2010-2011 Buick LaCrosse

[Deleted User]

Anyone know when the 4 cylinder version will be out? And don't you think the mpg will be able to match that of the Equinox (32 mpg)?

tmariner

The LaCrosse is getting good reviews. That is scary because I remember the 2002 Ford Thunderbird that earned Motor Trend Car of the Year. I think they called it a great deal at $36,000. The dealers read the Car of the Year and the reviews and promptly slapped a $10,000 "market adjustment charge" on the car. I watched those nice cars sit on the showroom floor until the end of 2003 when the dealer's wives got them as a present. And three years later it stopped production.

So, please, let's talk in code -- "pricing problems" will stand for "great value", "styling issues" will mean "big improvement", and "competitive issues" will refer some better specs compared to the Lexus. And, let's all make trips to our local Buick dealer and loudly use the code words -- then maybe, just maybe, we can keep a good car in production and out of the dealer's wife's parking spot.

Wow, that LaCrosse sure has pricing problems.

thors

I've got to say I am enjoying this discussion!! As a recent purchaser (a week and a half now) I couldn't be happier! This coming from a household with one of us (me) being the foreign car buyer, the other American all the way.

We also have an Expedition (we have a boat and b/c of the weight and size, that is what we need) that I can use for most of the aforementioned room situations, so I didn't have those kinds of considerations when buying...however, that being said..........I have a son with a huge baseball/catchers bag which is at least, if not larger, and definitely wider, than a golf club bag, so using that as my judge, unless I'm driving more than 2 of us (the poster stated 2 golf club bags so I will assume 2 bags, 2 passengers) then I could easily put down part/all the back seat to transport those 2 golf bags if needed to. Take 2 golf bags with you next time you go and try it if you're serious about buying it! If that was a necessity, I would try it!

As for a week's vacation for a family of 4 or 5....that might be a tough one unless you can pack lighter, but a long weekend you could definitely do. Also, just in my own experience, I have found some nice rolling duffle bags and they hold a lot and don't take up nearly as much room as a traditional suitcase.....that may help if packing for a week's vacation. Also just another observation, if you have kids, there's a lot of room in the back and if they have those smaller kids suitcases (my daughter still does) or maybe even some of the carry-on ones, that could fit in the car in the backseat floor area...just food for thought there....

Happy Shopping!

kplacer

Maybe Buick will come out with an accessory chrome luggage rack for the decklid like they did for the late-80s Park Avenue...

cooterbfd

".....Please. All this talk about golf clubs and cross country trips with 5 grey haired people half of whom are on FlowMax is going to ruin the image (and demographic) that Buick is trying to appeal to."

Maybe so, but the 2 I've seen sell were to me (age 40) and a 23 yr old girl bought a silver CXL

ambuono

Sometime in early summer I signed up on Buick website for news about the '10 LaCrosse. A few weeks ago I received an email stating that a special offer would be coming soon. I registered as requested but have not received any more info on the offer. Anyone else get this email? Anyone actually get the special offer?

"And to thank you for your continued interest, a special offer on LaCrosse is coming soon—just for you. To take advantage of this offer, visit our registration page, give us a few pieces of information, and then check your mail in the coming weeks."

BTW, thanks to all for the comments and reviews posted here. The LaCrosse is on my short list as I look to buy a new car soon. The trunk space and golf club comments have been helpful too as that is one of my main concerns.

kplacer

I must be an old geezer, because I cannot imagine how a 23 year old girl could afford a new CXL. Heck, I can't afford a new CXL.

cooterbfd

Well, she received a victim settlement after being hit by a drunk driver. That explains the money. What is amazing is of all the cars she could buy ( my neighbor's daughter had a similar experience, and bought an Acura TL type S)
she chose a Lacrosse.

savetheland

For those who complains about weight and trunk - in the end of year there will be Buick Regal which is shorter version of LaCross, because it is wheelbase is shorter. But the trunk is larger and it weights less and costs also less. It is essentially rebadged Opel Insignia, which is know as Buick regal in China.

