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Buick LaCrosse
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Comments
As for 4 speed transmission, for 95% of the population they are just fine. Mileage may suffer a touch, but GM transmissions are pretty efficient. They are smooth as silk and reliable. The reason some people look for a 5 is because of GM's own comparisons to Lexus.
Glad you are enjoying the car!
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
if you think the 4 speed/3.8l combination is a dream compared to the accord's V6 drivetrain, well good for you.
LaCrosse does not have RDS.
Our Montana has it but it was not listed on the radio description so..
I take issue with the engine noise however. there isn't any in the accord when cruising so i'll assume you're talking about engine noise when accelerating. perhaps it is louder than the 3.8l (it wasn't compared to my father's regal though) but i would say it sounds a lot better (not coarse sounding). unless the cars are pushed i would say neither one calls attention to itself.
the 3.8l is lacking compared to the accord V6 and is more on par with GM's nice 3.6l in smoothness and responsiveness.
Where is that low mileage CU managed. The LaCrosse is only slightly lighter than my LeSabre. Even my wife gets 22 on short trips to work and grocery which is .5 to 2.0 mile trips in winter in Ohio. I get 24-26 when doing suburban driving (yes, I drive somewhat smoothly).
The 4-speed automatic works perfectly with the engine and it's broad torque curve.
I'll be looking at a LaCrosse for the replacement for my older LeSabre when my son starts driving it.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Just a thought.
I have had several GM mid-size vehicles. My absolute favorite being a 2001 Intrigue GLS. This time my wife and I decided to go for a CTS, which is a great car, but had some niggling details. I felt a bit squeezed between the door and the console and was surprised at the amount of transmission noise that entered the cabin.
The test drive in the Lacrosse was a real surprise. It handles at least as well as the Intrigue did and the ride is much improved. (we tested and bought a CXS) Normally, slapping wide rubber on these GM intermediates results in tar strip harshness, but even with the fatter 17" 55 series tires, the ride was amazingly free of harshness, unlike my Impala SS company car, which will shake your fillings loose.
The CXS seems as fast as the supercharged Impala, too and uses regular fuel.
It's not perfect, the rear seat should be roomier for its size and I wish it had an iPod jack, but so far we are very pleased - just like those other owners.
I will be replacing my Intrigue GL in 2-3 years and I was really hoping this Buick would fit the bill. Sounds like it could have been a 2005 Intrigue.
Hopefully it will have an MP3 player or jack available by the time I buy.
;-)
"Not to mention that GM continued to market OnStar with analogue only cellular service for quite some time long after the rest of the world had taken all of their new equipment digital."
GM stayed with Analog to guarantee coverage in rural areas not yet covered by digital systems. This was to ensure that if an airbag in one of the vehicles deploys, the vehicle can be contacted and 911 contacted even in rural areas.
Regarding
"And I haven't even mentioned those VERY annoying radio ads they run with people in distress being saved by OnStar."
OnStar is an excellent safety feature that serves a very real purpose. Many other automakers realize this and are using the OnStar service (rebranded accordingly), or developing their own version of the service.
The most sucessful cars look good but tend to be conservative (mid size). Camry and Accord are the top sellers but they are about as bland as can be.
While both of my Intigues (I had a '98 as well as the '01) were well put together and dependable, the model in general had quality issues, which was a shame. GM built it in one of their worst plants. The Lacrosse, on the other hand, is built in GM's best plant. This may be the single biggest improvement over the Olds.
Should be 2 trims, CX and CXL and both should have the 3.6L standard. 3800 should not be sold in Buicks but if they are I could see it only in the CX as a entry value leader model. I hear the 3800 is going into the Lucerne which doesn't seem right to me.
The fact that the Lucerne getting the 3.8 is an absolute joke. A car that will be close to $30k and have the 3.8 with only 195hp is inexcusable. The 3.6 should be standard, period.
Concerning the 3.6 engine, I think it is too soon to put an unproven engine in a serious car like a Buick. Cadillac builds the least reliable GM cars. Let those people work out the bugs before the engine damages the Buick brand.
Check the 2000 rpm horsepower and torque for both engines in the following links someone provided in GM's Return of Might discussion:
3.6 LaCrosse: http://www.media.gm.com/division/2005_prodinfo/powertrain/2005%20HPT%20Library/HFV6/LaCros- se/2005_36L_LY7_Buick_LaCrosse.pdf
3800 LaCrosse: http://www.media.gm.com/division/2005_prodinfo/powertrain/2005%20HPT%20Library/90%20Deg%20- V6/2005_3800_L26_Buick.pdf
As I read those graphs at 2000 the horsepower is about 80 for each engine and the torque (more meaningful) is about 220 lb-ft in both. At 3000 rpm the horsepower in 3800 may be slightly hgiher than the 3.6. Torque at 3000-4000 may be slightly higher for the 3800.
