Sedan Ramblings - Reviews, comparisons and all things sedans
Two Frenchmen, Two Italians and
a Brit
...and none of them are coming over for dinner (16/04/02)
by Traian
Popescu
It might shock you to learn that North Americans are deprived of many sedans and wagons sold in Europe. Before you run out into the streets in a fit of passion and rage, remember also that there are many desirable sedans and wagons that we get and Europeans don't...Wait, never mind. The sad part about all this is that many of the cars we don't get are actually quite good. Apart from the "fastest sedans" listed on the main page, here is a quick rundown of what we're missing:
Renault Vel Satis | Lancia Thesis | Peugeot 406 | MG ZS180 | ...and the #1 sedan we're missing out on!
I'd like to say that the Vel Satis is not ugly. Unfortunately, it's ugly. Very ugly. And I don't mind. Renault has realised that directly challenging the German opposition with a conventional, three-box luxury sedan is not the answer - the boring, slow-selling Safrane perfectly attesting to this.
The Vel Satis' unusual shape and height and abundant glass surface translate into a lot of space for the passengers and an airy cabin with good outward visibility. The dash strikes a bit of a false note with its 80's sci-fi look and the trunk is too small, but those are the two main drawbacks for the whole car. A 3.5-litre Nissan V6 occupies the top of the food chain, and it produces 245 horsepower, allowing for a 8.3-second run to 62 mph and a top speed of 143 mph when coupled to the 5-speed automatic tranny. Those are good, not great, numbers, which makes the bottom-feeder 115-hp diesel engine seem quite superfluous.
Ultimately, it is the chassis, not the exterior design, which decides the Vel Satis' fate. French drivers value comfort above all, and the Vel Satis tries to reflect this without alienating drivers of German cars seeking an alternative. Everything seems easy and natural at the helm and as the speeds increase, so does the car's composure. It's a textbook grand-tourer: quiet, relaxed, rarely sporty. So it's not a BMW. What it could be is a competitor to the Buick Rendezvous, except that the Renault is more interesting, more diverse and better thought out. Why are we being left out?
Lancia's Thesis is in no hurry. In 3.0-litre V6 guise it produces 215 horsepower and 194 lb-ft of torque, but it's going nowhere really fast. Top speed is a very reasonable 146 mph, but it takes a relaxed 9.2 seconds to reach 62 mph. All of this takes little away from the Thesis' credibility as a viable competitor to the Audi S6 and Mercedes E-Class. For starters, it's different. The shape is certainly controversial, but it's so mellow that no one can truly be offended. The most interesting features are the chrome-surrounded bi-xenon diamond-shaped headlights. It takes a little while to get accustomed to them, but you will, eventually. The interior shows class, too. The cupholders and ashtray glide out from the magnesium centre console, for example, and standard kit is more than adequate (think Mercedes S-Class and you're about there).
It's the darned weight that impedes performance (about 3900lb worth), but the V6 is smooth and quiet, and, in conjunction with the 5-speed adaptive automatic transmission, it will happily rev to its 6300-rpm power peak and 7000-rpm redline. The complicated aluminium multi-arm suspension system, together with the adaptive, hydraulic Skyhook dampers, is a perfect match for the engine. The Thesis soaks up bumps and lumps of all sizes. Once the pace picks up, it is accurate, well-composed and, considering its size, even agile. Unfortunately, the Thesis may end up being too little, too late. Lancia sales are plummeting and their other offerings are uninspiring, but if the company can be turned around, this is the car for the job. And we want in on the action!
You could call the Peugeot 406 the French Ford Taurus or the French Honda Accord, if you'd like, and you'd be wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong! Well, ok, you'd be sort of right, and missing out on a great car at the same time. Because the 406 is the French Ford Taurus and the French Honda Accord...with a twist! It starts off with the 406's strict diet: tipping the scales at less than 3200lb, it is slimmer than any large, North American family sedan. With 210 horses spilling out of its 2.9-litre V6 mill, it also has a better power to weight ratio than any family sedan (only that pesky Altima does better). After about 7.6 seconds, it has outrun everything but the Nissan to 60 mph. On the open road, even the fleet footed Altima would be better off pulling out the La-Z-Boy and a bag of chips: it trails the 406's 144 mph top end by 20. I could also tell you that the 406 is rated for up to 35mpg, but that would just be showing off.
