From the September 1992 issue of Car and Driver.
Life in the car-testing business does not get any easier. Particularly when the staff of this magazine sets out to compare no fewer than ten sedans that cost about $30,000. What’s worse, the ten we selected aren’t even all the cars that fall into this price bracket. But they are ten of the best (and we have included all of the new entries in the class). No manufacturer is building bad $30,000 cars. At that price, every maker can afford to fill its products with plenty of style, technology, and performance. Still, some are invariably better than others.
Not one of the cars in this test is a loser. Not one of them, if you bought it and drove it, would cripple your quality of life.
The two Swedish entries are cases in point. Both the Saab 9000CD and the Volvo 960 seem a bit dated when compared with the newer platforms in this group, but a Waterman fountain pen can be considered dated, and so can a Rolex watch. Excellence has a long life. Nabisco Shredded Wheat is older than anyone reading this magazine, and it is anything but an inferior product.
Some of the newer cars were less than perfect as well. A lengthy workout of the imagination is required to consider the Mitsubishi Diamante LS a five-passenger car. But how many of us travel in groups of five? Likewise, one or two of the cars—the Volvo and the Mazda 929 come to mind—seem to lack fire in the belly, although they have quite acceptable performance and are anything but unpleasant. The Audi 100S and the BMW 325i were, as we’ve come to expect, consummate driver’s cars.
One could, with ease, raise questions about the Pontiac SSEi’s exterior treatment. Its basic body shape is as pleasing as they come, but we felt that the outside add-ons make the car seem too zoomy for what the industry terms, not altogether attractively, the “near-luxury segment.” (”Hey, Marge! It’s about time we moved out of our middle-specialty car and into the near-luxury class!”) The Lexus ES300’s styling seems almost too quiet—as does the Acura Legend L’s, but the Mazda 929 and the Infiniti J30 display unquestionable luxury-level looks. The SSEi does, however, demonstrate that General Motors can build a world-class driveline.
Finally, adding to the judging difficulty, some of the cars, including the Audi and the BMW, can be considered sports sedans—this despite all the cars, including this pair, having four-speed automatic transmissions. Most of the others lean toward the luxury-car persona. So, what you’re getting from us is the answer to this question: “What are my choices if I have about $30,000 to spend on a quality sedan?” Not the answer to “What’s the best ‘near-luxury’ car?” or “What’s the best sports sedan?”
We drove the cars from Ann Arbor, via Interstate and back roads, to upstate New York, where Brock Yates lives in pastoral splendor near the village of Wyoming. Brock’s wife, Pam, has been a leading light in transforming Wyoming from a sleepy crossroads into a destination well worth a visit. It now contains two inns, the excellent Village Restaurant, the don’t-miss Cannonball Run Pub, a group of interesting shops, and Pam’s own spectacular Christmas shop in the restored firehouse (whose tower was once climbed by Teddy Roosevelt). Once there, we drove the cars on two 16-mile loops for two days, recording our thoughts after each turn at the wheel. The cars had previously undergone C/D‘s rigorous controlled testing at the Chrysler proving grounds. That’s what we did and how we did it; here’s what we found.
9th Place (tie): Saab 9000CD
At one point in our past, the Saab 9000 made our 10Best Cars list for four consecutive years. But that was the Turbo model, which has steadily increased in price to the point where it missed the cut for this test by a few thousand dollars.
As noted, the Saab is beginning to feel dated, or more accurately, look dated, especially where the dash and interior are concerned. Also, the wind noise it generates exceeds current standards.
HIGHS: Supple ride, direct steering, roomy interior, comfortable seats.
LOWS: Short on power, dated feel.
VERDICT: A fine long-range cruiser that’s losing ground to more modern competitors.
At an observed 24 miles per gallon, the Saab edged the Volvo and the BMW for fuel-economy honors. It did this, of course, with the only four-cylinder engine in the group, a 16-valve 2.3-liter producing 150 horsepower, down a full 22 horsepower from the next most powerful.
Agreement was universal about the four-cylinder handicap. The engine ran smoothly at speed but seemed a tad coarse at idle. All of us wished for more power. Yet the Saab remains rewarding enough for both long-range cruising and occasional workouts on curvy concourses.
