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Agreed, the Avalon competes with the 500 and the Fusion competes with the Camry. Wonder who would win the Avalon / 500 comparison. I think the Avalon would. It is a much more luxurious car, it is more powerful, and it has some features not often found in its price bracket like a reclining rear seat. It also has many optional features the 500 doesn't offer like: laser contolled cruise control, a keyless go type system, heated and cooled front seats, etc.
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Originally posted by red99sesport:
Agreed, the Avalon competes with the 500 and the Fusion competes with the Camry. Wonder who would win the Avalon / 500 comparison. I think the Avalon would. It is a much more luxurious car, it is more powerful, and it has some features not often found in its price bracket like a reclining rear seat. It also has many optional features the 500 doesn't offer like: laser contolled cruise control, a keyless go type system, heated and cooled front seats, etc.
The Avalon would almost assuredly win. But the Five Hundred, as boring as it may be, is no slouch either if that's the kind of car you're looking for. The Five Hundred actually has a higher closing rate than the Avalon does, so people looking for that kind of car obviously are liking it quite a bit.
I think a lot of it boils down to the market of buyers not really caring about all those cool gadgets that the Avalon has. The Five Hundred has the basics down like bBeing rated the 'safest car on the road', having the largest interior cabin space and the largest trunk space in its' class, having an AWD option, and having best-in-class fuel economy doesn't hurt either thesedays, particularly among the price-conscious, fixed-income seniors that the car is aimed at. When 1-in-5 car buyers are over the age of 60, making a car that appeals to them, however boring and relatively gadget-less it may be, can be extremely lucrative.
2003 Mazda6s 3.0L MTX
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The 500 and Avalon have already been dusted by the 300. However, the new Avalon may be a bit closer to second place this time around...
So here it goes...
500/Montego vs. 300 vs. Avalon vs. Lucerne vs. Maxima(?)
J.T.
2002 Chevrolet Silverado 294ci V8. Custom CAI, headers on the way...
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Originally posted by Hydramatic:
The 500 and Avalon have already been dusted by the 300. However, the new Avalon may be a bit closer to second place this time around...
So here it goes...
500/Montego vs. 300 vs. Avalon vs. Lucerne vs. Maxima(?)
I think the 300's luster has to wear off soon, maybe when people realize they have been buying chrysler's all this time.. 
I am interested in seeing how the Hyundai Azera stacks up with the crown mentioned above, especially based on how the Sonata is stacking up with Accord, Camry, etc.
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Unfortunately, the Avalon's rear seat does not fold (a fatal design flaw), where the Five Hundred has folding rear and front passenger seats. You could also mention the optional CVT, AWD, and DVD entertainment Avalon does not offer.
You must also purchase the top-line Limited to get the extra features (and the cruise is still optional), with a $35,000 price tag that is in a different class than the $29,000 Montego Premier. The closest Avalon is a $33,000 XLS model.
The price differential, especially when compounded by higher sales taxes, licensing fees, and loan interest needs to be taken seriously.
On the actual test, I think the Fusion's interior needed to go through the anti-screw up process. The rear seat is too high, killing headroom. I also agree that it is rather poorly styled. However, the new Camry's interior is putrid.
Brad "Diva": 2004 Mazda 6s 5-door, Volcanic Red
Rex: 1988 Mazda RX-7 Vert, Harbor Blue.
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Originally posted by Zoom Zoom Diva:
However, the new Camry is putrid.
Edited.
Originally posted by Chickens:
Religion can't do much for ashholes (unless you are an alterboy)
98.5 Se w/SVT mods
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Originally posted by XKontour98:
Originally posted by Zoom Zoom Diva:
However, the new Camry is putrid.
Edited.
I am willing to say the exterior is improved over the last one, but I am utterly shocked at the tasteless morons at Edmunds who LIKED the grotesque blond woodgrain and the smurf blue center lighting which coordinated with nothing else in the interior!
I think Ford made a major mistake completely designing it in a digital environment. Look/Touch/Feel is critical to good design.
Brad "Diva": 2004 Mazda 6s 5-door, Volcanic Red
Rex: 1988 Mazda RX-7 Vert, Harbor Blue.
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The 500 is underpowered. Period. I'd buy the Toyota or the Hyundai Azera. If given a choice, however, I'd stick with the Buick Lucerne. There's just something about having a V8 that gets me.
J.T.
2002 Chevrolet Silverado 294ci V8. Custom CAI, headers on the way...
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Originally posted by Hydramatic:
The 500 is underpowered. Period. I'd buy the Toyota or the Hyundai Azera. If given a choice, however, I'd stick with the Buick Lucerne. There's just something about having a V8 that gets me.
The Five Hundreds gets beat up on a lot for not having enough power. 99% of the time from people who've neither driven the car nor the competition and are doing nothing more than armchair racing full-size fogey sedans.
The Five Hundred with the 6-Speed Auto, despite having 50 less horses than the 300 (Limited, not the 'C') runs almost the same 1/4-mile time. Despite having 80 less horses than the Avalon, it's only 1 second slower in the 1/4-mile -- hardly worth calling "underpowered" in a market segment where the thing will never dream of seeing a track. For day-to-day driving by the people who would buy such cars you can't even tell the difference.
When paired up with the CVT, the Five Hundred is actually faster than almost all of its' competition, and runs a very respectable (considering it weighs some 3800lbs) 7.4 0-60 time. That's the same as a V6 Mazda6 ATX runs -- a car that weighs 600lbs less and has an additional 20hp.
I do believe that makes it even faster than the V8 Lucerne that you're vaunting.
2003 Mazda6s 3.0L MTX
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