The crop is in and ready for harvest.
Time to select the best buys for 1998, which is a bit tricky since many ’99s are here and in a few months some of the model year 2000 entries will arrive.
The traditional new-vehicle introductions each fall have become new-vehicle introductions whenever an automaker has a few free moments with nothing else to do but put a fresh offering in the showrooms.
But, as has been this scribe’s chore for many years, it’s time to sort the contenders from the pretenders and choose the best of the crop, regardless of its model-year designation.
Without regard for position in the alphabet, order of finish or size of window sticker, our choices for ’98 are the Chevrolet Corvette, Malibu and Suburban; Dodge Viper, Durango, Ram and Dakota; Plymouth Prowler; Jeep Wrangler; Subaru Forester; Volkswagen Beetle; Porsche Boxster; Pontiac Grand Am and Grand Prix; Lincoln Town Car and Continental; Cadillac Catera; Mercedes-Benz C280 and ML320; and Buick Regal.
In the ’70s, the creme de la creme rose to the top. The chumps outnumbered the champs by a wide margin. You made a list of new vehicles introduced in the fall, waited until summer and those that hadn’t rusted out were considered the best.
The only problem was trying to find at least 10 to fill the Best Buy list. After about No. 6, you started making concessions.
The task of selecting Best Buys became a tad more cumbersome in the ’80s, when automakers churned out tons of economy cars to save millions of gallons of foreign petroleum. The economy car that made the heart throb has not been built. Best Buys often were those that didn’t go chug-chug.
Along came the ’90s and the ritual got to be a chore. Thanks to the Japanese, the domestic automakers finally started paying attention to quality of their machines and set out to improve their products. So, the line between good and bad blurred because so many vehicles are good.
Choosing Best Buys also has taken a little detour.
For years Best Buys simply referred to the cars on the market. Now we must make room for trucks, sport-utility vehicles and vans. Of note, five of the Best Buys for ’98 are sport-utes, two are trucks.
As always, Best Buy selections don’t simply refer to the lowest-priced vehicles but to vehicles that have an edge in performance, safety, room, comfort and/or styling.
The most important criterion is that you will enjoy driving each one.
These vehicles offer fun and function, good looks and above-average performance.
By performance we don’t necessarily mean they can be counted on to capture the pole position, but that they offer suspension and steering systems that give the driver control over the machine rather than simply carry him or her along for the ride.
If best buys were based simply on value, the list would have included the Saturn SL1 and SL2 sedans, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Chevy Cavalier, Pontiac Sunfire and perhaps even the Daewoo Lanos, a South Korean coming soon to Chicago.
Enough of the build-up, time to raise the curtain on the 1998 Best Buys:
Money is no object
1998 Chevrolet Corvette: With the ’97 coupe, ’98 convertible and ’99 hardtop, Corvette has come of age. It is transformed from the buckboard on steel-belted radials. America’s sports car? World-class sports car. Gave up some zero- to 60-m.p.h. performance for better ride and handling. Used to be the human body couldn’t handle two blocks in a ‘Vette, now you can slip in and drive two time zones without discomfort. And the convertible is solid, tight and quiet. Alert, alive and now with a new, active suspension system that keeps the car nailed to the road. A new hardtop coupe comes out for ’99. About a year after it has been on the market, a more potent V-8 boasting more than the 405 horsepower in the old King of the Hill will be added. Base price: $38,560 coupe, $44,990 convertible, guesstimated $35,000 for a hardtop this fall. (All include freight.)
1998 Dodge Viper: Roadster and now coupe erase memories of fuel economy dictating design to make the federal government happy. For performance enthusiasts. Bit uncomfortable, to be sure, and it requires some dexterity not only getting in and out, but also in maneuvering its 6-speed manual and its out-of-plumb clutch pedal. Viper is meant to hop in and enjoy. Potent power yet now more user-friendly with the addition of such amenities as dual air bags, air conditioning, door handles, power windows and adjustable foot pedals that allow those of short stature to enjoy Viper for the first time–and by having the pedals extend toward you, provide a safer distance between you and the air bag in the steering column ahead of you. Base price: $67,700 roadster, $70,200 coupe.
