When you’re out shopping for a $30,000-plus automobile at Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Infiniti etc., seriously seeking luxury, handling and general sportiness, stop in at your local Cadillac dealer and sample the Catera. Now I realize Cadillac, with its visions of doddery old seniors talking to doddery old salesmen about doddery old-style monster cars, once may have been considered off the map for someone thinking sporty, it’s just not like that any more.

    Cadillacs have come down in size, and the Catera is a total departure from the Cadillac norm. This vehicle seems more likely to meet success than Cadillac's other departures, the ill-conceived Cimeron and short lived Allante. Not only that, but J.D. Powers ranks Cadillac second in overall dependability among cars sold in the U.S., and Cadillac dealers are now rated much higher in customer satisfaction, surveying higher, in fact, than Toyota dealers.

    Manufactured in Germany as General Motors Opel Omega MV6, the Catera is a European luxury car. European company executives like a luxurious, fast, good-handling car, and that’s what GM/Opel built for them. GM has made some modifications to it for the U.S. market, but under the hood there's Bosch stuff all over the place, and the little manufacturer's plates on the door jamb say it’s "Made in Germany."

    On the road, the car has a German feel. The automatic speed-sensitive steering is stiffer than I would like, the electronic level-control suspension ride is firm (I like that), and the crisp handling is most un-Cadillac-like, which, for a European like me, is fun.

    I found the most impressive feature on the road to be the brakes. The four-wheel disks quickly haul you down from any speed in a dead straight line with no tire squeal, just like your parachute opening after a long fall. The ABS system will help on slippery surfaces.

    The V6 motor, four-speed transmission and rear-wheel drive combination is very responsive. The three-liter, dual-overhead camshaft, 200-horsepower motor sounds virile and strong when pushed. At 3,800 pounds, this is a heavy car; even so, acceleration is respectable at 8.2 seconds to 60 mph.

    The interior is nice - close to Mercedes or Lexus standards and the instrument panel has good looking, clear, precise, black analog gauges. Aside from the usual power seats, windows, door locks and exterior mirrors, there are three seat/mirror memory positions, dual-zone climate control with rear seat vents and an air-conditioned glove box (to keep your owner's manual cool, of course).

    Another nice feature is a micronic air filtering system. A remote key fob controls the door locks and antitheft protection system. In the trunk, you will find a full size spare tire.

    Optional features include a three channel garage door opener transmitter for $107, a moon roof for a reasonable $995, leather seats for a not so reasonable $3,000 and heated seats for a cool $400. The optional $723 Bose radio with eight speakers produces wonderful sound and is a must. Steering wheel radio controls include station, band selection and volume. Special chromed wheels are available, as is a trunk-mounted 12-disc CD changer. Side-door-mounted air bags will be standard equipment in the 1998 model.

    The Catera warranty is 48 months or 50,000 miles. This warranty includes free roadside service, and trip interruption protection will cover food, hotel and rental car while warranty repairs are being completed.

    The base suggested retail price is $29,995. With destination charges and the options on the car I tested - moon roof, Bose radio and leather - the sticker price was just over $35,000. This is a few thousand dollars less than a comparably equipped Mercedes-Benz C280, and around the price of a Lexus ES300, an Acura 3.2TL, a BMW 328i and a Volvo 850GLT.

    This car is a serious contender in the $30,000 group, and should be looked at and test driven. It just might be the right car for you.

    Motoring since 1952, Austin Lynas has owned 54 cars, and at one time raced mini-sedans in England. An aerospace engineer and resident of Del Mar, he was instrumental in developing the anti-skid systems used in British military aircraft that preceded today’s ABS systems.