You hop off the plane, and there’s some generic Pontiac G6 or Mitsubishi Galant waiting in the lot. Well, what we have here could be that next midsize rental, albeit a cut above what I used to get, especially when friends say it “looks nice,” and “looks like a Lexus."
What we have here is the base 2010 Buick LaCrosse; not the nifty V-6 CXL, but the 4-cylinder version with but one option. It is part of the recent renaissance at GM that has resulted in some very solid and almost (dare I say it) sexy styling from the General, no more so that this chiseled shape from the company’s oldest (1903) and very popular (in China, even) line. And even in base “rental car” trim, this isn’t your grandfather’s jellybean-shaped Buick.
Buick beauty – I’ve driven some beautiful Buicks in my time as an auto journalist – Harley Earl’s 1930s Y-Job Concept comes to mind, while the 1950s Roadmaster and Bill Mitchell’s 1965 Riviera sure rank up there. But when GM settled into its window dressing of designs to make them one or another company, Buicks ended up with bland roundness. Then came some creative collaboration between U.S. and Chinese designers, with some engineering help from Europe, and the first result was the tightly sculpting of the all-new-from-the-rubber-up LaCrosse.
The Chinese connection is obvious, since Buick has a huge market there. The design result, though, is quite cosmopolitan, starting with 17-bar grille flanked by backswept headlights over a wide-mouth lower intake, although our base model had fake side intakes where foglights should be. Sharp design lines run up the hood, classic Buick Ventiports along their inside edge, while curved lines frame them as they meet under the grill. Flat flares frame slightly smallish-looking 17-inch Michelin rubber on our car’s only option – machined 9-spoke alloy wheels. Another design line runs off the headlights rear peak and along the side, dipping before the rear fenders, then curving around the rear flare line to arch into the chrome accents atop the taillights. There is a light chrome accent on the door handles and the door sill line, while a small spoiler accents the high, short rear deck over a big tail chrome bar and Buick shield. It all rides on an elegantly long wheelbase, and I liked the sloping rear roof line, solid fit and finish and nicely-applied Quicksilver Metallic paint. But the 18-inch rubber on the CXL we tested a few months ago gives the LaCrosse a better look and stance.
*Life in LaCrosse – This two-tone gray dashboard wraps around the driver and front passenger, the darker upper and lighter lower fascias split by warm fake wood that gets a thin ice blue light line accent at night. The dash top, especially the small gauge binnacle, gets leather-like trim with stitching for a classy look, the stitched covering continuing on the doors, with a lobster claw-like grab handle/armrest design that looked good. The 140-mph speedometer and 8,000-rpm tach get glowing blue-white backlighting and needles, with a blue LCD trip computer display in between that also offers the new OnStar turn-by-turn navigation option. Smoked chrome and a buff alloy plastic further accent the gray, while ice blue light frames the center console, encircles the audio system and highlights the doors at night.
That dash center focuses on the inset 7-speaker AM-FM-XM Stereo-CD/MP3 player with decent sound, controlled off one side of the manual tilt/telescope leather-wrapped steering wheel. I like the rubberized VW-style thumbwheel controls for cruise and station/CD selection, with Bluetooth cellphone buttons. But the LCD stereo display is a bit cheap-looking, and I miss the very good 384-watt harman-kardon 11-speaker sound system on the CXL I tested earlier, which also had a handy USB/iPod port. Ours only has an MP3 audio input next to a 12-volt outlet under the sliding center armrest. Under the big center select knob are dual-zone climate controls and the oddly placed door-lock and electronic parking brake buttons. Twin cupholders aft of the gearshift were fine for cans, but taller water bottles got in the way of shifting. The glove box was OK, the door map pockets skinny even though they pivot out.
The front bucket seats offered 8-way power for the driver and two-way for the front passenger, generously shaped and comfortable, but soft and sort of Buick-of-old in support, with no lumbar. In back, very wide-opening doors allowed easy access to a huge bench seat with great head and leg room for two, even three if the center armrest is pivoted up. There’s rear air vents, with a ski pass-through and split folding rear seats to expand the huge mouse fur-trimmed trunk, although its hinges intrude a bit on storage space. Rear vision is limited by the slim fastback window, and the rear-view mirror trim piece felt cheap as it flexed when we adjusted it.
*LaCrosse locomotion - LaCrosses come in three engine flavors – our CX’s 182-hp, 2.4-liter four, the CXL’s 3-liter, 255-hp V-6, or the CXS’s 3.6-liter 280-hp V-6, with front- or all-wheel-drive. Our 5,000-mile-old 4-cylinder had to work for a living to motivate 3,948 pounds of sedan, 60-mph coming up in a sedate 10.8 seconds with clean shifts from the six-speed automatic, which can he manually shifted. Accelerating onto an expressway took pedal to the metal, and was only just adequate, while fuel mileage on regular was about 20-mpg. A CXL V-6 we tested recently did it in 8 seconds, with an average 15 mpg in mixed-use driving..
With the LaCrosse's stiff body structure and MacPherson strut front/four-link rear suspension, we found the ride on all surfaces comfortable and quiet, flowing very comfortably into corners with no drama. But the 17-inch rubber was more designed for sedate sedaning than athletic prowess, and it feels a bit soft. There was decent grip in turns and a bit of body roll, but it’s just what you would expect and not a sports sedan. Again, the CXL’s bigger rubber seemed to offer sportier handling, with more controlled body roll and a bit less understeer, helped with stability control. The power steering was accurate if a bit light, and the brakes had a precise pedal control, with minimal fade after three simulated panic stops from 60.
*LaCrosse lucre - The base CX starts at $26,245 with all above standard except for the $350 machined alloy wheels, for a total $27,345. The CXL we tested recently had a few options like a comfort package, glitzier wheels and a great sound system, so it based at $29,645 and priced out at $31,495. That’s competing with sportier imports like the VW Passat CC, Nissan Maxima and Mazda6, which cost between $29,000 and $32,000 and drive better. The new Hyundai Sonata SE, with 200-hp in-line 4, is about $28,000 with some options, and looks very nice. And a 2011 Ford Taurus SE with 263-hp four is just under $26,000, and just as roomy.
*Bottom line – The base LaCrosse has many benefits, like a great look, lots of room, a quiet ride and frugal drivetrain, and sure looks more stylish than some of its competition. But the competition’s fours are more powerful, making this just a nicely priced roadmaster for 2010.
Vehicle type - 4-door, 5-passenger mid-size domestic sedan
Base price - $26,245 ($27,345 as tested)
Engine type - DOHC, direct-injected 16-valve in-line Ecotec four
Displacement – 2.4-liter
Horsepower (net) - 182 @ 6,700 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) 172 @ 4,900 rpm
Transmission - 6-speed automatic
Wheelbase - 111.7 inches
Height - 59.2 inches
Overall length - 197 inches
Overall width - 73.1 inches
Front headroom - 38 inches
Rear headroom - 37.3 inches
Front legroom - 41.7 inches
Rear legroom - 40.5 inches
Cargo capacity - 13.3 cu. ft.
Towing capacity – up to 1,000 lbs.
Curb weight – 3,948 lbs.
Fuel capacity - 18.4 gallons
Mileage rating - 19 mpg city/30 mpg highway
Last word - Not your grandfather's Buick, but not as athletic as the V-6 version
