It has often been said that the Olds- mobile Aurora is a make-or-break car for Oldsmobile, which is the weakest of General Motors' car and truck divisions. Sales have slid from more than a million cars a year in the 1980s to less than 400,000 in 1993.

The Aurora is an effort to recast the Oldsmobile of old, create a new image and attract younger affluent buyers who otherwise might buy imports. As such, it sets the tone for Oldsmobile for the rest of the decade.

The Aurora is luxurious and expensive-looking. However, it comes in with a very competitive base price of under $32,000. Only a few options are available, so you won't ever have to spend much more than that. Our test model had optional 16-in. Michelin all-season radial tires and went for $32,390.