1997 Plymouth Prowler (the new model is due out for ’99): Purple Passion that’s now available in yellow as well, and soon red and/or black. Hot rod, street rod, it generates excitement just standing still. OK, it’s not the fastest, nimblest vehicle on the road and you have to accept the fact that it won’t win any awards for ride, handling, room and comfort, but styling would revive the comatose. Like Viper, Prowler boasts one other important distinction in today’s market–no comparable Japanese-made rival. Hmmm. No German or Swedish or British competition, either. Base price: $40,000
Fun yet functional
1998 Jeep Wrangler: Once as unruly as the Corvette only it was unruly and ugly. In the 1997 model year, the same year ‘Vette became civilized, Wrangler was refined for smoother, quieter ride and more predictable handling. Also, dual air bags and availability of anti-lock brakes has brought Wrangler in line with the small sport-utility vehicle competition, though none of its rivals feature the same rugged look and go-anywhere personality. Can still take the top and doors off if you desire the crude look. Decent price, decent mileage and with four-wheel-drive an off-road or year-round machine. Base price: $14,740 to $20,315.
1998 Dodge Durango: Great name. Larger than Blazer or Explorer yet not as big as Tahoe. Roofline rises as you move back in the cabin so even folks in the third seat have ample head room. Choice of powerful V-8s for towing, though fuel economy suffers. Built on Dodge Dakota platform. Bold front end lifted from the Dakota is just the right touch. Outboard seats in second row fold and tip for easy entry/exit for optional third seat and ample stowage area behind third seat, plus hidden compartment in the floor. Base price: $28,365 to $29,515.
1998 Subaru Forester: All-wheel-drive station wagon in sport utility duds. Rides and handles like the family sedan and gets better mileage than most SUVs. Four-wheel ABS and a lively 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine. Roadability aided by larger 16-inch radials and lower center of gravity so you don’t feel top-heavy or wobbly. Nice touches include plastic tray covers for the rear cargo hold so you don’t wet or soil the carpet, hidden compartment for spare has room for valuables, stowage trays built into rear sidewalls, power plug in back for added accessories. Base price: $18,695.
Fun
1998 Volkswagen Beetle: It’s baaaack. Bigger and cuter than ever. The new rendition has everything the old Beetle lacked, including heater, air conditioner, AM-FM stereo with cassette and compact-disc player, carpeted floor, power mirrors, power locks and rear-window defogger. Plus options that include ABS, leather seats, power windows and in ’99 a power sunroof. Longer, wider, taller than its predecessor means far more interior room and much better ride and handling. Gas or diesel engines, the latter surprisingly quiet. Base price of only $15,200 and with options about $18,000. Demand high, supplies not, and dealers typically are asking full sticker, some a premium, to drive one away. Base price: $15,200.
1998 Porsche Boxster: Of the Boxster, BMW Z3, Mercedes SLK roadster trio, this is the one the will give you a rush. Flash and dash. The Z3 is cute, the SLK is cuddly, the Boxster is the one you want to hop in and play with. Boxster provides physical and emotional outlet. Room and comfort in a small package. Potent engine, road-hugging suspension. Style and substance. Cruises lazily at 85 m.p.h. No shake or shudder at 100 m.p.h. Base price $40,000 to $44,000.
Looks and performance
1998 Pontiac Grand Prix: Weekday sedan, weekend warrior. With wide tracking that moves the wheels out for optimum road holding and maneuverability, you get sports car performance from what is camouflaged as a family sedan. For optimum fun, get the GTP with its 240-h.p., supercharged V-6. Prime example of how attention to suspension, and not just horsepower, makes for a pleasurable machine. Base price: $19,345, including freight.
1999 Pontiac Grand Am: The sporty looks of a Prix in a smaller and less-costly package. Basically an economy car with attention to sporty looks and more aggressive handling. Redone for 1999 (in showrooms now) with larger dimensions for more cabin room inside, more road stability on the outside. Sedans now, coupes in the fall. Base price: SE $16,595; GT $19,470. (Both include freight.)
Luxury
1998 Lincoln Town Car/Continental: Still smooth ride, but movement has been tamed. The tendency to float and wander is gone, and you now have more stability on the road. More precise and predictable steering response as well. Modest, but eye-catching styling changes with heavy doses of chrome on the grilles. Base price: About $37,930 for Continental, about $38,030 for the Town Car.
