Faults:

Absolutely nothing.

General Comments:

I bought this car off the company I work for, which owned it since brand new. So I know the history of this vehicle, and that absolutely nothing at all has gone wrong with it since brand new.

It's probably one of the most comfortable cars I have ever driven, certainly the most comfortable I've ever owned. The ride quality, and NVH levels are really good, with no apparent rattles or squeaks yet.

Performance, for a 1500kg car with only a 3.0 engine, is actually pretty good, but being a traditional Falcon and even a Commodore buyer, I really notice the lack of bottom end torque. But midrange and top end performance is more inspiring; here is an engine that actually likes to rev. Flat out it will keep up with a Falcon or Commodore (actually I found out it's a whisker faster) of the same age.

A/C performance is very good, even in tropical North QLD on the hottest day, it has no trouble dissipating built up cabin heat.

Despite the really soft suspension, somehow it manages to contain body roll much better than it has a right to, though a quick change in direction results in ever present understeer. Steer it smoothly though, and it will take corners much quicker than you might at first expect.

Boring styling aimed at retiring Americans is hard to look past, especially for a young'un like me, (haha) but it hides a surprisingly capable and extremely well built, refined and reliable car.

Faults:

CD player needed replacing

Blown fuse.

General Comments:

Still very happy with this car.

After taking the Avalon to the Victorian highlands (and through twisting mountain roads), I conclude the handling and cornering is far superior to previous Holden Commodore. (sorry, GM fans!) Standard of finish is still better than GM/Ford products assembled here.

Went for lengthy round trip to South Australia and back without missing a beat. Good fuel economy even with air con con (generally 9.0 liters/100 km).

Heaps of back seat room for kids (even for kids 175 cm in height), and far more comfortable for them than the GM product.

Main purpose of update is to bring to your attention the vast difference that seem to emerge between dealer service in Australia, as compared to the plenty of disgruntled US reviews I've read. The warranty replacement items on this car have been done without fuss by the authorized Toyota dealers. My undercut carpet on passenger's side was replaced by the dealer with an entirely new carpet - this was most unexpected! It seems to me that some Toyota dealers in the States need to pull their socks up!

Faults:

One blown fuse.

General Comments:

Excellent fuel economy (averaging 9 litres/100 km on trips).

Good performance from the 3.0 litre engine.

Generally good build quality, but passenger's side carpet undercut in two places.

Only main criticism of this car is road noise. Although whisper-quiet on smooth hot-mix road surfaces, there is too much noise from the tyres when the car is driven on coarse bitumen surfaces. I'm currently looking at ways of quietening this, including changing tyres and adding noise-deadening material to underside of rear seats and the trunk.

Faults:

Nothing yet.

General Comments:

As soon as I sat in the car I felt right at home. The interior seemed spacious, unlike the encapsulated feeling I got in other modern vehicles. While the interior colors are on the bland side the quality and sumptuousness of the upholstery and fittings have an undeniable luxury feel.

I arrived at the right time for a change, Toyota were clearing Y2000 built vehicles and the dealer was successful talking me into a much more luxurious model than I intended to buy at little more than the current year's base model price. I believe I got an excellent bargain especially as it came with 5 years warranty as well.

It was only when I took delivery that I fully appreciated what a terrific vehicle I had purchased. It is superbly comfortable and very quiet. Despite the limousine ride, the car is very controllable as I discovered when someone suddenly pulled out in front of me.

I am impressed with the obvious care that has gone into the design of every convenience and fitting. The climate controlled air conditioning is superb, the compact disc player/radio has very good sound quality, even resumes compact discs at the position it was at when the ignition was switched off. The foot operated park brake works well as do the electric seats. You don't need to have the key in the ignition for the electric windows to work. The four reading lights are great.

The exterior styling, finish and the large and bright headlights make the car look very distinctive. The windows are quite shallow, a boon in the hot Australian climate yet visibility is excellent.

The only downer I can see is the economy is just mediocre, a small price to pay for luxury motoring.