1996 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight LSS Pleasant performance, long on value. By Paul A. Eisenstein, New Car Test Drive .com

What's happening at Oldsmobile these days? Not much. Just your everyday,

start-from-scratch renaissance.

The folks at Oldsmobile got tired of hearing the words stodgy, conservative and

out-of-date associated with their cars. So they're doing something about it. The slick

Aurora sedan is the most obvious indication of fresh thinking at the old rocket

division, but the popular Eighty Eight sedan lineup, particularly the LSS, has been

getting its share of attention as well.

Designed to appeal to a younger, less traditional set of buyers, Olds has

separated the LSS from the rest of the Eighty Eight family to the extent that the

Eighty Eight designation has been dropped from the name, though we include it with the

rest of the family here.

And if you're the type of gadget freak always interested in the newest and hottest

technology, or simply someone who can't make it to the grocery store without a map,

the Olds LSS will have even more appeal.

Even though all the Eighty Eights have been freshened up for 1996, the evolution

of the LSS doesn't show much from the outside. Its styling, though free of bright trim

pieces, is still subdued and conservative by contemporary standards. But automotive

beauty goes beyond what you can see from the outside, and the sober bodywork surrounds

a competent large front-drive sedan with an excellent powertrain.