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2010-2011 Buick LaCrosse

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Comments

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    edited August 2011
    >3. Some posters are drama queens who have everything go wrong.

    I'm voting for #3 being the problem.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    As to point 1, I plan on going by a couple of dealers, just to see if problems have been fixed in production. There are only a couple that can be determined, such as seat memory, SBZA, CAF removing what it is supposed to (I'll take some cheap cans of sardines), and maybe a few others.
    The newness would still be high because of new owners and it is still a head turner for those who see it.
    2. You are so very right.
    3. ??????
    4. Correct, unless you have a problem. And it would seem more will start to come with time. Look at other model years.
    I have to ask you and imidazol if you have SBZA and seat memory. Does the seat memory work like it is supposed to? Everytime!
    Since my last mention of it and their working on it, it still acts up. Several days back, my wife opened passenger side before I opened my side. Seat did not move at all. At first I thought the other door may have had an effect, but it may be the same thing that showed a few days later. I opened driver door and seat did not move, which may be the same problem as in the first case.
    And about two weeks ago, I had to retrieve some items from the vehicle. The first time, the seat moved ahead of course. The second time I needed to retrieve something from passenger seat and someone parked close to that side. So I went in from driver side and to make it easier to reach across I started adjusting the seat back with the position button. After moving about four inches I released. It just kept going until it was all the way to the end of the track.
    GM's answer of reprogramming does not work.
    If you have SBZA, does it let you know the presence of an object beyond your rear bumper and just how far. It definitely was not like that when new.
    My list of problems is just too extensive to repost.
    But another new item that showed up just past 12K. Vibration again. When on a particularly smooth stretch of road I was able to tell it was what I already thought. Another bad tire. I could not tell if it was front or rear, but think it was right side. It was like a flat spot on tire, as if some rubber was shaved off. Before you jump and say flat spotting from sitting, wrong. Tires have never been below 34 psi. I constantly monitor and find myself adding air at least twice a month, likely because of known problem with aluminum wheels. Note there was no vibration at start of trip, started about 100 miles into it and showed what it was around 250 miles. Temp was 96 degrees so it would seem any flat spotting from parking would have gone away.
    Sell it, I am, back to G>M. I received email this morning requesting payoff and title copy.
    I need to check what they plan on using as mileage. They should be using the first time it went in for seat memory to the best of my recollection. That was very low mileage.
  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
    edited August 2011
    I wrote this review one year ago when I was at 1000 miles and so far everything has changed for the better, except my overall MPG that has fallen to 18.10. Thanks GM and Buick for an extremely satisfying year.

    #765 of 1785 One Month, 1000 miles and Loving it by bwia Aug 20, 2010 (8:21 am)

    What can I say. After one thousand miles [now 8000 miles] of mixed driving my 2011 CXS has met and exceeded my expectations. Coming from a flawless Avalon I was looking for a car with similar characteristics: smooth, quiet, a great sound system, premium quality leather stitched together with excellent fit and finish and highway driving free of road noise. The CXS delivered on all of these except for cabin road noise which is a little very annoying on rough highway patches and bridge expansions. By comparison our 2008 Malibu is much more quiet. The 19” inch wheels on the CXS might explain this cacophony in the cabin.

    So far I have no issues, knock on wood. The car is fast but has a slight lag between when you depress the accelerator pedal and the car’s response to it. I am having a ball with all these technology features: The Xenon headlights are blindingly bright and has brought confidence back to my night driving again. I would advice all future owners to get the Xenon because it is a small price to pay for such an improvement in night vision.

    Two things I care strongly about are the navigation and stereo systems. The navigation system works fine but the map is not as refined or as detailed clear as my Magellan portable device. So, I rely more on the voice prompts than the visual cues. When using the eNav feature with MapQuest the volume decibel is much higher than in the regular mode. By the way, does anyone know how to adjust the volume in the eNav mode. On the other hand XM traffic is great and is well worth the extra $3.99 monthly fee.

    The sound system is very good but the bass sounds a little muffled (much better now), certainly not as clear as the JBL in the Avalon. I’ve tried resetting it but it does not seem to make much of a difference. I don’t have an iPod (yet?--still don't) so I have not yet used that feature but recording my CDs directly to the hard drive make a CD changer look primitive by comparison.

    On the road the car gives me pleasure as I drive each mile. The handling is crisp, the car soaks out road bumps and the adaptive suspension really does work. The adaptive suspension can be best explained by walking barefoot on gravel. You feel every pebble under your foot so you adjust your walking accordingly. I am averaging about 19 MPG (18.10 mpg now) because I do a lot of stop and go driving as well as I left the engine running idle on a couple of occasions for well over two hours.

