- #2762 of 3807
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Re: Fix-it-yourself auto horror stories on the rise [kdhspyder]
by imidazol97
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Jul 11, 2009 (8:53 am)
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Jul 11, 2009 8:45 am)
Is the Avalon done? I thought they were. I noticed the local newspaper had a review of the Avalon in today's Wheels section.
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- #2763 of 3807
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Re: Fix-it-yourself auto horror stories on the rise [imidazol97]
by kdhspyder
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Jul 11, 2009 (11:30 am)
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Replying to: imidazol97 (Jul 11, 2009 8:53 am)
No the Avalon is still in the product lineup. It serves as the 'bridge' vehicle between the Toyota and Lexus lineups. That's all. It serves to support the price of the ES350, nothing more.
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- #2764 of 3807
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Re: Fix-it-yourself auto horror stories on the rise [kdhspyder]
by andre1969
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Jul 12, 2009 (2:59 pm)
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Jul 11, 2009 11:30 am)
So is the Avalon going to get an update, or just keep on in its current iteration until interest fades and then get dropped? I never really cared for the styling of the Avalon, but thought it had a nice looking, comfy interior. I'd always thought that if they could combine the exterior of a Buick Lucerne and the interior of an Avalon, that'd be a helluva car.
At one time, Toyota did have a bit of a "bridge" car in the Cressida, although it does pre-date Lexus. The Cressida did make sense back in the pre-Lexus days, but once Lexus came out, and the Camry grew and got more luxurious, the Cressida sort of got squeezed out. Kind of a shame, as it was RWD, which probably gave it some decent handling.
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- #2765 of 3807
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Re: Fix-it-yourself auto horror stories on the rise [andre1969]
by nippononly
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Jul 12, 2009 (11:08 pm)
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 12, 2009 2:59 pm)
And the Cressida had the engine straight out of the Supra. People would lower Cressidas and turn them into 4-door Supras! Those were the good old days of Toyota; that Toyota is dead and buried under a mountain of marketing-speak. 
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- #2766 of 3807
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Re: Fix-it-yourself auto horror stories on the rise [nippononly]
by british_rover
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Jul 13, 2009 (3:08 am)
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Replying to: nippononly (Jul 12, 2009 11:08 pm)
I actually saw a Cressida the other day at work. I was hoping they were going to trade it in but they knew better.
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- #2767 of 3807
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Re: Fix-it-yourself auto horror stories on the rise [british_rover]
by gagrice
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Jul 13, 2009 (5:24 am)
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Replying to: british_rover (Jul 13, 2009 3:08 am)
My 80 year old aunt still drives her Cressida every day. My cousin tried to get her into a new Camry and she did not like it. Great cars from the once great Toyota. 
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- #2768 of 3807
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Re: Fix-it-yourself auto horror stories on the rise [andre1969]
by kdhspyder
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Jul 13, 2009 (6:46 am)
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 12, 2009 2:59 pm)
The Avalon is only a place holder. Its primary benefit is to bridge the pricing gap betweent the Toyota Camry and the Lexus Camry. The Toyota Camry tops out at ~$33000 Max while the Lexus Camry begins at ~$38000 and goes up. By having the Avalon in that slot it allows buyers that want something arguably different to spend $35000-$38000 without having to step up into the $40000-$45000 range. It also 'protects the rear flank' of the ES350 pricewise. If a buyer doesn't want to spend $42000 on a vehicle - but will spend $36000 on a vehicle - but also does want something more than a Camry in terms of ride and comfort then the Avalon fits this niche. It avoids the situation where Lexus has to discount the ES350 down to the $35000 range where it would becomes blurred with the Toyota model.
The Corolla serves the same purpose for the Camry on its rear flank.
The Cressida was the first Lexus, even though it was called a Toyota. It was the demand for this vehicle and others of its type that encouraged Toyota to develop the entire Lexus lineup. My opinion of course.
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- #2769 of 3807
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Re: Fix-it-yourself auto horror stories on the rise [british_rover]
by larsb
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Jul 13, 2009 (9:19 am)
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Replying to: british_rover (Jul 13, 2009 3:08 am)
I'd love to have another Cressida. Those were awesome cars. Reverse-engineer one of those, 'Yota, and get your quality back on track...
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- #2770 of 3807
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I have an old Consumer Guide...
by andre1969
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Jul 13, 2009 (9:41 am)
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from 1985, and I believe the Cressida was the highest-rated car they tested in that issue. CG back then had 20 different categories rated 1-5, and I think it scored around 78. That might not sound good at first, but as varying as these categories are, it would be almost impossible for one car to score 100. For example, some of the categories were interior room, trunk volume, ease of entry/exit, serviceability, driveability, handling, paint quality, exterior fit and finish, fuel economy, interior quality, dash display, acceleration, overall value, etc. No one car could excel in all those categories, especially in 1985!
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- #2771 of 3807
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Re: I have an old Consumer Guide... [andre1969]
by fintail
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Jul 13, 2009 (11:29 am)
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 13, 2009 9:41 am)
My 1981 CG doesn't have a Cressida, unfortunately. I should see what the highest rated car is in that book. I know both MB in it (a W126 and a C123) both scored 103, even with their high prices. They must have used a different scale then.
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