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IT’S HARD to live down stereotypes. The 1986 Cadillac Eldorado coupe is proof of that.

This is a superior luxury car, but it doesn’t get much respect.

A lot of upper-crust types frown on it because it’s not European enough. And some of them are turned off by what they construe to be the car’s seamy urban reputation.

“You mean,” said one of the Uppies, “you’re actually going to drive a Caddeelack L. Dee Raaadoh? Oh, no, Are you going to take it down to 14th Street? You’re going to do a little cruising?”

And when you’re not getting that kind of garbage about the Eldorado, you’re getting this: “Ah, but it’s just a Cadillac. It looks like everything else GM makes.”

Hmmm. I’ve never heard anyone say that about the Porsche 924S, which looks like the Porsche 944, which resembles the Porsche 928S — all of which, incidentally, have body lines similar to those of the 1986 Mazda RX-7 and the Toyota Supra.

And I’ve yet to hear the “look-alike” charge against the Audi 5000S, which is the mechanical and stylistic twin of the Volkswagen Quantum.

There’s nothing wrong with the Cadillac Eldorado. It’s a wonderful, highly competitive piece of work. It’s just a victim of reverse xenophobia — the simplistic thinking that says if it’s made in America, it can’t be good.

Outstanding complaints: Absolutely none.

Outstanding praise: Overall excellence. From its “corinthian blue firemist” exterior to its leather, cloth and vinyl interior, the test model is a well-crafted machine. The car is tight. Doors close snugly. It’s super-quiet on the road.

And there are so many thoughtful touches: parking brakes that release automatically when the reverse gear is engaged; a sensible, easily read digital dashboard that takes the chore out of minding gauges; a glove-compartment door that pops up, instead of plopping downward, as happens in most cars.

It’s just nice to be in a machine put together by people who obviously cared about what they were doing.

Ride, acceleration, handling: Zero-to-60 cutups might wrinkle their noses over the Eldorado’s 12.5-second performance in that category, but this car is no slouch. The Eldorado’s 4.1-liter, transverse-mount, fuel-injected V-8 easily moves you into traffic. And the car’s fully independent, four-wheel-suspension system helps you to maneuver like a racer once you’re there.

The highway is very friendly under the wheels of the Eldorado.

Head-turning-quotient: Swooping, sensuous lines.

Sound-system: Electronic AM/FM stereo and cassette, with seek and scan functions and graphic equalizer, by GM/Delco. Excellent.

Mileage: About 21 to the gallon (18-gallon tank), combined city-highway, running with varied loads (two to five occupants), and with air conditioner operating most of the time. Not bad mileage for a V-8 engine car equipped with a four-speed automatic transaxle.

Price-as-tested: $27,641, including $ 1,919 in options and a $500 destination charge. So maybe I do have one complaint, after all. Staff