One tester, nailing the Saab’s on-road personality, wrote: ‘”It reminds me of a Swedish version of a big Citroën—truly supple but controlled ride atop a chassis that could be from a rally sedan. Terrific steering that’s direct and precise . . . and terrific seats.”
We placed—or stuffed in some cases—three C/D testers in each sedan’s rear compartment to evaluate space and comfort. The Saab’s back seat ranked second-highest in both comfort and pace for three abreast. Several writers also commented favorably on the driving position.
1992 Saab 9000CD
150-hp inline-4, 4-speed automatic, 3204 lb
Base/as-tested price: $31,529/$31,529
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 10.4 sec
1/4-mile: 17.8 sec @ 78 mph
100 mph: 32.6 sec
120 mph: N/A
Braking, 70–0 mph: 185 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.81 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 24 mpg
9th Place (tie): Volvo 960
Anyone who’s ever gone near a good neighborhood has seen evidence that people of means love Volvos. Solid, safe, dependable, respectable, and even fashionable are words that proud Volvo owners use to convince their neighbors that they ought to have one, too. In that world the Volvo 960 fits right in. And speaking of fits, two adults fit into the Volvo’s spacious rear with reasonable comfort, three with lightly less.
HIGHS: Solidity, driving position.
LOWS: Big sticker, heavy feel, bulky exterior.
VERDICT: Unexciting, dated, but socially acceptable luxury transport.
There is good news and bad news on the performance front. The powerful (201 horsepower) in-line six moved the Volvo more than adequately in normal operation, and the car did surprisingly well under the pressure of vigorous driving. But, as one of our panel wrote, “Here is another car that will hustle if you force the issue, but it seems supremely unhappy doing so and responds grudgingly.” The test results support this perception: Its 0.73 g on the skidpad was the worst in the ten-car field, and its 56.9-mph speed in the lane change fell midpack.
Heavy feel has long been part of the Volvo personality, a characteristic that some Volvo devotees doubtless find comforting but most of us find unappealing. You must keep in mind our habit, right or wrong, of giving spirited performance a high priority. The Volvo, by the way, was not the heaviest car in the test group.
Of all the car’s important mechanical components, the Volvo’s brakes received the highest marks—and tied with the Saab for second-best overall.
1992 Volvo 960
201-hp inline-6, 4-speed automatic, 3515 lb
Base/as-tested price: $34,959/$34,959
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.4 sec
1/4-mile: 16.7 sec @ 86 mph
100 mph: 24.8 sec
120 mph: 44.8 sec
Braking, 70–0 mph: 182 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.73 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 23 mpg
8th Place: Mitsubishi Diamante LS
Mitsubishi, which has given us two stunning sports cars in the Eclipse and the 3000GT, moved into the upscale-sedan market with its Diamante, a car that our Patrick Bedard called “the sort of quiet, comfy, gadget-rich four-door that the upscale Detroit brands have always regarded as their exclusive franchise.”
HIGHS: Smooth, quiet, well-built feel.
LOWS: Gimmicky dash, bland styling, tight back seat.
VERDICT: An unemotional execution of a boulevard cruiser.
Indeed, the Diamante is well equipped in every sense, but so were its colleagues in our test. It held its own in most categories of the editors’ ratings but trailed by a point or two in some that we feel are quite important: fun to drive, handling, styling, and ergonomics. This last category requires explanation: It’s not that the Diamante’s controls are badly located, but just that there seem to be an overwhelming number of knobs, switches, and gizmos, prompting one tester to write, “Help! I can’t find the button for the margarita machine!”
But everything worked, and the sound system did its job commendably.
On the road, the Diamante LS was smooth and quiet, even with its adjustable suspension set on Sport. The steering feel tends toward the numb side, but as a highway cruiser, the Diamante pleases.
The transmission shifts slickly and with assurance, and the 202-horsepower V-6 is terrific at highway speeds. The Diamante’s 0-to-60-mph time of 8.8 seconds put it in the bottom half of the group, however.
At $30,866 as tested, the Diamante was one of the least expensive cars in our aggregation, but that wasn’t enough to overcome the tough competition.
