Smooth.
That's the word that kept popping into my head during the past week of evaluating the 1992 Buick LeSabre four-door sedan.If that sounds like faint praise, I'm sorry. But let's face it, in the day-to-day commute, smooth is a good thing to be.
The new LeSabre almost defines the term "middle of the road." It is neither Buick's largest nor its smallest car, neither its fastest nor slowest, neither its most luxurious nor its most spartan.
The LeSabre is a car for those who don't want to draw attention to themselves on the road or in their neighborhood. If your name is Jones, no one will worry about keeping up with you if you drive a LeSabre. You will not inspire envy but neither will your patriotism be questioned.
Buick LeSabre may be the ultimate automobile for salt-of-the-earth, no-nonsense Americans.
Does that sound patronizing? I don't mean it that way. The fact is, cars should not be status symbols or "lifestyle" statements, they should be machines that carry people (six adults in this case) from one place to another in quiet, safety and comfort.
LeSabre handles those basic tasks with ease. I keep thinking that if American cars had been this good back in the '60s and '70s, Detroit wouldn't be asking Congress to give them just a bit more protection from Japanese competitors. The U.S. market wouldn't have been so vulnerable to takeover.
The Buick LeSabre is a whole new player for 1992, although its ultra-conservative exterior styling gives few hints of that. If you are the type who looks at auto show concept cars and can hardly wait until they're in the showroom, you probably won't buy any Buick, let alone a LeSabre.
The interior is a different story. While there are no startling design trends on the inside, this is no government car pool model I've been driving. The front seat is a scaled down version of the luxurious Park Avenue Ultra I reviewed late last year, with wraparound dash, leather seats and most of the power goodies you'll find in the top-of-the-line Ultra.
The LeSabre even has a couple of things you don't expect in a car of this class that should make front seat passengers feel pampered: individual electric passenger seat and heat-ing/AC controls. No longer will your significant other complain about your climate control settings; they can make their side of the car as hot or cool as they see fit.
This is probably a good time to tell you that this middle-of-the-road car does not carry a middle-of-the-road price. Base price for the "claret red metallic" LeSabre Limited I've been driving was $20,775, not exactly cheap.
But with the "prestige option package" ($2,581) which includes such things as the remote entry gizmo for your keychain, power seats and door locks and other assorted upgrades such as a CD player, leather seats, tachometer and destination charges, the bottom line was $24,998.
Admittedly, this is a hefty chunk of change for a car that will not elicit much envy from your neighbor who drives a Lexus, but we've already agreed that LeSabre drivers are above such petty considerations.
The driving experience? As I said, smooth. The standard 3.8 liter, 170 hp, V6 engine, mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission with computerized shift control, is a very nice package that will move the LeSabre away from the traffic light or onto the freeway ramp with satisfying briskness.
Ride and handling is more than adequate for a full-size sedan, although it favors softness and and comfort over sportiness. This is, after all, a Buick, not a BMW.Make no mistake, the LeSabre is a "luxury" car in every meaningful sense except, perhaps, it's price tag and status quotient. Yes, it is a six-passenger car (count the seat belts), but anyone riding in the middle up front must straddle the split between the seats and make do with a lap belt.
In the rear, where automobiles traditionally earn the right to be called "luxury" cars, it is spacious and comfortable enough to deserve the title. Legroom and headroom are more than sufficient in back, although, again, two will be more comfortable than three.
The instrument cluster is crowded, but all the gauges are there (not just "idiot lights") and are easy enough to read. One thing I love in GM cars is the infrared keychain device I mentioned above that unlocks the doors or trunk from a distance and turns on an interior light.
Radio controls are good, but the climate control buttons are a bit daunting - 14 of them in two rows, all the same size. The trunk is large and easy to get things in and out of.
On the safety side, the LeSabre has a driver's air bag standard and three-point safety harness for all outboard seats. The front safety belts have adjustable shoulder anchors to improve comfort and enhance safety. For 1991, Buick offered anti-lock brakes as an option; for the '92 LeSabre, ABS is optional on the base car, standard on the Limited. Traction control is also offered for '92 and a touring suspension is offered. My advice, order it.
The EPA rates the LeSabre 18 miles per gallon city, 28 highway. After driving the Chevrolet Suburban last week, that mileage seemed incredibly thrifty.
Bottom line: If you are shopping in the 20-grand-plus range, and luxury, good climate control, a fine sound system, reasonable gas economy, decent performance and competent handling are what you seek, check out the 1992 Buick LeSabre. You may find it to be the real "stealth" car.