[Deleted User]

I'm waiting for the Regal

kjs8

I received the same email message and signed up as well. I am interested in ordering a loaded CXS and I am wondering what the offer is. Is it a cash incentive or a free option package? Does anyone have any idea?

nebraskaguy

Ok, you are at the gas station,and you have to go to the passenger side to load up on fuel. I know wrong side,again. You have the key'"transponder",in your pocket which allows the ignition to be armed. Anyone can jump in drive the car away

I don't know about the Lacrosse, but with my Acura, once I get as far as the trunk, the ignition is no longer armed. So, if I were as far as the passenger side, no one could just get in the car and drive away. However, with my Acura where the fuel opening is on the driver's side, it might be possible for someone to jump in the car and drive away.

,but the engine will shut off when a certain distance is reached from the key. Don't know how far this is.

I don't know about the Lacrosse, but with my Acura, the engine does not shut off when a certain distance is reached from the transponder. There is simply a warning alarm. Of course, once the engine is shut off, it could not be restarted without the transponder present.

berri

Seems like a nice car. The trunk may be a bit small, but it isn't really all that big in a Camry or Accord either. Not sure whether I like all that plastic chrome though?

cooterbfd

".....I don't know about the Lacrosse, but with my Acura, once I get as far as the trunk, the ignition is no longer armed. So, if I were as far as the passenger side, no one could just get in the car and drive away."

I believe the LaCrosse is the same. I was showing a friend the car, and was standing at the passengers door and he pushed the start button and it said remote not detected.

cooterbfd

I believe the trunk is as small as it is because the rear seats are so spacious. It also has the advantage of a 60/40 split rear seatback that folds flat for more space.

IMHO, the chrome accents are just enough to look good, w/o being too flashy. But that's the "American" way when it comes to cars.

alexup

Hey Thors, Guess its been a few weeks now with your new LaCrosse...are you still enjoying it? Are there any regrets? I remember you were also looking at the VW CC.....do feel the LaCrosse was a better selection than the CC?

thors

alexup...
No - no regrets at all!! Love the car!! For me, this was definitely the better selection....my opinion is that for the $$ you get SO much more with the LaCrosse and it's definitely more upscale feeling. More room, nicer interior, better options, 5 seats, etc.....the look of the LaCrosse is sporty looking as well which was also one of the things I was looking for in a sedan......

poodog13

The VW CC is a great looking car, but way overpriced for maximum equipment. I think when I built out my equipment requirements it topped $43k. That's crazy expensive for any manufacturer's mass nameplate, and VW's have no where near the quality rankings of Buick's.

ggeeoo

I must sit it it ,I wanted 6 pass sedan with a good size trunk for my sticks and my
Scuba gear. Have you seen the Lincoln C car buick should take a lesson from
Ford ans create a true American Touring sedan that can pull a boat or trailer.

[Deleted User]

What sedan out there today is a six passenger vehicle?

gened1

I have an 06 Impala that seats 6. I think that Chevy still has an Impala trim that seats 6.

[Deleted User]

Thanks. I stand corrected. I doubt the next generation Impala will offer seating for six though. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

imidazol97

Lucerne.
DTS, I assume.

buickdawg

Actually, I was told by my local dealer that front bench seats are being phased out totally....Has something to do with the side airbags, somehow the crash reports come out better with bucket seats than the bench....Don't ask me why, this is what I was told!!

imidazol97

>seats are being phased out totally

Thank you for pointing that out. And that doesn't sound like an excuse because I can see the physics involved in having the airbags work based on lateral positioning being consistent.

I'll miss the front bench seats.

poodog13

Yes, I can see why having someone wedged between the driver and the front right passenger would have nostalgic appeal.

imidazol97

>Yes, I can see why having someone wedged between the driver and the front right passenger would have nostalgic appeal.

