The dash is in juxtaposition to the theme of the Avalon, and, were this different, the exterior conservatism, even unconventional blandness, might be easier to ignore. It competes with cars from supposedly lower classes and some from upper ones, as well. It is assumed that Toyota wishes to compete at the upper end of these model lines, and it should, leaving the Camry to do battle at the lower ends. The problem is its proximity to the Camry. There is overlap, to be sure, but the Avalon, once billed as the flagship of the Toyota line, is a larger car intended for a demographically more mature audience, and a price that is thankfully not quite in the premium category.
Looks are subjective, of course, and everyone s tastes are different.
The Avalon is a mainstream car with a slightly non-mainstream look, which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, the instrumentation is different just for different s sake. It is not an improvement over traditional shapes and represents no other advantage than a lower cowl to promote a greater forward view. That is not significant enough to warrant the unusual dash form. Years ago Ford created a completely untraditional dashboard that was disliked from day one.