i find the wheelbase can do a lot more than the suspension to make the ride a smooth one... plus, the bigger cars will generally have a bit more sophisticated ride i've found.
not a rule of course, but in most cases...
hell, i just got back from a test drive where the driver said... and i quote... man this drives so much smoother than all the other cars i've driven today...
it was in an avenger. all he had driven were compact/subcompact to stay in his price range... so i highly doubt the springs or anything were actually better, so it must be the wheelbase. all i can think!
on to the subject... i find that front looks kind of vw ish... maybe the next generation of jetta front end. as a whole though, i feel like the avalon is in a tough spot... i don't see many younger buyers going this route over an optima... and older ones i feel will go the lexus/acura route prior to spending big (enough) coin on a mainstream brand.