Most of my perception of my car is leaving a stop sign or light in moderate driving. RPMs typical are 2000-3000. Torque at 3000-4000 may be slightly higher for the 3800.
My LeSabres do this handily. While I probably would enjoy a V8 that I have to work to keep from spinning tires if I'm not care, I find the 3800 very competent.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I just do not think launching a new model with a 195hp V6 at $30k is going to cut it.
I can not think of any other car that the Lucerne will compete with that has so few hp. I know that this car is not about flat out acceleration, but people will notice that the Avalon... has much more power.
The 3.6 would make a much more attractive base engine. Mark my words - the press will slam the Lucerne for only having 195hp. Right or wrong consumers remember negative reviews.
The CX and CXS were tuned to give a slightly better ride than the Camry and kept most of the Camry handling characteristics. Most consumers would not be able to tell the difference. Also has better ride than the Accord. (remember that Accord and Camry have a huge part of midsize market) The Accord handles slightly better than the base LaCrosse.
The CXS rides about like the ES330 (same suspension as Camry with different spring and bushing rates) but the CXS has better handling. The ES330 rolls more over undulating roads. CXS has better handling than the Camry, Accord and ES330. The ride is much smoother than A6, Passat.
It is very hard to get both a good ride and great handling. The Germans compromise a smooth ride for better handling. They also tend to put very expensive suspensions in their cars to try and get both. If you live down south you will find that the ride is acceptable in these vehicles because you do not get the sharp impacts of the north.
There are very few cars being made now that have a better impact harshness than the LaCrosse in the mid size market. I would say the ES330 is one. The ES330 is a luxury car with no pretenses of sporty handling. The Camry is another. Any one know of any others? I have not driven the Ford 500 nor it's twin.
Todays drivers are demanding better handling and also bigger wheels for appearance. Handling and bigger tires go together but you lose the soft ride.
ABS brakes?
From 2001 performance shift mode was deleted. From 2003 heavy decontent: side mirrors became unheated. The left side mirror used to be auto-dimming, no more. Magnasteer gone, as well as a lot of small things: The seats are less soft than used to be (less foam under the leather). Passenger side door lock was deleted. Change holder in console disappeared. The shifter speed indicator used to be illuminated; no more.
I’ve been a victim of this brand loyalty also. I HAD been a VW and Audi loyalist for the last 15 years. Now I own and love my Buick. That is what poor quality does some times. It drives loyal owners away.
Oh, and take a look at any quality magazine that rates reliability for cars and you will see Cadillac at the very bottom of the list. Consumer reports did say they have one good model this past year however.
We have a saying in the quality business, “Hope is not a method.” Cadillac must be hoping their customers don’t get tiered of the repair shop.
the problem with the lacrosse is that the top model gets in the low $30k price range where more desirable cars can be had.
Tire impacts/isolation- Small inputs (tar strips in the highway) are felt thru the steering wheel and seat. These are perceived as a whack, whack, whack. Larger diameter tires really effect this and lower rate stab bar bushings and shock valving mitigate this. However this "loosens" up the handling.
Larger impacts such as potholes are more total vehicle movement with quick inputs to the car. The tires tend to hit the jounce bumpers and large bangs and car movement results. Higher spring rate springs and stiffer jounce bumpers mitigate this and handling can be improved but the car feels stiffer which worsens the next ride input.
Undulating roads cause the car to float. this is more like wowwee's in the road. You get a let of head toss and can cause car sickness if bad enough. Here stiffer springs and higher shock valving rates mitigate this. Again isolation and impacts are now worse. If you have low rate valving for the isolation the car tends to porpoise up and down on these roads continuously for a couple cycles.
I only drove the Passat once about 4 years ago so you may be right but at the time I felt it had that great german handling with precise steering and decent "ride". The car did not float as much as the CXS but the Passat did have more impact harshness and less isolation. Now these were done in back to back testing on controlled roads. Others may have a different opinion but that was the consensus of the group.
Where you live really does sway your opinion on ride. In the south (and Germany) cars like the Audi and VW's are very acceptable for ride overall especially with the undulating roads that are the worse you get. In the north they get a bit rougher on the broken concrete and huge tar strips.
Have you driven one? Is it noisy in a LeSabre? Is it noisy in a LaCrosse?
I don't find it noisy.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
A famous Russian satirist said that Soviet shoes are great and people would wear them with pleasure would not they see foreign-made boots.
Do you know that you almost literally quoted him?
P.S. That was not about footwear, but about USSR.
But I am glad many find it a great engine. It is. Especially for the cost.
HD trans is needed due to the HP increase of the supercharged engine. GM trans are pretty durable.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,