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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 1996)
manual. Also offered in GXE and the more luxurious GLE. Maxima remains a very competitive sports sedan. ALT IMA, used as a competitive benchmark by GM newcomers Malibu and Cutlass, has few ’97 changes other than a leather interior for the GXE and a Limited Edition pack age option. Power comes from a spirited 15Ohp 2.4L four. IN F IN 1 T I At last, Nissan's luxury division gives flag ship Q45 a complete makeover. 1 hey ve shortened the wheelbase by two inches, and provided more interior room in the process. Actually, the styling of the previ ous iteration still looked fresh and con temporary even seven years after its de but. At first glance, we are reminded of the angular ’83 Maserati Q uattroporte V-8 sedan, which is not a bad thing. It’s just that the appearance is now, well, more sedate. Engine displacement drops from 4.5L to 4.1 L and horsepower is reduced from 278 to 266. Performance is not compromised, however, thanks to a 204 lb. weight reduction......A word or two about Infiniti’s entry-level luxury car 130; it has the same butter-smooth 3.0L V-6 and crisp shifting 5-spd as Maxima, on which it is based. But interior noise lev els have been further reduced and seat structure has been enhanced. A cocoon like feel is the result. HONDA Changes are few at Honda for 9 , just a refinement of already great products. Top seller ACCORD still wants to take out arch-rival Taurus in the race to become America’s best-selling sedan. O ne of the best buys in its class, ACCORD is one of the few cars that we recommend without reservation or qualification. Power is still produced by a standard 130hp 2.2L four for DX and LX; a 145hp VTEC 2.2L for Special Edition and EX models. If you need more underhood urge, order the 170hp 2.7L V-6 — available in all mod els except DX. HYUNDAI This South Korean manufacturer's star is sure to rise in ’97 with its straight-from- a-sci-fi-movie TIBURON sports coupe. The swoopy TIBU RO N borrows from Hyundai’s wild HCD-I1 concept car, is aimed squarely at Probe and Celica and will beat them in price. Add to this the fact that the suspension is especially tuned by Porsche. Better get in line now. A ’97 Prices Hold Steady Shoppers for 1997 models should be happy to know, they will benefit from growing competition in the sedan and luxury car m arket. M any automakers have priced selected new 1997 models at or below 1996 cars. Several models even include more con- tent at no extra cost. Walking in the footsteps of Nikki Giovanni begins at the doors of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Host manv limes havc-vou heard it? A child vou may know savs. 1 want to be just like... " Walking in the footsteps of any of our great black minds often begins with the schools thev attended - Historically Black Colleges and I niversilies (HBCl’s). It s these schools that have empowered and gradu ated the likes of Nikki GiovanjBtaithor and poet: Andrew - Young, former I S Ambassador lo the f nited Nations and former Mas or of Atlanta. Herm an^aiu. President and CEO of Godfathers Pizza; Spike l ee. lilmmftker; and thousands ol others who understand what a significant role HBCl’s play in our community. Nissan believes that HBCl s play a crucial role in the economic, cultural and intellectual devel- opment of African American communities and the world as a whole. Thats whv everv summer Nissan sponsors the Nissan-HBCl Summer Institute to help enrich and develop HBCU faeultv. In turn, the faeultv will have better tools aftij aids to empower our children and help HBl I s provide African American students w ith a vital gatew av to opportu n ity 's academicians. scientists, doctors, financiers and busi ness people. Nissan is dedicated to taking people places. N IS S A N .Vis.««n M otor C orporation I S A . Lexus ES 300 Toyota has reduced costs substan tially on the newly redesigned 1997 Camry. The new sedan is lighter, has more interior room and includes standard features like anti-lock brakes. There will be no coupe or station wagon Camrys for ’97, but a four and six-cylinder en gine are available. The four-cylinder ver sion sells for $16,148, compared to $16,758 for last year’s base model. The new Lexus ES300 is superb. Its more powerful V-6 engine and im- proved suspension provides more road feel w ithout annoying road noise. The ES300 is the first recipi ent of Lexus’ new emphasis on safety and sports-car-like performance. The eye of Hurricane Fran had just passed through Charlottesville, VA, when we took our first drive in the new ES. The wonderful way it handled under intensely windy and rainy conditions gave us a fine impression of its improved handling and traction control. At $2,400 less than the sticker on the ’96 model, it will start at $29,900. After driving Jaguar’s all-new 199 XK8 through the mountainous regions surrounding Santa Barbara, CA, there s only one thing we can say, "move over Mercedes SL.” Jaguar’s replacement for XJS is the new class leader. Powered by its new 4.0-liter, AJ-V8 engine, and new five-speed automatic transmission, the XK8 is aimed at younger luxury sports car buyers. Priced at $69,900 for the con vertible and $64,900 for the coupe, it is well below the SLSOO’s price tag ($90,900). Ford is posting the smallest price in crease among the Big 1 hree for its 1997 models. The new Escort has 25 percent more power than the old model and prices range between $11,015-$ 12,065. It gets a new 110 horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cyl inder engine, and is more comfortable and quieter than its predecessor. Chrysler announced an average price hike of only $425 for its 1997 models. The Dodge Dakota is completely rede signed for ’97, borrowing cues from its big brother, the T300 Ram. The new Dakota comes in 4x4 and 4x2 versions with four engines to choose from: a 2.5- liter four- cylinder, a 3.9-liter V-6; or a 230 horsepower, 5.2-liter V-8. Any powertrain selection can be mated to either a four-speed or five-speed auto matic transmission. Prices range from $11,500 to $20,500. GM is raising its prices an average $424, including higher destination charges. G M ’s new Cadillac Catera is aimed at women luxury’ car buyers. It includes features that meet their needs, including the OnStar navigation system that can assist in emergency situations, help locate the nearest AT M machine and order flowers. Based on the Omega MV6, built by Opel, a GM European subsidiary, the Catera is powered by a 200 horsepower, 24-valve V-6 engine and is competitively priced at $29,995. At Rlt AN AMERICANS O N WHEELS IS
