Full Vroom
Indulge your spring fever with a sporty new sedan.
Spring fever in full bloom? Spend some of that energy testing
three new sporty sedans scheduled to hit showrooms this month:
Nissan's
Maxima, the Mazda6s and Saab's new 9-3 Linear Sport. The new 2004 Maxima
($28,000) has a 260-plus horsepower, 3.5-liter, V6 engine that
produces 250 lb.-ft. of torque, with larger dimensions than its
predecessors. An innovative glass roof insert stretches from front
to back.
The Maxima boasts a bold, smoothly sculpted, racy exterior;
inside, an optional seating arrangement provides two individual
bucket seats for rear passengers. There are two trim levels: the
5-speed automatic or optional sporty, six-speed manual transmission
3.5 SE with 18-inch wheels, and the more luxurious 3.5 SL that
includes a four-speed automatic transmission with gated shifter for
better control. Both come with a heated steering wheel and heated
front seats.
The brand-new 2003 midsized Mazda6s flagship sedan runs $25,860
fully loaded. True to the maker's zoom-zoom sports car spirit,
it has 220 horsepower and 192 lb.-ft. of torque in its 3.0-liter,
V6 engine. This four-door sedan has muscular proportions and a
T-shaped instrument panel like those in the Miata and RX-7 sport
coupes. Cruise and audio controls are mounted on the steering
wheel, and, unlike most sedans in this category, the Mazda6s runs
on regular gas. A wagon is scheduled for release later this
year.
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If a European sedan is more your style, the smaller, brand-new
2003 Saab 9-3 Linear fits the bill for $25,900. Long and wide,
seating five, it nevertheless has a coupe-like profile. The
2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine pumps out 175 horsepower and 195
lb.-ft. of torque, teamed with a 5-speed manual transmission.
General Motors' OnStar telematics system is standard.
Editor and consultant Jill Amadio has been reporting on the
automotive industry for 24 years.