Re: Ford 500 vs Avalon review

Interesting take on the Ford.

I drove a fully loaded AWD Montego Premier very recently, two people on board.

I agree with all of your conclusions about the 500 and would add:

=travelling at close to full stop, there was a vibration coming through which felt like engine vibration (V-6 rocking), like they should have damped this out. I could feel this through the driver's seat and immediately wondered if future passengers would feel the same thing as well,

=on full throttle, plenty of noise, but more like a Hoover than a Ferrari. Our 97 Avalon had a sweet sound when nailing it,

=at all highway speeds, there was a lot of what I can only describe as vibration transmission through the steering wheel, as if all the business of the mechanical workings of the car was being telegraphed through the steering wheel - this was not pleasant and I thought something was wrong with the car, which did not exhibit any signs of tire imbalance or other handling maladies. I mentioned this to the saleman riding shotgun and he had no comment. Maybe it is the nature of the Pirelli's, I cannot be sure. But that part of the test drive did not impart a message of "smooth and refined" at all,

=there were some bouts of near-float and roll in the suspension, but not as bad as the barges of yesteryear. This car would be much better if Ford buttoned that down, pronto. Maybe they're trying to appeal to older-gen who expect that type of slop (I'm a bit over 50 and can't stand it). Do the Volvo's handle that way too? ,

=loudish suspension noises over rough pavement, sounded like from the rear: thumping-type reverberation noises, more muting needed (made the car seem cheaply made - a contradiction to the sticker price),

=car was well appointed, lots of neato controls and features, but the shale interior color had the lifeless friendliness of a coffin.

When the salesman offered to crunch my potential trade-in, I let him, but with no intention of buying the vehicle, although I liked it overall. I was hoping to not find any deal-breaking chararcteristics, but my hopes were dashed by the test-drive. (Is Ford collecting statistics on the test-drive//buy/lease ratio?)

My main objections were vibration issues, worries about sturdiness and reliability (I've had Fords in the past that couln't pass a repair shop), and guaranteed heavy depreciation right off the bat. The vehicle would probably be about perfect for someone who leases rather than buys.

> Who cares what the reviewers think. I'm starting to think that they > don't even bother driving the cars, they just reprint the press > releases. > A few weeks ago, I went out and test drove both a new Ford Five > Hundred and a new Avalon. > Here's my review. > We have a two year old Avalon and we love it. My wife drives it every > day and we love to take it on long trips. > It's silky smooth and big and quiet and comfortable. > Because of that, we overlook that it's pretty homely, wanders a bit > down the freeway and sort of plows around sharp turns. > > I was looking for a new car for myself and was rather interested in > the new Avalon. The dealer just gave me the keys and said try it out > for a day or two. > The new Avalon is no longer silky smooth. It now has more HP and it's > got a bit of a growl and a shake to the engine. The extra Hp means it > now has torque steer. Not much, but noticable. > The new one handles better, no longer wanders and corners better. It > also now thumps over potholes and has tire roar. The old one is > silent. > The new one even got a loud resonance rattle going in the passenger > side door panel on a rough part of the freeway. > The new Avalon no longer feels like a Toyota, but more like a really > big Honda Accord. > The new Avalon interior is higher styled, but stupid. There is now a > garage door over the radio so you can either lift it everytime you > want to play with the radio and heat or you can leave it sort of open > because it doesn't retract all the way. The door hangs out about an > inch so that you have to look around it to see what you are adjusting. > The center console is now wider causing one to wonder why a front > wheel car needs a big stupid console down the middle and it has wood > trim on it right where your knee hits. Over and over and over. Ouch. > The wood trim was really ugly yellow. > The car now comes in four fixed option packages that give you the > wrong options no matter how much you pay. > We are definately keeping our old Avalon. > > A car loving buddy and I tried out a Ford Five Hundred. All wheel > drive, leather, CV transmission. > We liked it. > First, you sit up a little higher and the all around visibility is > wonderful. We each though that the seats were about the best ever. > Avalon seats are good, but they have no support at all. > The back seats of both the Avalon and the Ford are excellent. > The Ford has the better trunk. > The Ford instruments are big and easy to read. All the knobs are handy > and easy to adjust like on the old Avalon. The new Avalon is getting > bottonitis like the German cars. > The Ford felt more rigid. No rattles, groans, vibrations. No road roar > but a slight bit of road rumble over the section of freeway that made > the Avalons panels rattle. > Both cars handle just fine for every day use. the Ford is taller and > at the limit it feels a little tippy at about the same time that the > new Avalon starts to plough. > The Ford doesn't accellerate as fast as the new Avalon, but it's > faster than the old Avalon. I was perfectly happy with the old Avalon. > The old Avalon's transmission is sort of clumsey. The new ones' is > excellent. The Ford CVT is a kick. Stomp it and the engine goes to red > line and the power is right now. Along with the engine noise which I > rather liked. It's a good noise. > Neither car is ugly, but neither car is beautiful. > > The Ford with all the stuff was about $28,000 and the dealer was > offering a two grand discount. > The Avalon was packed with crap that I didn't want like hold the > stupid button down for three seconds to shut it off and auto locking > doors that you are never sure are locked and for about $36,000 with a > couple of thousand worth of extra dealer profit. > > That's $26,000 for the Ford and $38,000 for the Avalon. > If I could get a base Avalon with leather (which you can't) for > $28,000, I might pick it over the Ford just because it's a Toyota. > But way down deep, I think that the > Ford is the slightly better car. > Dennis > > > > > > > > On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 17:14:13 -0400, snipped-for-privacy@mailcity.com wrote: > >>The Avalon is indeed a fine car but then so is the 500, has a 6 >>speed automatic and it is at least $6,000 less expensive to buy. >>The poster was questioning the need for premium fuel for the >>Avalon. That is why I suggested he drive and price a 500 before >>he decides what to buy.. The 500 is not a mid size car, it is a >>full size car and the price difference alone will buy ALL of the >>fuel needed to run it for at least five years! >> >> >>mike hunt >> >> >> >> snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net wrote: >>> >>> What automotive authority or review is giving higher grades to the Ford >>> 500, in comparison with the Avalon? Please be specific and name one. >>> The last review I saw at Edmunds rated the Avalon as superior to the >>> 500, Chrysler 300 and Buick LaCrosse. The 500 and its Mercury >>> counterpart look fine, but they are a bit smaller than the Avalon, not >>> larger. The new Avalon seems like an exceptionally fine car. R >
Reply to
Bob H
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WHAT IS YOU RPROBLEM?? THJIS IS A NISSAN GROUP, TAKE TOYOTA SH*T TO TOYOTA LAME NEWSGROUP, THAT COMPANY IS OCVERPRICED AND ENGINES NO COMPARIOSN TO NISSAN, WHAT MAKES PEOPLE BUY THEM IS THE BODY/EXTERIOR DESIGN AND RELIABILITY FAME COMING OFF 1970-1987, IT'S NO LONGER, MANY OTHERS ARE BETTER AND MOST IMPORTANT CHEAPER THAN TOYOTA.

ALSO AVALON IS A TYPICAL SUV-LIKE GUZZLER, if you lik epolluting air go to Toyota groups.

But I like Ford, support American jobs

Reply to
Satan Penus

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