But look closer: Along the sides of the car There is a curve at the top of the fenders and just above the door handles. And There is another distinctive crease just above the plastic cladding that covers the bottom third of the vehicle.
The cladding, which presumably protects the body from road debris and the doors from dings, is grooved, and it looks like the chrome work on some pre-war Cadillacs. Front and rear bumpers are styled right into it. In the right light, it's a neat, stylish effect.
Up front, the grille is plastic, not metal. Thump it and it feels a little tinny. Headlights and taillights wrap smoothly around the fenders to compliment the graceful styling.
If you buy this car, you should find basic maintenance a snap. The hood on our test car opened without a hitch, and the oil dipstick and reservoir were easy to reach.
Fuel fill was on the driver's side, which is our preference. When we removed the gas cap, we found a metal holder for the loose cap-a well-thought-out idea.
When we opened the front doors of our Dark Cherry Red Metallic Ninety Eight, lights came on to warn cars approaching from behind of the potential hazard. These were not mere reflectors; they were bright lights. The rear doors had red reflectors plus white lights that illuminated the doorways a bit. All were nice touches-over and above what we expected from this car.
All doors had that nice GM "clunk" sound when they closed, indicating the Ninety Eight's solid structure. The car was very easy to get in and out of. The front seats were spacious, even for a 6-footer. There was also a lot of window area.
Our radio's volume, seek and program controls were on the right side of the steering wheel; on the left side were temperature and fan controls. All controls were conveniently placed and easy to use.
As with every GM car we have tested, the cruise-control switches were on the left stalk, crammed in with the turn signals, a feature we would dislike on any car.
Seat controls were on the door, which we thought was a nice touch. The front seat was a 55/45 split bench with separate power controls, including lumbar adjustment. The console between them moved with the driver's seat, and a storage area offered ample room for cassettes and coins. It also had fold-out cupholders for 12-ounce containers-we assumed that Ninety Eight owners do not go for super-size soft drinks. Trouble was, these cupholders jiggled; we didn't trust them.
When we pulled out the ashtray, a small lid popped up to protect the dash. Next to it was a lighter, and next to that was another outlet for a portable CD player, a car vacuum or other similar accessories.
Front passengers had their own temperature controls. And if there was too much sun for them, the visors had extra flaps for blocking out glare from nearly every angle.
Although the Ninety Eight is billed as a six-passenger car, we found that having more than five people in the vehicle made things a bit cramped. There was plenty of room in the back with four. We had about three inches of extra legroom even with the front seats all the way back. And like those riding in the front, rear passengers had heater controls.
The trunk had a cargo net, but the carpet was cheap-looking. Nevertheless, it was a big trunk with enough room, we estimated, to carry four sets of golf clubs without having to stack the bags on top of each other. The spare tire was a compact with a jack stored beneath it, which means we would have had to empty the trunk in order to change a flat.
