2002 Buick LeSabre Review (continued)
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Walkaround

From some angles LeSabre offers styling cues that would not look out of place on a Jaguar. Yet it retains a strong Buick identity, with nicely rounded edges and plenty of attractive curves. In profile, particularly, it features a nice curvy upturn along the rear doors, leading to a high trunk. It's a nice classic touch, fitting LeSabre's position as a premium sedan.

Up front rides a distinctive Buick grille that sits well forward, where it's almost part of the bumper (a look Buick pioneered in the 1940s). The headlights are well integrated into the sweep of the fenders.

Safety is important to LeSabre's image. Dual front airbags are a given, but LeSabre has side-impact airbags for the front seats, too. Anti-lock brakes are standard.

The front seat belts are mounted to the seat frame, so they move with the seat for greater comfort. The seats boast a relatively new design that the engineers like to call a catcher's mitt." The seat back is much stiffer than usual; in an accident it holds the occupant in place while the headrest moves forward to lessen whiplash. It is especially effective in common low-speed, rear-end accidents, according to Buick."

Interior Features

The current LeSabre provides all the room, comfort, and practicality demanded of a full-size car today, with modern fuel efficiency and advanced safety features that have earned it a double five-star rating in U.S. government crash tests.

The LeSabre's dashboard looks fresh and modern, undulating across the width of the car in gentle, organic curves. A canopy over the instruments extends from the passenger side to the driver's door panel. This design gives the interior an open feeling and nicely integrates the door trim into the dashboard. A wide strip of faux wood trim extends along the door panels and across the center of the dash.

Round analog gauges are easy to read. At a touch of a button, the speedometer switches to kilometers per hour, which obviates the need for a second set of small kph numbers on the dial. The driver information center on the Limited features a digital readout that can display oil temperature, fuel consumption, tire pressure and other data.

A front bench seat is standard on the LeSabre, split 45/55 so the driver's side can be adjusted separately from the passenger seat. A bench seat does not usually provide as much support as a bucket seat, and the LeSabre's is no exception. Cover it in leather and you may find yourself sliding around on winding roads.

Our LeSabre Limited was equipped with the optional ($70) 45/45 separate seats and a center console with two large cupholders that spring out at the touch of a button. A large flat writing surface also flips out. It could prove useful for people who like to keep a notepad handy while on the road. But it sits at an awkward angle, and we found it difficult to use.

Wide doors allow easy access to the front and rear seats. Rear-seat passengers will find plenty of room. The current LeSabre is wider than pre-2000 models, but it still gets a bit tight with three adults in back. The rear-center armrest opens into the trunk to provide space for skis and other long objects.