1998 Cadillac Catera: Said it before and will say it again: a sensibly sized luxury sedan that provides all the amenities. In the heart of that entry-level luxury market for those who want to be pampered, but aren’t willing–and perhaps not able–to spend $50,000 for the treatment. Very good road manners in this sedan, which started life as an Opel Omega from General Motors of Europe. Dual bags, ABS and traction control. Last time GM attempted a small Cadillac, it tried to fool the public with the Cimarron, a leather-wrapped Chevy Cavalier. No such trickery with Catera. Base price: $30,000 to $35,000.
1998 Mercedes-Benz C280: Another one of those sensibly sized luxury sedans. Mercedes solid and quiet. Luxury-wrapped in manageable package. Room for four adults. Mercedes built and sold the 190 sedan for far too many years before bringing out the C-Series replacement. About time for a major freshening here, especially since the entrants have swelled in the entry-level luxury market. Base price: $35,000 to $35,400.
When a van won’t do
1998 Mercedes-Benz ML320: Kudos for fooling its rivals who expected a $50,000 sport-ute. Exceptional room and, of course, comfort. A more powerful 4.3-liter V-8 comes out for 1999. Versatile performer as much at home off-road and up mountains as on flat pavement. Traction control even works on ice and uses engine management and ABS to bring vehicle under control even if three wheels are spinning. Mercedes also boasts that its all-wheel-drive M-Series sport-ute can carry 82 cases of pop–but not everyone gets a holder. Base price: $33,950.
Family vacation retreat
1998 Chevrolet Suburban: GM’s Greyhound. Holds nine. Ford will attempt to compete with its upcoming Excursion built off the F-250/350 platform in 1999. Three rows of seats and plenty of room for cargo in back. The vacation hauler for large families or those who carry lots of camping, fishing or hunting gear. Though huge, doesn’t ride or handle like an 18-wheeler. Diesel available for those who need the power for heavy loads or who are simply looking for better mileage on long hauls than a gas engine can deliver. Demand high, supply always low. Base price: $25,740 to $40,000, including freight.
A lot of car for the price
1998 Chevrolet Malibu: Old name on a car that isn’t the most glamorous vehicle on the road, but what it lacks in eye-popping sheet metal it makes up for in room, comfort, people and package capacity, excellent mileage and a price tag within reach of those with modest means yet high expectations. Functional without being boring. Ample power, sufficiently nimble handling, pleasant ride. Go V-6 for quiet operation, 4-cylinder for highest mileage. Base price: $16,000 to $19,000, including freight.
1998 Toyota Avalon: Like Malibu you don’t buy one to set the fashion pace. Rather conservative, nondescript styling that pays more attention to interior room, comfort and amenities than it does to sheet metal that attracts shutterbugs. For older motorists who want to cruise in peace and quiet and not stop very often to fill the tank. Larger than a Toyota Camry, smaller than a Buick LeSabre, being a Toyota also means reliability and dependability and more time in your garage than the dealer’s. Base price: $24,698.
1998 Buick Regal: Dependable. Quality built. Peppy 3.8-liter, supercharged V-6, large 16-inch tires, firm-but not harsh–suspension, traction control, wide tracking for better handling, longer wheelbase for smoother ride. Luxury at a modest price. For those who refuse to pass a Japanese brand dealership much less walk in the door. Base price: $20,000 to $23,000.
Pickup trucks
1998 Dodge Ram: Dodge trucks labored in obscurity until the stylists got hold of it. Bold design captures attention. Interior room very spacious, with lots of stowage area behind the seat for work or playthings. Not surprising that the same folks who designed Viper and Prowler did the Ram. Now available with a pair of rear-access doors, though in all honesty, while Dodge may have added a couple of doors in back, it didn’t add any more room for the folks sitting back there. Good for kids and for groceries, however. Base price: $14,560 to $26,505.
1998 Dodge Dakota: Looks a lot like its older and bigger Ram brother. Rugged, tough design without bouncing and jarring occupants around the cabin. Would be even better if four-wheel ABS was standard, a third access door was an option and the passenger side air bag came with a cutoff switch. Until Chevy redesigns its S-10 pickup and gets that dumb hump off the passenger floor (where the catalytic converter is hidden), this is our choice for Best Buy. Base price: $13,435 to $19,785.
