If today’s headline-grabbing trucks and sport/utilities are the Special Forces of the automotive marketplace, and sports cars are its Air Force, it’s the midsize sedans that man the trenches and ultimately win or lose the sales wars. The 1998 model year will be one of high drama in this front-line category.

Crowded at the top

Unexpectedly perhaps, the bookends provide the best frame for the epic saga of Ford Taurus: Eric Taub’s 1991 profile, Taurus: The Making of the Car That Saved Ford, shows how Ford garnered much more than mere laurels for bringing this car to market. From ’92 to ’96, the Taurus reigned supreme as the nation’s best-selling automobile. Roominess, the right price, and a solid driving feel gave Taurus the edge it needed to topple Honda Accord off the sales throne. Then, for ’96, Ford actually improved the car in all-important technical ways—but it goofed the styling so blatantly that Middle America began ignoring the car. Mary Walton’s Car: A Dream of the American Workplace, published this year, chronicles how Ford fixed what weren’t broke. Taurus’ probable slip behind Camry and maybe even Accord for ’97 should only lend confirmation to Walton’s controversial premise.

To its credit, Toyota came up with its own, more judicious redesign for ’97 that took full advantage of the Taurus’ perceived weaknesses. Conservative where Ford was avant-garde, Toyota imbued Camry with an air of luxury and status while keeping prices modest and build quality high. Substantially unchanged for ’98, Camry feels lighter than Taurus but still manages the softer ride that appeals to buyers in this class. Although Taurus mechanicals will remain basically the same for next year, Ford is responding to market pressure with minor exterior mods that not only mute the car’s extra-terrestrial appearance but also emphasize its roominess.

Honda may wind up as next year’s spoiler, however, with a completely redesigned Accord for ’98. Underneath modernized but otherwise unexceptional sheet metal, Honda’s bread-and-butter car boasts more room and power than ever before. Best of all, it wears the most agile and sophisticated suspension among these three top contenders. Engine power is comparable to Camry in both 4- and 6-cylinder iterations, but the Honda feels more spirited due to its much lighter weight. While the Taurus’ base-model, 3.0-liter V6 has about 10 more HP than either Japanese four-banger, it’s the heaviest model of the three by far; for those willing to pay the price, a 3.4-liter twin-cam V8 (pumping 235 HP) transforms the upscale Taurus SHO into a convincing pseudo-Euro.

Rising to the occasion

Ironically, two of GM’s sleepiest divisions, Buick and Oldsmobile, are sounding the loudest wake-up calls for ’98. Introduced mid-year ’97, the Buick Regal LS features the same 3800 Series II V6 found in Chevy’s Lumina LTZ and several other GM models; in its upscale GS version, an even more spirited Regal delivers 240 supercharged horsepower. Styling is fresh, even eye-catching with narrow, cat’s-eye headlamps and color-keyed accents in place of chrome. Best of all, even the hot-rod GS costs under $24-grand.

Sharing the same platform as the Regal (as well as Pontiac’s 4-door Grand Prix) is the new ’98 Oldsmobile Intrigue. Lacking a supercharger, Intrigue delivers 195 HP from the aforementioned 3800 Series II V6 and surrounds it with a roomy, well-appointed, and sensitive-handling touring sedan. The car feels like a baby Aurora, particularly with its optional Autobahn handling package. A bit less lively than the Regal GS, the $21,000 Intrigue nevertheless conveys status and comfort worthy of cars costing $10,000 more.

Chrysler, which set the midsize world on its ear in the early ’90s with its “cab-forward” LH cars (Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler Concorde, Eagle Vision) is poised to repeat the trick in ’98. The Concorde, in particular, features a stunning new exterior reminiscent of Chrysler’s eye-popping “Atlantic concept” show car. The Aston Martin-derived grille and front end won’t fool anybody, but they do suggest underhood tweaks of a decidedly sporting nature. In fact, the exterior design of the Dodge Intrepid has been updated in equally dramatic fashion, in deference, perhaps, to lighter, more powerful aluminum V6s for both this car and the Concorde. Base models will get the 2.7-liter twin-cam making 200 HP; the upscale versions feature a single-overhead-cam 3.2-liter producing 220 HP.

Troops in reserve

Nissan’s Maxima remains relatively unchanged for ’98, with the exception of side airbags as an available option. But this is a sporty and well-made car that combines taut, European-feeling handling with spirited V6 performance. Indeed, Maxima and the VW Passat are virtually alone in offering 5-speed manual transmissions, which enhance the sporting nature of these family sedans.

