Perhaps the best news for 1998 is the decision to drop last year's base 150-horsepower 4-cylinder engine in favor of a smoother-running V6 that turns out a much more impressive 168 horsepower. The overhead-cam V6 is mated to an electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transmission. (There is no manual gearbox available.) Another nice touch is the electroluminescent PRNDL display in the instrument cluster.The new engine is a fairly hard-charging package. The Cirrus is by no means the most aggressive performer in its class, however, taking about 10.3 seconds to accelerate from 0-60 mph. But speed isn't everything. As we noted already, there have been marked improvements since Cirrus's introduction a few years back, especially when it comes to noise, vibration and harshness. The 2.5-liter V6 is smooth and quiet. One reason is that the engine sits on improved motor mounts. And it appears that Chrysler has taken the time to beef up the sound-deadening insulation, which helps isolate road and tire noise as well as engine noise. Happily, Chrysler hasn't isolated road feel. And that's one of the best features of the Cirrus. You are readily in touch with what the car is doing at all times. Credit the independent front and rear suspension, front and rear anti-roll bars, and speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering. The antilock brakes proved comfortably sure-footed on wet and dreary Detroit highways. The braking system employs front discs and rear drums. Headlight performance sometimes suffers with small, aerodynamic headlamps. This is a phenomenon we've noticed with many manufacturers as most people like modern stylish headlights, but few take lighting performance into consideration. As if to make up for it, fog lights come as standard equipment.
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