The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

When many younger buyers hear the name Oldsmobile, they hear only hear the first sylable, Old.

That’s certainly not true anymore with the Tornado and 98 long gone, the 88 soon to depart and the Cutlass to set sail next summer. This is a car division with an all-new line-up. And its mission can be summed up in one word: import.

Olds is going after the import audience, specifically Asian, and it has received rave reviews for the new Intrique, and justifiably so. So what does Olds do for an encore? Meet the Alero.

The Alero replaces the under-achieving Achieva, a much unloved car. But what GM has wrought is a wonderful scaled-down Intrique and it is an able companion to its larger sibling.

The car shares its basic structure with the all-new Grand Am, so the basic proportions, as well as drivetrain, are shared with that car. But the Alero’s look is a lot less boy-racer, quieter and more sophisticated, yet with the same sporty shape. Like the Grand Am, it’s available with two doors or four. If you chose the four-door, you’ll extract little penalty in style, as the rear still has a stylish slope to the backlight. The four-door looks like a 7/8-scale model Intrique.

Bottom line: it looks rich, understated, yet muscular.

Engine choices are identical. Standard on the base GX and mid-level GL is a 2.4-liter double-overhead-cam V6, good for 150 horsepower. Top-level GLS models get a 170-horsepower 3.4-liter overhead valve V6. It is optional on the GL. All Aleros are hooked to a smooth shifting four-speed automatic. A manual transmission will become available with the four-cylinder engine next year.

Hooked to a fully independent suspension and ultra-stiff chasis, this car is a much better performer than the compacts that preceded it. The stiff tires gripped well, transmitting some road feel through the wheel. The engine growls nicely, although some may find this more unreined than sporty. Drive both engines before you decide which one to buy. I’d still go with the V6 for the extra torque it provides.

Handling is well controlled in moderate maneuvers. You won’t mistake it for a European sports sedan, but it’s on par with most of its Japanese competition, with little float and moderate body lean. There’s enough power to make the front end squirmy when mashing the throttle from standstill, despite the presence of traction control. Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes are standard and worked well.

The inside story is every bit as pleasing as the outside one — tastefully trimmed in neutral colors. The somewhat flat bucket seats proved to be very comfortable for long trips and, on the GLS-level test vehicle, featured leather seating surfaces and a leather-wrapped steering wheel standard. The controls were laid out in typical Asian fashion and matched or exceed them in in quality and feel. It all operates intuitively. (Nothing fell off, which is more than I can say for a recent Toyota I drove).

The only real complaint wa s the rear seat, which, although roomy enough, had an overly reclined seatback. At least it was a 70/30 split folding seat, which helps expand the already roomy trunk. There are four cup holders up front and the doors will not lock if the key is left in the ignition. Standard on the Gl and GLS is a tire pressure monitoring system which notifies the driver when tire pressure is low.

All of which make for a surprisingly good package that stacks up well against the Camry/Accord/Altima competition. The base coupe and sedan starts at $16,325, with most people opting for the $18,220 GL model.

But watch the options if you do, for the fully loaded GLS bases at $20,875 and has only one option, a power sunroof. For that price you get a car with a V6, fully independent suspension (an increasing rarity as automakers try to shave costs), traction control, four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes, AM/FM/Cassette/CD, leather interior and all the power goodies.

You also get a very young, f resh Ol dsmobile that is just as well built as its competition.

Thankfully, this Alero is no Achieva.

1999 Oldsmobile Alero GLS

Engine: 3.4-liter-OHV V6

Transmission: four-speed-automatic

Tires: P225/60R16 Goodrich Touring tires

Standard: V6, automatic transmission, power windows/locks/mirrors, 6-speaker AM/FM/Cassette/CD, traction control, four-wheel-antilock disc brakes, air-conditioning, variable effort power steering, cruise control, tilt wheel, split folding rear seat, electric trunk release, intermittent wipers, daytime running lamps, rear defroster, tire pressure monitoring system, leather seating surfaces, 6-way power drivers seat, remote keyless entry, 16-inch polished aluminum wheels, fog lamps.

Major options: None

Base price, base model: $16,325

Base price test model: $20,875

As tested: $21,400

EPA rating: 20 mpg city/28mpg highway