2003 New Car Buyer's Guide

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New cars for 2003: Stylish, powerful and sophisticated
By Bob Plunkett

A check of any calendar will confirm that multiple months remain for the year 2002, yet in the world of automobiles the year 2003 is upon us.

Car dealers in showrooms everywhere proclaim the advent of the "Class of 2003" with shiny new models containing the latest in style, power and comfort.

Many are of new design and concept with fresh features and forceful powertrains for increased performance.

Some others represent existing products that carry more assets or reveal keen styling plus more gear added to the list of standard equipment.

And as a class, all represent sophisticated concepts containing high-tech controls and advanced mechanical systems plus the latest innovations for safety.

But the arrival of the Class of 2003 does not occur at a single point in time. Introductions for new products occur throughout the year, with some new ideas -- such as the Cadillac CTS sports performance sedan -- coming to market early in the calendar year 2002, while others -- such as a convertible variation of Volkswagen's New Beetle -- not reaching North America until months into the 2003 calendar.

As automakers extend around the globe today, the quantity of cars and trucks and wagons reaching the American market amounts to a staggering collection with so many models to sort and see.

In addition to the so-called Big Three domestic manufacturers of General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler, foreign companies from Asia and Europe proliferate on America's turf, with some -- like Honda and Nissan and Toyota -- building new vehicles at factories in the American heartland.

Two pinnacle brands from Germany -- Mercedes-Benz and BMW -- have assembly plants in the United States to construct specific models.

Then, to completely blur nationalistic boundaries, domestic manufacturers build cars in other countries and import them -- as DaimlerChrysler makes versions of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chrysler PT Cruiser at a factory in Austria or Chevrolet constructs products in Canada.

Also, vehicles in the 2003 class no longer fit neatly into a few simple categories as sedans, coupes, pickup trucks or even sport-utility wagons.

While these configurations continue in many sizes, today's class also encompasses diverse new categories due to the emergence of crossover cars of multiple purposes that blend one type of vehicle with another to forge something entirely different.

Latest examples for 2003 show up with Chevrolet's SSR (Super Sport Roadster), a cross between a pickup and an open-top roadster, or Subaru's Baja that's the only car with the bed of a pickup in back.

What else is new?

Some familiar car names return but with new designs for the next generation.

Example: Acura 3.2CL coupe, BMW 745i sedan, Dodge Viper roadster, Ford Expedition wagon, Honda Accord sedan, Hyundai Tiburon coupe, Lincoln Navigator wagon and Town Car sedan, Mercedes-Benz E320 sedan and SL500 coupe, Saab 9-3 sedan, Subaru Forester wagon, Toyota Corolla sedan and 4Runner wagon.

A few new names emerge wearing dazzling new designs.

Example: BMW Z4 2.5i roadster, Cadillac CTS sedan and Escalade ESV wagon, Dodge Ram 3500 truck, Honda Pilot wagon, Infiniti M45 sedan and G35 coupe and sedan, Kia Sorento wagon, Lexus GX470 wagon, Lincoln Aviator wagon, MAZDA6 sedan, Mercury Marauder sedan, Mitsubishi Outlander wagon, Nissan 350Z coupe and Murano wagon, Pontiac Vibe wagon, Saturn Ion sedan and coupe, Suzuki Aerio sedan and wagon, Toyota Matrix wagon, Volkswagen Passat W8 sedan, and Volvo XC90 wagon.

Clever concepts appear in sport-utility wagons built on a car's chassis and packing easy-to-drive mechanical components.

Example: Acura MDX, Audi allroad 2.7T quattro, Honda Element, BMW X5, Buick Rendezvous, Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Cinco, Lexus RX300, Mercedes-Benz ML320, Pontiac Aztek, Saturn Vue, Subaru Outback, Toyota RAV-4 and Highlander, and Volvo XC70.

And there are some wild ideas in crossovers.

Example: Chevrolet SSR roadster-truck and Subaru Baja car-truck.

Then there's the outrageous -- daring designs coupled to an awesome powertrain.

Example: Chevrolet Corvette Z06 coupe, Dodge Viper roadster, Chrysler PT Turbo wagon and Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG roadster.

And there's maximum power from elite vehicles packing 12-cylinder engines.

Example: BMW 760Li sedan and Mercedes-Benz S600 sedan and CL600 coupe.

Or there's ultimate recycling, with the resurrection of an idea from the past constructed with daring new designs lifted directly from the future.

Example: Mercury Marauder sedan.

Safety becomes even more important with new systems emerging including sophisticated devices like curtain-style airbags that shield riders against side impact or rollover.

Example: Chrysler Sebring sedan, Dodge During wagon, Ford Explorer and Expedition wagons, Honda Accord sedan, Infiniti Q45 and M45 sedans, Jeep Grand Cherokee wagon, Kia Sorento wagon, Lexus LS430 and ES300 sedans, Lincoln Aviator and Navigator wagons, Nissan Pathfinder and Xterra wagons, Saab 9-3 sedan, Saturn Ion sedan and coupe, Saturn Vue wagon, Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser wagons, and Volvo S80 sedan and XC90 wagon.

And deluxe entertainment systems dot many new models.

Example: Buick Rendezvous wagon, Cadillac Escalade wagon and Escalade EXT truck, Chevrolet Silverado truck and Tahoe wagon, Chevrolet Venture minivan, Chrysler Town & Country minivan, Dodge Grand Caravan minivan, Ford F-150 truck, Ford Explorer wagon and Windstar minivan, GMC Yukon Denali wagon, Honda Odyssey minivan, Infiniti QX4 wagon, Oldsmobile Bravada wagon and Silhouette minivan, Pontiac Aztek wagon and Montana minivan, and Toyota Sequoia and Land Cruiser wagons.

Even satellite-based radio service comes to vehicles in 2003 with commercial-free programming and coast-to-coast reception.

Example: Vehicles by Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Infiniti, Jeep, Lincoln, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Volkswagen.

The following Model Review sorts out so many details about innovations, designs and revisions for the Class of 2003. Use it to compare models and powertrains and trimmings as we discover what's new and exciting among the major automotive brands currently available in the American marketplace.