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As you motor to the Buick dealership to check out the 1997 Park Avenue and the loaded-to-the-gills top-of-the-line Ultra, tip your hat as you pass the Olds store.

Oldsmobile made a major contribution to the Park and Ultra for 1997. It lent Buick an advanced Aurora platform to wrap its full-size sedans around, meaning a longer wheelbase to put more distance between you and any road harshness and a slight increase in overall length to provide more rear-seat foot room.

That means a roomier, even more comfortable car with smooth, stable ride and precise, effortless handling. It also means Buick has a car that can hold its own against any Lexus or Infiniti, though Buick’s reputation for catering to a more conservative crowd who drive their sedans to AARP meetings probably means few people considering one of the Japanese models would happen onto a Buick lot. Too bad.

We tested the Park Avenue and Ultra, the latter with just about every convenience known to man as standard equipment.

Ultra also offers a supercharged 240-horsepower version of Buick’s 205-h.p., 3.8-liter, V-6 engine. The supercharger means you can cruise to your heart’s content, but when the steep hill approaches or you feel like switching lanes to pass, you tap the pedal for a jolt of energy stored for when you need it.

Other than the supercharged engine, Ultra differs, as we said, in the number of goodies. Both feature dual air bags and four-wheel disc brakes (no rear drums) with anti-lock, but Ultra adds traction control as standard, Park Avenue as a $175 option.

Ultra also offers a heavy-duty battery, an air filtration system with a filter that can be changed inside the car without having to lift the hood, wood accents on the door trim, automatic-dimming inside mirror, AM/FM with compact-disc player and three extra speakers (for a total of nine), heated outside mirrors, rear seat pass-through to the trunk to hold skis inside, heated leather seats, programmable variable-effort power steering that’s set at the dealership for low- or high-effort steering response for the more aggressive driver, radio controls in the steering wheel, rear seat vanity mirrors in the roof and moisture-sensing wipers that go to work on their own.

Park Avenue, however, comes with a hood ornament, Ultra does not. Hmm. Ultra wins again.

Whichever model you choose, opt for the grand touring suspension–$240 in the Park Avenue, $105 in the Ultra (less expensive in the Ultra because its suspension has programmable variable-effort steering as standard).

With the grand touring suspension, you get a firmer ride with better road feel and will sit flatter in corners and turns with less body lean or sway. Add the optional Eagle LS touring tires ($85), and you have the optimum ride-and-handling package.

One very nice touch in both is the seat-belt system in the upper corner of front seat backs. That location not only makes the be lts easy to reach and use, but it also means that when you power the seat forward or backward, the belt moves with you.

Those seats are also very nice, with wide side bolsters to hold you in place comfortably and long seat bottoms for ample thigh support on long trips.

In back there’s theater seating, meaning the back seat sits a little higher than the front to make it easier for occupants to chat front to rear. Seat bottoms are slightly recessed in back so occupants don’t lose any head room. And the fold-down rear seat center console offers dual cupholders as well as eyeglass holders.

In Ultra, the seats come with inflatable lumbar support, which feels most uncomfortable. The seats without lumbar support offer the most support and comfort, which leads us to wonder why Buick needs that feature.

And while wondering out loud, how come Buick has such a small ashtray and glove box? OK, so cigarettes are politically incorrect, but when last we looked, glove weren’t. Another gripe is the fuel- and trunk-release buttons are too lo w in the instrument panel.

On the positive side, the dual air-bag system in both is engineered so if a bag deploys, the doors will unlock within 15 seconds to expedite an occupant’s exit or an aid-giver’s assistance.

Other noteworthy features in both models include dual sun visors with a plastic slipout visor, a deep trunk with a flat floor to handle all the luggage or golf clubs you can give it (spoiled only by an infernal luggage net, which should be used to trap fish, not hands, buttons and pocket pens) and the availability of a front-seat console that holds phone, note pad, cups and coins and power plug. It runs $185.

Base price of the Park Avenue is $29,995, and the Ultra starts at $34,995. Rather than fool with two models, it would be nice if Buick offered one Park Avenue with all of Ultra’s extras with but a single option–the supercharged engine.

And why fool with options that require you to purchase $890 worth of such items as a tire-pressure indicator, trip computer and 10-way power seats to get moisture-sensing wipers on a Park Avenue?

Maybe that’s another reason the Q45 or LS 400 customer doesn’t stop at the Buick showroom when checking out cars.

>> 1997 Buick Park Avenue Wheelbase: 113.8 inches Length: 206.8 inches Engine: 3.8-liter, 205-h.p., V-6; supercharged 240 h.p. version in Ultra Transmission: 4-speed automatic EPA mileage: 19 m.p.g. city/28 m.p.g. highway; 18/27 with Ultra Base price: $29,995; $34,995 Ultra Price as tested: $31,060. Includes $85 for Eagle LS tires; $380 for heated seats with lumbar control; $185 for business console with space for phone and a note-pad holder; $240 for programmable variable effort power steering (standard Ultra); and $175 for traction control (standard Ultra). Add $665 for freight. Pluses: Smoother ride and handling thanks to longer wheelbase Oldsmobile Aurora platform on which it’s built and programmable variable-effort steering. Driver/passenger seat belts pull from top corner of seat for easy use; belt moves with you when seat position changes. Disc brakes, no drums. If dual air bags deploy, doors automatically unlock in 15 seconds. Dual bags, ABS, traction control available. Ultra supercharged engine powerful yet quiet and gas mileage very good. Minuses: Why two models, why not just one with supercharged engine option? Seats more comfortable without lumbar support than with it, so why offer it? Options such as moisture sensing wipers or programmable steering require you buy a package with a host of other items at a hefty price. Need to buy Ultra to avoid option confusion. >>