>(taxpayers & govt.) help to stay afloat, they should be doing their very best to fill orders for a car that has a degree of demand
First I think I'll throw up if I hear one more time that GM owes somebody exactly what the poster wants because they received some aid from the government. Japan gave money to their car brands too and if I understand what someone else posted it was more.
GM's job is to be lean. Not overemploying people to produce cars in a rush and then having to lay off those people at high cost in the union contract when the rate of production slows... is what they owe the American public. People wanted more cars competitive with foreign brands... isn't that what they've done for years? Raise interest in a car model by letting it be hard to get? Benefits the dealer in prices paid and keeps people thinking there was something special about those particular cars because they were hard to get therefore they must be good.
I waited for months for the 2010 LaCrosse to hit my dealership. I was locked and loaded to buy one. Then I tried putting my golf clubs and pull cart in the trunk. They would not fit without dropping the back seat, making it in effect a 2 passenger car. Thats when I bought a 2010 Enclave. I'll never run out of cargo space again. I can put 4 people and 4 golf clubs and luggage with no problem. BTW The Malibu also has a tiny trunk IMO. I have been averaging just over 20mpg in mixed driving. Not bad, not great.
The four cylinder Lacrosse. When you get it, carry some passengers, turn on the ac and head for some hills. I am sure you will enjoy ringing its neck to do the job, but it won't be fun or quiet or contribute much to longevity.
When I carry passengers, use the ac in hot conditions, and drive in hilly country, it will still perform well enough for me. I don't plan for that to be the norm, and if it were, I might look at some other combination of car and drivetrain.
I understand it is not for you. I want the choice. Untill recently, GM didn't make 4 cylinders that performed quietly and relatively powerfully. But 4s have worked very competently in the Audi A4, the Volkswagen CC, the Acura TSX, and now the Suzuki Kizashi to cite a few examples. This is not your type of car. It is mine.
Live in western PA where it is hilly as all heck, NO WAY would I buy a PORKER like the LaCrosse with a 4 cyl....Had a Buick Century once with a 4 cyl, that car couldn't climb an anthill with the AC on....I KNOW the new engines are much better, however, this car is quite heavy!!
"......I have been averaging just over 20mpg in mixed driving. Not bad, not great. "
I would say over 20 in mixed driving is great, relatively speaking (a 4600 lb, 8 passenger CUV). I hope you are positively extatic w/ the Enclave. I tried to get my wife in one, but she won't give up her Rainier :confuse:
I bought the Lacrosse in August. The next week, a golf tourney. What a STRUGGLE to get 4 bags in, but we did it (we could've taken my fathers Town & Country, but this stubborn wop wanted to show off his new bling). I think what the Lacrosse gives up in trunk space, it gives you in passenger comfort. My wife, who normally gets car sick in the back seat of a car, is quite happy in the back seat of my Lacrosse (alas, it hasn't been christened. I'm always driving it!!! I haven't decided what's better yet)
It will be interesting to see what kind of fuel economy the 4 cyl. will get in the real world. I suspect it will have to work pretty hard to move the 4000+ pound LaCrosse.
Well, the same engine propels the Equinox and Terrain. Those arent exactly fit and trim, nor are they as aerodynamic as the Lacrosse. They are rated at 32 on the highway.
The difference in weight is not as much as you might think. According to Consumer Reports, the LaCrosse 3.6 has a curb weight of 4,160 pounds, the 4 cyl. Equinox rings in at 3,945 pounds. The 4 cyl. Lacrosse will, of course, be lighter than the 3.6.
I'm in the camp the believes the DI I4 in the new LaCrosse will be adequate for many people. Some people will need, or want more power to be sure, but I'm not one of them.
Many still dismiss I4 engines as underpowered and do not even consider 4 cylinder engines as acceptable in any mid-size car. Everyone has an opinion. I4 engines have come a LONG way in terms of power and refinement.
It is a good move to offer the I4 here. It would perform well for me as I travel at lower elevations without much terrain. Speaking of Terrain - the LaCrosse's I4 is the same engine as being put in the Terrain and the vehicles are similar in weight. It will be okay for most drivers.
The AWD LaCrosse does need the 3.6 V6 available. I think it will be for 2011.
Based on demand in the marketplace and the fact that the 3.6 AWD would be available this year if not for problems with getting this powertrain combination ready for a summer 2009 launch.
I don't have have hard data from GM to support the AWD 3.6 combo will definitely be offered next year. I don't work for them anymore.
"GM could offer the 3.6 AWD combo next year" might have been a better statement. It makes sense and is already offered in Cadillac's STS & CTS but with a longitudal engine mounting.
