From the February 2002 problem of Car and Driver.
The task was easy. Recruit a crack staff of primeflight road-test professionals and drive to the hinterlands of West Virginia with seven of the most well liked mid-price sports activities sedans out there. Return to headquarters with outcomes that can immediate a flood of outraged letters suggesting that stated staff ( 1) consists of paid shills for one or the opposite collaborating marques and (2) could be higher suited as WalMart greeters or FootJoy shoe salesmen.
Quickly assigned to the job had been specialists identified internally as Chuck Pachetti, Spanky, Sea Bass, Biscuit, Milhouse, Louie, and Pusstoe, to not point out the Schnozzgrove, all of whom confronted the perils of the Appalachian excessive nation in addition to having to don coats and ties for night dinners at their advance base, the grand and gracious Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs. Having by no means eaten at an institution extra elegant than the Sidetrack bar and burger grill in Ypsilanti, Michigan, the staff was pressured to make sure social modifyments for the Greenbrier, as they did with the natives within the outlying hollows, all of whom drove pickups and seemed to be closely armed.
West Virginia is blanketed with beautiful mountain surroundings laced with an impressive community of easy, winding paved roads. These are the results of a novel social agenda that has prioritized freeway building above different public works like.
No matter, the state is a driving paradise, particularly for a set of sports activities sedans all linked by as-tested costs between $33,896 and $40,235; punchy powerplants within the 210-to-231-hp vary; and providing five- or six-speed guide transmissions.
Heading this group, a minimum of when it comes to curiosity, was the Cadillac CTS, recent from its long-lead introduction to the nationwide press in neighboring Virginia. We additionally had two 10Best winners in play: the much-celebrated BMW 330i and the brand new Audi A4 3.0 Quattro. Also available had been the hot-off-the-presses Jaguar X-type 3.0 and the newish Lexus IS300 guide. Rounding out the lineup had been the comparatively acquainted Lincoln LS and the charmingly baroque Saab 9-3 Viggen, the one 4-cylinder, turbocharged front-driver of the lot. Seven numerous machines representing design philosophies from 5 nations, linked typically in measurement, pricing, physique configuration, and most significantly, by the retention of the fast-fading fanatic pleasure stick, the guide transmission.
During 4 days of onerous driving, each on the interstate and in West Virginia, the place the locals brag, “If you flattened the landscape, we’d be bigger than Texas,” we reached some shocking conclusions (and a few predictable ones as nicely). These are positive to provide knee-jerk, rabid denunciations and wild celebrations from all of you on the market in readerland. Chuck, Spanky, and the gang eagerly await your e-mails, calls, and letters.
seventh Place: Lincoln LS
This is a automotive that’s not possible to hate and troublesome to like. The form is swish however not vivid. When in contrast with its sibling, the Jaguar S-type, the Lincoln LS turns into the wallflower within the household, devoid of any of the come-hither sexiness wanted on this automobile class. That is, assuming the Lincoln execs meant it to be thought of a sports activities sedan within the first place. But if not, why go to the difficulty of becoming it with a sensational Getrag 5-speed gearbox that was, by most accounts from the testers, fairly good?
Sadly, the Getrag was hooked to the weakest engine of the lot—a 210-hp, 3.0-liter, 24-valve DOHC V-6 rated at 205 pound-feet of torque. This smallish motor was requested to heave across the Lincoln’s substantial 3690 kilos of bulk and was less than the duty with a lot enthusiasm, dooming the LS to the underside spot in many of the efficiency classes. (Example: The LS was 1.5 seconds slower to 60 mph than the 330i.) In a category resembling this, these instances are akin to catastrophe.
HIGHS: Surprisingly steady suspension, gearbox by Getrag—or was that Rolex?
LOWS: Boy’s engine requested to do a person’s work.
VERDICT: A totally respectable sedan out of its league with the flawed engine, or “kingdom for one more liter!”
Ironically, for all its weight and measurement (each its wheelbase and its size had been longest of the pack), the LS was commendably agile within the corners and scored the best skidpad quantity at 0.84 g. We discovered it dealt with the tight stuff with excellent steadiness and almost impartial steering. “It takes a good set in the corners and seems very stable even at high cornering speeds,” famous one editor. Solid dealing with, plus that succesful gearbox, helped to offset the LS’s lack of muscle in all however the quickest highway sections.
