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October 7, 2009
GM talks up the LaCrosse’s “library quiet package” which consists of a plethora of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) reduction measures taken to keep the car quiet. It works: it’s probably quieter in this car at highway speeds than in a typical library.
 2010 Buick LaCrosse. Click image to enlarge |
Notably, GM brought a Lexus ES 350 to the event. The company feels that this is the LaCrosse’s closest import competitor and a benchmark in the entry-level luxury class. The Lexus is a fine car, but the Buick offered a far more involving drive: the steering and brakes were better and its handling felt more capable. The LaCrosse seating position was preferable, making you feel more like you were sitting “in” the seat, rather than “on” it. The Buick’s interior finishings were more attractive and seemed better assembled, too. To be fair, the current ES 350 is a three-year-old design, having been introduced as a 2007 model.
LaCrosse trim levels will echo those of the outgoing Allure, with an entry-level CX model, mid-range CXL (front- and all-wheel drive) and top-end CXS.
The four-cylinder will become the entry-level powerplant when it arrives later this year. Until then, the 3.0-litre CX is the starting point, and its MSRP will be $32,745, a steep increase compared to the Allure’s sub-$28,000 opening price. The CXL is worth $34,745 with front-wheel drive, and $38,245 with AWD, and the CXS is priced at $40,745.
 2010 Buick LaCrosse. Click image to enlarge |
Extras include the $895 Touring Package available on the CXS model, which bundles the variable damping suspension with 19-inch wheels. The Driver Confidence Package, which includes adaptive Xenon headlights, head up display and rear parking assist is worth for $1,915 in the CXL; the same package is less expensive in the CXS ($1,550) as that model gets rear parking assist as standard. A $1,780 Luxury Package adds heated leather seats with memory (for the driver) and an auto-dimming driver’s side rear view mirror to the CXL.
Navigation is available; in the CXL, the package comprises navigation plus a 40-GB hard drive, surround sound stereo, rearview camera, USB input and a 120V power outlet in the rear seat, for an eye-opening $4,460. The $3,465 navi package offered in the CXL, which includes just the navigation system, hard drive and rear view camera, is a better all-round value, I think, even if it is still quite pricey.
A rear-seat DVD player is $2,745 in the CXL and $1,750 in the CXS. A nifty interior ambient lighting package is available, too.
The CX comes standard with cloth seats, 17-inch steel wheels, single-zone automatic climate control and an eight-way power driver’s seat. The CXL adds a dual-zone climate system, a power front passenger seat, aluminum wheels and heated exterior mirrors with integrated turn signal repeaters and puddle lights. The CXL AWD gets 18-inch wheels as standard.
 2010 Buick LaCrosse. Click image to enlarge |
The CXS adds the 3.6-litre engine, chrome plated wheels (19-inchers are available), rear parking assist, a passive entry system, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats and a power rear sunshade.
Standard safety kit includes the expected six airbags (front, side curtain and front-seat thorax), stability and traction control, anti-lock braking with brake assist, OnStar with advanced crash notification and side blind zone alert (which will be available in November of this year).
On the whole, this car’s ride and handling are so good that its performance could attract younger drivers who would have been bored to tears behind the wheel of any Buick that came before. To cop an old slogan, this ain’t your grandfather’s Buick, but grandpa would probably like this one as much as he enjoys the Allure he’s got now.
If you’d asked GM to produce a car to prove it was worthy of the millions it received from the feds, the LaCrosse is exactly the kind of car you’d want: attractive, but not flashy; capable and modern, but not over-the-top, in its mechanicals; and cloaked in a traditional body style that will always find a market, even in the most tumultuous of times.
Pressure, meet grace: I think you’ll get along quite well.
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At a glance: 2010 Buick LaCrosse
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Related posts:
- Buyer's Guide: 2010 Buick Allure
- Buyer's Guide: 2010 Buick LaCrosse
- GM to rename Buick Allure in Canada
- 2010 Buick Allure new from ground up
- What’s New: 2010 Buick Allure
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