I suspect there will be a lot of people, myself included, that would be a lot more interested in the LaCrosse if they DID offer a 3.6 AWD combo. The 3.0 engine is simply too weak, and after driving my current AWD Infiniti G35X, it will be hard to go back to FWD again, with all the torque steer etc.
Everyone keeps saying dark or light doesn't matter because you can clean leather. It's not the leather, it's the carpet and the matts. I had a Lexus ES with the tan interior and the carpets and matts after a few years looked pretty bad, even with shampooing. Black interior in my Acura TL, always looked new, just had to vacume. When I get my Lacrosse, it's the Black interior for me. What I don't get is why they just don't put dark carpet down. If they put Brown carpet it would match the Brown on top of the Dash. I have a Jaguar lease right now and it has beautiful Ivory leather, but dark grey carpet! (I know, I know, Jag to a Buick? Long story)
That is correct, the G has a rear-biased AWD system, which makes sense since non-AWD G37s are RWD. That may account for the lack of torque steer. I have not researched the LaCrosse 3.0 AWD system, but since other LaCrosses are FWD I would assume that the Buick's system is not rear-biased like the G, and might have more of a problem with torque steer.
I would still be awfully interested in an 3.6 liter AWD LaCrosse and hope GM does eventually offer it.
Agreed. I hate the black interior in my car. It is always dusty/linty looking, and the vast sea of black is not as rich looking as a combination of light and dark colors would be. Plus, it just seems hotter in the summer.
I have found that dealers tend to stock a lot of vehicles with black interiors, so I have ended up with a few. I just try to focus on the cars better points...
".....since other LaCrosses are FWD I would assume that the Buick's system is not rear-biased like the G, and might have more of a problem with torque steer. "
It is FWD biased. I launched my CXS w/and w/o the traction control engaged. W/ it, no torque steer evident, w/o, there was some, but VERY controllable. (I myself would rather deal w/ fishtails, but that's why I have the Wildcat )
I own an 2010 Lacrosse AWD fully loaded. It's one of the best cars I have purchased and overall it's excellent. However, does anyone else have a problem with visibility being obstructed by the front left pillar? I didn't notice this issue for a weeks but there are certain situations where I cannot see safely. This includes oncoming cars, pedestrians or other objects. The problem is even more prevelant at night. I may elect to return my car under the 60 day GM return policy. But the car is really great. This safety flaw is a serious issue regardless of the seating position. The pillar is wide and the rake angle combined with the extended headliner makes it very difficult to see to the left, espescially at 45 degrees. Thoughts anyone??
Yes, it is quite large, and it does restrict visibility. It does take some getting used to. I hope you don't return it. I love my CXS too much to do that (not that I had a choice, I bought mine in August). I now have 4000 miles on it. I tried sitting up as high as the seat would allow (I'm only 5'6") and it helps somewhat.
Have been looking at 2010 LaCrosse CXS models at dealers.
Has anyone noticed any issues with the quality and finishing of the leather seating surfaces, particularly on the back seats. Having looked at several units, they all had significant puckering of the leather on the seat bottoms of the rear seat. In particular on the right side around the seat belt fasteners.
Not really the kind of finishing I would expect in a $36K vehicle, but just wondered if others are seeing the same thing? Aside from that, the vehicle is quite impressive.
I've had my Red CXS with Black interior for two days now. I came from a Lexus ES350 and overall this is a far superior car. I have two complaints. The steering wheel doesn't go high enough and it's not powered. (I'm 6'2") and #2 the bluetooth features are 7 years behind every other car in this class. It doesn't read your phonebook and it doesn't even have a manual phonebook or speed dial from the nav screen. The only phonebook option is using the voicetags. This was very disappointing.
I drove an hour to get a CXS without the touring package in the color combination I wanted. I think the car rides better without touring and the painted wheels do not look good with any color except silver. I think the Chrome rims look much better because of the chrome door handles, window surrounds and strip at the bottom of the door. Most dealers are ordering the CXS with touring, but the ones that aren't are actually selling more around me because they ordered the non touring CXS's with Zenon and Heads-UP. The heads-up, by the way, is totally worth it.
The Nav screen is the best I've owned, large, bright, colorful. The keyboard, however, does not have a qwerty setting. The stereo is awesome. I downloaded 182 songs from my flash drive onto the hard drive. 6 favorite screens for presets is great.
".....The heads-up, by the way, is totally worth it."
(SIGH) I miss mine from my Park Ave Ultra. But at having to spend $895 for the Xenon Headlights just to get it (and then having to order it), I said screw it and bought the one one the lot.
