OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE Base prices: $22,210-$25,840. Features: Import- fighter personality, fast, stable handling, roomy. Drawbacks: Cheap plastic controls, road noise, low city fuel economy.

The Oldsmobile Intrigue is one of General Motors import-car fighters, with a slick body and European-style 3.5-liter V-6.

The front-drive Intrigue sedan arrived as an early 1998 model. It looked like the little brother of the Oldsmobile Aurora, which was a breakthrough car for Olds when introduced for 1995.

The Aurora convinced folks that Olds could make leading-edge cars. For one thing, it had a potent 250-horsepower overhead-camshaft V-8, which was a smaller version of Cadillac's world-class Northstar ...