As we noted, roominess and ease of entry/egress were top design priorities,
and the car is a bullseye on both counts. Interior space is simply vast,
a word that also applies to the trunk. And getting in and out is devoid
of the simultaneous duck-and-bend move required in some swoopier designs,
even though the door sill is a trifle higher.
Like the exterior, the interior styling rates as more contemporary.
Over resistance from old line Buick owners, interior design chief Paul
Tatseos managed to break out of the old horizontal dashboard theme that
afflicted the '96 Park Avenue.
According to Buick research, those traditional owners don't like anything
that suggests the cockpit styling of a sport sedan, but Tatseos and his
staff went ahead with a modestly curved cowl over the main instruments.
Besides a more modern appearance, this allowed a bigger speed-ometer and
tachometer, which makes them easier to scan at a glance.
Another welcome change is the general appearance of the dashboard, which
shows a strong Riviera influence with its sharp color contrasts between
secondary controls (sound and climate control systems, for example) and
the interior color schemes. You'll find more woodgrain trim than in the
Riv, but the overall look is clean and tasteful, and the wood is the real
article.
Beyond that, the sound system buttons and climate controls are close
copies of the Riv, which means they're bigger, better located and far easier
to operate when the car is in motion.
As you'd expect, the Park Avenue Ultra includes a full array of luxury
goodies--premium sound system, automatic climate control, power everything--that
make the going more pleasant. For that matter, so does the standard Park
Avenue. And safety features are up to the minute.
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.