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Show FRIDAY, June 2, 1995 CLASSIFIEDS Page F-2 Automotive Shopping, Buying Right Grade May Defray Higher GasPrices By Sean Savage KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWS SERVICE Consumers can beatthe heat of summertime gas prices by following a few simple steps, experts say. @ Compare before you buy. Gas prices can vary tremendously from town to town and from station to station. @ Buyself-serve gasoline. It may be convenient to have an attendant pump your gas for you, but it can be costly too. Do not waste moneyon an unnecessarily high grade of gasolines. Find out what octanerating is recommended by your owner's manual, and do not buy a higher octane gasoline. Manufacturers recommend that owners of high-performancesports cars use gas with an octane rating of 93 or higher — but supreme-grade gasoline provides absolutely no advantage for most cars, Dave Van Sickle, director of automotive engineering for the American Automobile Association (AAA) “If the manufacturer recommendsa particular grade, buying a higher gradeis almostalways a waste of money,” he said. Barry Winfield, technica!director for Car and Driver magazine, said many consumers waste money because they have the mistaken impression that higher octane automatically translates to better performance. “If you have a car designed to run on lowoctane fuel, you gain absolutely nothing by buying high octane fuel. All you are doing is wasting your money,” Winfield said Bill Sinko, general sales managerat HondaCarsof Bradenton, Fla., said high octaneis of somevalue to cars with lower octane manufacturer recommendations. Using higher octane fuels is beneficial, he said, because it results in less engine carbon deposits. VanSickle disagreed. “That is simply not so, said. * carbon deposits or emi But drivers who experience knocking or pinging sounds while using the recommended octane level gasoline may be experiencing engine troubles, he said. In such cases, consumers should try switching brands of gasoline. If the sounds continue, the car should be inspected by a mechanic, he said. Ford to Display Concept Trucks The only Utah appearancethis year of the Ford Truck Concept Show was scheduled to open Thursday and continue from 10 a.m, to 6 p.m.today and Saturday at Rick Warner Truckland, 1300 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City The exhibit, mounted on a custom 1993 Ford Aeromax 120 tractor and 58-foottrailer, consists of three Ford conceptvehicles. It is designed to show the potential of Ford pickups for sport and personaluse. The concept vehicles, two Rangers and a Bronco, represent compactand full-size, street and off-road Ford trucks. Each truck hes been customized to represent the latest ideas and concepts of Ford engineers. A number of Warner Truckland’s customizedtrucksalso will be on display. ByAl Haas KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWS SERVICE Chrysler bills its new Sebring modelas a “luxury sport coupe.” But as everyone knows, you do not get a luxury car for $15,434 What youdo get with the Sebr- ing is a stylish, nicely equipped, affordable coupe with a sense of fun — and a surprising amountof room. It is that spaciousness that brings us to the real mission of this car: To appeal to an affluent young buyer who would like to cling to the sport coupe’s imagery but now needs more room than that species usually provides. The Sebring,likeits not-so-distant cousin, the Dodge Avenger, certainly supplies more space than your average sport coupe Thanksto its cab-forward design, this compact automobile boasts a nearly midsize EPA volume index of 104.2 cubic feet. That number translates into an interior where four lifesize adults can be comfortable. Where there is enough room forthe wide, sloping shoulders of Uncle Troglodyte. Where the backseat passengers do not tickle their noses with their knees. Named for the famous 24-hour Florida race, the Sebringis identical, mechanically and structurally, to the Dodge Avenger.Itis differentiated from the Dodge byits exterior and interior styling, its larger dose of standard equipment, and its steeperpricetag. “Steep” is a relative term, of course. The LX model I tested was inexpensive by sport-coupe standards and generouslyfitted out. The $15,434 base price included dual air bags, antilock brakes, speed-sensitive power