Buick Builds a LeSabre for 2000--Sort of
The oversized challenge in redeveloping the full-size 2000 LeSabre, said the man from Buick, was creating a car with enough familiarity to please its not-so-young regulars but with enough fresh edges to attract the not-so-old.
After all, explained the MFB, LeSabre is America’s best-selling big car (more than 1 million sold since 1991) with a loyal following that delivers 40% of Buick’s profit. It would not be wise to diss or kiss off such a buyer body by mucking about with a personality that is keeping the General Motors division breathing.
Conversely, he continued, those staid and comfy in their automotive ways are typically a graying bunch. To bulge their numbers, to pull in newer families and younger buyers, to keep Buick’s accounts in balance, means broadening the appeal of the LeSabre.
At the end of the day, added the MFB, it was decided to keep mitts off the meat-and-potatoes styling of the LeSabre and retain Old Faithful, a mild and manageable 3800 Series II V-6 of 205 horsepower that dwells so deep in the hearts of GM owners.
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To tease a junior generation born to flatter cornering and steering that doesn’t take naps between turns, Buick has increased LeSabre’s structural rigidity. That’s a 27% improvement in resistance to bending and a 62% gain in torsional rigidity, or chassis twisting, that subdues roll and delivers a disciplined ride for drivers who don’t like to be ordered around by their vehicles.
The wheelbase has been stretched by 1.4 inches and the track widened by almost 2 inches, which takes wanders out of the steering. It also provides a tighter turning circle and a definite security of response when there’s a need to change directions in a hurry. In addition to better management of the handling, setting wheels wider and stuffing them further into the corners also creates a roomier interior.
Externally, even to the gimlet-eyed, the 2000 LeSabre that goes on sale this week is unchanged from the 1999 LeSabre. Or even the 1995 LeSabre. Same slopes and curves. Same wheels and styling lines around the waist. For the radicals among us, the roof line has a rounder bulge over the rear seats, and the LeSabre’s barred grille has shrunk to ovoid. Prices haven’t changed: A LeSabre Custom will cost $23,505, including destination charges, while the heavier-loaded Limited starts at $27,310.
Inside, mostly invisible, much has changed. Side air bags are now standard equipment, as are four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes. Rain-sensing windshield wipers, a 12-disc CD changer, up to three auxiliary power outlets and remote, key-less entry are also new to the vehicle.
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That venerable, near-antique engine--a cast-iron staple made quieter and smoother for 2000 by the addition of a crankshaft damper, a high-volume exhaust system and stiffer engine mounting--does a capable job of hauling people, their baggage and almost 2 tons of metal and mechanicals around town.
What it doesn’t do is tickle the passions.
We’re not begging for a clammy-palmed potential that turns every trip to the pharmacy into a Speedvision moment. But builders of other big cars--noticeably the Toyota Avalon, the Chrysler Concorde, even the Cadillac Seville STS--make sedans with a little spit and vinegar for those who might be getting on but certainly are not dead.
“Capable,” “classic,” “comfortable” are fine adjectives. When applied to pinstriped suits from Brooks Brothers. Other cars have an adult, unhurried presence. But time at the wheel of a Chrysler LHS doesn’t make you feel 15 years older and ready to give up martinis.
Fortunately for those who continue to see oatmeal as nothing more than a hot cereal, there is a Gran Touring package for the LeSabre. It includes 16-inch aluminum wheels, higher-rate front springs, a quicker axle ratio, tougher and fatter Firestones, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a rear anti-sway bar.
Wouldn’t you really rather have that Buick?
Paul Dean can be reached via e-mail at paul.dean@latimes.com.