1992 Mitsubishi Diamante LS
202-hp V-6, 4-speed automatic, 3668 lb
Base/as-tested price: $26,082/$30,886
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.8 sec
1/4-mile: 16.8 sec @ 86 mph
100 mph: 24.0 sec
120 mph: 44.3 sec
Braking, 70–0 mph: 194 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.76 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 20 mpg
6th Place (tie): Mazda 929
Those of us who have attended new-car introductions numbering in the hundreds will forever recall the evening in California when a Mazda executive pulled off the car cover on his company’s newest offering. It looked so good that the assembly of auto writers actually emitted a rare audible “Ahhhhh!”
The 929’s styling, inside and out, was rated outstanding by the editors in this test, and understandably so. It would be difficult to imagine a more handsome exterior, and the only negative comment about the interior was a wish that it had a glove compartment accompanying its passenger-side air bag, such as the Pontiac SSEi offers.
The 195-horsepower V-6 ran smoothly and quietly unless pushed quite hard, at which point it produced some harsh sounds. The engine and transmission combined to produce what one writer called “possibly the smoothest, most refined drivetrain here.” At speed on a smooth road, it’s almost flawless.
The 929’s handling was its only weak point—and here again, consider the quality of the competition. The car seemed far more at home in our city-driving cycle and on the freeway than it did when pressed hard on winding roads, though at least one editor felt that the steering seemed heavier than desirable at low speeds (most thought it was just fine, though lacking somewhat in road feel).
If looks had been the determining factor in picking a winner, the Mazda 929 would have won going away. But looks weren’t, and it didn’t.
1992 Mazda 929
195-hp V-6, 4-speed automatic, 3682 lb
Base/as-tested price: $28,850/$32,695
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.5 sec
1/4-mile: 16.6 sec @ 84 mph
100 mph: 24.0 sec
120 mph: 49.0 sec
Braking, 70–0 mph: 180 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.79 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 19 mpg
6th Place (tie): Pontiac Bonneville SSEi
The best evidence that the domestic automaker can capably compete in the world of $30,000 sedans can be found at GM’s “Excitement” division: Pontiac. The first time one of us drove a new Bonneville, he said, “I could own this car.” That’s impressive when you consider that we drive as many as 180 cars a year.
HIGHS: Great driveline, roominess, gutsy engine.
LOWS: Complicated seat adjustments, boy-racer styling.
VERDICT: A full-featured, fine-driving car that’s overly made-up.
We found two unfortunate aspects of the SSEi that we simply could not explain away. These were its hyper-zoomy exterior add-ons—body cladding and rear-deck spoiler—and the electric seat adjustments. The plain-Jane exterior of the Bonneville SSE is far more tasteful, and we wish that model offered the SSEi’s excellent drivetrain—and it is just that, excellent. However well intentioned, the seat controls are too complicated. The chances of achieving the same driving position twice are just about nonexistent. “Some attention to the arts of subtlety and simplicity could benefit the Pontiac guys,” wrote one tester in the SSEi notebook.
Our highest ratings for rear-seat capacity and comfort went to the SSEi. It and the slightly smaller Saab were, by a large margin, the roomiest cars in the test.
The SSEi also performed better than average in the handling categories. It was the quickest off the line, at 7.3 seconds to 60 mph, though one of us commented, “The engine is smooth, but all of its power comes off-the-line. Once under way, its performance seems midpack.”
The SSEi tied with the Lexus for most luxury features (which was not a subjective rating; the features were listed and compared among the cars). It was also rated as the best value by the C/D jury. All told, not a bad show at all by Pontiac.
1992 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi
205-hp supercharged V-6, 4-speed automatic, 3667 lb
Base/as-tested price: $28,600/$29,795
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.3 sec
1/4-mile: 15.9 sec @ 87 mph
100 mph: 22.5 sec
120 mph: 40.4 sec
Braking, 70–0 mph: 197 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.78 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 20 mpg
5th Place: Acura Legend L
With the Legend, Acura invented the near-luxury car, and it remains the import sales leader in the category. The Legend proved once and for all that a great many owners of low-priced Japanese cars—and other shoppers as well—would accept the idea of a car built in Japan that was luxurious and priced accordingly.
The Acura Legend is a classy car to own, an easy car to drive, an excellent example of automaking, but not as exciting as its gutsy performance would lead you to expect.
In this test, the Legend L finished midpack in styling. Although it’s sleek and beautifully painted, and it displays evidence of careful fitting and finishing, it just does not do much for the adrenal glands when you look at it.
