What's new for 1999 - Statistical Data Included

Kiplinger's New Cars & Trucks, Annual, 1999 by Ed Henry

Happiness is driving a sleek, shiny, spirited convertible through sunny Southern California--from Malibu's canyon roads to Venice and on to the Palos Verdes peninsula. The ride is varied, the views are stunning, but it's increasingly difficult to persuade our colleagues back home that this is arduous duty. But it is. (Honest.)

This is my 17th year behind the wheel for Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine readers; for Margaret Ringer, the magazine's Chief car reporter, it's the first. Throughout the year, we test-drive new and redesigned cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles and small pickups. As the deadline for this issue looms, we head west for what amounts to a weeklong cram session-driving latecomers we couldn't get hold of in Washington or at manufacturers' previews. Our observations are built into a scoring system that's designed to help steer you to the best deals (see the box below and the tables beginning on page 18).

We go to California because--outside of Detroit--the South Bay section of Los Angeles is the heartland of the automobile industry, the home-away-from-home of Asian carmakers Honda, Nissan and Toyota. It is also home to a large fleet of test cars, some of them preproduction models, which are housed by companies like the Prietive Group. Access to the new models--domestic and imported--is so convenient that like the swallows to Capistrano, we return every year to look at the latest autos to hit the road.

As the 1999 models have arrived, we've been impressed that manufacturers are holding the line on prices, while striving to offer coupes that are new and exciting, sedans that are larger and more powerful, minivans that offer more doors and overall appeal, and sport utility vehicles that are increasingly adept both on and off the road.

Sporty cars

Convertibles are back. Rescued from the brink of extinction two decades ago, more than 30 models are available for 1999, including BMW's Z3, Ford's Mustang, Mazda's Miata, Mercedes-Benz's CLK 320 Cabrio, Saab's 9-3 and Volvo's C70.

The Saab 9-3 convertible, with its new grille and restyled head and tail lamps, is clearly one of the best on the market. With its quickness and taut new suspension, this car makes cruising neighborhood streets or speeding along freeways fun.

Volvo's new convertible, the C70, cries out for attention, too. Like the more expensive Mercedes-Benz CLK32O, the Volvo offers superb handling and a smooth ride that seems perfect for the scenic twists and turns of the Pacific Coast Highway. Perfect, that is, for people in the front seats; any adult who's stuck in the small rear seats is sure to be uncomfortable.

The wow quotient isn't limited to ragtops, either, as you'll quickly discover if you slip behind the wheel of any of these new hardtops: BMW's M coupe and M3, Ford's Mustang, Mercury's Cougar, Toyota's Camry Solara and Volkswagen's New Beetle, a funky car that we fell in love with when it was introduced earlier this year. Could the explosion of sexy new models have anything to do with the fact that baby-boomers are moving out of their child-rearing years?

The Mustang has been redesigned again, this time harking back even further to its original look in the '60s, sporting sharper creases and more power.

The Miata has traded in its silly flip-up headlights for round, sleek built-in head lamps and can now brag about a smoother, sportier manual gear shift. With its new 140-horsepower engine, this little car will finally shed its well deserved reputation for being underpowered.

On freeways, winding roads and bumpy streets, the South Carolina-built BMW M coupe proves to be one of the best, if not the best, handling car we've driven all year. This metal-roof version of the Z-3 roadster, reminiscent of the 1972 Volvo P1800ES sports wagon, stands out among even the exotic cars that travel the roads around Malibu. Its gears shift crisply, and its road-hugging tires reassuringly grip corners. Although fun to drive, the roadster may be too cramped for long-distance traveling.

Toyota is bringing back a coupe version of its wildly popular Camry, the Solara. Although its looks are nothing to write home about, the Solara's off-the-line acceleration will get your juices flowing, and you can count on Toyota's reputation for quality.

Another comeback car is the Mercury Cougar, dramatically redesigned as a much smaller, front-wheel drive package. It's not nearly as sprightly as the Solara, though.

Sedans

Small sedans have fallen from favor. "The outlook for this segment continues to be bleak," says a recent report by J.D. Power and Associates. All is not lost, however. Mazda has revamped its Protege with new styling both inside and out and a stiffer body to boot. And the new two-door and four-door sedans from Korean manufacturer Daewoo--the Lanos, Leganza and Nubira--are trying to win over buyers with lower prices. While Daewoo's engines are no match for the refinements of the smooth-running Honda Civics, say, the Korean cars provide more-than-adequate transportation for a low cost.