The Detroit News's view

The Avalon name means a lot to the British. Avalon is the island where King Arthur was taken after being mortally wounded in battle. To the ancient Celts, Avalon meant the Island of Blessed Souls, an earthly paradise.

To the Japanese, Avalon is Toyota’s answer to the Buicks and Oldsmobiles of the world – an American-built six-passenger sedan with a sedate ride. But we had to ask: Is the redesigned 1998 Toyota Avalon a car of mythic proportions? Or merely a car with a price tag of mythic proportions?

He: The Avalon seemed like a good idea when Toyota first introduced it – an upscale companion to the Camry, with a front bench seat and column shift to accommodate six people. Problem was, the original Avalon didn’t offer all that much more than a Camry V-6, but it cost quite a bit more. But Toyota considerably cheapened the Camry a year ago, and knocked down the price tag. The funny thing is, now there’s a lot more difference between the two cars, but the Avalon’s price keeps creeping higher and higher for what amounts to a car that hasn’t changed much, despite the new grille and headlamps for ’98. I don’t know about you, but I sure find it difficult to justify a sticker of nearly $32,000 on what remains a darn nice version of the old Camry.

She: I didn’t even have to drive the Avalon before deciding not to give it four stars. You buy a six-passenger sedan, you’ve got to take your passengers into consideration. So there I was, freezing in the back seat of the Avalon because it has no rear-seat heat ducts. And, wonder of wonders, it has no rear-seat cupholders either. I was going to start off my review by saying the Avalon reminded me of an unmoved Shaker – a member of that religious sect who never had a spiritual awakening as an adult. A car with no soul, if you will. But, heck, it doesn’t even have the practical stuff! And there’s no roadside assistance!! Feggedaboudit!!!

He: Do you mean fahrvergnugen?

She: No, I mean, F-O-R-G-E-T A-B-O-U-T I-T!

He: Jeez, don’t you just hate people who talk in capital letters? Look, there’s absolutely nothing to fault the Avalon for, as far as the fit and finish. In fact, this car feels pretty bulletproof – no surprise for a top-of-the-line Toyota. And it really does everything well, better than we’ve come to expect from many of the big domestic sedans. Except this is still a mid-size car. Yes, you can squeeze three people into the front seat – as long as one of them isn’t me.

She: Safety is the big draw with the Avalon. It’s got new standard side air bags, and standard antilock brakes, plus optional traction control. If you go in for no-nonsense kind of vehicle – one that you aren’t going to have much fun in and one that you’re less likely to get hurt driving – well, this is the car for you. Providing that you have quite a nice chunk of change to spend on a family sedan. Think of it this way, you can practically get two Chevrolet Luminas – the bench-seat variety – for the price of one Avalon. You aren’t getting any kind of style statement with the Avalon, so tell me why I shouldn’t save some money and opt for the Chevy? After all, you gave the Avalon three stars.

He: Call me a snob, or call me a practical guy, but I think I’d rather own a Toyota than a Chevy. On the other hand, I’m not sure the Avalon is worth $10,000 more than a comparably equipped Lumina. Actually, the new Accord sedan with the 3.0-liter V-6 is better than either the Lumina or the Avalon – and will cost you less than $25,000 fully equipped. If the Accord is a four-star car, I have no problem assigning three to the Avalon.

She: I gave it two stars because it’s got a very decent ride, if not a little too cushy for my taste.

He: Am I talking to the same woman who just gave the Lincoln Town Car four stars?

She: You expect a softer ride in a Lincoln. Somehow I thought the Avalon would bite into bumps and corners more than it did. But it’s not an unplea t ride. It’s OK – just like the other things I look hard at in a family sedan are OK in the Avalon. The trunk space is OK, but not great, for example. And the gas mileage is OK, but not great.

He: I was kind of disappointed that we couldn’t average much better than 20 miles per gallon, even though the EPA says the Avalon should get up to 30 on the highway.

She: My other issue with the Avalon is that it’s getting too close to Lexus, the upscale Toyota brand. Take the optional heated front memory seats, which are new for this year. In the past, you’d only see something like that on the Lexus. But now we’re getting closer in price and features to the premium brand. Why not just jump right into an ES300, then, if you’re going to go as far as spending $32,000 on the Avalon?

He: If I had 32 grand to spend, I’d probably be looking at an Audi. Now there is a car for blessed souls.

1998 Toyota Avalon

Type: Front-wheel drive, six-passenger near-luxury sedan

Price: Base, $28,128; as tested, $31,718 (inc. $420 destination charge)

What’s new for ’98: Standard side-impact air bags, grille, headlights, chrome trim, trunk lid and taillights, frame components, revised stereo system with cheaper, optional CD unit

Standard equipment: Power rack-and-pinion steering, four-wheel independent suspension, power four-wheel disc brakes, 205/65HR15 radial tires, front fog lamps, solar-energy absorbing glass, color-keyed bodyside moldings, bumpers and outside mirrors, aluminum alloy wheels, split bench seat with dual power controls, cruise control, dual cupholders, tilt steering wheel, intermittent wipers, air conditioning, power windows, door locks and heated outside mirrors, outside temperature gauge, theft deterrent system with engine immobilizer, keyless entry including door lock, unlock, trunk release and panic alarm, leather-wrapped steering wheel, rear seat reading lights, automatic off/on headlamps

Safety features: Dual air bags, front side air bags, antilock brakes, front seat belt pretensioners and force limiters, rear-center three-point seat belt; childproof rear door locks

Options on test vehicle: Premium stereo/cassette/CD player with seven speakers and diversity antenna ($180); leather-trim package with driver’s seat memory and heated front seats ($1,555); power tilt/slide moonroof ($980); traction control $300); carpet/cargo mat set ($155)

EPA fuel economy: 21 mpg city/30 mpg highway

Engine: 3.0-liter V-6; 200 hp at 5200 rpm; 214 lb-ft torque at 4400 rpm

Transmission: Four-speed automatic

Competitors: Buick Century, Buick Regal, Buick LeSabre, Buick Park Avenue Ultra, Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight, Oldsmobile Intrigue, Chevrolet Lumina, Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, Mazda Millenia, Mitsubishi Diamante, Nissan Maxima

Specifications: Wheelbase, 107.1 inches; overall length, 191.9 inches; curb weight, 3340 pounds; legroom, 44.1 inches fro nt/38.3 inches rear; headroom, 39.1 inches front/37.8 inches rear; shoulder room, 57.7 inches front/57.3 inches rear

12-month insurance cost, according to AAA Michigan*: $1,223

Where built: Georgetown, Ky.

* Rates based on an average family of four from the Livonia area whose primary driver is aged 40 with no tickets who drives 3-10 miles each way to work. Rates reflect multicar discount and, where appropriate, discounts for air bags and seat belts