simply those relating to mufflers and sound insulation. With the possible

exception of the glamorous Riviera coupe, most Buicks are owned by people

who want luxurious transportation in a wrapper that is elegant but not

ostentatious. These customers avoid the trendy and flashy, but are pretty

picky about basics; if a car is not quiet, comfortable and easy to drive,

it's not for them.

Buick has carved a successful niche in the marketplace for itself by

addressing the needs of what might be called, for lack of a better term,

the Silent Majority. And that group has responded, giving Buick several

best-sellers in its six-model lineup.

The Century is an excellent example of Buick's philosophy at work. The

latest version, completely revamped for 1997, replaces a car kept in production

for some 15 years. During the latter stages of its life, the old Century

was regularly derided by journalists for being antiquated. By all accounts,

Buick management was well aware of the car's advanced age, but they had

a good reason for keeping it around: It was still selling very, very well,

and it scored outstanding ratings for quality.

So, we predict, will the new Century. Though it has several serious

rivals on paper--among them, the Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord,

Nissan Maxima and the Chrysler Cirrus/Dodge Stratus/ Plymouth Breeze trio--it

is really more of a budget-driven alternative to the Buick LeSabre.