Toyota Avalon: Almost invisible, but worth a look

Certain cars stand out in a crowd and tend to be purchased by drivers who want to be seen. There's nothing wrong with that, and I'm talking to you, Chevrolet Camaro fans. Especially those of you who opted for eye-popping Rally Yellow when selecting the color of your ride.

Other models are all but invisible, even if they sell in reasonable numbers—maybe it's a risk-adverse design, or maybe their drivers prefer keeping a low profile with their driving style. But I've noticed that when I get behind the wheel of one of these easily overlooked modules, I seem to start noticing others everywhere. Colleagues in the auto scribe biz have reported experiencing the same phenomenon.

Before living with the Toyota Avalon this week, I hadn't noticed other Avalons oozing about on our highways and byways, but now I seem to be seeing them everywhere. I've even been spotting ones in subtle earth tones like tan and dark green, all but invisible against a backdrop of, well, anything.

Part of their low profile is probably because Avalons usually are piloted by older drivers, and not the kinds of folks likely to be doing burnouts at stoplights or shooting apexes in the twisties. Some would argue these motorists only call attention to themselves by driving along for miles with a directional signal on. Adding to their invisibility, Avalon owners are unlikely to make their car stand out with a set of 22-inch rims or Walmart stick-on portholes. Of course, Toyota says they currently sell about 2,500 Avalons a month—one tenth the monthly sales of Camry. And Toyota doesn't offer their big sedan in a color anywhere close to Rally Yellow.

But The Avalon deserves to be noticed, a notion I probably adopted due to my middle age phase. One of our top-Rated upscale sedans, the Toyota flagship is quiet, roomy, comfortable-riding and reliable, and gets reasonable fuel economy for a car of its size. We recorded 23-mpg overall with our test car, and I've been averaging 26-mpg on my commute.

Maybe all those Avalon buyers are on to something. Even if you can't see them.

—Jim Travers