European imports beware, Buick is back and the LaCrosse is a worthy competitor A slew of technology packed in a youthful and stylish package will give Lexus and other luxury rivals a run for their money- if buyers take the time to notice.
Not the Buick you’d expect
Lets be blunt for a moment. The outgoing LaCrosse was, for a lack of kinder words, boring. So ambiguous, dull, and utterly devoid of passion it’s surprising Buick didn’t include a pacemaker so owners could maintain a pulse whist behind the wheel of it. It’s remarkable then to ponder how for 2010 LaCrosse nameplate made its way onto a vehicle that can make your heart skip a beat, no external medical devices needed.
To compare and contrast the “old” LaCrosse with the 2010 LaCrosse in any other words would be futile. While many previous-gen LaCrosse owners already have pacemakers, the 2010 model is one all by itself. A quick walk around the outside and it’s apparent Buick’s updated style is completely at home on a sedan. Crisp lines and smooth curves; all accentuated just a tad more than you’d expect and with a flair that doesn’t show itself in still photos. You’ve got to move around the LaCrosse to get the whole story because like many of the other recent cars to come out of GM design the more you look, the more you see.
Things get even better inside.
For as stylish as the exterior on the LaCrosse is, the interior goes ten steps further. Open and spacious, you’d never get the feeling you’re behind the wheel of a mid-size sedan. From the hours we spent behind the wheel we’d even say it feels more open than the new full-size Ford Taurus. The dash has been pushed down and away from the driver leaving the center stack and controls within easy reach.
Riding on GM’s updated mid-size platform (the same that will underpin the future redesigned Saab 9-5), rear passenger room is even more impressive and for good reason. GM will sell nearly twice as many of the new LaCrosse in China, where the Buick brand has serious clout. Out east Buick expects 40% of LaCrosse buyers will choose not to drive, but to be driven around in. For that reason the 2010 LaCrosse’s platform has been stretched for more rear leg-room. Here in the states we won’t get fancy chauffeur oriented options like rear audio and ventilation controls, but we do get to keep the extra space. A dual rear mounted DVD entertainment system will also be avaliable.
Technology for Gen-Y
To further place weight behind the idea that this car represents a whole new Buick, GM is including it’s most up-to-date technology in the 2010 LaCrosse. This means a larger updated navigation/multimedia screen and system, full USB connectivity, Harman-Kardon audio, heads-up display, magnetic ride control, and heated/cooled seats. On up-level CXS models Buick has included an extremely slick fully animated color driver-information-center in the gauge cluster. The new interface is one of the best in the entire industry, perhaps besting even BMW and Audi.
The cool stuff doesn’t stop there. Should you choose the navigation and multimedia system you’ll also get an option we’ve never seen on any other car in the industry. The ability to record and rewind live radio. It’s not exactly like Tivo but from the second you tune in an AM/FM/XM station the audio system will begin to buffer the program. You can then rewind or fast forward as you like. You can’t save radio programs to the included hard-drive, but it’s a small feature that owners will undoubtedly rave about.
We’ve never been a huge fan of GM’s current multimedia system. It’s slow, buggy, and clunky- especially compared to Lincoln’s newest interface. However, this improved system fixes all of our concerns and more. Redundant control paths, from touch-screen to head-unit and even the steering wheel mean drivers can move through the interface easily and with very few steps. It’s easier to use than Lincoln’s SYNC, which heavily relies on voice commands, yet offers the same depth of control you’d find on a BMW without the tomfoolery of iDrive.
Behind the wheel
When the LaCrosse launches later this summer you’ll be able to choose from one of two direct injection V6 engines; a 3.0L delivering 255-horsepower or a 3.6L producing 280-horsepower. By the end of this year a fuel-sipping 180-horsepower 2.4L inline-4 will be introduced as the standard engine in the CX. All-wheel-drive (for the first time ever on a Buick sedan) can be optioned on CXL trim levels and can only be paired with the 3.0L V6.
Both V6 engines provide ample acceleration but neither are neck-snapping, especially the 3.0L laden with all-wheel-drive. If you’re looking for a sporty drive, Cadillac may be a better choice. We were not able to drive the 2.4L four-cylinder I4 “fuel economy” option, but from the sounds of it we do have serious concerns 182-horsepower will be excruciatingly under-powered in a car this big.
With all that said, the work GM placed in making the LaCrosse smooth, isolated, and quiet paid off big time. Twenty-percent stiffer than the outgoing model, the 2010 LaCrosse feels lively yet composed on the street. Variable effort steering is surprisingly crisp and accurate.
Our favorite combination was the 3.6L powered CXS optioned with Buick’s real-time active suspension system and equipped with 19-inch wheels. Sliding the shifter gate over on the LaCrosse to sport strangely does nothing at all to the transmission, instead stiffening the steering and suspension of the car. It’s surprisingly noticeable and changes the feel of the car for the better.
Conclusion
Sampling the 2010 LaCrosse on the winding back roads and city streets of Michigan gave us the impression that Buick is taking its reinvention extremely seriously. The styling and tech features will draw in the younger demographic GM is looking to attract but only if potential buyers take the time to see the value right in front of them. If Buick can get them in the door and behind the wheel for a test drive we think the car has the potential to be the brand’s next hit. That’s an enormously big “if”, because while the LaCrosse drives the pants off the Lexus ES350, how many import luxury buyers will really cross-shop a Buick? We’ll find out.
No comments:
Post a Comment