Hi All,
I just sold my toyota tacoma and looking to get a 4 drs car. I was checking out a one owner 1998 Avalon EXL, fully loaded, 92k miles. Everything is in very good condition. Timing belt and water pump has NOT been replaced yet.
Asking $6200.
Good price?
What kind of services does it needs at that many miles?
I don't mind paying extra few hundred bucks to get a well maintain car. I heard that this car will last a long time.
I'm guessing you mean it's an XLS, right? NADA retail blue book for it is $6500 (includes $1500 adder for the low miles). Kelly Blue Book retail (dealer) is $7485 in excellent condition. If it's from a private party, I'd say knock ~$1k off of those.
So $6200 seems reasonable, if it's a creampuff at a dealership.
At 92k miles, it's due for a timing belt. But it's got a non-interference motor, so it's not urgently needed. Other things it likely needs if it hasn't already been done?... struts & plugs. And the other usual maintenance stuff if there are no records; like coolant flush, transmission oil change, piddly stuff like that. Check the valve covers for oil leaks; common problem that's fairly expensive if you pay someone to do it, because the rear bank is a pain to do.
Avalons are rock solid cars that'll last a good long time, given decent maintenance.
__________________
1992 Camry LE, V6 (3VZ-FE), ABS brakes, 330k miles, dark emerald pearl, owned since new.
1996 Avalon XLS, ABS brakes, moonroof, white, acquired w/ 139k miles, now at 261k.
2001 Yamaha FZ1, Ivan's jet kit, resprung all around, Ohlins in the rear, Race Tech cartridge emulators in the forks, 45k miles.
I have a 98 XLS. Bought it used with about 25k miles - it now has 212k miles. Have been EXTREMELY happy with it. Agree with BMR to check valve covers. I had to have mine done, and it's not cheap. I have heard about oil sludge problems but never experienced. With good maintenance records of timely oil changes, would not think this would be an issue.
ottogaus raises a good point about Toyota's engine sludging problem. You can read about the class action settlement here. This year Avalon is within the years included, so if you're seriously considering buying it, you might have a mechanic check it for sludge issues. If it checks out OK, I'd still say it's worth considering, just change the oil regularly, and follow the more frequent interval recommended in the manual.
__________________
1992 Camry LE, V6 (3VZ-FE), ABS brakes, 330k miles, dark emerald pearl, owned since new.
1996 Avalon XLS, ABS brakes, moonroof, white, acquired w/ 139k miles, now at 261k.
2001 Yamaha FZ1, Ivan's jet kit, resprung all around, Ohlins in the rear, Race Tech cartridge emulators in the forks, 45k miles.
I was able to negotiate the price down to $5500. The car runs like a champ. Very quiet and smooth. However, sometime when I come to a stop, the idle is rough. But it doesn't happen all the time. So, I borrowed a scanner and show the code: P0402 Exhaust Gas Recirculation Flow (EGR) Excessive Detected. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT.
Could it be a sensor or the EGR valve?
I abused my wife avy at pizza hut delivery, now...(past year) I've been more gentle on it but really have postponed a lot of fix up, and did more little mods and cleaning to it and to my 98 Concorde.....because even with the little issues it still runs like a champ......
and i'm at almost 250k miles......wife bought it at 160k (from a friend who buys and sells cars from auctions.... he also said the engine was replaced with an engine that had about 20k less....but from what I could see it did not looks like anything was replaced....as far as bolts...but then again i'm no real time mechanic).......long story short....it's so dependable that ....before we married ...wife drove it with no or very little power steering fluid ...developing a noise....when i saw her one time , i checked added power steering fluid (around 06)...since then we have drove it with a bit of screeching sound....and I've been meaning to flush the fluid but......also been meaning to replace timing belt/water pump (i think long overdue, engine swap or not), suspension and other stufff......but I've had to replace more annoying stuff on my 98 Concorde.....
Very long post/story short.......my opinion you bought an awesome car.....(if the 97 is like my 95 xls....that is)
Exactly, the EGR valve was very dirty. It was like "black out". Since my brother removed it, I told him to replace with a new one.
The car runs great and has excellent gas mileage. I also replaced the tires with the Michelin Primacy MXV4and the car runs even smoother. Next, I'll remove the factory stereo and install a pioneer cd/mp3 player.
I am trying to figure out how to remove the factory head unit. Did a search on here, but didn't find anything similar to my car. Mine is 1998 XLS model that has 7 speakers.
Don't know if this'll help, but here's a link to the Avalon DIY threads. There's a few for stereo installations. Not sure if your 7 speaker system is different or not.
__________________
1992 Camry LE, V6 (3VZ-FE), ABS brakes, 330k miles, dark emerald pearl, owned since new.
1996 Avalon XLS, ABS brakes, moonroof, white, acquired w/ 139k miles, now at 261k.
2001 Yamaha FZ1, Ivan's jet kit, resprung all around, Ohlins in the rear, Race Tech cartridge emulators in the forks, 45k miles.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
ToyotaNation.com is an independent Toyota/Lexus enthusiast website. ToyotaNation.com is not sponsored by or in any way affiliated with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. The Toyota, Lexus and Scion names and logos are trademarks owned by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
Linear Mode