    Final verdict: The CXS is an alluring, upscale and great car! I like the looks of the 19” wheels but I hate the ride on rough roads. (After break-in the ride has been very quiet and handling is superb especially in Sport Mode)
  • crankeeecrankeee Member Posts: 298
    Agree 100% with your comments on new Lacrosse overall satisfaction. We have the 2010 CXL model with 3.0L V-6 and 18" wheels/Michelin tires. The ride is outstanding although we could nit-pick the new low profile tires vs. the old 60 series sidewalls that were fine for years. The MPG has settled in at 29+ (70-75 MPH highway) and 20 in all city. We use midgrade that improves MPG in IMO much more than added cost. No oil consumption with 3000 mile changes. Fold down backseat is most convenient for hauling oversize stuff. Interior is most comfortable with leather and electric seats for added range w/o the complexity of memory seats. Insurance cost is same as old car due to high safety ratings from the Feds and modest 11% increased MSRP of old car. All in all- great value that serves our needs fully.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I'm glad your's is working out. It seems to affirm what I joked about, that they saved all the bad stuff for when they built mine.
    I agree with noise comments and Malibu, amazingly, is quieter. They likely need or could add more sound deadening. There was some info that they found a rimple surface reduces drag significantly and that it would be a good idea for undersides. Those undersurfaces do work. It was on a 1984 Topaz diesel I had, killing the conduction of sound through the metal. It was the body color but not sure painted or mixed in and it made the bottom corrosion proof. 19" wheels, but more likely the tires. They are rated poorly for noise compared to 16 other tires of same size. The tire also seems to be the culprit of many vibration issues and I've had the second one fail just short of 13K.
    The sound, bass, can be improved by just putting some padding such as carpet on bottom of trunk. It also reduces the echoed crosstalk between those two rear speakers.
    I think you used a poor choice of words, "blindingly bright". If you get someones lights in your eyes, they can blind no matter how bright. So I admit they are extremely bright, but also very well focused having less stray and scattered light. On divided roads I find I can often make use of the high beam for better visibility without offending oncoming traffic. Really good for avoiding that deer that might jump out. The steering of them is great as well and when driving about 35 or slower, the driving lights are a nice adjunct.
    The Nav, I never tried the MapQuest method, which requires using OnStar. I would assume you'd adjust that volumen the same way you'd adjust the OnStar volume.
    XM traffic is good, if you are in one of the covered areas. That is the major issue, not enough coverage, and unless they incorporate a system such as Verizons VZ Navigator, not worth it to me.
    The data has a number of inaccuracies and if zoomed I find the display rather good. But for driving, the audible cues are there. For me, I'd turn off the voice and only use the ding. Besides the small DIC screen being able to display directions, the HUD is also capable and I don't need to take eyes off road. The HUD is very nice and almost a must for vehicles that are able to easily drift to a faster or slower speed. The price of it is about one bad speeding ticket, so get it.
    Recording CDs to HDD is bothersome. There is no mode to allow copying full CD to HDD without running engine. If you use the 10 min or so that it will continue recording after shutting down, you end up with blank spots in the recording. The iPod is better that way and so would the use of portable USB HDD if you could get it to work. Still no answer from GM on that.
    It would be nice if it was pleasure, but it is worries instead because of malfunctioning or not working items and some of them are "SAFETY related". Three occasions of sticking caliper or malfunctioning ABS/TC/ESC system screams recall to me. Dangerous to the point that they need to find the problem and recall every vehicle for inspection. I was fortunate that all occurences were without other vehicles in immediate vicinity. Twice it caused me to cross the dividing line.
    I will agree that the handling is much crisper with the CXS and touring package until they changed my steering column and introduced play/slack at the steering. They may have even interfered with the Magna-Steer, but the slop is the major problem.
    As to how well the adaptive suspension actually works, I am not absolutely certain mine was working or what was done when I got the service light for it. The CXS suspension is definitely a step up from lesser models and the Touring Package gives added selectivity, despite bad tires. I was never able to discern the differences of the automatic changes to the suspension, maybe because of all the other issues that grabbed my attention.
    On two tests, just past 11K or about, resetting MPG and cruise set, I got 30-32 MPG which I'd say is fantastic for the powerful 3.6L. Maximum mileage determined to be 65-66MPH. Moving away from that will cost you and local driving mileage may not be bad for a vehicle of this weight. To improve for such driving it would likely take a different engine/tranny or redesign of this one.
    I never found Sport mode to make it quieter, but it does improve handling in some circumstances. Other times you have to turn it off because the ride becomes too harsh, so you often have to make a choice whether to turn on or off. (Which is why I question the automatic suspension) The GY tires got a little quieter after break-in, but definitely not pleasingly quiet.
    Absolutely alluring which makes it hard to say good bye. Just way too many problems. If GM fixes all the problems I've had and does some minor changes, they will have a luxury car that will be sought after for reasons other than just appearance.
    The back seat is very roomy, but, I had some passengers in it recently that complained about the seats being hard. They have a KIA SUV. I've never ridden in back, so I can not refine that definition to say maybe firm.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I got the paperwork for signing the other day. What I would be agreeing to by signing is that all factory equipment is in tact and "FUNCTIONAL"!
    There is now way. If it was all funtional, functioning as it was supposed to be, I'd likely not have any problems. So tomorrow I take time to visit a friend of mine to see what he thinks of such wording.
    And the crap shower continues. Today I got that message on the DIC about (wording vague) side alert nonfunctional. Guess I should have seen that one coming because others posted about that.
    At this point I think I've had every problem anyone has posted here and then a lot more.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Some time back I mentioned how the quality of M4A files is superior to MP3.
    I'm guessing I must of transfered those files to my iPod and they worked fine. The iPod would have its own way of interfacing.
    Although the owners manual says there are several types of files the system is supposed to be able to handle, it appears either that is not true or my system has yet another problem.
    I recoded a new batch of lossless music to M4A, using the same tool as before, and then copied them to my USB thumb drive after removing the MP3s. The system recognizes them and puts the titles up on screen, but it scrolls rapidly through every song in a loop, playing none of them. I recorded them to the HDD and it does the same thing.
    And I never heard from GM as to which external HDD is supposed to work.
  • dodgeman07dodgeman07 Member Posts: 574
    edited September 2011
    So far I love it! I got the 4-cyl engine and you need to spin it past 3,000 rpm to get into the power but there's plenty there when you do. Very quiet and well built. A solid feel and good steering even with the electric system.

