designed to provide. As a result, the car's handling is only adequate,

though the ride is plus. The 3.8-liter V6 engine, though, has been widely

praised as one of the finest V6's you can buy, as has GM's standard four-speed

automatic transmission.

As a result, the 205-horsepower LeSabre accelerates quickly enough to

satisfy most family sedan buyers. You aren't the last away from every stoplight

and overtaking a semi on a two-lane road is not an act of courage. The

shifting is nearly unnoticeable. The gas mileage for a car of this size

is extraordinary--19 mpg in the city, 30 on the highway.

You can spend a lot more without getting this kind of powertrain performance.

The LeSabre delivers a soft, quiet, comfortable ride that insulates

its passengers from the tumult around them. On the freeway, the miles can

slip by almost unnoticed.

It is far less at home on twisting, secondary roads. Even with the Gran

Touring suspension, the body rolled in sharp turns and bounced up and down

on uneven pavement.

Still, the LeSabre will get you where you are going as effortlessly

as any of its competitors. Which is the essence of the traditional front-drive

sedan.