There was appreciable criticism about disagreeable brake-pedal motion, one which required heavy preliminary stress however with minimal response in return. There had been additionally barbs directed at extreme wind noise across the rear window. Otherwise, the Lincoln is a fairly sized, proper-dealing with, well-packaged contemporary American sedan. Nothing extra. Nothing much less.
For most prospects looking for luxurious transportation at a motivein a position worth, the Lincoln is an excellent selection. For these in quest of extra panache, the associated S-type Jag is the important thing, however it’ll price about 15 grand extra. Status is pricey.
An LS fitted with the optionally available 32-valve, 3.9-liter V-8 hooked to the Getrag five-speed is perhaps a professional sports activities sedan. But the massive engine is barely out there with a 5-speed auto, qualifying the LS as a high-value interstate luxurious cruiser however leaving it overmatched on this zoomy league of sports activities sedans.
2002 Lincoln LS
210-hp V-6, 5-speed guide, 3690 lb
Base/as-tested worth: $35,465/$37,045
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.9 sec
1/4 mile: 16.1 sec @ 89 mph
100 mph: 21.2 sec
120 mph: 35.5 sec
Braking, 70-0 mph: 173 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.84 g
C/D gas financial system, 1300-mile journey: 20 mpg
sixth Place: Saab 9-3 Viggen
Looking for one thing unconventional, eccentric? Here’s a machine that hides its ignition change within the cup holder. Here’s a machine with a teeny four-cylinder engine hooked as much as a turbocharger the dimensions of a Shop-Vac. Here’s a little bit five-door hatchagain that appears like no different automotive on the highway. Here’s the Saab 9-3 Viggen.
We are coping with the final of the throwbacks—the final mass-produced passenger automobile on earth that stays the course, refusing to yield to bourgeois trend and show-off expertise. The 9-3 Viggen is the most recent hot-rod model of the Saab 900 first launched in 1994, and it now presents a formidable 230 horsepower from its 140-cubic-inch turbocharged 4-banger that has been part of the Saab stock since Eric the Red left for Greenland.
HIGHS: Traditional quirky, offbeat turbo front-drive appeal from Saab.
LOWS: Traditional quirky offbeat turbo front-drive appeal from Saab.
VERDICT: Traditional quirky, offbeat turbo…
Face it, Saabs are an acquired style, like single-malt Scotch and reggae. Although five-door hatchbacks and front-drivers usually are not precisely outré, the Saab is one final cry of protest in an more and more androgynous world.
Slip behind the wheel of a Viggen, and discover a chairlike leather-based seat, a chin-high instrument panel and windowsill, and a shifter and ignition change positioned in a pit beneath your proper hip. Sniff the distinctive odor of buttery-soft Saab leather-based, and you’ll be in just one place on the planet.
It goes not precisely like its Swedish-fighter-plane titlesake, nevertheless it’s a lot fast sufficient to get it into the excessive six-second vary from 0 to 60 mph and to tie for first on this group from 0 to 100 mph and to be the winner from 0 to 120 mph (the place the great Whoopee Cushion turbo reveals its muscle).
Once the rubbery shifter is mastered and the flexy chassis is known, one can pretty fly in a Viggen. Imprudent throttle punches in sluggish corners can produce nasty lunges of torque steer, however as soon as straightened out and with the turbocharger in full play, the Viggen is certainly a hoot to drive.
It’s cool that Saab has refused to accede to so-called up to date styling and such nuances as four-wheel drive, naturally aspirated V-6s, or a swoopier, extra aerodynamic physique model. In a world of automobiles that solely small boys and hard-core automotive writers can inform from each other, the Saab steadfastly clings to its roots.
For the unrepentant Saabistas and for many who haven’t forgotten George McGovern and the plight of the snail darter, this can be a supply of pleasure and comfort. For others, it’s quaintness that’s rapidly descending into obsolescence.
2002 Saab 9-3 Viggen
230-hp turbocharged inline-4, 5-speed guide, 3219 lb
Base/as-tested worth: $38,593/$40,235
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.9 sec
1/4 mile: 15.1 sec @ 95 mph
100 mph: 17.1 sec
120 mph: 25.3 sec
Braking, 70-0 mph: 169 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.82 g
C/D gas financial system, 1300-mile journey: 23 mpg
fifth Place: Jaguar X-type 3.0
After a number of hundred miles of torturous flogs by means of West Virginia’s Deliverance-land, we discovered it onerous to determine precisely what that they had in thoughts in Coventry with the X-type.