Another spirited, if quirky, performer is Subaru’s Legacy sedan. Especially in GT trim, the all-time, all-wheel-drive Legacy puts the emphasis on performance. Its optional 2.5-liter “boxer” (i.e., horizontally opposed) engine is one of the most spirited 4-cylinders around and makes 165 fast-revving horsepower. Handling is solid, maybe even a bit harsh for the typical suburbanite, but Subaru is proud of this byproduct of its winning tradition in Rally Car racing.

Mazda is currently the most underrated yet overburdened of the Japanese automakers, so the major redesign of its 626 midsize sedan may well mark a watershed event. Traditionally, the company is the most “Euro-centric” of the Japanese carmakers: Its interiors are tasteful and pristine, handling is taut, exterior design is uncluttered and Continental. For ’98, the 626 swells most of its proportions to compete with larger Camrys and Maximas, but engines remain the same, except for mild horsepower boosts.

For its part, Mitsubishi is digging in its heels with the Galant that enjoyed a redesign for ’97. The car still comes only with a 141-HP 4-cylinder, but it is lightweight and responsive. Interior room is at the low end for the category but far from cramped. The big attraction, however, is price, which dips down to $16,000 (base) for the low-end DE model.

Europe’s lone, genuine contender in the midsize, mid-price category—in America, at least—is potentially one of the more exciting stories for ’98. Volkswagen is introducing an all-new Passat, with parts and styling raided liberally from the more upscale Audi A4—but at prices ranging $8,000 to $10,000 less. Indeed, the optional, larger engine choice will be Audi’s jewel-like 2.8-liter V6, making 190 horsepower; the base motor is Audi’s 1.8-liter 4-cylinder minus the turbocharger found in the A4. This engine produces 125 HP. Part futurist, part retro, the Passat’s silhouette features a bulbous roofline; large, round wheel openings; and a squat, sporty stance.

After a year in which midsize sales leadership appears to have passed back to a Japanese manufacturer from one of the Big Three, 1998 should turn out to be a lively skirmish. Any number of significant models are likely to get in a few good shots at the expense of worthy adversaries.

Off the floor

Party time

Only 8,000 of their closest friends were invited to Middle Tennessee Motor Cars’ gala local debut of the new Mercedes-Benz sport/utility vehicle. The all-day Salon Show on Thursday, Sept. 18, celebrates the arrival of the long-awaited M320 All Activity Vehicle, with which Mercedes has finally entered the sport/utility fray. The ultra-sexy SLK roadster is also on hand for leering looks and test drives. Invitations have been deemed fungible for wine and hors d’oeuvres throughout the day. No doubt an open checkbook serves the same purpose.

Motor maniacs more attuned to hoi polloi than hoity-toity will likely find their way to Nashville’s inaugural European Bike Show and BBQ, Saturday, Sept. 20, at Collier Cycles, 7401 Charlotte Pike. Five bucks gets you hot bikes and live blues; make it $10, and there’s all the BBQ you can eat. Social hour begins at 4 p.m.

Trojan horsepower

Land Rover unveiled a new mini-SUV last Tuesday at Germany’s Frankfurt Auto Show. Big deal, you say. Well, apparently so if you’re among industry watchers wondering if and when the sport/utility bubble may burst. In a prepared statement, Rover (which is a business unit of BMW) has decided to “downshift into a smaller vehicle...since the sport-utility market is viewed as having reached maturity...with few prospects for growth.” The Freelander will compete with Toyota’s RAV4 and Honda’s CR-V—not to mention Mercedes’ M320. Estimated pricing for the rounder, less-truckish new Land Rover should be $30,000 or less. Most interesting of all is the company’s admission that this new sport/ute—Land Rover’s smallest yet—“is also expected to play a key role in the plans of Rover Group...to re-enter the U.S. market which it left in 1992 amid disappointing sales” of its upscale Sterling sedan.

Lexus-a-go-go

Determined to zestify its staid image as a “banker’s choice” status carmaker, Lexus has formally introduced its eye-popping GS 400 sports sedan for ’98. Appearing alongside an elaborate makeover of the sleepy-selling GS 300, the all-new 400 model features a 300-HP V8 capable of zero-to-60 in under six seconds. Equally impressive—if not more so—is the car’s No Fear, racer-boy/girl appearance, replete with trick wheels and tires, basket-handle rear spoiler, and stubby fore and aft overhangs reminiscent of European Touring Car competition machines. The GS 400’s price starts at $44,800.

Dealer news and other views are invited via e-mail to Autosuggestive@compuserve.com or by fax at 615.385-2930.