 I am in the shopping process & have driven nearly every competitor & rate the Buick Lucerne as the best in this class overall. The Avalon does not offer the Blind side warning system, chrome wheels & the trunk is much smaller than the Lucerne which costs less w/the discounts available. The Avalon is faster but the exterior look is dated & not as impressive in my opinion as the Lucerne. Ford is out of the game w/their ugly Taurus which has an almost useless trunk & such poor visibility that it is a wonder the NTSB allows it on the road? The foreign buck boards are reserved for the road & track people.