How do you get them out of orthopedic shoes and into Nikes?
Put another way, how does Buick alert potential buyers that it builds aperformance version of what traditionally had been known as a stodgy full-size4-door LeSabre?
We test-drove a LeSabre Limited sedan that proved to be a worthy rival to the Pontiac Bonneville SE. Perhaps that`s what Buick needs. Rather than simplycall it LeSabre, Buick should add an SE or GS or SE II or Gran Sportdesignation behind the name-along with a healthy dose of cosmetics to spruceup the staid styling.
What elevates the LeSabre Limited from an ordinary 4-door family sedan is the teaming of the peppy 165-h.p. 3800 V-6 engine with a lively Gran Touringsuspension. With the 3800, hit the pedal and go; with the Gran Touringsuspension, hit the corner or turn or twist in the road and keep going withoutswerve or sway.
The suspension is part of a $548 option package that includes 15-inchwheels, Eagle GT+4 steel-belted radials and leather-wrapped steering wheel.The package is highly recommended.
A word of advice: Forget the optional ($425) leather seats. Even with the safety belts fastened you`ll slip and slide unless you stick with the standardcloth seats-which are cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter anyway.
The front-wheel-drive LeSabre is built on a 110.8-inch wheelbase and is196.5 inches long.
Standard equipment includes 4-speed automatic transmission withoverdrive, air conditioning, power brakes and steering, AM/FM stereo radio,tinted glass and color-keyed bodyside moldings. Power seats run $240, powerwindows $285, power door locks $195. A driver`s arm rest with hidden cup andcoin holder inside is a $50 option. Base price is $15,745 excluding options.
There are some annoyances. The major one is the hood, the front hingedlift-up, pull-forward, swing-back unit inherited from Electra. It`s a pain.Another is location of the so-called PRNDL in the upper far right corner ofthe instrument panel. It`s blocked by the steering wheel, and it`s difficultto see what gear you`re in.