    One curious thing is the wheels. 17" steel rims w/covers are standard and my car does not have optional wheels noted on the sticker but came with 18" tires and aluminum alloy wheels! Big discount off sticker for the '11 model also! Here's a pic of the car. Note the wheels, a big upgrade for no extra charge!

    image
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,029
    edited September 2011
    Those appear to be Buick Regal wheels.

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
    edited September 2011
    Hey dodgeman, that big grin I see on your face, does it hurt?

    Nonetheless, thanks for sharing the pic (nice wheels) and congrats on the purchase of your brand new CX and welcome to the growing (and satisfied) LaCrosse family. Enjoy the ride.
  • dodgeman07dodgeman07 Member Posts: 574
    ab348: I think you're right. I can't find this wheel type associated with any LaCrosse model and they do look more like Regal wheels.

    The car was originally delivered to a dealer in Naples, FL but I bought it in Cedar Rapids, IA. The Naples dealer might have swapped out the stock tire/wheel package for these or the possible they were installed at the factory due to a stock issue with the standard package. 235/50R18 Michelin Pilot A/S tires on these rims look pretty good as a no cost option! ;)
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    I think it would be interesting to run a title check on that car to see where it had been before you bought it. Switched wheels and tires would be rare. Our dealer switched rims and tires with a leSabre on his lot from the previous year because I wanted the wire wheel covers. But your case sounds odd.

    In Ohio, the State BMV website has a link for running a VIN or ID number (boats) and it comes up with all the titles issued in Ohio. But you're needing on e of the national checks. Really odd for a dealer swap that far away, in my opinion.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • dodgeman07dodgeman07 Member Posts: 574
    The dealer in Cedar Rapids, Lithia Motors, is a relatively new GM dealer (from what I understand) and really needed to "make" their numbers this year. The price was unbelievable. $5K off sticker for a brand new 2011 with a $1,000 tire/wheel package thrown in to boot.

    Here's the ad I bought the car from. It had 33 miles on it when I picked it out last weekend. It does have a $900 option package called "COMFORT & CONVENIENCE PKG #1".

    image
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,029
    Wow, that price is unreal for a new Lacrosse, even with the 4-cylinder. Congrats.

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    A reporter is interested in talking with consumers about how fuel economy requirements are changing what people drive. He is looking for consumers who consider fuel economy their top consideration while shopping for vehicles that range from pickups to luxury cars to EVs. If you are interested in commenting on your experience, please reply with your name, phone number and email address to pr@edmunds.com no later than 5pm Pacific this Wednesday, September 21st.
  • dodgeman07dodgeman07 Member Posts: 574
    Spoke with Bill Vlasic, auto reporter with the NY Times, today about my purchase of a new 2011 Buick LaCrosse CX w/2.4L DI engine. A nice conversation on CAFE, fuel economy trends, and my decision to go with a 4-cyl LaCrosse.

    After 700 miles of driving I'm averaging 24mpg in mixed (40% city, 60% hwy) driving. Took a 300 mile trip over the weekend and averaged right at 30mpg driving 75mph on the Interstate. I am very happy with this car and expect even better mileage when the engine is fully broken in. She runs on 87 octane to boot! :D
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    No time to jump into all this as I just got back. I'm curious how you figured MPG. Although you may have hit the sweet spot for your vehicle, I was amazed that by travelling a steady 65-66MPH I could get 32 MPG. But no one drives like that. There is always stop and go and other factors.
    And there is the performance question. BTW, as some others have written, they use regular and I've tried a couple of tanks. It does yield different power, more of it, but not sure of mileage effects.