Yes, it’s an suave conversion of the European Ford Mondeo from a pure entrance-driver to a four-wheel-driver (with 60 p.c of the ability supply by means of the rear wheels, until there’s wheelspin). Yes, the X-type is neatly styled and well-appointed within the Jaguar custom. Yes, its 231-hp twin-cam V-6 is theoretically the strongest on this seven-car contest (though it may do no higher than tie for fourth in 0-to-60 instances and fifth within the quarter-mile). Yes, it’s a strong, well-founded four-door sedan. But at $39,179 as examined, is it a sports activities sedan able to operating on the entrance of this potent pack? We suppose not.
HIGHS: Connolly leather-based, veddy British inside, close to four-wheel-drive setup.
LOWS: Unlovable shifter and an unreachable radio with dismal reception.
VERDICT: A strong utility infielder on an all-star staff.
Although the X-type supplied predictable steering and laudable stability below most circumstances, extra efficiency was anticipated from the drivetrain, contemplating its on-paper rankings and Jaguar heritage. Adding to the woes had been the stiff, rattle-inducing trip over tough pavement, brakes that could not tolerate extended onerous use, and our skidpad report of a modest 0.80 g.
The inside, though properly appointed within the British idiom, appeared cramped. Rear-seat lodging could be acceptable just for a pair of smallish adults on brief hauls; it is a five-passenger sedan in title solely.
Going downmarket with a status model is dangerous enterprise, as now we have seen with the ill-fated Cadillac Catera and the Cimarron of a long time in the past, the disastrous Maserati Biturbo, and others. This generally calls for main compromises. In the case of the X-type, Jaguar engineers had no selection however to scavenge the Ford components bin for your entire Mondeo platform after which graft on numerous British bits to adapt it to a hazy Jaguar heritage.
This may work. For these lusting for Jaguar standing at a lower cost, the X-type could possibly be the important thing, though one wonders if sellers will attempt to lure prospects into the bigger, extra luxurious S-type for what may cost 10 to fifteen grand extra on a sexy lease deal.
Such are the issues dealing with the gross sales drive at Jaguar. The engineers and the product planners have carried out their half with the hunks of iron and aluminum handed to them. Facing price range constraints and manufacturing realities, they did an excellent job. But is it adequate on this specific market section?
2002 Jaguar X-type 3.0
231-hp V-6, 5-speed guide, 3634 lb
Base/as-tested worth: $38,613/$39,179
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.2 sec
1/4 mile: 15.5 sec @ 89 mph
100 mph: 20.2 sec
120 mph: 32.1 sec
Braking, 70-0 mph: 174 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.80 g
C/D gas financial system, 1300-mile journey: 22 mpg
4th Place: Cadillac CTS
A primary take a look at a Cadillac CTS is like getting into a museum stuffed with Jackson Pollocks. You holler, “This is exquisite art in perfect harmony with my senses!” otherwise you head for the closest john to relocate your lunch. It’s a bodacious assortment of knife-edge angles and bulldozer-blunt planes that both delight or repel. GM has a basic breakthrough automobile on its fingers—or one other Aztek snafu. It’s kudos to the design staff for a daredevil tightrope act, or a blindfold and a final cigarette.
If there’s something to universally cheer about, it is the CTS’s dealing with, because of a stiff platform, impartial suspension entrance and rear, and, in fact, rear-wheel drive. Caddy engineers spent extra time on the Nürburgring in Germany than did Juan Manuel Fangio and Bernd Rosemeyer mixed, looking for a magic suspension formulation. They got here shut. For what’s a big automotive by any measurement (3675 kilos and 190.1 inches lengthy), the Cadillac is extraordinarily agile and managementlable. It generated 0.83 g on the skidpad, equaling the Audi A4 and the BMW 330i.
HIGHS: Excellent construction, predictable dealing with, capacious inside.
LOWS: Bauhaus-meets-Barris styling; poorly adjustable antiquated GM steering column with a Kenworth-size wheel.
VERDICT: A bully-boy sports activities sedan with parlor-room manners.
Although its general efficiency numbers are midpack, the sophistication of the Caddy’s suspension impressed the testers, main one among us to jot down, “The CTS has a quality chassis. It’s very fluid through the curvy stuff, predictable, and easy to drive. Body roll is almost imperceptible.” Among different positives: a exact five-speed guide (Cadillac’s first guide since that within the bad-idea Cimarron of the early ’80s) and a strong physique construction.