What does your statement mean? I don't understand.

poodog13

Sarcasm that is lost on one's audience often only confirms the author's suspicions.

gened1

when your girl could sit next to you on the front seat?? Three on the tree and a good ol knob on the wheel to turn the armstrong power steering wheel with one hand while the other hand ahh errr umm held the seat in place? - yeah that's it held the seat in place!!!
Boy am I dating myself!!

buickdawg

I personally have a '09 Lacrosse with the so called "bench" seat...It has plenty of lateral support compared to the old sofa style bench seats of yore!! My first car was a 1975 Buick Regal with a soft cushy bench with NO lateral support!! It was like sitting on your living room sofa!! My Lacrosse is NOTHING like that!! BUT, I presume the regular bucket type seats are even better for safety measures...

grokked

My wife got a promotion in September, so I decided to get her a new car (currently she drives a 2000 Chevy Venture with 155K miles). We drove at least 20 different cars before we accidentally came across the 2010 LaCrosse. She instantly decided it was what she wanted. So, on September 12th we placed a custom order for a CXL with the options we wanted.

And we are still waiting for our car! It was originally scheduled to be built the week of Oct 26th, but has now been pushed back to the week of Nov 9th.

I am worried that our inclusion of the blind-spot sensors is the reason for the delay, but the dealership is not providing any information on the reasons for the delay.

Is anyone else in the same boat? Has anyone found any current information on the blind-spot sensors?

cooterbfd

I would not doubt that that is the reason, coupled with the better than expected sales of the car. I originally wanted a CXS w/ the heads up display. That, along with the blind side sensors were a late fall addition to the lineup. I was willing to wait, as the one on the lot had a sunroof, which I didn't want (if I want sun, I'll take my Buick Wildcat convertible )

When I found out that the heads up display required the ordering of the HID headlights to the tune of $895 (the same as the sunroof), I said I'll take this one!!!!

Anyhow, I can tell you that it IS worth the wait. You guys will love it. It is a joy to drive every day. Good Luck!!!!

tunaclipper

I custom ordered a Carbon Black CXS on September 17th and it was scheduled to arrive on October 29th. It actually arrived on November 6th, 1 week later and about 7 weeks after my original order. I did not know that the blind spot sensors had not been released yet, so I was pretty disappointed when mine arrived without the blindspot sensors. I probably would have waited had I known that, since its a great feature.

I did ask the dealership if they would be added later and they are checking on it for me, but I am not optimistic.

tunaclipper

I completely agree on the advantages of special ordering. I special ordered a Carbon Black CXS with the beige interior and love the look. When I asked an owner of a competing dealership what he recommend on color schemes, he recommended a black interior with a black car which is the safe, classic look. However, you lose the Lacrosse tri-tone color scheme that looks great with the beige interior. In addition, there are two advantages of the beige over black as well, one, the beige does not show dirt on the mats as clearly as the black does and two, black tends to absorb more heat. Down here in Texas, I find a majority of black cars in Texas have the beige interior. Funny thing, when I spoke with my salesman a week after my delivery, he said they just ordered a black CXS, with black interior of course. From what I can see, most of the dealer ordered CXS models are ordered with the sunroof and touring package and not with the Xenon's and HUD. I ordered mine with HUD and love it, it's one of my favorite features. I personally think the chrome plated wheels look better with the Carbon black model, although I do like the look of the 19" wheels. I also did not order the sunroof since I never used the sunroof on my prior car, but I think that was a mistake. I did not see the oversized sunroof on the Lacrosse until after I ordered mine and it is pretty impressive. In hindsight, I would have ordered the sunroof, but am glad I did not go with the touring package. You really need to like the 19"wheels a lot, because I understand that the ride is rougher.

