but it's all new, based on the front-drive Riviera-Aurora chassis. While

this means more weight--about 250 pounds--it also means a longer wheelbase

and wider track. And a closer look shows that Buick has quietly thrown

off the shackles of ancient General Motors design traditions. Ever since

the days of the late Harley Earl, the ethic has been longer, lower, wider

and sleeker.

The Park Avenue doesn't violate all of these hallowed tenets--it is

indeed longer, wider and arguably sleeker--but it's definitely not any

lower. In fact, it's just the opposite. At 58.1 inches, the '97 Park Avenue

stands three inches taller than the '96. For contrast, the Chrysler LHS,

targeted by Buick as a key Park Avenue competitor, stands 55.9 inches.

So does the Lincoln Continental.

So why is Park Avenue design chief Bill Porter violating the gospel

of Harley Earl? Because in the evolving Buick mission, a mission driven

by GM's sharpened brand focus, comfort takes precedence over sheer style.

In the Park Avenue, the two key comfort elements in the design scheme

were interior roominess--including headroom fore and aft--and door openings

that eliminate any contortions in the process of getting in or out.

True, you could perceive these same design priorities in a basic brick

like the old Checker Marathon, qualities that made it a favorite with taxi

fleets for so long. But the new Park Avenue embodies these virtues in a

shape that's also graceful and quietly elegant.

It may not turn heads like the Riviera. But it does have an undeniable

dollop of the "muscular grace" that Buick designers want their

cars to project, particularly in the slightly more aggressive looks of

the Ultra.

And for all its mass, it's also got enough smooth, quiet power, from

GM's excellent 3800 Series II V6, to provide peppy acceleration. Available

in normally aspirated (Park Avenue) and supercharged (Ultra) versions,

the 3800 doesn't have exceptionally high horsepower numbers, but it's got

lots of low rpm getaway grunt, plus plenty of punch for passing.

Power is transferred to the front wheels through one of GM's butter-smooth

electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transmissions--they're among

the best in the business--and automatic load-leveling is standard equipment.

Buick has added four new colors to the palette for the '97 Park Avenue--silvermist

metallic, Bordeaux red (burgundy), Santa Fe red and light Autumn green

metallic. Our Park Avenue Ultra test car was black, with a tan leather

interior.