Buy/Drive/Burn: Upmarket Brand American Midsize Sedans in 1997
We’re back with more 1997 midsize sedan action in today’s edition of Buy/Drive/Burn. They’re all on the smaller end of the midsize sedan scale, all American, and crucially, all wearing semi-upmarket branding.
Chrysler Cirrus
For 1997, the Chrysler Cirrus is in its third model year, a part of the Cloud Cars that finally put an end to the K-based nonsense that went on at Chrysler for forever. The Cirrus employs either a 2.4-liter inline-four or 2.5-liter V6 (161 HP), the latter a Mitsubishi engine shared with the Galant. Available in LX and LXi trim, the V6 is an option at both trim levels. Regardless of trim, all Cirrus’ are fitted with a four-speed automatic straight from the 1989 Dodge Spirit. An LXi with leather and V6 asks about $21,700.
Mercury Mystique
Mystique is in year three of its run for 1997, a “world car” Mondeo rebadge project Ford might end up regretting in the future – we’ll see. In 1997 there are three Mystique trim levels: base, GS, and LS. Two engines are on offer, a 2.0-liter inline-four from the Zetec engine family, and a 2.5-liter Duratec V6 (170 HP). Mystique is available with a five-speed manual, but the vast majority of customers choose our pick, a four-speed automatic. Air conditioning is an optional extra on the LS, and is included in an equipment package with the 2.5 V6. The V6 Mystique stays cool inside for $19,070.
Oldsmobile Cutlass
A Malibu by any other name, the upmarket Cutlass is new for 1997 as a replacement for the ancient A-body Cutlass Ciera. Oldsmobile buyers receive the warhorse 3.1-liter V6 as standard (155 HP). All Malibus and Cutlasses use a four-speed auto from the Cavalier. Two trims satisfy the Cutlass customer, GL and GLS. Today’s GLS has all the equipment from the GL as standard and includes an optional sunroof. Yours at $19,225, and it may just be the last time you can buy a car from Oldsmobile that wears a Cutlass badge.
Three alternatively, upmarket branded sedans in 1997, all V6-equipped and around $20,000. Which gets your money?
[Images: Chrysler, Ford, GM]
Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.
More by Corey Lewis
Comments
Join the conversation
Ugh.... I guess Buy the Olds, burn the Chrysler, and drive the Mistake. I had the last of the line 2000 Contour and it was a cheap nasty affair, and the Mistique was no better. crumbly plastic, coarse NVH from the chassis, but it was a fantastic handler, and the 125hp Zetec 4 was decently peppy even with the spectacularly dimwitted and flaccid 4 speed automatic. It was just a 4 door 2 seater with me and pretty much anyone else riding in it, I'm 6'2" and there was just no room for legs in the back seat behind me. I preferred the updated design over the older Ovoid design that Ford was going for in the mid 90s. The GM N-body is cockroach quality if you do the bare minimum to maintain it. the Chryslers didn't hang around long enough to look completely tired by the time they were finally parked.
Buy and Drive: Mystique, hands down. I had a '95 Mystique, 6 cyl, 5 speed manual for 17 years. It went 368,000 miles, original engine and transmission, except for 1 clutch replacement. Nothing more than normal maintenance. Fantastic car from top to bottom. This was leather, sunroof edition, before all the de-contenting. Now I have a '13 Focus ST, 224,000 miles.