08' Mercedes C-Class v.s. '08 Infiniti G35 Sedan

Toyota Avalons aren't really cheap, Schneed. They are very nice cars.

Toyota Avalons aren't really cheap, Schneed. They are very nice cars.

My coworker with one has had nothing but problems with her "$40,000 2006 Toyota Avalon Limited" (how she always speaks of it).

Window problems, a noise in the interior, a little jerk in the ATX shifting, $500 for the FIRST inspection WITH NO REPAIRS, just their rate...

But, the bad design of the engine that places the air intake on the bottom of the engine instead of the top like every other car nearly killed the car. She went through a puddle on a rainy day and the engine shut off immediately and would not restart. Toyota placed a sensor that will shut the engine down and won't allow it to be started again until reset by a dealer for a big invoice if water gets into the engine. Well, they tore the engine down and 4 of the 6 cylinders were full of water and the block had some too. She sat there and watched every other car drive by without a problem, so it wasn't so much the weather conditions causing problems, it was the major design flaw in the Toyota engine. They put the car back together but she wants to get rid of it before it hits 40K miles because she doesn't trust it and the dealership said they can't guarantee the engine will last after it's "flood" caused by the intake being installed like a wet-dry vac.

She's considering getting rid of it for a new Taurus. Good idea.

What are the resells on them? To me what a car costs up front doesn't matter as much as what it costs compared to the resell I'll probably get.

Resell doesn't matter to me, I keep cars for a LONG time.

My coworker with one has had nothing but problems with her "$40,000 2006 Toyota Avalon Limited" (how she always speaks of it).

Window problems, a noise in the interior, a little jerk in the ATX shifting, $500 for the FIRST inspection WITH NO REPAIRS, just their rate...

But, the bad design of the engine that places the air intake on the bottom of the engine instead of the top like every other car nearly killed the car. She went through a puddle on a rainy day and the engine shut off immediately and would not restart. Toyota placed a sensor that will shut the engine down and won't allow it to be started again until reset by a dealer for a big invoice if water gets into the engine. Well, they tore the engine down and 4 of the 6 cylinders were full of water and the block had some too. She sat there and watched every other car drive by without a problem, so it wasn't so much the weather conditions causing problems, it was the major design flaw in the Toyota engine. They put the car back together but she wants to get rid of it before it hits 40K miles because she doesn't trust it and the dealership said they can't guarantee the engine will last after it's "flood" caused by the intake being installed like a wet-dry vac.

She's considering getting rid of it for a new Taurus. Good idea.


I think she's getting jerked around by her dealer... ive never heard of anything like that and I sold many many avalons over the last few years...

http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/ToyotaAvalon/Images/Engine.jpg


You can see the air filter housing directly to the right of the engine cover and from what I'm told the air actually comes in just to the right of the battery.

I understand you take every opportunity to bash foreign cars and promote american made vehicles, but its going to be hard to make an argument for quality and push a ford taurus over any toyota.

Resell doesn't matter to me, I keep cars for a LONG time.

even if the resale doesnt matter, the reasons for the increased values are based on perception, and that perception is based on the service life of the vehicle. People still pay good money for a toyota with 100k on it, because as a rule they will last for another 100k if properly maintained with little maintenance. Most domestics are deemed disposable after 100k. I know of cases where domestics have lasted 500k+ miles, but those are the exceptions, not the rule.

The Infinity G-35, but I am partial because it is supposed to be the U.S. version of the Nissan Skyline; which is one of the better handling cars in the world. Plus it offers some good performance. The G-35 has more horsepower, a bigger engine, and ironically slightly better (1mpg HW & City) fuel economy. It is also slightly cheaper than the Benz. I am also comparing the 07 G-35 to the 08 Merces C class because cars.com doesn't have the 08 G35 listed yet. So as long as the 08 G-35 doesn't have a dramatic drop off. I would say that the G-35 is the best bet. In my opinion anyway.

Yeah, I've heard the same comparison to my vehicle: Nissan Altima SE-R. Generally speaking, a poor man's G-35, but mine has sub-6 second times spooling up to 60mph, not bad for the family sedan! My wife has a 350Z and we have thoroughly enjoyed each car. Practically no repairs and only routine maintenance. I've owned enough domestic junk to never want to look back and we've owned Nissan products for years with nothing but fond memories. I know several people personally that own G-35's and they ALL love them. As far as the Benz? I've heard, and read, nothing but BAD things about their entry level cars. If possible, rent the vehicle of choice and spend a few days, not hours, with it. You'll get a much better idea of what to expect if you buy.

I'm with canthetuna on this one. Those Toyota GR motors (Avalon has the 2gr-fe) are some of the best engines you can buy in a car today. In fact, the 2gr-fse found in the IS350 is on Ward's 10 best list. I personally have the 1gr-fe in my 4Runner and love it.

If the vehicle had that much water in the cylinders, they would have had to do more than just clean it. It would have required a new engine, because it would have done a lot of internal damage. Water does not compress like a/f.

The US automakers have come a long way in the past 15 years. They have some very reliable automobiles on the market whose reliability rivals that of the Japanese. The damage to their reputation has been done and they must sustain the level of reliability over a period of years (if not decades) before consumers start to trust them again. The gap between Detroit and Japan really is not as large as people believe. Good marketing on Toyota/Honda's part?

European/German cars are fantastically engineered from a mechanical standpoint, but their electronics are severely lacking. We all know how much electronics are in cars these days. Back in 2002 when the E65/E66 (BMW 7 series) hit the market, the vehicle had the same reliability (problems per 100 vehicles) as the average eight year old Lexus LS400 (a Japanese rival). That still blows my mind.

Statistically speaking, reliability is generally...
1-Japan
2-US slightly behind
3-Europe with a ways to go to catch up

I'm currently toying with the idea of getting a new car and I already have a buyers remorse without having bought anything yet. I was thinking of getting G-35 until I saw the new Benz ad (http://www.commerciallygreen.com/2007/09/25/mercedes-benz-2008-c-class-200-pound-men-on-doors/). The ad makes the C-Class seem very impressive. I was also looking at the Ford Shelby GT500 though I don't trust Ford at all.

None of these german cars have anything on my chevy chevett 3cyl diesal. If your behind me I'll just punch it and you will eat my smoke.

I think she's getting jerked around by her dealer...

I don't know if there's any truth to her story but I do know this...dealers take advantage of women it's not even funny.