2000 Toyota Avalon vxi from Australia and New Zealand - Comments

The only fault so far with the Avalon VXi is that when braking at slow speeds (between 10-30km) there is a clunking noise at times underneath your feet area. It isn't an overly loud noise, but is there just the same and Toyota when advised of this explained that it is part of the braking/ABS unfortunately.

The Avalon VXi is the best car I have ever owned. At the time we purchased this vehicle we were looking at all the medium to large sedans from Ford, Holden, Honda, Mazda and Toyota, and it was the test drive in the Avalon that sold it to us. It drives like a dream. It is extremely quiet inside and handles the road smoothly. It has a lot of power when needed and the transition from low to high speed is instantaneous. Inside the interior is plush and executive looking. My kids fell asleep on their first trip in our vehicle because of the comfy rear seating and quietness inside the car when on the road. We found the extra leg space in the rear seats also instrumental in our choice given the kids are quite tall and leggy. The boot is massive and accessible through the rear seat portal hidden behind the velvet arm rest that can be pulled down for extra comfort for those in the rear (the arm rest also has provision for 2 drink holders). The dashboard has a wood grained centerpiece around the controls and cd player which initially I didn't take to, but grows on you after awhile - most folk seem to like this look when they have ridden in our car. The Avalon holds the road very well in wet conditions, its streamlined body gives it a sporty sleek look and I love the interior light staying on for a minute or so after taking the keys out to allow you time to get your stuff out of the car before you are lunged into pitch blackness. My husband upgraded from the base model to the VXi because he loved the remote boot opener which has been invaluable when laden with bags from shopping and being able to pop the boot before you approach your vehicle. We are in the process of looking for a 2nd vehicle to buy now and are finding it very difficult because we keep comparing everything to our Avalon VXi which is absolutely brilliant. The 2nd vehicle is to replace our Landcruiser now our 2 old German Shepherd dogs cannot climb or be lifted in... another great feature of the Avalon's spaciousness, it can even fit two 55kg shepherd's in the back. My boss drives a Nissan Maxima and regularly comments on how classy our Avalon is, and parked next to our car, how it makes his Maxima less spectacular...yes, we are very proud Avalon owners :)

I would have to agree with everything the writer has said about the VXI. I have a 2002 Limited VXI with leather, moon roof, etc. The vehicle represents real value for money and with cheap servicing costs comparatively speaking, I couldn't be happier.

Having owned an assortment of German products over the last decade, I tired of the high servicing/repair costs. Yes, all cars need to be dealer serviced where possible, but if people buy these cars thinking that the "quality" they are buying through the high purchase price initially will save them money in repair and service costs later, they are very much mistaken. And, yes, I pamper my cars. The service manuals, like those of other manufacturers are designed to keep the parts manufacturers in business. Waste is rampant.

So, I will continue to buy Toyota products in the future. The near silent running and excellent ride quality, place the Avalon at worst, the equal of the Germans, which incidentally, I bought new.

The VXI gives me everything the Germans provided, but for far less money and, when one buys a car based on what the "head" dictates as opposed to the "heart," badge snobbery is of no significance.

As the previous owner of many models of cars including Holden, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Renault, Toyota and currently, a late 2000 Avalon Grande which I purchased from the dealer in early 2001, for the comfort stakes, I'd totally recommend upgrading to the tad more dearer 'Grande' to owners of a VXI, GXi, GX, Sorrento, Advantage or Conquest in ANZ. It's the little things like "automatic fold up and away steering, when the ignition key is withdrawn and remembering the last position that the steering wheel was set to when the key is inserted" that can really put the icing on the cake.

For the Avalon driving enthusiast. I still remember the look of sheer disbelief on the BMW330 Ci's driver’s face that attempted to keep up with the Avalon for over 50Kms on a stretch of the Princess Highway between Melbourne and Sydney. He raised his hand in silent acknowledgement of a victory well deserved when he finally passed by and continued on his way, when I pulled up at Eden for the evening. (No offence intended to BMW fans). A slight tweaking of the suspension and wider/lower Pirelli's all round and this baby was good for 200Km/Hr. A similar engine is reportedly used in the V6 Camry and Lexus of equal power.

The car now with 145K on the clock, still runs like it's just out of a showroom, though I must confess to adhering to a strict maintenance schedule.

Complaints - Paint chips on the bumper seem to come easily, but this could be a reflection on the road surfaces in AUS. There’s some wind buffeting from the RHS Front rear-view mirror in comparison to my 97 Camry, but it delivers in most all other stakes. 6-stacker in-dash CD player had to be replaced during warranty period due to CD getting stuck in the unit. Maybe Toyota needs to have some serious discussions with Fujitsu on reliability or take their business elsewhere. But it sure sounds like a dream with the 7-speaker and separate sub-woofer sound system in the Grande. No other Toyota, not even Camry Azura has quite the same system.

Repair Costs due to breakdowns/faults etc for the 4 years I’ve had the car – What repairs/breakdowns?

Oil leaks – What’s that? You just have regular services and “fill her up” at the gas station (preferably with the higher octane fuel).

Now the bad news! The Avalon's being discontinued in AUS due to the lower sales volumes as compared to Camry. Maybe Toyota did not recognise that Avalon sits between the Camry and the Lexus and is essentially a "niche market". They should have expected the lower sales and confined the models to just the Vxi and Grande. Toyota has however indicated that a new marque due to replace the Avalon is better suited to AUS. Hope it delivers!

Intended selling the Avalon and purchasing a ML series Mercedes Benz, but after reading the comments from most MB owners on this site, I've shelved the idea. Thanks for this website.

I have a second hand Avalon vxi. only had it for a couple of months. but wonder how many kms you regularly get from it? It seems to be a little heavy on the juice. has anyone else had this?

While I was trying to decide on a large sedan or small 4WD to drive on an extended Australian tour, I did the usual research and thought Toyota Avalon would fit my requirements. Reading reviews and comments in Car Survey re-inforced my ideas. When a 2000 VXi came up for sale in 2005 with only 31,000 km on the clock, I got in there quick for a test, and felt like I was driving a luxury car. I've since done another 30,000 km and I agree with all the positive comments made by this reviewer.

My wife and I travelled nearly 20,000 km on a tour through VIC, SA, NT & WA, and the VXi was a delight to drive - quiet, comfortable, smooth auto and plenty of acceleration when needed. I put the driver's seat at the highest setting, which gave me good vision, and I always felt fine at the end of a long drive.

I was very pleased that our Avalon came home virtually unscathed with regard to the excellent paintwork (mostly bitumen surface with some gravel and dirt). A few close calls with kangaroos nearly changed this.

Over the whole tour average petrol consumption was 8.7 litres/100 km (mostly unleaded, some premium unleaded). Naturally this figure is much higher back home around hilly Launceston.

A final comment: I really like the alloy wheels on this model VXi - they give the car a distinctive look and are very easy to clean.