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When we drive an all-new version of an existing car, it's sometimes difficult to discern any profound differences between the old car and the new car. This is most definitely not the case with the 2013 Toyota Avalon, which is a wholesale departure from previous generations of the Avalon. The last time I drove an Avalon, in the summer of 2011, I wrote: "From the moment you slide behind the steering wheel of the Avalon, it's obvious that this is a traditional car chasing traditional-sedan buyers. You know, the people who usually buy Buicks. The big Toyota is definitely geared toward older people, and there's nothing wrong with that, since there's a huge population of aging baby boomers and for many of them the Avalon is the ideal car."