1997 Buick Park Avenue Review (continued)
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Driving Impressions

Though it's heavy, the Aurora-Riv chassis is one of the stiffest in the entire GM warehouse, which is a plus. A stiff chassis makes easier for the suspension engineers to create ride and handling traits appropriate to a particular car's target market. It also makes it easier to keep noise out of the car, and pays long-term durability benefits.

Given this start, it was interesting to see the handling distinctions made between the basic Park Avenue and the flagship Ultra. The ride and handling traits of the standard '97 Park Avenue are all but indistinguishable from its predecessors, traits that have earned big Buick sedans a stodgy image over the years--floaty ride quality, pronounced body roll in hard cornering and vague power steering, particularly when the wheel is at or near dead center.

The responses of our Park Avenue Ultra test car, equipped with Buick's optional Y56 Gran Touring suspension package, felt much more closely related to the Riviera. The steering system, which is different from the basic Park Avenue, varies the amount of power assist as vehicle speed and/or steering wheel angle increases, providing a significantly better sense of where the front wheels are pointed in the process.

More important, the stiffer Gran Touring suspension package--which also reduces ride height--yielded much sharper responses in quick maneuvers. It's not quite as firm as the Riv, but it's far from flabby and the tradeoff in ride quality is minor.

All in all, the Ultra's en-hanced control and firmer ride lends a contemporary feel that's a pleasant step forward for Buick.

Quiet operation has always been a top priority for Buick sedans, and here too the new Park Avenues represent a step forward. Wind noise has been reduced to a mere whisper, and the all-new unitbody does a superior job of keeping road and engine noise out of the cabin.

Add roomy seats with real move-around comfort, and the going becomes positively serene. The new Park Avenues aren't quite as quiet as a Lexus LS 400, but the distinctions are academic.