Every year, we drive Chrysler's beautifully

engineered and thoughtfully constructed LH cars--the Dodge Intrepid, Eagle

Vision and Chrysler Concorde--and every year, we wonder aloud: are you

sure these sleekly stellar sedans were made by the same company that gave

us the stodgy K car?

As it stands, the 1993-model-year introduction of the LH platform, with

its breakthrough cab-forward design, was enough to really bail Chrysler

out--after years of being relegated to the cellar of the domestic Big Three

by its unimaginitive, plain-vanilla designs.

But on the strength of its LH cars--and the expanded luxury version,

the LHS, Chrysler has shaken off the doldrums and re-emerged as a design

leader, a position that's sure to be reinforced by the new LH cars, which

will begin filtering into showrooms this fall.

The combination of dramatic styling and on-the-road agility--and more

interior roominess than many competing cars--has wowed critics and car

buyers alike, making the LH one of America's auto-biz success stories of

the '90s.

Wisely, Chrysler continues to spread the LH wisdom around, offering

an LH entry in three of its divisions: Dodge Intrepid and Chrysler Concorde

take advantage of longtime customer loyalty to those two stalwart divisions,

while the Eagle Vision does duty as an import fighter, trying to lure more

cutting-edge, sport-minded buyers.

The Vision also serves as the testing ground for new technological advances,

like last year when it was used to introduce the AutoStick system--an automatic

transmission that can be shifted like a stick shift. The AutoStick proved

popular enough that it's now also an option on the Intrepid.

The color of our Intrepid Sport test model is dubbed Bright Platinum

Metallic--a $200 optional paint job--but looked more like light metallic

grey to our eyes. The wide front air dam, wide-set foglights and squinty

headlights give the Intrepid the look of a nocturnal predator. This is

a car that definitely looks like it's on the prowl.

Prowling for what, we wonder? Perhaps it's eager to gobble up cars like

the Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, which are territorial rivals

even though the Intrepid is actually a full-size car.

By now, every auto journalist worth his or her weight in free coffee

and Danish has thrown laurels at the feet of the Chrysler designers who

came up with the cab-forward design. But let us add to those hosannas:

In concert with the dramatically-swept windshield, the function of this

design follows its sleek form--both in terms of exterior aerodynamics and

interior space.

Adding to the Intrepid's heart-fluttering hint of bad-boy are the evocative

monochrome body cladding, the eye-catching wraparound taillights, the black-tinted

windshield trim, and black heated-mirror housings.

Trim levels include the base Intrepid and the Intrepid ES. Updates for

the '97 include bolt-on wheel covers, an optional eight-way power driver's

seat, and a new $1400 Sport option package that consists of a 3.5-liter

24-valve overhead-cam V6 engine, the AutoStick system, Sport badging, leather-wrapped

wheel and shift knob, a digital message center and the eight-way driver's

seat.

The base price of an Intrepid is $19,955, including destination. Our

tester came equipped with the Sport package. After adding the $200 metallic

paint job, $105 for a regional emissions test and the $550 destination--then

subtracting the $600 Dodge discount--the final MSRP came to $21,060.

When the Intrepid was introduced, one car-buff magazine measured the

interior space, from the base of the windshield to the base of its backlight,

and found it was 14 inches longer than a Ford Crown Vic--a vehicle that's

much larger and heavier.

Therein lies the beauty of the synergy between the cab-forward design

and the long wheelbase. There's enough back seat legroom for Dick the Bruiser

to pin the Sheik with a flying leg-scissor hold. Headroom is also copious,

while the optional 50/50 split-bench front seat increases seating capacity

from five to six--and with the Intrepid, that means six full-sized adults.

Standard equipment on the Intrepid consists of a 3.3-liter 161-hp V6

engine, four-speed automatic transmission, dual airbags, air conditioning,

tinted glass, AM/FM/cassette, rear defroster, front bucket seats, dual

vanity mirrors, body side protection, interior courtesy lamps, tilt steering

and power windows/locks/mirrors.

All switches are easy to locate and operate, and dials are smartly laid

out and well-illuminated. The sporty instruments have black-on-white graphics,

with a touch of grey shading.

The eight-way power seat provides plenty of body-position configurations

at the flip of a switch, and it reclines to near-horizontal to provide

clearance for loading large or odd-shaped objects. Interior lighting is

also generous.

And can we talk cupholders? The Intrepid sets the gold standard: the

adjustable sides can be ratcheted in and out to hold cups of various girths--and

keep them in place. We wish this design was universal.

Although the standard 3.3-liter engine would probably be sufficient

for most drivers, the optional 3.5-liter powerplant puts out an additional

53 hp--a total of 214--for those who like a little more tiger in their

tank. The extra power definitely makes the Intrepid more fun to drive--this

is a sporty sedan, after all--and provides added muscle for must-pass scenarios.

The 3.5-liter V6 is especially robust when matched with the AutoStick.

After dropping the shift lever into AutoStick, you're able to shift up

and down by flicking the shift lever to the left to upshift and to the

right to downshift.

It takes a bit of getting used to--especially since there's no clutch

pedal to synchronize with the shift lever. But once we overcame the novelty

and newness of sans-clutch shifting, we were impressed by how much more

attuned we felt to the car's power. Of course, a five-speed manual shift

on the floor would deliver even more spritely performance, but Chrylser

doesn't offer a stick shift in its LH cars.

The 3.5-liter engine ran smoothly and quietly; at 50 mph, the tachometer

held steady at a very civilized 1500 rpm, meaning the engine is doing its

job without straining.

When turning into tight corners, the Intrepid's variable-assist power

steering--working in conjunction with the fully independent Touring suspension--delivered crisp, precise handling with minimal body roll. In sudden-stop situations,

the four-wheel antilock disc brakes brought the Intrepid to a safe, controlled

halt.

One caveat, however: it's beyond us how such an otherwise tightly-engineered

car can allow so much wind noise to intrude--via the front-seat windows--upon

such a joyful driving experience.

Now that the LH has been in the marketplace for more than four years,

we're somewhat torn. On the one hand, we love this car. On the other, even

though we hotly anticipate innovations--and the LH cars are headed for

a truly head-turning redesign for 1998--we almost hate to see Chrysler

tampering with such a wonderfully-crafted car.

On the other hand, with updates on the near-horizon, this is a good

time to cut an extra good deal on the current Intrepid. We find it hard

to imagine anyone being disappointed with this car.