    I hope you got a good one. I just returned from one of those family reunions you really don't want. I was talking with my brother-in-law, catching up a bit, and learned his Dad was doing well, but very unhappy with his new car. I had to ask. Yep, it was the red one parked by the church (same color as mine). I later talked with his Dad. He traded an 06 Lucernne for the 11 Lacrosse CXL, fairly loaded. Only 500 miles and he's already shopping for something else. He hates it!
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Others had posted about it, but I never found it to be a problem. Put foot in it and with a slight delay it would take off.
    New experience. This time when I pulled out from behind the vehicle going slowly ahead into left lane and stepped on it to get up to speed of vehicles in that lane, OH SH__.
    It acted like older vehicles with a failed accelerator pump in the carburator. It stalled for most of a second before taking off.
    Is this vehicle meant to pass nothing? Dangerous.
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,029
    Why do you still have this car? I thought you were in late-stage discussions with GM to make it go away.

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    >you were in late-stage discussions with GM to make it go away.

    You mean like the Malibu that we were told was bought back?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • dodgeman07dodgeman07 Member Posts: 574
    My MPG is calculated by both the Driver Information Center and (miles traveled)/gallons burned. I just filled up today and have averaged 25 MPG overall in roughly 50% city/50% Hwy driving. The 30 MPG figure was on relatively flat, four lane divided hwy driving at 74-75 MPH. No a/c was needed last weekend. : )

    I traded in a '06 Lucerne for an '11 Lacrosse and the Lacrosse is a far superior vehicle in every respect. I'm 47 years old though. The responsive steering and accurate tracking is something I like. The 4-cyl engine does need 3500+rpm to generate good power and at 4000rpm it really kicks in with plenty of juice. If you're use to a torquey engine, this is not it. The Lacrosse is a sportier vehicle than the Lucerne and very different in driving characteristics - different in a very good way. :D
  • crankeeecrankeee Member Posts: 298
    edited September 2011
    rider: I also remember your post that you had buyers remorse, once again, and had talked GM into "returning your Lacrosse CXS due to many complaints". Now you are back with another buyers complaints on the same car. Hmmmmmmm!
  • crankeeecrankeee Member Posts: 298
    Dodgeman: We bought the 2010 CXL with the 3.0L V-6 ( now in Cadillac) to avoide the uncertainty of the I-4. The engine is very torguey as you call it and lieks to be revved for maximum performance. great for our mostly highway miles. We do not get your city MPG, but highway is 29 at 70+ so we are very happy. Glad to hear the I-4 has proven to be a good choice for you. We very much enjoy all aspects of our Lacrosse. Thank you Bob Lutz and company.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Just trying to keep you informed of potential issues.
    I had faxed signed paperwork to GM on Friday, thinking it would all be finished the following week.
    If you read my other recent posts, you will see I ended up not visiting my Dad, but burying his body.
    And if you read about my brother-in-laws Dad, he is also a very unhappy customer, one that has had Buick's for years. He traded a 2006 Lucernne for this thing. I don't remember what he had just prior to it, but remember the Riviera he had from late 90's, which replace a Buick.

    If anyone is having issues with CAF not working, I recently discovered that the source of the bad air seems to bypass the filter. That is it is entering a different route.
    With the cooler weather, I have been driving with it in the outside air mode more than usual. I detected a faint bad smell and happened to open window which revealed how bad it was.
    My thinking is that the system drawing outside air causes a positive air pressure in the cabin, pushing back against a leak elsewhere.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    The Lucernne is a much different vehicle than the Lacrosse. Which engine did you have?
    As I recall, I think the Lacrosse has a slightly longer wheel base, which should make it ride better, or at least better than if it had a shorter wheel base.
    I would think the Lucernne would be a very nice highway vehicle for ride and the same true around town, assuming proper rubber. I did not go in that direction because I wanted the added features available in the Lacrosse. And still do for safety sake.
    I can vouch that the responsiveness of the Lacrosse CXS is very good, or was until play in steering developed. If you like tight handling and response, I'd recommend the CXS. I do not recommend the bad year tires, but then don't know how much effect changing to something like Michelin or 18" on "touring Package" will have. The touring package definitely tightens the handling which is also improved by the hyper-strut.
    The down side is noisy, hard riding tires, which amplify the lack of vibration isolation from the road. Both in the seat and steering wheel.
    Besides the poor rating the bad year's have, I personally agree with terrible on even the lightest snow. Hard noisy ride. May not be designed to last more than 12K considering the failures I've experienced, which makes it an extremely expensive choice and time consuming for frequent rebalancing. Also the air leaking requires attention about twice a month. And although I put more foot into it than intended leaving a light this morning, it spun those tires like crazy on very good condition concrete. Are the tires already past good performance? They are OK on surface water, yet.
  • dodgeman07dodgeman07 Member Posts: 574
    edited September 2011
    I'll try to answer a few of your questions e_net_rider.

