new owner of 2005 limited

[740ilsamuel]

hello everyone, being waiting some months to get a better opinion about purchasing my white 2005 limited.
i traded a 2001 740il bimmer for it, because the bimmer's maintenance and repair cost were simply not something i cared to continue. clearly the bimmer is a more complex car, i no longer desired the cost for that complexity. i considered other like the lexus es and gs, the accord, and infinity, but after driving the avalon, in limited version, i knew i'd found the car i wanted to keep. i've had it for 1 year. it had 50,000 miles, and the only manitnance i've done to it is change the oil. i was pissed that it didn't have an ipod connection, but after reading post in this forum, i purchased and installed such a connection.
i've gotten used to synthetic oils, so thats what goes into it.
mileage is great for the hp, but still not quite use to a front wheel drive.

[boosted-fc3s]

The 740 is a great car, but those $1000+ trips to the dealer get old fast.

[CAPTMARK]

Congrats On Joining The Avi Club.

[740ilsamuel]

thanks boosted and capt

[Tom in Tacoma]

You have been assimilated....

[boosted-fc3s]

Resistance is futile.

[grandpapa]

I guess the cost to keep a BMW is really that bad.
I was once thinking about getting a 00-01 740iL before getting the Avalon. It is cheaper to get the BMW at first but the keep up cost is something that scared us off. It seems to be a money pit for "used" Bimmer.

I guess that's one reason used Lexus/Toyota cost way more than Benz/BMW

[740ilsamuel]

hey grand, repairing and maintenance for the 7 series can be greatly reduced by the use of their web-forums, but it never seems to stop. i always felt threatened when i wanted to drive it on trips. because of bmw's need to use special tools, i'd need to take these tools with me. another problem i thought i could live with was the technology. there's a premium for being the first to use certain technologies. most of these technologies can now be obtained with less money, while being improved. updating bmw's bus system is tricky and costly. like i mentioned, at my age (48), i no longer wanted to pay the price. loved how bmws drive and the impression they have, but i'd rather used the money saved to fund my retirement.
the avalon, in limited form, i rarely think about the car. i think about where i'm driving to.
ps. i still have a problem not stareing when i see 01 740's.

[grandpapa]

with my kids and my mom, I really need to have a car I can trust; not to worry about the car might die on the road...
Despite all the issues toyota has currently, I still think overall toyota is more
reliable than others

[740ilsamuel]

i agree

[fightingillini]

Welcome to the Club! I just got my first Toyota and Avalon about a month and a half ago. It's a sliiiiiick ride!

[erosa]

Originally Posted by 740ilsamuel

hello everyone, being waiting some months to get a better opinion about purchasing my white 2005 limited.
i traded a 2001 740il bimmer for it, because the bimmer's maintenance and repair cost were simply not something i cared to continue. clearly the bimmer is a more complex car, i no longer desired the cost for that complexity. i considered other like the lexus es and gs, the accord, and infinity, but after driving the avalon, in limited version, i knew i'd found the car i wanted to keep. i've had it for 1 year. it had 50,000 miles, and the only manitnance i've done to it is change the oil. i was pissed that it didn't have an ipod connection, but after reading post in this forum, i purchased and installed such a connection.
i've gotten used to synthetic oils, so thats what goes into it.
mileage is great for the hp, but still not quite use to a front wheel drive.

details on your ipod connection? i'm fed up with useless fm transmitters and can't find a thread on this.