Sitting in the lap of luxury need not be so expensive

0 Comments | Insight on the News, August 28, 1995 | by Eric Peters

A little noted but portentous development of the past decade or so is the narrowing gap between high-end luxury cars and their middle-priced brethren. In terms of luxury, build quality and overall performance, there's just not that much difference anymore between an $18,000 car and a $35,000 car -- at least, not enough to justify such a huge disparity in cost.

Take, for example, the 1995 Mitsubishi Diamante LS, one of those Japanese luxury models the Clinton administration threatened to slap with a 100 percent tariff. Its list price -- $38,621 with the extra-cost traction-control system, compact-disc player, power seats and moon roof. Standard equipment includes the 202 horsepower, 3.0 liter V-6 engine, four-speed automatic transmission and the usual assortment of power accessories.

The Diamante's performance, however, is less than one might expect. Its so-so acceleration probably is due to its ample heft. Though rated by the Environmental Protection Agency as a "compact" car, it is constructed from great slabs of steel with generous chassis bracing and structural reinforcement, which taxes the V-6's power. Nor is its transmission, which can be set for "performance" or "economy" driving, particularly precise or responsive. Finally, the Diamante's styling -- a BMW-inspired front end highlights an otherwise "corporate sedan" body -- is neither especially original nor dramatic.

In short, the Diamante is a perfectly good car, but is a four-door sedan with front-wheel drive and a middling engine worth $40,000? Sure, it has leather seats, but so does a nicely equipped Ford Taurus -- at about half the price. A Chrysler Concorde or Dodge Intrepid (with a V-6 that has a few more horsepower to boot) sell for thousands less, as does the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, the Nissan Maxima five-speed and the Mazda 929.

True, midlevel luxury cars -- the Diamante, the 5-series BMW, the Lexus ES 300, Infiniti J30 and Mercedes-Benz C280 -- offer electronic toys such as automatically dimming rearview mirrors and memory seats that are entertaining and even a little useful But about the only functional advantage cars such as the Diamante and its kin have over lesser-priced sedans is a slight edge in straight-line acceleration, top speed and cornering ability. While this is important for the enthusiast driver, it makes no sense for poeple who don't require such performance capabilities.

Besides, with a few notable exceptions, the typical $40,000 luxury sedan is easily lost in the sea a "aerodynamic" bumper cars. If what you want is to stand out in a crowd, you'll either have to spend a lot more money -- or reach back in time 30 or 40 years and find a car with real style.