We are, after all, chez Peugeot, so a wonderfully refined ride, crisp handling and suspicious build quality are all on the menu. Otherwise, the 406 really is a basic, uncompromised, family sedan. It seats five, comes with plenty of features and can be specced all the way down to a 110-hp 2-litre diesel, if constantly goosing it is your cup of tea. If the 406 hadn't been given a premature makeover back in 1999, it would still be the prettiest family sedan, too. But you can't have everything. I'm satisfied enough simply because it's a Peugeot.
Faced with the unenviable task of turning the insipid Rover 45 into a fast, cheap, cool and sporting sedan (in other words, a decent car), MG churned out the ZS, number two on the "World's Fastest Sedans" list of nice sedans that aren't coming your way. "Fast" is taken care of by the 2.5-litre 177 horsepower V6 engine originally reserved for the heavier ZT, which gets the ZS to 60 mph in only 7.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 139 mph. Nothing short of black magic could make this car jig and amble at such a pace, deep into 200hp sports-coupe territory. With the revised suspension, upgraded springs and dampers, lower ride height, thicker anti-roll bars, larger wheels, tires and brakes, plus a quicker steering rack, the ZS becomes boatloads of fun and a worthy "sporting-sedan" on a twisting road, despite its original, 3-generations-back Civic platform.
"Cheap" comes courtesy of the 16,000 GBP base price (compare that to 21,000 for a WRX) and 30mpg fuel economy. "Cool" falls into the grey area that concerns "extreme" rear spoilers (MG's words, not mine), "look-at-me" alloy wheels (my words) and more nips and tucks than a plastic surgery victim. Figure in some decent kit and a big trunk and there is only one question left for MG to answer: Why aren't we in on the party?
If you've got a couple of kids and aren't very rich, you're unlikely to experience what it's like to own a Ferrari. Unless of course, you have a good (perhaps overactive?) imagination, and an Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon. Think of it this way: if an Alfa Romeo GTV can be considered a poor man's Ferrari, and a 156 Sportwagon the family man's GTV, then is it really such an incredible leap of logic to nominate the Sportwagon as the family man's Ferrari? Perhaps, but only because the Sportwagon is quite impractical itself.
The short rear overhang, tapered roofline and upward sloping window make the wagon even more mouth-watering than the sedan - already quite a stunning looker. The rub (isn't there always a rub?) comes with hauling efficiency: there is none. Not only is there less room in the back that in pretty much any other wagon available, but with the seats up, there is even less carrying capacity than in the sedan - quite a triumphant victory for form over function. Fortunately, no one cares.
The highest-spec Sportwagon is the 2.0-litre Twin Spark, which gives 155 horsepower. Even with its leisurely 9.2-second 0-60 mph pace and 127 mph top end, the 'wagon is an absolute hoot to drive (opt for the 156 sedan, and you'll be able to move up to a 2.5-litre V6 pushing out 192 horsepower; and 0-60 mph times around 7 seconds). It starts off in the cabin, with the leather-trimmed 3-spoke steering wheel (just 2.1 turns lock to lock, by the way), carbon-fibre-like trim, round analogue dials in the centre console and the promise of a 7000-rpm redline. Start up the engine and you are rewarded with a rasp like no other. Slide the 5-speed 'box into gear and suddenly you're Michael Schumacher on the grid at Monza. Ok, maybe that's stretching it just a bit. Nonetheless, the 156 stirs the emotions in a way only a family man's Ferrari can, and that's infinitely more important than an extra inch or two of stowage space.
Two final notes: All of the "we"s used in this article refer to people living in North America. If you do not live in North America, and feel you are being unfairly left out of this "we" family atmosphere, I send you my sincerest apologies. Also, you may be wondering why the Ford Mondeo was not included, arguably an even better car than the Peugeot 406. Simply put, it is too well known and it is not a Peugeot.
© Traian Popescu , World's Fastest Sedans (http://www.fantasycars.com/sedans/), 2002.
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