Cars for buyers who want the best - 1993 luxury cars - Special Report - Buyers Guide

Nation's Business, Nov, 1992 by Julie Candler

The car's 4.5-liter, 278-horsepower V-8 engine is powerful yet quiet. The Q45 handles like a hot, agile sports car and is available with optional Active Suspension, a computer-controlled system for better handling and a smoother ride.

Another feature on the Q45 is a self-adjusting steering wheel. Once you set the adjustment mechanism for the position you prefer, the steering wheel tilts into place automatically after you turn the ignition key. When you turn off the engine, the steering wheel pops up to ease your exit and your later re-entry.

Jaguar. Since it acquired Jaguar Cars, Inc., in 1989, Ford Motor Co. has improved the quality of these classy cars from the United Kingdom. Jaguar even reached the loth place on J.D. Power's Customer Satisfaction Index for July 1992. For 1993, a driver'sside air bag is added to the Jaguar X J6 four-door sedan ($49,750 for '93) and the Vanden Plas Sedan ($56,750 for '93). Also new is a manual-tilt steering wheel, 12-way power seat with memory, and a remote entry and alarm system.

Two sporty luxury cars--Jaguar calls them grand touring cars--are priced lower for 1993. The Jaguar XJS coupe, a four-seater, is $49,750, down from $60,500. The two-seat XJS convertible is $56,750, reduced from $67,500. The cars' V-12 engine has been replaced with a 24-valve, 4-liter, six-cylinder engine delivering 223 horsepower. It is the same engine that powers the XJ6 line.

Lexus. The Lexus LS400 four-door sedan ($44,300) set a new standard for luxury cars when it arrived in 1990, receiving the highest ranking ever recorded in Car and Driver magazine's survey of luxury-car owners. Along with the quiet, smooth performance of the LS400's 4.0-liter V-8 engine, the car provides superb ride and comfort.

The LS400 is the flagship of the new luxury division from Japan's Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. For improved road performance and feel, LS400 will have larger, 16-inch tires and aluminum-alloy wheels. Other changes include a new grille, some suspension refinements, and the availability of a voice-activated, pocket-size cellular phone that recognizes only two voices. It can be used as a portable phone.

The LS400 also has the self-adjusting steering wheel and heated seats.

Minor changes also were made to the sporty Lexus SC400 coupe ($39,400), which was named Motor Trend magazine's "Import Car of the Year" when it was launched in June 1991.

Mercedes-Benz. The top line of automobiles from the German-owned MercedesBenz of North America, Inc., has two all-new coupes for 1993. They are the 500 SEC, with a 5.0-liter V-8 engine, and the 600 SEC, with a mighty 6.0-liter V-12. They join the Mercedes S class, where prices range from $69,400 to $127,800.

There's also a new model, the 300CE Cabriolet, a midsize four-passenger convertible with a 3.2-liter, sixcylinder engine. A 600SL roadster, with the 6.0-liter V12 engine, joins the dream convertibles, the six-cylinder 300SL ($82,500) and the V-8 500SL convertibles ($97,500).

Rolls-Royce. You may purchase one of seven limited editions of the hand-built Rolls-Royce Corniche IV convertible. The seven are among 29 "coachbuilt motor cars"-- each requiring six months to build--produced to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Corniche. They will be finished in Ming blue with a cream top and magnolia interior "of the finest English hide." The very British firm announces that interior woodwork includes veneered picnic tables bearing the Rolls-Royce motif in silver inlay, plus vanity kit and cocktail cabinet.