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THERE IS no season of peace on the New Jersey Turnpike. I foundout as much on a Christmas trip to New York. The only tangible evidenceof goodwill was the car I drove, the 1995 Chrysler Cirrus LX sedan.Everything else was madness.

There was, for example, the curious scene of a driver in aMitsubishi Eclipse sports coupe tailgating an 18-wheel truck. Had thetruck stopped suddenly, the Mitsubishi driver’s holiday would’ve beenless than merry.

And there were statutory speeders aplenty, I among them. NewJersey Turnpike officials insist on a 55 mph speed limit. Most peoplerun at about 65-75 mph. My complaint is with the goofball speeders, theclowns who consistently run at about 90 mph, even in construction zones!

Finally, there were scores of people who apparently believe thatthe left lane is a rest stop, forcing faster traffic into the dangerousballet of passing from the right lane.

An advertisement outside a turnpike rest station summed up theactual spirit of the season. “It’s a jungle out there,” the sign said.

Background: Sanity has a price. In the case of the all-new ChryslerCirrus, it starts at $17,435. But the car is worth it: Thefront-wheel-drive Cirrus offers almost everything desired in a mid-sizefamily car, including good styling. Folks have grown tired of”practical” cars that are practically depressing — ugly, unimaginative,utilitarian things that turn each trip into a chore.

The Cirrus, by comparison, has some sass and class — aprominent, in-your-face front end that makes the car stylisticallydifferent from anything else in its category; clean side panels; abeautiful rear end; and a roomy, five-passenger interior.

Both the Cirrus and its companion Dodge Stratus are equipped withstandard dual-front air bags. The Cirrus, sold in LX and upscale LXidesign packages, also comes with standard anti-lock brakes. Those brakesare standard on the upscale Stratus ES.

An electronically controlled, four-speed automatic transmissionis standard on both cars, as is a short/long arm (SLA) suspension systemthat enhances road handling and driver control. Tight cornering isrelatively easy in these cars.

The standard Cirrus engine is a Mitsubishi-designed and built2.5-liter, 24-valve, single overhead cam V-6 rated 164 horsepower at5,900 rpm. Maximum torque is 163 pound-feet at 4,350 rpm.

The Stratus has three available engines — a 2-liter, 16-valve,single overhead cam, 134 horsepower four-cylinder; a 2.4-liter,16-valve, double overhead cam, 138-horsepower four-cylinder; and theMitsubishi V-6.

Complaints: The four-speed automatic transmission in the Cirrus andStratus is not the best available in a mid-size car. It’s a compromisefour-speed in which the “drive” and “overdrive” gears behave as one,making it shift more like a three-speed. This arrangement works well athighway speeds; but it’s a grumpy, gear-hunting pain in slower urbantraffic.

Also, the nighttime, instrument-pan el glare on the windshield andfront side windows is a bit distracting.

Praise: Overall excellent design and engineering, especially in thesuspension work. Excellent workmanship in the tested Cirrus LX.

Head-turning quotient: The tested Cirrus LX proves that Ozzie andHarriet still have a sex life. People loved the thing.

Ride, acceleration and handling: Excellent ride and handling. Zeroto 60 mph acceleration was acceptable, about 10 seconds. In-traffic,highway acceleration was excellent. But urban performance was marred bychoppy shifts in that “four-speed” automatic transmission.

Excellent braking. Standard brakes include front discs/rear drumswith anti-lock backup.

Mileage: In the tested Cirrus LX, about 23 miles per gallon(16-gallon tank, estimated 360-mile range on usable volume of regularunleaded), running mostly highway with four occupants and a trunkload(15.7 cubic feet) of cargo.

Sound system: Optional eight-speaker AM/FM stereo radio and ompactdisc. Chrysler Infinity system. Bodacious boogie.

Price: Base price on the Cirrus LX is $17,435. Dealer invoice onbase model is $15,987. Price as tested is $19,179, including $1,209 inoptions and a $535 destination charge.

Purse-strings note: Competitively priced. Excellent value. Comparewith Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry,Oldsmobile 88, Chevrolet Lumina (all-new 1995 model), Nissan Altima,Mazda 626, Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable and Volkswagen’s Jetta III andPassat.