The 1991 Jeep
Renegade powered
by the new engine.
O
($49,900) are niceties like
heated washer jets to keep the
spray from freezing the ins-
tant it hits a cold windshield.
The Jaguar XJ6 saloon
(British for sedan, $39,000)
has a six-cylinder engine with
unique, low-cut front and rear
styling. The XJ6 gets our vote
for the hottest Jaguar image.
Its top-of-the-line Vanden
Plas ($49,900) even boasts
woodwork of hand-inlaid
boxwood.
George Maloy of Detroit
uses his XJ6 Vanden Plas in
operating his business as a
tax specialist. "It helps the
image," he admits. "If you're
going to talk to clients about
money, you have to drive
something that exemplifies
money. I bought it for perfor-
mance, and the fact that I
don't have to worry about
styling changes every year, so
the value won't depreciate.
It's an investment."
JEEP
This four-wheel-drive battle
veteran became the first
civilian utility vehicle after
World War II. Now Chrysler
Chairman Lee Iacocca calls it
"the ultimate fun machine."
It has its own stylish mysti-
que, like GumShoes from L.L.
Bean.
The original Jeeps have
been replaced by Wranglers.
They possess more passenger
car features while retaining
the open-body profile of the
old warriors. The Jeep line-up
has been joined by Cherokees
and Wagoneers, two- and four-
door compact utility vehicles.
Out West, enthusiasts form
Jeep caravans and travel
convertible when you want to
pull off its hardtop, and it's
fun to drive." Even her yellow
Labrador dog, Polo Lauren,
loves riding in the back seat
of the Jeep.
LEXUS
Toyota introduced Lexus in
1990 to compete with top-of-
"L.
•'
'Illililllllillii
rocky trails that would tear
apart some conventional
vehicles. Yet everywhere in
the country, Jeeps drive up to
the fanciest restaurants and
parties because they're so
camp and useful that they're
IN.
Originally produced by the
former Willys-Overland, the
vehicles now are in Chrysler's
Jeep/Eagle line-up. For 1991,
they've introduced the
Renegade ($16,464), a
Wrangler with a 190--
horsepower 1-6 engine, our
ultimate Jeep image vehicle.
Judie Sherman of Bloom-
field Township bought her
Jeep Wrangler last winter. It
was the day after her Porsche
skidded on her snowy
driveway and knocked down a
white fence.
Now she drives the
Wrangler whenever the
weather is questionable. "We
went through a terrible
snowstorm on the way to the
Otsego Ski Club last winter.
Other cars were pulling off
the road, but we got through.
It's wonderful and inexpen-
sive. It's military chic. It's a
the-line luxury cars from the
U.S. and Europe. The LS 400
sedan ($38,000) has a 4.0-liter,
32-valve, 250-horsepower V8
engine.
Lexus earns superlatives
from auto writers who
evaluate its silence,
smoothness and comfort. In
1990, its first year on the
market, it ranked as the top
nameplate in J.D. Power &
Associates' Initial Quality
Study.
There's also a less-
expensive ES250 sedan
($21,300). It delivers 156
horsepower with its 2.5-liter
V6 engine. Naturally, our im-
age car vote goes to LS400.
Gail Haddad, mother of two,
likes driving her LS400. She
also likes its soft ride. Her
husband calls it the "cushy"
ride of a big American luxury
car.
"For the money, it's a
phenomenal car," says Ferris
Haddad. "It's as good as my
BMW 12-cylinder 750iL."
LINCOLN
The New Sporty Lincoln.
There's an image of stock
portfolios and trust funds at-
tached to the big Lincoln
Town Car, the Continental
and the Mark VII ($30,238),
a high-performance, luxury
sports coupe with a 5.0-liter
V8 engine and electronic air
suspension.
the
claims
Lincoln
roomiest, quietest and
smoothest-riding luxury car
is its big Town Car ($29,458)
or $34,504 for the Cartier-
designed model). It's parked
in the lots at many country
clubs and pitched by golfer
Jack Nicklaus. Golf fan Joe
Weaver, WJBK-TV2's
editorial director, drives a
Town Car.
Any Lincoln will suffice, but
our choice for the toniest im-
age is the stylish mid-size
Continental ($30,211 to
$32,120). Its sophisticated
technological features include
a computerized ride control
system and heated remote
control mirrors.
Bill Shoen, retired Ford
Motor Company speech
writer from Birmingham,
says it's a particularly comfor-
table traveling car.
Christopher Norris of Birm-
ingham likes his Continen-
tal's roominess as opposed to
his wife's sporty two-seater,
which makes him feel
cramped unless the top is
down.
MAZDA MIATA
Mr. Norris's wife with the
sporty two-seater convertible
is Detroit News columnist
Laura Berman. When the
Mazda Miata ($14,200) arriv-
ed on the scene in 1990, an
auto writer friend who was
test driving one gave her a
turn at the wheel. She had
fun breezing along with the
top down.
As they drove up Jefferson
Avenue, Ms. Berman recalls,
"People hadn't seen it before
and everybody was turning
their heads. That evening I
told my husband it was great
and he said why don't you get
one?"
The hot little two-seater
sports car was bringing up to
$25,000 soon after introduc-
tion. But Ms. Berman was
able to locate one in Sturgis,
Mich., at list price.
With its jazzy styling and
the pleasing performance of
its 1.6-liter, 16-valve, four-
cylinder engine, Miata was
Automobile
named
magazine's "Automobile of
the Year." Road & Track
chose it as one of their five
"World's Best Cars."
The innovative little car
with a removable hardtop is
"the kind of car I always
wanted," says Ms. Berman, "a
classic two-seater convertible.
It's a riot. You get into all
kinds of conversations with
people who want to know
about the car. A police officer
once pulled me over to ask
about the Miata!"
Not only that, says Ms. Ber-
man, a female friend and
Miata owner calls it "a man
magnet!" Her friend once
parked it in front of a house
in Royal Oak and drew a
crowd of neighborhood males
within 15 minutes. Residents
who never had spoken in-
troduced themselves.
Only problem, Ms. Berman
adds, is that, "It has rear
wheel drive and it's light and
skids when roads are slippery.
I can't drive it in snow."
MERCEDES BENZ
Any car sporting the cir-
cular Mercedes-Benz emblem
says its owner has it made.
The brand is owned by kings,
queens, sheiks and bankers.
A recent consumer survey
ranked it the world's most
recognized and respected
automotive brand.
The upper-class image
starts with the 190E 2.3
($28,050), known as the "baby
Benz." The image gets better
with each model in the line-
up, and peaks with the eight-
cylinder 500SL convertible
sports coupe ($89,300). (A six-
cylinder sister, 300SL, costs a
$77,500.)
We'll take the high-
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
A17