LaCrosse takes Buick a big leap foward

Entrant in mid-size, large-sedan class is stylish, nicely trimmed and powerful with V6

Feb 13, 2010

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Special to the Star

When GM's Bob Lutz suggested several years ago that he wanted to target Lexus and Acura with the company's Buick division, I laughed out loud.

After all, other than some rare glimmers of hope in the form of the (insanely straight-line fast) mid- 1980s Grand National and the (less impressive) supercharged Regal sedans of the late '90s, Buick has spent the past several decades being the GM division of choice for the blue-rinse and straw-hat-on-the-parcel-shelf buyer who couldn't afford a Cadillac.

With so much time apparently spent wooing Florida-bound snowbirds with indifferent interior finishes, large-font radio displays and unimaginative styling (sexy concept vehicles notwithstanding), Buick seemed about as close to threatening Lexus as Lada was to dethroning BMW.

Ironic that several of its more recent models, such as the Century, Regal and Allure/LaCrosse – and the Oshawa plant that built them – have won numerous quality awards.

Well, Lexus shouldn't wave the white flag yet, but it should be pretty concerned, because the 2010 LaCrosse has fired a warning shot across the ES 350's bow close enough to leave a scorch mark.

This is the kind of car that Buick needs to make to be taken seriously. Stylish, nicely trimmed inside, and – at least in the top CXS version that I sampled (which starts at $40,795) – powerful and not at all a mushy barge to drive. The only things nautical about this Buick are the portholes on the upper rear edges of the hood.

I'd skip the available Touring Package, which includes 19-inch wheels and continuously adjustable damping, which I blame for making my tester's ride inappropriately harsh and noisy at times. The CXS model's standard 18-inch tires are probably plenty capable.

Even with the 19s, without the all-wheel-drive system that's strangely only optional with the smaller (255 hp) 3.0-litre V6 in CXL models, my LaCrosse had some difficulty putting all of its 3.6-litre direct-injected V6's 280 hp to the ground. Surprisingly, it's during hard straight-line acceleration where torque-steer became really noticeable, like highway merging or two-lane overtaking. No complaints about the steering's weighting or precision, though.

Buick mentions the Acura TL as a LaCrosse competitor, and their specifications are very similar, but the base LaCrosse CX and lightly optioned versions of the mid-range CXL trim compare better with the Honda Accord (which Buick also lists). This will be even more true when a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine becomes available early this year.

Of course, this means that although it's incrementally larger externally than all but the XXL Taurus, the LaCrosse will cross swords with other entrants in the hard-fought mid-to-large sedan segment, such as the Toyota Camry, Ford Taurus and Hyundai Azera/Sonata.

None of those mainstream models, not even the new Taurus, offer a cabin with such upscale-looking visual punch. GM is undergoing an interior quality renaissance (witness the latest Chevy Equinox), and the LaCrosse features soft-touch surfaces, metallic detailing and indirect ambient lighting just like you'd find in a Cadillac CTS.

Certainly there are some minor ergonomic gaffes in the secondary controls – why has everyone gone to this massive central cluster of buttons on the dash? However, none is a deal-breaker, and I quickly memorized where the button for the heated steering wheel was – it's a real boon on cold mornings.

While the rear seat compares favourably with other mid-sizers, aft of that there are issues. GM head-honcho Ed Whitacre needs to fire whoever decided to use this car's massively space-consuming trunk hinges instead of a compact external linkage like the outgoing model had. At less than 362 L, the best that can be said of the LaCrosse's trunk is that it's far more usefully shaped than the incrementally larger caboose in the Acura TL, and the Buick's rear seats do fold.

While I'm ranting, here's what else I'd suggest to Buick: deep-six the tacked-on portholes in the hood. If you're as serious about going after the Lexus crowd as this vehicle suggests you are, you need to get away from the tacky add-ons and traditional styling devices.

Make AWD standard with the bigger six. Give buyers a choice between the existing plasti-wood trim and, say, plasti-metal or something similarly contemporary – the interior looks great already. And finally, sacrifice 2 cm or so of suspension travel to get this pretty car off its stilts.

I applaud that 17-inch wheels are the base size on this car, that whitewalls are nowhere on the option list, and that all LaCrosse models include modern six-speed automatic transmissions and direct-fuel injection. Good decision to axe the "Allure" name for Canada, too.

With a base MSRP of $32,795, the LaCrosse is no economy car. For Buick to become aspirational, it couldn't be. Priced comparably to the TL and ES 350, GM has wisely left the related Chevy Malibu (and 2011 Buick Regal) to go after the lower end of this car's competitive set.

This is the first Buick I can recall driving where I didn't feel like I was borrowing my dad's car. Maybe Mr. Lutz is on to something after all.

Toronto Star