Gripes centered on steering. Not solely was it too heavy, however the wheel’s diameter appeared to have been impressed by an ax deal with, and the lean changes had been too coarse. None of us was impressed by the richness of the supplies used within the CTS inside.
Make no mistake, that is the perfect Cadillac ever. Get previous the styling that, to some, has been carved from a bar of cleaning soap, and beneath lies a first-rate effort to carry Cadillac into the twenty first century. The goal is BMW. It remains to be vast of that mark. A bull’s-eye, maybe, on a 10-year-old 7-series sedan, however not in opposition to a present 3- or 5-series from Munich.
But Cadillac is now really within the hunt, and the CTS is barely a gap shot.
2002 Cadillac CTS
220-hp V-6, 5-speed guide, 3675 lb
Base/as-tested worth: $29,990/$36,765
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.2 sec
1/4 mile: 15.4 sec @ 91 mph
100 mph: 18.8 sec
120 mph: 29.7 sec
Braking, 70-0 mph: 172 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.83 g
C/D gas financial system, 1300-mile journey: 21 mpg
third Place: Lexus IS300
The complete problem of the IS300 is decreased to 2 three-digit numbers: 205 and 215. The first describes the Yokohama 205/55VR-16 rubber supplied for our check automobile. The second offers with the 215/45ZR-17 Goodyears out there on the IS300 as a no-cost possibility. Because the high-performance 17-inchers are identified to be “summer” tires with awful snowdealing with functionality, the parents at Lexus determined, primarily based on our November itinerary within the West Virginia mountains, to mount the skinnier “all-season” Yokohama 16-inchers for our check.
But the climate was good—crystalline blue skies and heat temperatures for the 4 days. This remodeled the IS300 from a stallion to a skittish mare within the tight stuff and doomed it to a 3rd-place end.
HIGHS: Balance, measurement, and suspension quantity to a pleasant efficiency package deal.
LOWS: Needlessly skimpy rubber, busybody inside.
VERDICT: Given the right tires, this could be a serious contender.
Beyond the tire handicap (the remainder of the sector all packed 17-inch rubber with larger footprints), the Lexus is a delight. It is a taut, close-coupled sedan with its 3.0-liter inline six providing up a chunky 218 pound-feet of torque that greater than offsets its somewhat modest 215 horsepower.
Some notes from the logbook: “The manual transmission is excellent—short, crisp throws—and the clutch is a pleasure to operate.” “It feels lighter than the rest.” (At 3384 kilos, the IS300 is definitely 165 kilos heavier than the Saab and a tad heavier than the BMW.) “The IS300 has very sharp responses.” “Great steering with perfect feel and weighting. Excellent accuracy.”
But then got here the griping in regards to the tires. “Without sticky 17-inchers, this car is a bit treacherous. The 205s are melting on the switchbacks.” ”The chassis is keen, however the tires cannot ship.” “Like arriving at a marathon in wingtips.”
Aside from some whining about the chrome shift knob (it’s a hand burner in summer, an icicle in winter; it needs a leather mitten) and the somewhat overwrought speedometer that seems a rather hokey knockoff of an outsize Breitling chronograph, the car gained praise for its crisp styling and efficient employment of interior space. Given its wide-spectrum performance capability, we only wish this neat little sedan had been given a chance to prove its true mettle with competitive rubber.
2002 Lexus IS300
215-hp inline-6, 5-speed manual, 3384 lb
Base/as-tested price: $29,980/$33,896
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.2 sec
1/4 mile: 15.4 sec @ 90 mph
100 mph: 19.2 sec
120 mph: 29.6 sec
Braking, 70-0 mph: 174 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.78 g
C/D fuel economy, 1300-mile trip: 24 mpg
2nd Place: Audi A4 3.0 Quattro
As any serious German driver will tell you, Audi’s headquarters in Ingolstadt is about 10 minutes north on the E6 Autobahn from BMW’s lair in Munich. Within that small southeastern corner of Bavaria are produced, bar none, the finest midsize sports sedans in the world. BMW has been the king of the autobahn among this class for decades, but Audi is on the rise, each year bringing forth A4s and A6s that edge closer to nudging the ruler off its throne.