    I owned a 2006 Lucerne CX with the 3800 V6. It was a good car that provided me 4 1/2 years and 70,000 miles of trouble-free service.

    The Lacrosse has a shorter wheelbase the the Lucerne. 3.9" shorter.

    My new Lacrosse has 18" aluminum rims with Michelin Pilot rubber. Very quiet tires. The 50-series sidewall does transmit more feel to the driver than the 60-series my Lucerne had. It's not all about isolation with new Buicks, they are morphing into more of a driver's car.

    I would guess that someone coming out of a Lucerne with a bench seat (mine were buckets) and into a Lacrosse with buckets and a completely different driving experience, might prefer the Lucerne if they want total isolation from the road and loads of elbow room for the driver. The Lucerne was a re-skinned LeSabre with a 30 year old chassis configuration.

    I get zero vibration from the steering wheel. Sounds like you might have gotten a bad one. It happens. I love mine. :)
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I ended up in the Malibu much longer than I wanted to be with its problems because I had agreed to buy another GM. It took a little while to find out what I wanted. No truck, no SUV, no mini. What was left was Impala, a couple of Buicks and Cadillacs. I figured Cadillac was out of range.
    The Impala was decent, but learned the option list was missing stuff I wanted and the list had gotten smaller from the previous year. Being a bit gas concious, I decided on the Lacrosse over the Lucernne, and again option availability. That was in Spring, before Buick started making lots of mid-season changes. I had one thing that I did not want and that was the sunroof. That became a problem because everytime a vehicle had most of the options I wanted, it had a sunroof. I had the GM people and dealers assisting me in the search. Everytime there was a problem with the results. Often the vehicle was not equipped as they said, sometimes too far away. Finally I located someone at GM that knew how to enter specifics in the search so that it did not show results with those that had sunroof. In the following approximately six weeks, they located one in Kansas City, too far for them to ship I was told by dealer. And near the end of the six weeks, they located three. One in Kansas City, Chicago, and New York. Although speacial ordering had been suggested earlier, I had been hoping to lay my eyes on the vehicle. Also there had been suggestions that there were long delays on orders, as long as three months, some posted in forums.
    There was only one obvious answer at that point, do the special order. I was pleasantly surprised that it had gotten to dealer as quick as it did.
    I would never have dreamed that I could see two problem vehicles, especially consecutively.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Zero vibration?
    It seems like I was getting a lot transmitted to the steering wheel early on. My attention certainly more concentrated on that area after the steering column change which induced steering play. At times I've wondered if the MagnaSteer is working. Maybe it got interferred with during that change. And as I recall, my previous vehicle with that had no error code if it malfunctioned. And I did have "Service Suspension System" which they reset, they said.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I had to make another run to VA hospital Monday. New mysteries, so I thought I'd catch them up.
    First I discovered something odd upon returning from Dad's funeral. My daughters picked some pumpkins and wanted them transported. Normally I would not put items sensitive to heat on the trunk floor because road heat seems to enter. Lowest temps, overnite, low 50's. Iput the pumpkins on the deck and they were covered with several items like clothing bags. Over night in Bowling Green and then home as it was getting dark. We decided to unload some stuff. My wife called to my attention, the pumpkins were cold, like they had been refrigerated, very cold. My best guess is maybe the ducted air gets dumped via the trunk.
    Now Charleston. About 20 miles into my run, I get stuck behind the Beverly Hillbilly's truck doing 40 MPH. Very limited passing zones, so my first opportunity I put foot in it. I did not know the truck was being slowed by a vehicle ahead and he decided to pass as well. He must have had some engine in it. But I was alarmed at the motion of my vehicle. The front end was moving like the duck walk and with the play I was having a hard time holding it between the lines. Somewhat mystified as to what was going on, so a bit later when road was open, I put my foot in it again. Same result. I am sure the road had something to do with it, but steering play was an obvious issue. And I suspect the tires, GY, as well. At a red light, it changed when I glanced aside and I moved my foot quite quickly from brake to accelerator and end up putting a bit more foot into it than I normally would. Both tires started squawking and jumping. Another quirk? So I intentionally did it a few times on different surfaces. The tires squawked and alternately wheel hopped. I had not experienced that since the days of my '68 Mustang Hi-Per if you did not get it just right.
    I did it a couple of more times to verify something. Sure enough, no traction light. It could be a design difference, but on a previous GM, it was designed to cut throttle and give the traction warning if such happened.
    Also during that run, I got a weird sound from center dash area. It sounded like a relay, --latch, unlatch, pause --, repeating rapidly for about two minutes. No indicater problems. About 10 minutes later I did a rest room stop and grabbed a smoke. When I opened the door of car, the obvious smell of something electrical burning or overheating. I had to push on, uncertain of conditions in Charleston. I got to the hospital with a half-hour to spare, which half was spent looking for parking and the other half for check-in. Whew~.
    I had regular gas on the way up and decided to move to mid-grade when I filled there. I have a hard time figuring what to expect, sometimes wondering if they mixed the fuel or put in wrong tanks. That mid-grade really put a boost in it. But then it might be time for seasonal mix changes, which I noted yesterday for lawn mower gas. More smell of propane/butane in premium.
    I took a different route home, avoided the duck-walk road, probably not good for stopping either. By this time I'm also suspecting the tires have reached a point of worsening traction.

