2001 Buick Century Old-fashioned comfort and practicality. By Ted West, New Car Test Drive .com

Buick Century emphasizes comfort and practicality. Bench seats provide plenty of room for six people and its V6 engine is strong but frugal. Its flavor is plain-vanilla, but its popularity as Buick's best-selling model shows that vanilla is popular with many, many folks. Its design is one you can count on. Everything is exactly where you think it should be and everything works exactly how you think it should.

Two models of the Century are available: the Custom ($19,840) and the Limited ($22,871).

The Limited is distinguished by Magnasteer variable-effort power steering, leather upholstery, cruise control, the OnStar global positioning and communications system, a driver's side-impact air bag, and other luxury equipment.

A Special Edition model comes with a blacked-out grille, black door header moldings, and body-colored fascia and side moldings heralding a long list of standard luxury equipment. Since special wheel trim is also included, the package costs $1486 on Customs with bolt-on wheel covers, $1786 on Customs with aluminum wheels, and $1680 on Limiteds.

Standard on all Century models are keyless remote entry, power locks, daytime running lights with Twilight Sentinel automatic light control, anti-lock brakes, traction control, tire-inflation monitor and theft-deterrent.