Potential New Owner

[vteckidz]

Hello!

I would just like to see what you guys thought of a potential car that I might buy...

1995 Toyota Avalon XLS
Pearl white looking paint (with sparkles )
Tan Leather... moonroof... ect, basically all options...
Good condition, no visible wear on the car, interior is clean, ect.
174,000 miles...

Now I am a potential buyer who will put surely less than 6k miles a year... I am just looking for a good car that is reliable and not too hard on gas.

A friend of mine owns this and they take good care of the car as I have seen...

FYI I am the current owner of a 1994 Acura Legend (random fact woo!)

anyways, would you recommend this car for a buy?

are there any issues that 95's have, perhaps after such high mileage too?

for $1,600... Would you buy this?

how about $2,000?

thanks in advanced

vteckidz!

[vteckidz]

also... how much life do you think is in this car...?

[PB65stang]

I have that exact same car ('95 XLS with all the bells and whistles) with 165,000 miles on it. The car is in excellent condition, and I paid right around 4 for it. If the car you're looking at is taken care of anywhere as well as the one I bought, I would snap it up for $2,000. Just my $.02.

EDIT: Since you asked about mileage, I get 30 on the highway (70-72) with no A/C and 27 with A/C up to about 75.) Can't complain for a V6. I would gladly pay $3500-$4000 again for this car.

[vteckidz]

THank you for that information. Any estimates on how long this car can last?

[silverxls]

how long it lasts is related to how you drive and take care of it. with care, you could get an easy 5 years with little costs other than normal maint. for 2k, it would be a great buy. you can't buy a piece of junk chevy for that price....

[gideon1331]

My Mom is currently driving a 95 with 208,000 miles on it, and I recently met the uncle of a friend who has a 96 with over 300,000 miles on it. So long as it was taken care of by the previous owner you should be fine. You'll probably be looking at it in your driveway 10 years from now saying "why wont you die!!! I want a new one!"

[sickwilly]

I have to ask, why replace the 1994 Acura Legend? What is it you are hoping to achieve with the Avalon. I just bought a 97 with 140K, and am not worried at all about the high miles. I replaced a 90 Mazda with no air bags. For me it was about safety and getting into a reliable car with airbags, plus the better mpg.

I think the car will last a long time, so for me it comes down to me to why are you wanting to replace another car that should last a long time (the Acura)?

[vteckidz]

It isn't really so much about replacement at this point. I guess it is more about a good deal coming up.

The Legend is a real nice car, I like it alot. Honestly at this point I'm not sure what is going to happen and which car I would drive... I may drive the Legend or the Avalon, or perhaps another family member. Who knows?

Another question! I am going to see this car soon... any tips on what to look for? When driven, should I be looking for anything? Any problem spots? Potential red flags?

Thanks!

[sickwilly]

I bought from a neighbor, so I was able to borrow the car twice and run general errands in it so see how it ran everyday, from the grocery store to the freeway. That way I got to interact with the car much more than just a test ride. See if your friend will trade cars with you for a day.

Other than just drive, drive, and drive it some more, I made sure I hit a couple of bumps because of the front strut mount issues, pulled the dip stick a couple of times, as well as looked into where you put the oil with a flashlight looking for any signs of sludge, and looked for a power steering link. Those were the three big issues I gleamed from reading here.

[avalontom]

Vteckidz,

Costly maintenance items - timing belt & water pump; struts & related parts. What are the time/mileage for these parts on this car?

The engine will sludge up if the oil is not changed on a very regular basis. Can the owner provide maintenance records?

Pay a mechanic that you trust to go over the car thoroughly.

My '95 has 166,000 mi & is a really great car but there is no substitute for regular maintenance.

Tom

[carloi]

I got mine for Aus$12,000 and it was a 2k model vxi with 70K KM on it. It was a good buy not for the price but just plainly for the car that I bought. I could have spent Aus$10K more and not gotten half the car that the avalon is.