The extras you enjoy with a luxury car

Nation's Business, Nov, 1993 by Julie Candler

As an owner of a luxury car, you can expect a divinely smooth ride, distinctive styling, an elegant interior, and first-class quality and engineering plus excellent resale value. And you will get it.

You will also enjoy dozens of technological wonders that appear as standard equipment on top-of-the-line luxury models before becoming optional equipment later on less-expensive vehicles.

The definition of a sports car is expanding to include luxury sports coupes and sports sedans. In fact, the performance of some of today's luxury automobiles could have been expected only in racing cars just a few years ago.

Top racing vehicles have technology for continually monitoring engine characteristics such as temperatures, fluid pressures, and exact fuel reading. So do some luxury automobiles. At the touch of a button on the Lincoln Mark VIII, the driver can see digital readings on the instrument panel. The message center and programmable trip computer also provide average miles per gallon so far on the current trip and the number of miles to go before the fuel runs out.

General Motors' hot new Northstar V-8, used in Cadillacs, has computers that receive input from 29 sensors and constantly read and reset ignition timing and fuel mix. Saab's Trionic engine-management system has a 32-bit microprocessor that can perform 2 million calculations per second. The innovations result in a smoother, quieter, and more-efficient engine performance.

Electronic technology is making its mark on this year's luxury cars. Some manufacturers include suspensions that can be adjusted according to the driver's preference. Others are offering road-sensing suspension, which keeps the car level when traveling on rough roads and even when negotiating sharp corners, and speed-sensitive steering, requiring less effort to turn at low speeds and more at high speeds.

Convertibles have more-rigid engineering, designed to counteract the shake and rattle associated with older models. As a result, convertibles are selling at a brisk pace despite the $3,500 to $5,000 more you can expect to pay above the price of a comparable model with a conventional roof.

Among the safety, comfort, and convenience features included in the base price of most luxury cars are driver- and passenger-side air bags, anti-lock brakes, heated seats, remote-controlled locks, theft-deterrence systems, electronic four-speed automatic transmission, and power-operated seats. Many manufacturers are also adding traction control, a system that prevents wheels from spinning during start-up on ice or other slippery surfaces.

It's often cheaper to buy a high-line luxury car with all of the extras standard than to add the same equipment, option by option, to a less-expensive model.

All of these innovations require a large expenditure, of course, and the prices for 1994 are up, particularly for Japanese models because of the escalating value of the yen. Nonetheless, many luxury-car manufacturers offer attractive lease plans with monthly payments below those for a purchased car.

Most luxury-car makers provide an 800 telephone number for 24-hour roadside assistance anywhere in the U.S. Says William R. Bruce, vice president and general manager of Nissan's Infiniti division: "We'll even bring you a new key or come change your tire."

The 10 percent luxury tax on high-value autos remains in effect, though the purchase price at which the tax is assessed rose to $82,000 under the federal budget legislation signed by President Clinton. Dealers have been required to assess the tax on the amount that a car's price exceeded $30,000. For a car priced at $35,750 for example, the luxury tax has been $575 (10 percent of $5,750), but under the new law, the luxury tax on a car of that price is $375 (10 percent of $3,750, the amount over $32,000). The higher threshold takes effect Jan. 1, 1994, unless an earlier date is approved. The budget law provides for the $32,000 threshold to be indexed annually, in increments of $2,000, based on the inflation rate.

Our report begins with luxury cars that have base prices of $35,000 or higher, and it is followed by a "near luxury" category of vehicles that sell between $25,000 and $35,000.

Only brands that have made major changes or additions for the 1994 model year are included.

Because many manufacturers had not yet determined 1994 prices, prices listed are for 1993 models unless stated otherwise.

Over $35,000

Acura Legend

A new addition to Honda's lineup of Acura Legends is a sporty, top-of-the-line GS model of the four-door sedan. It adds 30 horsepower to the 3.2-liter V-6 engine that powers other Legends. The base price for the 1993 Legend LS sedan is $36,400.

All Acura Legend models feature a new, power-tilt, telescoping steering wheel adjustment. The steering wheel automatically tilts up and out of the way of a driver exiting the car and returns to the correct position when the driver re-enters the car.

Audi

The Audi Cabriolet is a jaunty roadster from Germany Its convertible top folds into a covered storage area at the push of a button.