Buick may not be on the cutting edge of the auto industry, but it usually builds cars with the solid handsomeness that mature, more conservative

buyers seem to find attractive. This year's LeSabre Limited is no exception.

Buick's sales leader underwent substantial restyling two years ago, and there are just a few additional changes this year. One welcome new feature,

standard on both the Custom and the more expensive Limited models, is a passenger-side air bag.

The LeSabre is classified as a full-size sedan and shares the competitive arena with the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, Chrysler

Concorde and Dodge Intrepid.

Both the LeSabre Custom and Limited are fron-twheel drive, four-door sedans with 3.8-liter V6 engines that produce 170 hp at 4,800 rpm and 225

pound-feet of torque at 3,200 rpm. Independent front and rear suspension and anti-lock power front disc and rear drum brakes are standard.

Our test vehicle was the LeSabre Limited, finished in an attractive Light Blue Metallic. Standard equipment included electronically controlled

four-speed automatic transmission, dual air bags, air conditioning, a power antenna, cruise control, power windows and door locks, an AM/FM stereo

with a cassette player and four speakers, and, among other standard safety features, security locks to prevent kids from opening doors.

Our test car was equipped with an option package that included leather seats, 16-inch aluminum wheels, a CD player, six-way power passenger seat

and the Gran Touring suspension. Last but certainly not least, our LeSabre had a dual automatic climate control system that made it possible to

customize temperatures for both the driver and front passengers feature that may have strong appeal for twosomes who fail to agree on a common

temperature.

The total price of our vehicle, including options and destination charges, was $27,146.