stability at high speed. Some body roll is evident during fast cornering,
but that's not the kind of use most Cateras will get.
Far more important to this class is long-distance comfort; Catera scores
high marks in this department. And does so regardless of how many people
and how much luggage it carries, due in part to standard automatic load-level
control that keeps it on an even keel at all times. Catera's four-wheel
disc brakes with standard ABS are simply outstanding, delivering short,
undramatic stops in all driving situations.
For a car that will tip the scales at two tons with driver and passenger
aboard, a 200-hp dohc 24-valve V6 can only be considered adequate. Smooth
and quiet--but with an assertive rasp when revved up--the Catera engine
is happiest when it is used in the European manner to deliver effortless
cruising. Its companion four-speed automatic transmission--the only transmission
offered--shifts easily and unobtrusively, like all GM automatics.
In town or on the open highway, Catera is in its element. The only notable
sounds generated by our test car during normal driving came from the tire
treads; wind and engine noises were well-muted. Next Page