[Deleted User]

Larger wheels not only translate into a rougher ride, but they often cut gas mileage and acceleration times somewhat as well. Oh, what we all do for fashion.

longwait

Do you have your Lacrosse yet? And did it come with the blind-spot sensors???? I ordered my Lacrosse on September 16th and I'm still waiting for it. They are now saying it will be built the week of Nov 23.

kjs8

I too have ordered a CXS with most options in Mid October and to date Buick has not picked up or scheduled the order. Another dealer manager indicated that there is a huge shortage of sunroofs and non sunroof orders are produced first with one allocation per week going to dealers with sunroof orders. Can't believe anyone as no information or explanations are avaliable from Buick. Anyone else in this situation? Great car but can't get one.

tunaclipper

That's interesting on sunroof delays. I ordered a CXS without a sunroof and it was pretty much on time, about 7 wks total. Mine did NOT have the side blind zone alert and I was pretty disappointed by that. I see that the Buick web site now says it is available fall 2009, it used to say late summer 2009. They obviously don't understand the concept of underpromise, overdeliver.

[Deleted User]

Yes, and even with December right around the corner, no 30 mpg 4 cylinders yet either

[Deleted User]

Yes, and even with December right around the corner, no 30 mpg 4 cylinders yet either

kjs8

You may find this to be true in your area as well, but I visited two local dealer's lots this past weekend and both got about 15 new 2010 La Crosses delivered this past week and not one had a sunroof.

carnaught

Your scenario sounds like a prescription for a repeat failure for the "New GM".

cooterbfd

I got mine in August w/ a sunroof that I wasn't totally interested in, but took it anyway. :P

poodog13

I think that is a bit unfair. First, a comparitive few number of people order their cars rather than buying from inventory. Second, the vehicle is still very early in its launch and it's understandable that GM would fulfill "core" configuration inventory levels before pumping out the highest or lowest end models. Third, and by far most important, the conservative build numbers is EXACTLY what the "new GM" needs to do.

For far too many years, GM pumped out cars without regard to whether or not they were needed for sales inventory just to keep the factories running. Now they are actually being mindful of inventory requirements and ensuring that there is sales momentum before ratcheting up production. In the process, they create pent-up demand and a sense that their vehicle is an early success.

bruneau1

i drove the awd CXL the other day and here are my observations: despite the fact that it is a beautiful car, I would not buy it because the awd version with 215 lbs torque is under-powered. It was smooth, comfortable, and driven sedately, very nice. However, put the pedal down and there is not much power left and the engine screams a bit doing it. For a car with a 4200 curb weight, the 3.0 is not up to the task. Also, those on the lot were loaded up with far too many options, pushing the price toward $40,000. It's a shame they didn't make awd available with the 3.6. A big mistake for whatever reason. I bought a Taurus awd instead.

bruneau1

The Lacrosse is far too heavy for the 4 cylinder. Even the 3.0 is no hot rod.

imidazol97

>Also, those on the lot were loaded up with far too many options, pushing the price toward $40,000.

I wonder if that was not intentional based on dealer orders only of highest priced models nor of Buick shipping only higher priced models, but rather is the fact that others reacted as you and I would (and I have done in the past) and bought lower priced models which leaves highest loaded models in stock.

larrytstarr

I completely agree with bruneau1. I currently drive an 08 CTS and would be interested in the LaCrosse as a more comfortable sedan but will not buy unless they make the 3.6 available with AWD. Big mistake by GM not making this combination of engine and drivetrain available.

[Deleted User]

Oh, it is not! This is all preference, not necessity. You could drive the car for years and never encounter a situation where the bigger motor would actually be safer. I understand that lots of people like the extra oomph when they feather the pedal. When I drive fast, I enjoy ringing all that is available out of a smaller engine. The rest of the time, I'd just as soon not burn the unnecessary fuel to commute or sit in city traffic. As long as the car is quiet, full of amenities and has a modern high output 4 under the hood, I will be happy. To each his own.

carnaught

I think that is a bit unfair.

I don't think my comment was unfair. For a company who had to hold out its hands for our (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 without having to jump through a bunch of hoops only to come out short-handed. What ever happened to customer service for those who are willing and able to pay for their product?