Today marks 8 weeks since I ordered my loaded, less 19 inch wheels and rear seat video, CXS. White diamond / Tan interior. Buick has not picked up the order as of yet and the dealer can't tell me anything. Something is up with these cars that we or the dealers don't know about. Production or maybe quality issues? Anybody have any documented ideas on what's going on? Someone here said their car was built and still will not ship? Could it be that they have limited production capabilities in the Kansas City plant?.
Just a note to everyone regarding the 'A' pillar visibility issue. I am excercising my 60 day return option. Although the LaCrosse is an extraordinary car (mine is loaded), there remains a serious safety flaw in left sided visibility due to the large 'A' pillars and the corresponding mirror. This issue is prevalent when turning left or when looking at 45 degree oncoming traffic. I hope the refund goes through but I also hope that Buick fixes the problem for everyone else's sake. I will keep everyone posted
Oh, come on. I do hope you can return a car you don't really want, and that everyone can walk away satisfied. But it is a fact a lot of cars these days have visibility issues at the A pillar (fashion), causing you to have to move your head and eyes in ways you maybe are not used to or want to have to do...but given a moving vehicle and landscape, aren't a great imposition on most of us (i.e., a momentary "blind spot" quickly passes). It is a good thing you are not old enough to have experienced 1940s cars, if you want to talk about A pillar blind spots. Fashions change. And repeat. It is like rear visibility...it goes from fairly good to awful fashion-wise. At least now you can order a rear view camera on the worst offenders.
The very last thing to change on a design, and the most expensive thing to change mid-cycle or at any other time, is often the A-pillar. A car can sometimes almost look like a complete redesign, but the A-pillar aspect and width will be retained until it is truly a total clean sheet design. For just one example among many I could give, the 2011 Lincoln Navigator--though much changed from the 1999 model introduced in 1998--still has the same 1998 A-pillar design.
That's a common factor in many cars with roof strength needing to be kept strong. I recall some of the first complaints were with Honda Accords in 2003. However, sometimes it becomes a fixation for people while it's really just something you learn to adjust your driving techniques to compensate for. It's like cars that have rear visibility difficulties with C-pillar shape, rear window shape and vertical placement, as well as headrests blocking view to rear.
I've been quite interested in the 2010 LaCrosse for several months now. Just by coincidence I got one as a rental for my Christmas vacation. So far I really like it. I'll have it for another two weeks so I'll really get to experience it - I'll be putting about a 1,000 miles on it, many of them at 75 mph on the Nebraska interstate. I'm sure it's not tricked out like some of the more expensive models, but it should give me a good feel for the car.
No it's not that the dealer does not have allocations. He is getting confirmations on 2 non sunroof cars a week and they have been ariving at his facility. Must be something I don't understand.
I'm old enough to have owned over 30 cars and fortunate to be able buy any car in production. So I do have lot's of experience with visibility and 'A' pillars. The LaCrosse's visibility issue is a matter of personal safety. If you read enough reviews, the visibility issue stands out. Unfortunately I didn't believe the reviews and I tried for almost 6 weeks to adjust to the blind spot. Since I live in an area of winding and curved roads, the blind spot issue became more pronounced. The new 2010 GMS Terrain, which I also just purchased, also has large 'A' pillars but the side mirrors are placed in a better position relative to the driver's seating height. So there is far less of a visibility issue. Buick can easily fix this problem by lowering the side mirrors and making the mirrors smaller on the LaCrosse. As for the refund, I started the process which will take about 7-10 days. It is not as simple as GM claims.
I have not noticed any torque steer in the AWD G35, and that's with 306 horsepower.
Yes, but that is a primary RWD vehicle, meaning most of the power still goes backwards under normal driving conditions. Not so with a primary FWD vehicle equipped for AWD.
If that is all it would take to satisfy you, you ought to let Buick know. A running change like that shouldn't be too difficult, although it wouldn't do anything to improve the car you are turning back.
My dealer just told me that they are going to have a phonebook function but it wasn't ready when they released the car. It will be a software update in the spring. Hope this is true, this car has such great technology except for the bluetooth.
After having my Lacrosse CXS for a week, I still love it. Yes, it has a blind spot, but not too much worse than other cars I have had, and certainly not enough for me to want anything else. I have a long commute and the seats are comfortable. The hard drive for music is great. The nav is great, but it should have a qwerty keyboard for input instead of alpha order. It is much more responsive than I expected. People wrote that it doesn't downshift quick enough, but I haven't noticed that, it has plenty of power whenever I need it. The cooled seats actually work, had them in other cars and they did nothing. The steering is also much better than I was led to believe. Easy to steer but much less over-powered than the Lexus. I'm driving it to Vegas (from CA) tomorrow so that will be a good test and I'll get to try out the cruise control for the first time. Any questions from potential buyers, feel free to ask.