    And if that is not enough, about 20 miles from home, I noticed the headlamp indicator is on at 4 PM, bright and sunny. Verified by flashing to high beams, the blue light came on. The lights stayed on for about 15 minutes.
    This vehicle definitely has Gremlins.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    More quirks yesterday. My back was starting to hurt with cooler damper weather when I realized the lumbar had leaked down again. I decided to get a bit of heat to comfort myself and turn on the seats and wheel. I punched the seat heat and it lit for about a second and went out. I repeated this several times and sometimes the light would not come on. The passenger seat was the same. After it was parked for some time, it returned to operation.
    My daughter climbed in the driver's seat and was thrilled with the features. Too bad it is not reliable.
    Update on the M4A files that the system is supposed to be able to play. My last report was that it would read and display the songs with a high speed scroll, but not play them. Those M4A files were of the AAC coding type. A very high quality, higher than MP3, yet lossy.
    The other type of M4A file is lossless and often referred to as ALAC, Apple Lossless Audio Codec. So, I copied several songs to the thumb drive I previously used and know that it works for MP3. I got the same result as the AAC type.
    I have to conclude that GM has messed up again.
    Possibly wrong with the statements in the owner's manual.
    There is a wide array of problems but there is a significant number that fall under electric/electronic.
    Because there are so many of varied types, it should not be ruled out that grouping is just another bunch of typical GM screw-ups.
    On the other hand, those of that commonality should be considered for a common reason. Especially those of the intermittant type if they are electronic related.
    One source of such issues is "dirty power". And more difficult to isolate is the intermittantly dirty power.
    But also we have the reluctance or incompetance of GM to fix known issues. In another forum, a "new owner", is complaining about no delay of seat movement in the memory system. So they have not yet incorporated the slight delay in production, nor fixed properly.
  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
    edited October 2011
    net rider, stop making yourself miserable.

    It seems as though you spend your waking hours looking for problems instead of enjoying the very comfortable and reliable LaCrosse. None of the regular posters here do not have the problems you mention. Perhaps GM should hire you as a "tester" to report back to them all the real and imaginary gremlins you've discovered to date.

    Let's be honest. You have buyer's remorse and you want to return the car and unless you get your way you will continue to complain. By now, I am sure your dealer has tuned you off and dread your phone calls or unscheduled visits.

    My two cents
  • dodgeman07dodgeman07 Member Posts: 574
    Just clicked over 1000 miles on my new 2011 Buick LaCrosse and I must say it has been perfect in every respect. I have averaged 25mpg over the 1000 miles in a roughly 50/50 mix of city/hwy driving.

    The car is well made and rock solid. The 2.4L DI engine is smooth and revs quickly into it's power band which starts at 3500rpm IMHO. Plenty of power combined with good economy. I do notice the 6-sp auto tranny shifting, not at all rough but noticeable and not quite as smooth as the old 4-sp auto in my now long gone Lucerne.

    The steering is much quicker than the Lucerne and you really feel like you're driving the car rather than being along for the ride. The ride is still smooth and quiet as you would expect from this class of car. I am 100% satisfied after 4 weeks and 1000 miles! :)
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Your first sentence is laughable. If you have the seats that are designed to be cooling capable, that is the perforated ones, they are not comfortable. They are very hard compared to most seats, whether you have the cooling or not. Perhaps you need to check some other seats if you think they are comfortable. You may not have problems with the lumbar deflating whenever it wants to. Also, note that these poor seats are also in other makes such as Chrysler 300 and Cadillac. Reliable? Am I the only one with problems? Hell NO! As I mentioned in previous post, new owners are still complaining about the seat memory system. GM has still not given an answer on which portable hard drive actually works. And as I have posted several of the files that are claimed to work in the owner's manual do not. I've been in more than one vehicle where the SBZA does not work. And every vehicle with more than a thousand miles on it has the boots falling down on the rear, unless they were lucky enough to get the assemblies replaced by the dealer.
    And about half of the vehicles I've seen have the gap between the fender and door seal.
    And none of the vehicles I've been in have the CAF functioning as it is supposed to, or at least have a leak path allowing unfiltered air in. I now suspect the latter because I ran through a smelly area yesterday with it in the auto position. I quickly switched to outside air, no light on that switch, and the smell quickly disappated until I opened the window to check.
    One system designer not working with another?
    I can't say of everywhere, but it looks like the Buick dealer does not want used ones in this city or the alternate dealer I've been to. Here, most of them are on the Chevy lot and Mercury dealer pretty much told me he did not want it. He'd call Buick to get a trade value then wholesale it. The other dealer had none on his lot and it carries the full GM line. On neighboring lots of the same name, he carries several brands of import names.

