By Steven D. Gatt, Automotive Editor
The new Buick LeSabre does exactly what it should; not offend anyone in its' demographic group. The LeSabre is big, plush and is one of the only cars that can truly hold six passengers comfortably.
Plush could also be used to describe the ride feel. The driver and passengers are isolated from the bumps and undulations in the pavement. The ride is really too soft because it doesn't give enough feedback information to the driver, resulting in late turn-in to corners and a certain amount of wavy motion. The steering input is so slow the car doesn't react quickly like a normal sedan (i.e. Taurus) would.
The interior, while comfortable for the most part, doesn't offer lateral support and driving the LeSabre is like driving from your couch. Because of my size (6'4") the back support was too low and caused me great pain by the end of the week. The center dash controls for the radio and ventilation system were too far away, even with my long arms. To counter this, the LeSabre offers some controls on the steering wheel. These controls are not only convenient but also safer to use because the driver won't have to take his hands off the wheel to operate them; or take his eyes off the road. The display at the center of the dash had large easy to read numbers. But when it came to the speedometer and tachometer, the numbers were comparably small. Warning lights are spread across the dash with many out of the sight line of the driver. In fact the traction control active light is in front of the passenger. Road noise seemed higher than expected for this class of car. The pitiful, plastic wood doesn't cut it.
On the outside of the LeSabre, you'll find a styling similar to that of the beautiful Riviera especially in the front fenders, hood and grill area. The overall size of the car hasn't changed much from the previous generation but interior space has increased. The trunk is smaller than before and seems small for this car. Another small feature on the LeSabre is the exterior mirrors. Door handles felt too low and were the difficult-to-use push button type.
The Buick features the popular GM 3800, Series II, V-6: a powerful engine that the handling and suspension couldn't keep up with. On the bright side, this powerful motor got excellent fuel mileage with EPA estimates at 19 city/30 highway. I got 27 in all around driving. This is a heavy car and occasionally the brakes felt spongy and the car just took a long time to stop.
Buick has loaded the LeSabre with features including dual airbags, anti-lock brakes and keyless entry. The radio features an in-dash CD player and a in-window antenna which lead to some intermittent reception problems. Twilight sentinel headlamps and Pass Key II theft deterrent system added to the long feature list.
Our Buick LeSabre Limited, with the Gran Touring suspension, came to a total price of $27,966 with destination. The LeSabre, like most Buicks, was assembled in Flint, Michigan. Most buyers of this vehicle will be very pleased with just about everything including Buick's long standing reputation for quality. The LeSabre should provide them with years of trouble-free service.