Here's my last post on this topic. GM bought the car back as they promised and gave me 100% refund. It took some time and some paperwork but GM honored their warranty. GM is good for their word on the 60 day program. After closer scrutiny, I decided on the MKS which has more visibility for my needs. Hopefully GM will have a partial cure to improve the visibility by lowering the side mirrors and making them smaller. Good luck.
Paul, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you with the Lacrosse. Fortunately, it sounds as if you had a good experience w/ GM. Best of luck with the MKS. My father would be jealous of you
I turned in my rental this afternoon. Due to the snow in Nebraska, I didn't do quite as much driving as usual, but I still put 800 miles on it. I really liked the LaCrosse. At 75-80 mph on the interstate, it was very quiet and handled very well. It had more than enough power to enter the highway and merge with 75 mph traffic - it was a 6 cylinder. I didn't notice any significant problem with blind spots that some posters have complained about.
All in all, even though this was a rental that didn't have some of the things I'd want in my own car (nav system for one), I liked it well enough to keep it very high on my list of potential replacements.
I have been considering a lacrosse for several weeks now. I'm just about to purchase but I had a few questions for any owners.
I'm looking at the CXS with nav, heads up display and sunroof.
Questions:
1) Do you feel there is enough space for storage. When I say storage, trunk space? Also what about the front compartment space, like room for quarters, sunglasses, etc... It seemed short on space and POWER ADAPTERS in the front when I test drove.
2) I want the nav because the back seems hard to see out. So the backup camera I am hoping will fix this. Comments?
3) Are you able to put in a destination in the NAV (By voice or txt) while moving? Most navs block this but I was hoping there was someway a passenger could add a address while moving.
4) Have you tried to play a DVD movie on it? Is it possible to watch while moving? I assume not, but just asking.
5) How is the bluetooth? I'm really looking forward to linking my phone to have bluetooth while I'm driving!
I heard they actually make a 2010 Buick Park Ultra that is a 6" longer because the Chinese folks often have Chauffeurs so back seat is more roomier. How about a Clean Diesel Hybrid with bench seats like the 99 Park Ultra.
Comments
First I think I'll throw up if I hear one more time that GM owes somebody exactly what the poster wants because they received some aid from the government. Japan gave money to their car brands too and if I understand what someone else posted it was more.
GM's job is to be lean. Not overemploying people to produce cars in a rush and then having to lay off those people at high cost in the union contract when the rate of production slows... is what they owe the American public. People wanted more cars competitive with foreign brands... isn't that what they've done for years? Raise interest in a car model by letting it be hard to get? Benefits the dealer in prices paid and keeps people thinking there was something special about those particular cars because they were hard to get therefore they must be good.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Thats when I bought a 2010 Enclave. I'll never run out of cargo space again. I can put 4 people and 4 golf clubs and luggage with no problem. BTW The Malibu also has a tiny trunk IMO. I have been averaging just over 20mpg in mixed driving. Not bad, not great.
I understand it is not for you. I want the choice. Untill recently, GM didn't make 4 cylinders that performed quietly and relatively powerfully. But 4s have worked very competently in the Audi A4, the Volkswagen CC, the Acura TSX, and now the Suzuki Kizashi to cite a few examples. This is not your type of car. It is mine.
I would say over 20 in mixed driving is great, relatively speaking (a 4600 lb, 8 passenger CUV). I hope you are positively extatic w/ the Enclave. I tried to get my wife in one, but she won't give up her Rainier :confuse:
I bought the Lacrosse in August. The next week, a golf tourney. What a STRUGGLE to get 4 bags in, but we did it (we could've taken my fathers Town & Country, but this stubborn wop wanted to show off his new bling). I think what the Lacrosse gives up in trunk space, it gives you in passenger comfort. My wife, who normally gets car sick in the back seat of a car, is quite happy in the back seat of my Lacrosse
I know,......that's just plain WRONG!!! :P
Many still dismiss I4 engines as underpowered and do not even consider 4 cylinder engines as acceptable in any mid-size car. Everyone has an opinion. I4 engines have come a LONG way in terms of power and refinement.
It is a good move to offer the I4 here. It would perform well for me as I travel at lower elevations without much terrain. Speaking of Terrain - the LaCrosse's I4 is the same engine as being put in the Terrain and the vehicles are similar in weight. It will be okay for most drivers.
