American Midsize Sedan Advances & Improvements

Three Advances In The Art Of The Sedan

1. QUIET TUNING Buick's LaCrosse raises the bar in tackling interior quietness with its "Quiet Tuning" initiative. This includes a Helmholtz resonator, located on the tailpipe near the rear axle, as well as a systematic suppression of noise sources, which includes the addition of anacoustic engine cover and quiet steel in the dashboard.

2. SOPHISTICATED SHOCKS All-wheel-drive versions of the Ford Five Hundred feature rear shocks that can sense when a heavy trunk load has sagged the car's stern. In compensation, these shocks pump themselves to higher internal pressures using the road's irregularities to drive the pumping action.

3. HIGHER H-POINTS Ford has raised the height of the occupant's H-point (the position of the driver's hip joint) to provide a more commanding view of the road as well as easier entry and exit. Just the thing for a generation of drivers who've grown accustomed to SUV-level perspectives.