steering, a rear-windowdefroster, air conditioning, tilt steering and stereo. Even with a battery of eptions that included power windows, power doors, poweroutside mirrors, speed control and an upgraded stereo with cassette and CD player,the test car weighedin Chrysler's cab-forward design contributes to the Sebring coupe’s spacious interior. A peppy 140-horsepower,4-cylinder engine is standard, while a 155-horsepower V-6 is optional. at areasonable $17,660, including shipping. The Sebring, like the Avenger, shares its basic platform engineering with the Mitsubishi Galant. It is available with one of two engines: the 140-horsepower version of the 2-liter four used in the Dodge and Plymouth Neon, and a Mitsubishi-built 2.5-liter V-6 that develops 155 horse. Thefour is standard, and the V6 is optional in the base LX model. The more upscale LXi model ($19,029) comes only with the V6. The 4-cylinder can be mated to either the standard 5-speed manual or an optional 4-speed automatic. The V-6 is available only with a 4-speed automatic. The Sebring’s 4-cylinder engine is identical to the one used in the 150-horsepower Neon Sport Coupe. But because it does not OVER 100 NEW 1995 PLYMOUTH VOYAGERS YOUR CHOICE AT FACTORYINVOICE YOU KEEP THE $1000.00 REBATE!! SPECIAL SAVINGS ON CIRRUS 519984... HUGE USED CAR SELECTION 94 94 94 95 93 Chrysler New Yorker Chrysler Convertible Chrysler Concorde Chrysler Cirrus Dodge Caravan °17,996 °14,450 817,482 $16,995 $17,394 co.) While the V-6 Sebring comes lean in fast turns, but it stays composed and feels reasonably balanced. Thepleasurable payoff for that acceptable amount of lean is a comfortable ride. The Sebring’s styling is fresh and invigorating I particularly like the hoodblisters, but. then, 1 am al vays a sucker for bumps on car bodies The design of the test car's roomyinterior was also compel- ling. It was usefully laid out and had a certainflow and grace that ! liked. The only downer was the forgettable fabricontheseats. The4-cylinder Sebring alsooffers good fuel economy. It has with a sportier suspension and EPA mileage ratings of 22 city moreaggressive tires, the 4-cylinder model is no handling slouch and 32 highway. I obtained 30 mpg in mixed driving. OVER 100 NEW 1995 PLYMOUTH NEONS 139°° MONTH LEASE 95 Dodge Caravan $19,888 5 SPEED, A/C, AM/FM, DUAL AIR BAG! 92, Dodge Stealth $19,410 MSRP $12,443; residual $7,434.44; 12,00 miles/year; paymentis plus tax, fees & sec, deposit; cap cost reduction of $18,600.00 Stock #5197; OAC 94 Dodge Spirit 89,344 94 Ford F150 $13,735 93 Ford F150 94 Ford Taurus $12,938 $13,420 91 Geo Prizm 91 Honda Accord 92 Isuzu Rodeo 90 Mazda Protege $7,320 $11,500 $16,595 56,484 92 Mercury Topaz 93 Mercury Topaz 90 Mitsibushi Montero $6,822 56,882 $9,813 DON'T MISS OUT ON HUGE SAVINGS DON’T MISS OUT ON HUGE REBATES DON'T MISS OUT ON HUGE INVENTORIES 94 Plymouth Acclaim 95 Plymouth Neon 92, Plymouth Sundance 89,344 511,804 87,250 94 Plymouth Sundance 58,995 94 Plymouth Voyager 95 Plymouth 6 Voyager 519,888 °19,480 264-3900 goes your packagetrip to Acapul- The car does exhibit a little body SALE v-6, POWER LOCKS & WINDOWS, REMOTE ENTRY, PREMIUM SOUND SYSTEM ent is plus tax, fees MSRPS18,433;residual $12,165.78; 12,000 miles/year & sec deposit; cap cost reduction of $2100.00; ST K #5014;0AC 5780 SO. STATE, MURRAY breathe as well in its Sebring setting, the enginein the test car developed only 140. Butit is still a lot of fun, especially when teamed with the manual 5-speed gearbox, as it was in the tester. The athletic little four shoots right up to the 7,000-r.p.m redline and propels the 2,816pound LX from 0 to 60 m.p.hina sprightly 8.6 seconds. The Sebring’s manual gearbox is a real smoothie. 1 can not remembera car that was easier to shift without the clutch. (I do not advise you to try that with yours If you miss a shift and clean the teeth off a coupleofgears, there YSLER-PLYMOUTH SUMMER PLU Page F-16 Sporty Chrysler Sebring Coupe Has Room,Style LARRY H. MILLER C i TION F The Salt Lake Tribune 91 Pontiac Sunbird 93 Sundance Impreza 56,850 $9,980 NEW NEW YORKERS _ °279° MONTH LEASE 3.5L V-6, TRACTION CONTROL, ALLOY WHEELS MSRP 7 224; residual $16,529.42; 12,000 miles/year; payment is netax, fees & sec deposit, cap cost reduction of $3220.90, Stock #4836; OA CREDIT PROBLEMS WE CAN HELP 264-3940 Larry H. Miller eTrae) ae aT ORE life e5 Pt South State @ 264-3900 |
