For decades, the Ninety Eight has been the top of the line at Olds-mobile - the divisional royal yacht.

But the arrival of the Olds Aurora marks the end of that status. Yacht it may still be, and with very good cruising credentials, yet it's no longer queen of the fleet. With the Aurora establishing a fresh, contemporary new direction for General Motors' old rocket division, it's clear that the current Ninety Eight belongs to Oldsmobile's past. Clearer still that major changes are in store for this big sedan.

In the meantime, though, some of the good old Ninety Eight virtues still have plenty of appeal. Like the Buick Park Avenue, which shares the same basic chassis, this is a big car with lots of room inside.

And with its hedonistic list of standard features, it's also a very good buy: a luxury car priced below the $30,000 luxury-car threshold.