Now, five years later, Chrysler has completely redesigned its two most popular LH cars, the Chrysler Concorde and the Dodge Intrepid. (The third model in the original line-up, the Eagle Vision, is vanishing from the fold as the entire Eagle division is being eliminated.)

Of the pair of sedans updated for the 1998 model-year, the Intrepid is the sportiest model with an aggressive grille borrowed from the racy Dodge Viper. The sloping cowl sweeps into a steeply raked windshield, over a curvaceous roof and down a decklid reminiscent of past fastbacks. It looks like it's going fast even when it's parked.

The 1998 Dodge Intrepid has plenty to live up to, but also some things to live down. There were quality problems with the early '92 models and the first cars lacked some refinement in terms of noise, vibration and harshness, or NVH. So a critical question, as we went to test one of the first of the '98 models was just how much of an improvement we would see under its sporty skin.