Often, it's what you don't see that matters most to the driving experience. While the new Intrepid shares the basic body architecture of the original sedan, a number of critical changes improve torsional rigidity and reduce bending. One such change is a new aluminum cross-beam mounted behind the instrument panel that decreases body shake, noise, vibration and harshness; it also improves the car's handling and reduces body roll in corners. Impressively, the 1998 Intrepid is no heavier than the previous model, a benefit of its increased use of strong, lightweight aluminum.Lifting the hood reveals more improvements. Two all-aluminum engines are new for 1998. The Intrepid ES and Concorde LXi come with a 225-horsepower 3.2-liter V6. It provides crisp off-the-line acceleration. Base Intrepid and Concorde LX models come with a 200-horsepower double overhead-camshaft 2.7-liter V6. This 2.7-liter engine is a marked improvement over the engine used in last year's model. It's quieter and more powerful than the old 3.3-liter overhead-valve cast-iron V6, which produced 161 horsepower. Under hard acceleration, the old engine sounded like it was thrashing and running out of breath. The new engine is also more fuel efficient, getting about 1 mpg more on the highway. One feature the Dodge Intrepid offers that's not available on the Chrysler Concorde is the optional AutoStick transmission. It is based on the same electronically controlled 4-speed automatic, but the AutoStick controls allow the driver to manually shift gears. This feature provides entertainment and improved shifting efficiency, particularly in the mountains or on winding roads. The suspensions are essentially the same on both the Concorde and the Intrepid. Standard Intrepid and Concorde LX models come with 15-inch steel wheels and Goodyear Conquest GA tires. Intrepid ES and Concorde LXi models have 16-inch alloy wheels with Goodyear Eagle GA tires. The bigger tires have notably more grip, particularly in hard cornering and braking maneuvers and, surprisingly, they seem quieter.
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