and back. Built on the same 113.0-in. wheelbase as the Concorde, the LHS body has been

stretched by nearly 8 in., three of them added to the rear seat area, the rest

sequestered in the trunk. The LHS is a car you could use to haul around the starting

squad of NBA All-Stars. With the LHS, there is only one minor drawback to this design.

By moving the passenger compartment forward, the driver's left foot now rests a bit

awkwardly on the wheel-well hump.

The leather seats in our test vehicle were sumptuous and rich--what they used to

call the Italian look--and they provided good support. It's a nice combination--firm

enough to feel the road, with enough lateral support to keep us in place on tight

turns, but still comfortable, even after four hours behind the wheel.

While Chrysler designers have been able to abandon many of the old rules that once

defined an American luxury car, one dictum seems as immutable as an 11th Commandment:

Thou shalt not build a luxury car without wood. In this case, rather cheesy-looking

plastic woodgrain. The strips on the door and instrument panel lined up, but it seems

Chrysler paid little attention to making sure they matched visually. It's too bad, for

the result cheapens what is otherwise a rich-looking interior.

The instrument panel is simple and well laid out, with easy-to-read analog gauges.

Our test car's controls were easy to reach and switches operated with a comforting

click. High praises for the optional Infinity sound system. A CD player is a must in

an upscale car these days.

If you read many reviews, you're likely to see the letters NVH used repeatedly.

They refer to Noise, Vibration and Harshness, three areas where automotive engineers

are devoting much of their attention these days. When the LHS made its debut, it fell

a bit short, particularly on a car-to-car comparison with such Japanese competitors as

the Lexus ES300. Chrysler has spent a lot of time and money trying to silence the

interior of LHS, with noteworthy results. Interior noise levels are distinctly lower

than they were when the car came out, though it still doesn't sit at the head of the

class.