So it is with the new A4 3.0 Quattro, complete with the only six-speed manual in the field, which, for the most trivial of reasons, both real and subjective, finished second to its arch-rival in this contest.
HIGHS: Sticky four-wheel drive, wide-ranging power, exquisite detailing.
LOWS: Less-than-perfect shift linkage, ho-hum radio (we’re searching here).
VERDICT: Another nearly perfect package from Audi.
The reason might be traced to the number 373, which is the poundage the four-wheel-drive Audi gives away to the lighter, more nimble BMW. Part of this extra bulk lies within the innards of the A4’s Quattro system—a blessing and a curse that offers great traction at the expense of alacrity in the corners.
Aside from the weight difference and subsequent advantage in performance enjoyed by its Munich rival, the two vehicles are delightfully similar. However, the slightly lower-content BMW (no six-speed, sunroof, heated seats, or “Parktronic” backup warning system) still costs $1000 more than the heavier-option-laden Audi.
Our test procedure involves a driver rotation among the comparison cars at intervals of 20 to 30 minutes, and at this frequency, drivers get a vivid and immediate impression of the slightest nuances in handling and behavior of each vehicle. Within this discipline, the A4 received high marks across the board, even when compared with the BMW’s more responsive handling in the mountains. There, the aforementioned 373 pounds made themselves known and probably spelled the difference between first and second place.
The A4 and the 330i are 10Best winners, and both are superb vehicles. One is slightly cheaper but loaded with sophistication and style, and it gives way to its quicker, more nimble rival and a tight victory in the balloting. C’est la vie.
2002 Audi A4 3.0 Quattro
220-hp V-6, 6-speed manual, 3750 lb
Base/as-tested price: $33,665/$37,690
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.1 sec
1/4 mile: 15.5 sec @ 92 mph
100 mph: 19.1 sec
120 mph: 32.5 sec
Braking, 70-0 mph: 170 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.83 g
C/D fuel economy, 1300-mile trip: 22 mpg
1st Place: BMW 330i
Here we go again. Yet another paean to BMW in the pages of this magazine that might have been written by the editor of Roundel, the BMW Club’s monthly magazine tribute to itself. But what are our options? The 330i is only the latest of a long line of dazzling high-performance sedans from the Bavarian Motor Works. Look at the numbers. The 330i either dominates or contends in all categories.
It is a pussycat on four-lanes and a cougar in the tight stuff. It is driver-friendly to a fault and seems capable of performing in every form of motorsport—except perhaps the Baja 1000—with only minor modifications, and it will haul groceries without complaint.
HIGHS: An unabashed driving delight.
LOWS: Noisy, unpredictable climate control, and feather-light steering.
VERDICT: If this is not the best $40,000 sports sedan in the world, show us a better one.
We wish it were cheaper. At $38,972, the Bimmer is the third costliest of the seven after $1450 worth of leather, a $1200 Sport package, $475 fold-down rear seats, $500 xenon headlights, a $200 sound system, and custom paint at $475 are added to the base price, along with a luxury tax of $37. We wish the steering effort were a bit higher, although the factory promises that will be corrected on 2002 models. We sense a slight downgrading in the striking gray and red interior quality, although that could be entirely subjective. But none of these complaints, however niggling, can blur the fact that the 330i is the undisputed champion of this group.
One of our ace testers wrote the following after a lusty drive in the mountains: “The chassis calibration is just very good. It is unflappable over all highway surfaces, sustaining traction and stability. As typical, the engine and the gearbox are prime drawer, and the brakes are highly effective and linear.” Another, reaching for Zenlike hyperbole, put it this way: “At pace, the automotive shrinks round you.”
So BMW scores another win, adding to its long tradition of victories at this magazine. We found the other cars in this test to be quite appealing: the Saab for its zany personality and power; the Caddy, the Lincoln, and the Jaguar for their surprising manners; the Lexus for its untapped potential; and the Audi for its overall quality and packaging. But when the driving stopped, and the brakes cooled, there was one clear choice. Live with it.
2002 BMW 330i
225-hp inline-6, 5-speed manual, 3377 lb
Base/as-tested price: $34,635/$38,972
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.4 sec
1/4 mile: 14.9 sec @ 94 mph
100 mph: 17.1 sec
120 mph: 26.0 sec
Braking, 70-0 mph: 168 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.83 g
C/D fuel economy, 1300-mile trip: 25 mpg