The interior was off-putting to some writers because of what was deemed strange-looking woodgrain, but the majority found it comfortable, tasteful, and logical. We accordingly rated the Legend high in ergonomic excellence.
No engine scored higher than the Acura Legend’s 200-horsepower V-6, a finely tuned, finely executed power source that, for finesse, holds its own against any similar V-6 designs on the market. The transmission was acceptable, but these components did not combine with the soft suspension to produce a handling epiphany.
“On twisty, tight roads,” wrote one of our number, “this car is out of its element. It feels like the limousine of the bunch. The car is not happy under the whip. It does have lots of suspension travel, but I wish that travel were more aggressively damped.” Translation: a town car for the luxury-minded.
1992 Acura Legend L
200-hp V-6, 4-speed automatic, 3496 lb
Base/as-tested price: $33,350/$33,460
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.4 sec
1/4-mile: 16.0 sec @ 89 mph
100 mph: 20.6 sec
120 mph: 40.9 sec
Braking, 70–0 mph: 208 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.76 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 22 mpg
4th Place: Infiniti J30
It’s hard for a four-door sedan to stand out visually, but the Infiniti J30 does it as surely as a gazelle at a zebra derby. Inevitably described as looking more like a Jaguar than a Jaguar, its looks are another gift from the talented Jerry Hirshberg, a GM defector, and the Nissan Design works in California.
HIGHS: Brave styling, smooth performance, fine ergonomics.
LOWS: None, other than price.
VERDICT: A finely turned-out road car that polarizes onlookers.
The Infiniti J30 looks almost as good inside as it does outside, with the major complaint being its lack of a telescoping steering wheel, which would have made the attainment of the perfect driving position easier.
But perfect or not, when the driver drives, he feels good about it. Here’s what one of us wrote: “Nice power, albeit a bit loud, wonderful balance with great steering feel and poise. It gathers great speed without seeming to sweat, and I found myself going 5 mph faster in this car than in the others.” All this happens at the behest of a 210-hp V-6 that, as another of us said, “sends you down the road as if you were in a 90-mph cocoon.” It stopped less impressively—though it had excellent pedal feel—taking 207 feet to get from 70 mph to a standstill, one foot less than the Acura, which was the worst in the group.
The J30 got its highest marks in the ergonomics and luxury-features categories and its lowest in braking and value. It was the second-costliest vehicle in the bunch, exceeded only by the Volvo, and its back seat was somewhat tight for two persons, downright snug for a trio.
Overall, the J30 finished fourth, not bad for this group. You’ll be seeing more and more of these cars. Count on it.
1992 Infiniti J30
210-hp V-6, 4-speed automatic, 3560 lb
Base/as-tested price: $33,740/$33,740
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.3 sec
1/4-mile: 16.5 sec @ 86 mph
100 mph: 23.3 sec
120 mph: 38.0 sec
Braking, 70–0 mph: 207 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.78 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 22 mpg
3rd Place: Audi 100S
Since the Audi Fox of the 1970s, Audis have found an enthusiastic audience at this magazine. The German automaker’s cars have been interesting, innovative, and best of all, fun to drive. The 100S, new for the 1992 model year, continues Audi’s tradition of making driver’s cars.
HIGHS: Wonderful fun to drive, lean and aggressive feel.
LOWS: Harsh ride on city streets, transmission not the smoothest.
VERDICT: Useful, tasteful, and competent for any length of trip.
Despite its SOHC design and less horsepower than most of its fellow competitors, the 172-hp V-6 performed well and quietly. The transmission wasn’t as smooth as many of the others, though. We would prefer a manual transmission with this engine, but an automatic was a condition of our test. A 100CS—with a five-speed gearbox—is in our long-term test fleet, and it has proved to be outstanding for everything from ski trips to long highway runs.
The car’s telescoping wheel allows it to be tailored to just about any size of driver, and the seats are predictably firm, though one tester swore the driver seat moved slightly under hard driving on the twisties. The rear seat is comfortable and supportive, and it is adequate for three of our whoppers.
Another of our writers noted that the Audi had stiff braking (though its 191-foot stopping distance from 70 mph was good), and added that the steering lacked what he considered enough feel. The ride was slightly on the stiff side in town, where it seemed to go out of its way to notice pavement strips, but the handling more than made up for that small quibble.