    Imagined? Is your brain disengaged? Why would any of it be imagined? Do I have to have family members chime in to witness? One of my daughters is shopping for new right now and actually seen many of the things that went wrong, are still wrong, on this one, will not go near a GM lot. Another daughter and her husband are shopping for something used, but won't go near a GM for the same reason. One family member has two GM, the older one, a Tahoe, being the most reliable he has ever had, but his three year old truck has him swearing he'll never have another.
    Me, I'm lucky. I'll be rid of this thing in a week, assuming they set date that soon.
    I should start a pool as to whether anything else acts up in the remaining time. I'd bet yes.
  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,029
    I agree. It is similar to trolling on a message board, except this seems to occur in real life. Ditch the car, end your misery, and move on.

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    edited October 2011
    > except this seems to occur in real life.

    Try reading about Munchausen Syndrome.

    Be clear to read about Munchausen and not Munchausen by proxy. Munchausen by proxy makes the news once in a while because it often involves children so it's good news fodder.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,852
    Couple questions for you guys

    1:) Aside from e_net_rider who obviously has a lemon, how has the car been reliability wise?

    2:) Average real-world MPG from the 3.6? I would assume that the 10 and 11 models should be similar to the 12 (even with the HP bump)

    3:) How is the NAV? I usually don't get it, but want the backup cam and the HDD music ripping function. I know it doesn't announce street names, but curious how it is otherwise.

    4:) How is torque steer? I noticed a little from the test drive, but wondering if its proved to be annoying to anyone. I just came out of a RWD drive car and 300+HP is tough on a front-driver.

    5:) any other positives and negatives you think of.

    Thanks!

    I haven't had a GM car (do have a 99 S10 good little truck) since my disaster of an 1998 Olds 88 but willing to give GM another shot. The LaCrosse looks like a heck of a car.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    No, thank you.
    It would already have been done if it had not been for the passing of my father.
    As mentioned earlier, the deal has been faxed back to them. They said approximately 4 business days for the meet to turn in. Apparently the dealer also has to sign something and it would be 4 days from then. I assumed that might be Thursday or Friday of this week. But I forgot about Columbus Day, so maybe Friday.
    I'm glad most of you are having good luck with yours and are satisfied. Perhaps the stripped CX, 4 cylinder is a wiser choice.
    I would hope that GM would fix obvious things, I have several. Also when things are repeatedly intermittant, they would eventually authorize changing of some components as a wise troubleshooting effort to make it right.
    Working under those perameters, they should have allowed changing components that could cause the lumbar to leak down. And something should have been done about the play in the steering after changing the column.
    And the issue of why it was not cooling as well after changing the expansion valve.
    The batteries were changed being obviously bad.
    And so with rear shock mounts with falling boots.
    The list is just so long, especially with intermittant problems. That is a big problem because of the way GM deals with such. Even the issue of "Which HDD?", which should be easily answerable, is not. This makes it impossible for the dealer to determine if it is a problem with the vehicle.
    Good luck to all.
  • ntprontpro Member Posts: 5
    I just purchased my 2011 CXS Lacrosse two days ago after struggling to choose between it and the 2011 Regal Ti. I loved the sportiness of the Regal but the roominess and toys included with the Lacrosse. And, as my wife noted, the kids will only get bigger so the extra legroom will come in handy. So far I love it a lot. Only two things which may be normal or may not:

    1. I love the feature where by when the car is turned off, the driver's seat moves all the way back to allow it easier to get out of the car. However, when you start the car and get back in, the seat doesn't re-adjust. Should it? I have to press my memory setting. Which leads me to #2 ...
    2. When I press my memory setting, I have to hold the button down until everything is back in place. I cant just press it once. Is this the normal behavior as well? This is my first Buick but have always owned GM (Pontiac, GMC) and in those I only had to press the button once.

    Beyond those nits I love it.
  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
    edited October 2011
    1:) Aside from e_net_rider who obviously has a lemon, how has the car been reliability wise?
    Bullet proof.

    2:) Average real-world MPG from the 3.6? I would assume that the 10 and 11 models should be similar to the 12 (even with the HP bump.
    I have a 2011 CXS with all the options except for sunroof. On my last four tankfuls of Shell V-Power 93 octane premium my MPG were 19.2, 18.8, 17.8 and 23.1 respectively. To be fair I do mostly city and surburban driving.

