FIRST IMPRCSSIONS
I checked out the braking system,
traction control, and all those little
things you take for granted. This is
an impressive little car that operates
well in rain or shine.
I he Alero name, by the way,
means absolutely nothing, and has
no roots in another language. Name
aside, the Alero has a lot more style
and personality than the conservative
Cutlass.
Standard on the Alero GX and GL mod­
els is the 2.4-liter D O H C four-cylinder
that delivers a peak 150 horsepower. The
3.4-liter V6 pumping 170 horsepower is
standard on the GLS.
The car hits dealer showrooms this sum­
mer and although Oldsmobile hadnt an­
nounced pricing yet, look for the Alero to
start somewhere in the teens moving up­
ward to the low twenties for fully-loaded
models.
That s why the UAW International Union and General Motors Corporation got
together to create programs to help educate, to promote teamwork and to improve
health and safety. So that we could build better quality cars and trucks for you.
Because, working together as a team, the dedicated men and women of the
UAW-GM are up to any challenge.
—by Jacqueline Mitchell
The New 1999 Saab 9-5
Oldsmobile Alero
Saab 9-5
The Redesigned
1999 Grana Am
The best way to test a vehicle’s urban
prowess is to place it in an urban setting,
and that’s just what Pontiac did when it
chose sunny Miami Beach, Fla. as the set­
ting to launch its redesigned Grand Am.
Pontiac says, this sporty car, the most
popular selling vehicle in the Pontiac fleet,
has been a particular favorite among ur­
ban drivers.
I he first thing we noticed about the car
is its bold, snazzy look. According to
Pontiac, Grand Am buyers are stvle-con-
scious and like being noticed; the revamped
Grand Am appeals to those desires. We
liked the spirited performance of its 150-
horsepower, four-cylinder engine which
made changing lanes and passing other
motorists a breeze. The solidity and rigid-
12
You learned at an early age that things turn out better when you work together.
AFRICAN AMERIC ANS O N WHEELS
itv of the car is more German in structure,
placing the Grand Am on par with cars
built bv BMW and Mercedes.
This car comes w ell-equipped and
Pontiac boasts that “no car anywhere close
to this price range offers so many standard
features!” I he Grand Am, which is roll­
ing into dealer showrooms now, ranges
from $16,395 for the SE coupe to $19,495
for the SE2 sedan.
— by Randi Payton
The All-New 1999
Oldsmobile Alero
L ittle Rock, Ark. was the settin g
Oldsmobile chose to debut the all-new
Alero mid-priced sedan and coupe. It was
the start of deer hunting season in the roll­
ing, back woods of Little Rock, and a rainy,
chilly date to boot. Sounds like an awful
day to test a new car? Nah.
T h e Prim a Air
Museum, located in
the heart o f Tucson,
Ariz., was the launch
setting for the new
1999 Saab 9-5. The
S c a n d in a v ia n
carm aker reached
back to its roots in air­
craft engineering to
demonstrate the de­
sign and engineering
of this new model.
T he exterior styling
gives the fluid move­
m ent o f an aircraft,
while the interior feels like its cockpit.
( I he Saab 91 actually was an airplane;
the 92 was the first Saab car built in 1947.)
The museum is surrounded by tall cac­
tus and roadrunners, the latter being no
match for the asymmetric turbocharged
3.0 liter V6 engine. The base engine is a
turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder that
puts out 170 horsepower.
I he 9-5 handled with preciseness, bal­
ance and stability on the long, flat desert
roads and the narrow, winding mountain
curves.
Saab says this is the safest car ever. The
automaker is among the first to introduce
a new anti-whiplash system in its seats,
called the Saab Active Head Restraint.
Prices on 9-5 will range from about
$29,995 to $36,800, considerably lower
than the $39,130 price tag on the 9000
model it replaces.
—by Randi Payton
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