The AWD LaCrosse does need the 3.6 V6 available. I think it will be for 2011.
You make this statement based on what? Thanks.
----------------------------------------
Based on demand in the marketplace and the fact that the 3.6 AWD would be available this year if not for problems with getting this powertrain combination ready for a summer 2009 launch.
I don't have have hard data from GM to support the AWD 3.6 combo will definitely be offered next year. I don't work for them anymore.
"GM could offer the 3.6 AWD combo next year" might have been a better statement. It makes sense and is already offered in Cadillac's STS & CTS but with a longitudal engine mounting.
Do you still get torque steer w/ AWD?? I've yet to really launch my CXS yet, so I guess I'll have to see how bad it is :P
I would still be awfully interested in an 3.6 liter AWD LaCrosse and hope GM does eventually offer it.
I have found that dealers tend to stock a lot of vehicles with black interiors, so I have ended up with a few. I just try to focus on the cars better points...
It is FWD biased. I launched my CXS w/and w/o the traction control engaged. W/ it, no torque steer evident, w/o, there was some, but VERY controllable. (I myself would rather deal w/ fishtails, but that's why I have the Wildcat
The pillar is wide and the rake angle combined with the extended headliner makes it very difficult to see to the left, espescially at 45 degrees. Thoughts anyone??
Has anyone noticed any issues with the quality and finishing of the leather seating surfaces, particularly on the back seats. Having looked at several units, they all had significant puckering of the leather on the seat bottoms of the rear seat. In particular on the right side around the seat belt fasteners.
Not really the kind of finishing I would expect in a $36K vehicle, but just wondered if others are seeing the same thing? Aside from that, the vehicle is quite impressive.
I drove an hour to get a CXS without the touring package in the color combination I wanted. I think the car rides better without touring and the painted wheels do not look good with any color except silver. I think the Chrome rims look much better because of the chrome door handles, window surrounds and strip at the bottom of the door. Most dealers are ordering the CXS with touring, but the ones that aren't are actually selling more around me because they ordered the non touring CXS's with Zenon and Heads-UP. The heads-up, by the way, is totally worth it.
The Nav screen is the best I've owned, large, bright, colorful. The keyboard, however, does not have a qwerty setting. The stereo is awesome. I downloaded 182 songs from my flash drive onto the hard drive. 6 favorite screens for presets is great.
(SIGH) I miss mine from my Park Ave Ultra. But at having to spend $895 for the Xenon Headlights just to get it (and then having to order it), I said screw it and bought the one one the lot.
The very last thing to change on a design, and the most expensive thing to change mid-cycle or at any other time, is often the A-pillar. A car can sometimes almost look like a complete redesign, but the A-pillar aspect and width will be retained until it is truly a total clean sheet design. For just one example among many I could give, the 2011 Lincoln Navigator--though much changed from the 1999 model introduced in 1998--still has the same 1998 A-pillar design.
That's a common factor in many cars with roof strength needing to be kept strong. I recall some of the first complaints were with Honda Accords in 2003. However, sometimes it becomes a fixation for people while it's really just something you learn to adjust your driving techniques to compensate for. It's like cars that have rear visibility difficulties with C-pillar shape, rear window shape and vertical placement, as well as headrests blocking view to rear.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Maybe the sunroof is in short supply/redesign?
Yes, but that is a primary RWD vehicle, meaning most of the power still goes backwards under normal driving conditions. Not so with a primary FWD vehicle equipped for AWD.
All in all, even though this was a rental that didn't have some of the things I'd want in my own car (nav system for one), I liked it well enough to keep it very high on my list of potential replacements.
I'm looking at the CXS with nav, heads up display and sunroof.
Questions:
1) Do you feel there is enough space for storage. When I say storage, trunk space? Also what about the front compartment space, like room for quarters, sunglasses, etc... It seemed short on space and POWER ADAPTERS in the front when I test drove.
2) I want the nav because the back seems hard to see out. So the backup camera I am hoping will fix this. Comments?
3) Are you able to put in a destination in the NAV (By voice or txt) while moving? Most navs block this but I was hoping there was someway a passenger could add a address while moving.
4) Have you tried to play a DVD movie on it? Is it possible to watch while moving? I assume not, but just asking.
5) How is the bluetooth? I'm really looking forward to linking my phone to have bluetooth while I'm driving!
Thanks so much for any further input!
the Chinese folks often have Chauffeurs so back seat is more roomier. How about a
Clean Diesel Hybrid with bench seats like the 99 Park Ultra.