Toyota's Avalon is the confirmed replacement for the Cressida. The Cressida, if you throw your mind back, was Toyota's premier offering. It was exotically finished and, generally overshadowed anything in its market range. But, when the impossible Camry whooped onto the scene, there seemed little for Toyota's dapper flagship to do but hand the mantle to someone capable of holding its own against the young upstart. That was four years ago. Today, the Camry continues to march with insignificant resistance, showing little remorse at the short work it made of its relative. Last year, however, the sales champion must have received a nasty jar upon perceiving the burly Avalon on the floors--an entry that used many of the Camry's existing components.

The Avalon could have been Toyota's biggest tactical mistake, for the simple reason that a base version of the flagship, can carry your name for significantly less than a dressed to the hilt Camry. Crafty as Toyota's top bosses are, they hastened to explain, to the confused proletariat that, the new Avalon is a capable substitute for all six-seater automobiles. That drew in a crowd. A six-seater Japanese? "No. No. American...from Georgetown, Ky. Using American workers and mostly American components," they said, tapping the chest. More droves. Today, you'll find Avalons mostly in Florida, home of the brave; people who have served their time elsewhere and now want their due. Retirees, I mean. Older, wiser, folks.

Avalon has the Buick officials stirred to the core. The Park Avenue, a favorite purchase for those seeking acres of interior space and a fluid powertrain, pales considerably in the Toyota's company. Although 10" longer, and 4.5" wider, it has less head room, legroom, and hip room. Aside from superior utilization of space, the Avalon has benefitted from those little thoughtful touches that Toyotas are famous for: The trunk, for example has a much lower liftover. The wider opening--designed with fatigued backs in mind--makes loading and unloading much easier than in the Buick--or in the Crown Victoria. 14.8 cu.ft. of cargo space might not sound like much, however, that capacity can be increased by more than two fold owing to rear seats that fold down 60/40--enough to shelter everything from golf clubs to flora and fauna.

Powertrain wise, the LeSabre bandies around with the aid of that old push rod wheezer, while the Avalon staggers the senses with an all-aluminum, 24-valve, DOHC engine. So, in terms of value, resale that is, the Avalon is ahead by more than a few valves. The powertrain has also been modified slightly and the effort is reflected in a slight power increase--192bhp, up from 188 for the Camry. The engine pulls strongly and its advantage over the rivals is most evident on inclines where the Toyota really thrives, pulling smoothly with a gratified moan.

Despite sharing the Camry's suspension and steering geometries, the Avalon diaplays more alarcrity than its sibling. Toyota claims to have retuned steering response and since curve after snaky curve fetches the Avalon at its unsullied best, I have no reason to doubt the veracity of their exploits. The cabin noise levels are a tad lower than in the Camry, but those stepping up from the latter will not note the difference.

Interior gets an expressive--not in the Taurus mold, mercifully, beautifully sculpted, amply padded dash-board that is an archetype of ergonomics. Tasteful controls fall intuitively within easy reach--a quality umpteenly lacking in big domestic sedans. Everything is nice and solid--I particularly like the ingenious cruise lever--a toggle up/down thing, whose smooth, efficient movements sum up the essence of the automobile.

Safety equipment includes the tow-down hooks, and the liquid-filled engine mount that drops the powertrain under the automobile in case of a frontal impact. Neat. ABS is an option--something that is more a reflection on the state of the greenback than on Toyota's technical prowess. They could have given you ABS but then you should be paying for all the extra circuitry that Toyota puts in to assure the proper working of the system--unlike most manufacturers who are content in sliding in cheap and often ineffectual ABSs.

The Avalon embodies all of the Camry's virtues: solidity, sophistication, cachet--in a package that is unique and universal. Toyota has conceived and implemented it with remarkable precision and, in the process, has hit the spot with what should rate as one of the finest automobiles on the planet.

Verdict: Posh, well-behaved tourer in a manner big domestics can never be.

Avalon in Numbers:

Engine: 10
Transmission: 9
Acceleration: 9
Braking: 9
Visibility: 9
Handling: 9
Ride: 10
Steering: 10
Ergonomics: 10
Interior Accomodations: 10
Cargo/Utility: 10
Structural Integrity: 10
Styling: 9
Fit and Finish: 10
Safety: 10
Reliability: 10
Value for Money: 9

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