The Avalon shares a lot of parts with the Lexus ES and LS. I drove a 2005 Avalon when it was fairly new and really loved it. It drove so smoothly. I don't like the newer ones styling very much. It's a poor mans Lexus.The Avalon is more of a luxury vehicle but Toyota has Lexus for their luxury line so it makes sense that the Avalon gets overlooked a bit. I haven't driven an Avalon yet, but the most comfortable vehicle I've ever driven was a Lexus LS series and, with the way car manufacturers do things, I wouldn't be surprised if Toyota incorporated some of that sweet LS tech into the Avalon at a more affordable price.