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I forgot it. The 1998 Buick Century Limited.

I test-drove it a few days, parked it in a safe downtown garage, and lost mental track of it — until its rightful owner came calling.

Had I hated or loved the car, this would not have happened. Passion is a constant reminder that something or someone needs tending.

But the Century? Hmph.

It’s a front-wheel-drive, mid-size car that’s so quintessentially mainstream, so utterly blah, it leaves me cold.

And the thing of it is, in terms of overall performance, the Century isn’t such a bad automobile. It’s highway competent, comfortable and easy to drive.

But to me at least, it’s not lovable; and love is necessary for the success of any relationship, including that between car and owner.

If the Century had looks, I might feel something. But it’s stylistic vanilla — an ellipsoidal body with narrow wraparound headlamps and a modestly pleasant grille.

The interior offers little relief. It features a suspended, linear dashboard, the length of which is mitigated by a semi-elliptical hood atop the instrument cluster. The rest of the six-passenger cabin is so bereft of zing, it has the aura of a bus.

Still, the Buick Century has its ardent supporters, people who find virtue in its conservatism. I cannot count myself among them, not in this Century and, unless it gets some visual zest, not in the next.

Background: Part of the Century’s problem is that it appears to be redundant in the six-car Buick lineup, where it rides near the bottom. It is a modified version of the slightly larger Buick Regal and the larger Buick Le Sabre. As such, the Century comes off as a poor imitation of its better-looking cousins.

The car has virtues, of course. It’s loaded with standard equipment, including an electronically controlled, four-speed automatic transmission; power windows and locks with a remote keyless entry system; four-wheel anti-lock brakes; and a dual climate-control system that allows the front driver and passenger to adjust temperatures on their sides of the passenger cabin to their own liking.

The Century is equipped with a 3.1-liter, sequentially fuel-injected V-6 engine, rated 160 horsepower at5,200 rpm, with torque rated 185 pound-feet at 4,000 rpm.

There are new air bags in the 1998 car — the Second Generation or “Generation II” models that deploy slowly. Adjustable lap belts and shoulder harnesses are standard. Use them.

’98 Buick Century Limited

Complaint: Buick needs its larger, 3.8-liter, 195-horsepower V-6 in this thing. The 3.1-liter, 160-horsepower engine is adequate, but bereft of any qualities approaching fun to drive.

Praise: Objective, nuts-and-bolts assessment? It’s a decent mid-size family car that will fill most transportation needs. If you don’t care about looks or passion, fun or excitement, the Century will serve you well.

Ride, acceleration and handling: Excellent ride. Adequate acceleration, especially on la ne-changing maneuvers. Decent handling. Braking is very good, meaning that it stops well enough to help you avoid an accident in most cases.

Head-turning quotient: This is your grandfather’s Buick.

Mileage: About 24 miles per gallon (17-gallon tank, estimated 400-mile range on usable volume of regular unleaded), combined city-highway driving, running with one to three occupants and light cargo (trunk capacity, 16.7 cubic feet).

Sound system: Six-speaker AM/FM stereo radio and cassette with console-mounted, single-disc CD player. GM/Delco system. The only thing in this car that seems to jump with life.

Price: Base price on the tested Century Limited is $19,220. Dealer invoice price on base model is 17,586. Price as tested is $21,390, including $1,620 for the Prestige option package (reading lights on rearview mirror, automatic climate control system, steering wheel-mounted radio controls and a host of other goodies) and a $550 destination charge.

Please note tha this is a late 1997 price. There may be some modest pricing changes for 1998.

Purse-strings note: An excellent value for people who view cars as appliances, and who want an appliance with whistles and bells. Compare with Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry, Mazda 626, Toyota Avalon, Honda Accord.