The 100S finished third, leaving no question that Audi continues to make driving rewards a top priority.
1992 Audi 100S
172-hp V-6, 4-speed automatic, 3405 lb
Base/as-tested price: $30,336/$32,222
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.9 sec
1/4-mile: 17.0 sec @ 82 mph
100 mph: 27.0 sec
120 mph: 66.4 sec
Braking, 70–0 mph: 191 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.80 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 22 mpg
2nd Place: Lexus ES300
Here is the little brother to the LS400, a car that swept the U.S. luxury market with the effectiveness of an industrial-strength Hoover. But don’t emphasize the word “little.” This car is big in power and big in heart. If you don’t have large dollars to spend on a luxurious car, here’s an excellent call.
HIGHS: Smoothness, price, surprising handling, surprising luxury.
LOWS: Smallish rear doors, sunroof’s encroachment on headroom.
VERDICT: Big in power, adept in handling, and an ergonomic masterpiece.
Not only is the ES300 luxurious, but its as-tested price of $31,506 also represents good value in this crowded category. That price brings you a full array of luxury features—in fact, the ES300 and SSEi were the only cars to earn ratings of “10” in the luxury-features column.
Happily, the ES300 turns out to be a stimulating companion on the road. Any road. First, it’s smooth—so smooth that one of the testers said of the transverse engine layout, “This setup should be proof to all car manufacturers that drivetrain smoothness, at idle or anywhere else, does not require a fore-and-aft engine layout.”
Handling was the biggest surprise that the ES300 gave us. Not that it was the best-handling car in the group, but that it was so much better than you would expect from a car as thoroughly luxurious as this one. It will not disappoint the demanding driver.
Inside, the car is nothing less than an ergonomic masterpiece. Every last knob and control is in the right place, does the right thing, and even looks right.
Having said all that, we point once again to the stiff competition. It’s that good, but it finished second.
1992 Lexus ES300
185-hp V-6, 4-speed automatic, 3522 lb
Base/as-tested price: $27,850/$31,506
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.2 sec
1/4-mile: 16.5 sec @ 86 mph
100 mph: 23.6 sec
120 mph: 46.6 sec
Braking, 70–0 mph: 194 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.78 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 22 mpg
1st Place: BMW 325i
We won’t mince words: The automaker who brought you the phrase “Ultimate Driving Experience” has done it again. Though far more a sport sedan than a “near-luxury” car, the BMW 325i wins our comparison test. But would you really expect us to fall for all-luxury when we could have some luxury plus great driving fun?
HIGHS: Elegant styling, Germanic crispness and strength, superior handling.
LOWS: Rear-seat room, interior that looks more durable than rich.
VERDICT: A stunning example of what a great driver’s car should be.
Start with an exterior that finished at the top of our styling gauge, though it’s anything but a design breakthrough. Like so many things that BMW does, the body is a pleasure to gaze upon and just damn well executed. The same goes for the surprisingly likable 189-horsepower in-line six-cylinder.
The 325i’s win is a tribute, unquestionably, to its driving capabilities. It is, after all, a four-door linear descendent of the 2002 and, as such, could be questioned for being here. But, as we pointed out earlier, it’s in our sedan price group and it’s stirring to drive, so here it is.
The BMW’s crisp, Germanic character was touched on by a writer who said, “Its vault-like feel just isn’t there in the other cars.” The only serious cavil with the understated and handsomely turned out leather interior was—not surprisingly—the rear seat, which is not bad for two persons but very cramped for three. The front seats and the driving position were excellent, and the car’s stiff structure in no way hurts its comfort.
The 325i’s on-the-road character, which is also undeniably German, was described this way by one tester: “The chassis stays very well planted on everything, offering ideal stability and responsiveness. The steering is beautiful, the brakes are precise and linear, and I just love it.” So did we all.
1992 BMW 325i
189-hp inline-6, 4-speed automatic, 3128 lb
Base/as-tested price: $28,365/$32,167
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.4 sec
1/4-mile: 16.5 sec @ 87 mph
100 mph: 21.8 sec
120 mph: 41.5 sec
Braking, 70–0 mph: 174 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.83 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 23 mpg
Contributing Editor
William Jeanes is a former editor-in-chief and publisher of Car and Driver. He and his wife, Susan, a former art director at Car and Driver, are now living in Madison, Mississippi.