

I agree! I bought a brand new 1JZGTE Power steer pump (Toyota Genuine, from Toyota) for $92!

Other than that i still wouldn't trust FWD autos

Wouldnt trust it with what? Drifitng?

I dont know anything about the new toyotas, but for the record, my ol man has a 90 Camry, bought from brand new, and has never had any dramas what so ever with it. Only thing changed is oil, brake pads and battery!

[fdrx7]

Forg's dad will be buying after it has fallen off the cliff

As a late model Magna owner I feel qualified to point out: there are still more cliffs to come.

[Cplus]

Red Book Code TOYO05AA
2005 TOYOTA AVALON
MCX10R Mark III GXi Sedan 4dr Auto 4sp 3.0i
Trade in price guide* $15,300 - $17,100

Red Book Code NISS05CE
2005 NISSAN MAXIMA
J31 MY05 ST-L Sedan 4dr Auto 4sp 3.5i
Trade in price guide* $21,300 - $23,500

Dunno, $6500 is a fair whack of money, considering the Toyota is more likely to be more reliable.

I don't believe the reliability bit for a second. what were the RRP's?

0.5litre at that engine size is quite a bit - whats the power/torque comaprison?

The Maxima was based on a friends parents owning one for ages that never skipped a beat. They seem a much nicer car inside too - and that would be where it counts most in this situation.

I think you can do better. Would it be wrong to suggest a Magna?

Compare the Magna to a Falcadore and it will be alright. The trim quality etc of the Nissan is far superior to the Magna. Just higher quality all round.

[itsandyv]

I was recently in a similar situation, but chose the Maxima over the Avalon as the avalon didn't really excite me that much in the looks department. The Maxima's headlights are a little weird, but other than that, it's pure pimp.

They're pretty much the same equipment/comfort wise, but I find the Maxima seats a bit more supportive when driven hard..

The 4spd auto isn't too bad, but I would have loved to get a manual.. The VQ35DE is magic.. Has a nice tone when opened up too

[Ustasa]

Isn't the Toyo v-6 banger a sucker for head gaskets?

Btw, I'll 2nd (or 3rd) the Magna 3.5L V-6 motion and yes, I know the Lord will strike me down for recommending a FWD.

[muttaburra]

Imagine this... boat on the back and down a ramp. As you back in, inevitably the closer you are to the water, the higher chance you have of moss growing on the boat ramp. Back a boat down the boat ramp, rear tyres on the moss, then it's no way back up without 4WD or FWD. Was actually funny seeing a Berlina stuck on a boat ramp trying to get out with only an empty boat trailer on the back.

that has got to b the most piss poor quote i have ever heard. my old man owns a 20ft boat that weighs near on 2500kgs with fuel and gear. he tows it with a AU falcon ute and i always drive it out of the water and have never ever had a traction problem and its got a single spinner and almost bald tyres and it gets backed all the way to the water. if you are careful you will never have a problem, if you floor the bloody thing of course it will spin.

as for the Avayawn. if your old man likes it and plans on driving it till its dead, go for it. the issue of resale is only a problem if you plan of swapping cars ever few years.

[Captiva Fan]

Seeing as he is going from a foul-can just buy another . BA XT/Futura ( -) not as reliable (maybe)

I think definitely is much more the point.
Between he & I we've had a string of Falcodores, and they're all Teh Suck after they've had about 100k kms on them. I call shenanigans on the comments about Falcon stuff being 'cheap' too, the Ovlov was a much cheaper contraption to keep on the road than his ED; and some of these VS Commode parts prices are a bit "ahemm" too. Point with the Toyota is, of course, that it won't need stuff replaced every 6 months like with a Falcodore.

one thing to consider forg in 7 years the car will be worth nothing as they have been discontinued but I suppose 2 k a year plus maintenace is alright.

Resale's kinda irrelevant; his ED has 220k kms on it, and it's worth SFA 'cos it's falling apart. Whatever he buys, he'll keep 'til it falls apart to the same degree; and from experience, I don't believe anything about Falcodores lasting as long as the Japanese cars.

Not buying a Magna; I know a few people who've had good ones now, but have recently heard of a few that've been back for warranty repairs a lot. The MrBishi of old returns. Find it hard to trust a MrBishi too, I drove a Nimbus once for more'n 5 minutes ...

The Maxima is definitely on the list, but I suspect they'll be more like $10k more expensive; nearly double the price. For that difference, I can't see the point in going for the Maxima, not considering the criteria.


Ta all ... I hadn't even thought of the Maxima, and my suspicions about the Avalon would seem to be reflected by pretty much what everyone's said - the Avalon's biggest problem is the cardy-factor. I'll letcha know what the relative prices turn out to be.

[Ustasa]

Just scanned carsales.com.au for 2000-2001 Magna's and Avalon's. I can't see how you can justify paying $$$$ more for a equivalent spec/year/condition Avalon over a Magna. I'd be willing to argue the point but I fear it would fall on deaf ears...

[Captiva Fan]

I can't see how you can justify paying $$$$ more for a equivalent spec/year/condition Avalon over a Magna.

The quick scan I did showed the relevant pricing 'round the other way; my friend wholesaling cars sold a pair of Magnas recently for $22k and there's NO WAY even an Avalon Grande would sell for that much. Plus he isn't the only one who's had mechanical issues with them recently; I was wavering towards a certain level of trust of Magnas again, but it didn't take many sour experiences to push me away from them again.

[Ustasa]

The magic 8 ball reckons Avalon's cost a decent whack more $ then the Magna's.

Search for equivalent spec's and you will get 5 pages of Magna's for sale vs 1 for Avalon's. No, that doesn't mean they are shitter, just people's perception of them is. This is also reflected in the pricing.

[Captiva Fan]

Pricing is near irrelevant though; unless it were nearly free, I couldn't in all conscience get my dad a Magna.

[Ustasa]

hahahaha

fair enough

but ignore the magic 8 ball at your peril