![]() The transmission works nicely, allowing a sporty run to the upper revs before upshifting. The 200-horse engine has plenty of pull, growling appropriately and zipping the Lumina quickly up to highway speed. Jeez, I’m starting to sound like my junior-high guidance counselor. The LTZ is advertised as a sports sedan, which it very well could be with just a bit of extra effort. The cornering is balanced and predictable, but because of the vagaries of the suspension, it’s really hard to get into it. ![]() Konis, all around?Īgain, here’s another place where the Lumina fails to live up to potential. What a difference a really good set of shock absorbers would make on this car. The car swayed heavily in turns, and on any kind of rough surface, it bounced and heaved unpleasantly. Though a Ride and Handling package is standard on the LTZ, I found the suspension to be mushy and poorly controlled. Even the top-end LTZ tested recently failed to excite, despite its strong engine response and generally solid feel. The big problem is that Lumina drives like a budgetary compromise, getting you there in a reasonable manner but boring you to tears along the way. The big plus during its 10 years of existence has been its affordability, providing a good-size interior and plenty of creature comforts for a modest price. ![]() ![]() The overall theme is mainstream to a fault, offending no one but not enticing anyone, either. The styling is attractive, though generic. Poor Lumina, it never worked up to its potential, an automotive underachiever that could only watch as Ford Taurus, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry traded laurels year after year as bestselling automobiles. Chevrolet Lumina is headed toward the end of its road, destined to be replaced for 2000 as Chevy’s bread-and-butter family sedan by a more interesting craft bearing an old name, Impala. Lumina LTZ turned some heads with its front-end styling, aluminum wheels and paint scheme. ![]()
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