Quiet and competent, the luxurious compact LeBaron sedan is quite a pleasant surprise. Handling is reasonably good and the ride is pleasing, helped by a touring-type suspension. Acceleration with the 6-cylinder engine, at least, is smooth and responsive. On the downside, early automatic transmissions downshift too sluggishly for easy passing on the highway. Brake feel and control are good, too, though the nose dives a bit in hard stops. A tauter handling suspension might be found on later models, and LeBarons had a choice of several fixed and split bench seats. On the whole, though, new LeBarons did not come with the suspension and seating choices that faced buyers of the Dodge Spirit. Chrysler promised more rear leg room than any domestic sedan in its class. Roomy interiors offer top-notch visibility. Bench seats are comfortable in the traditional mode, if not quite sufficiently supportive to suit everyone. The LeBaron's big, flat-floored trunk is easy to load.

Value for the Money
No, there's nothing startling about a 4-door LeBaron, but these are solid, capable family sedans offering entry-level luxury and a likable persona, plus a distinctive appearance. Although they lag behind Japanese rivals in overall quality, they're also cheaper secondhand.