    3:) How is the NAV? I usually don't get it, but want the backup cam and the HDD music ripping function. I know it doesn't announce street names, but curious how it is otherwise
    The NAV is wonderful. It may not be as detailed as a Garmin or Magellan but it does announce street names and is equally competent with voice, manual or eNav input. I prefer to use voice input and the voice recognition software works great.

    4:) How is torque steer? I noticed a little from the test drive, but wondering if its proved to be annoying to anyone. I just came out of a RWD drive car and 300+HP is tough on a front-driver
    I will let others answer that. But with the Hiper-Strut system I have never experienced torque steer.

    5:) any other positives and negatives you think of
    Rear visibility and blind spots are concerns so I would get the back-up camera and blind side zone detection options.
    The car learns your driving habits and the transmission adapts or adjusts accordingly. In over one year of driving experience I have zero reportable conditions. In short, flawless operation.
    And finally, get ready to smile and to say "thank you" for the many compliments you will get from kids, teenagers, women, men and older folks.
    Great car! Enjoy the ride.
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,852
    edited October 2011
    Thanks for your comments bwia. I appreciate it. The salesman told me the NAV didn't say street names when I specifically asked.

    I did notice a touch of torque steer when really getting on the car, not a ton and certainly not a deal breaker, was just curious if anyone else noticed it.

    Is premium fuel required? It looks like I will take a small MPG hit from my Genesis. I was able to hover around 20 most of the time with all city or gridlock highway.

    Tuesday or Wednesday night I am going to ask the dealer for a demo for about an hour so I can "get to know the car" better and make a decision. It certainly does look as if I may be getting one. I am thinking black over beige interior Premium III w/Nav and sunroof. Buick dropped the "trim levels" its all "packages" now.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    dodgeman07,
    Thank you for all your feedback and for being a part of the GM Family! If you need anything please feel free to address me on the forum or email me! :)
    Christina
    GM Customer Service
  • rainman5542rainman5542 Member Posts: 114
    My 2010 CXS delivers between 16.9 and 18.0 around town. On long cruises at 75 mph I'll get 26.8

    I like the NAV system but had to get used to many functions being locked while the car is moving.

    The only negative is the smallish trunk and perhaps the gas mileage , depending on your expectations. Lack of full Bluetooth implementation is an annoyance. The cell's phone book doesn't dowload into the car.
  • ntprontpro Member Posts: 5
    My iPhone phone book is available via the Nav. Perhaps it just doesnt do it with all cell phones. The trunk is smaller, which I definitely noticed on a trip to Sam's Club. :)
    I enjoy the legroom much more than I would a larger trunk though.

    Not sure what Steering Torque is but I notice nothing out of the ordinary.

    So far love it love it. Also, my dealer offered a 24-hour test drive so I could check it in the garage, at home, drive my usual route, etc. Perhaps you can get one of those!
  • joeboy3joeboy3 Member Posts: 8
    Hi, you have to hold the button down, that's normal behavior for this car. You can fool around with the "configuration" button and and add other responses so that you don't have to hold down that memory button. Give it a try and see if you like it.
  • ar15ar15 Member Posts: 58
    1. Almost 14k miles and zero reliability issues. I have the 4cyl model and had a recall service done to replace the camshaft solenoids - but this was a minor nuisance issue.

    2. MPG? I've gotten as high as 32 highway MPG, but averaging just less than 27mpg combined city/hwy.

    3. don't have nav. I wouldn't waste my money on a car installed system. They remind me of when cell phones were installed in cars.

    4. No torque steer.

    5. Positives: Great ride, handling, comfort, quiet. Performs much more like a European sedan than the traditional Buicks of the past. The care LOOKS stunning - people are always giving it a second look and asking if it is a Lexus. Looks great in White.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    1)You got that right. But many of my issues have also popped for others.
    Mine was built around Sep last year.
    A dent, two bad batteries, and a defective factory oil filter are among the things that may be exclusive to me.
    2) Are you looking at a 2012. I would hope they have fixed some of the issues, but would not bet on it. They did not wait for year changes to incorporate a number of changes, so fixes may show up anytime.
    3) The Nav is nice, but it lacks in some areas that I'd like to see. Instead of having to buy update disks, I'd hope they'd integrate the updateability to something live. I'd love it if it bluetoothed to my Verizon VZ Navigator with its live traffic condition and many more monitoring points than the limited coverage this one has.
    If you have the HUD, it shows you the distance to the next turn along with chimes, even if the voice is turned off. No having to glance toward screen. Beware, the chrome bezel will reflect bright light into your eyes.
    The ripping of music might have issues you don't like. No one has been able to answer what format the CD is copied to the HDD, that is it might be a lossy format such as MP3. My iPod works great no matter what format I've put on it so far. MP3, book audible, M4A (AAC - Nero), M4A (ALAC - Apple Lossless Audio Codec). Note, iTunes does not accept every format and you may have to convert it using Foobar with plugins, db Poweramp, maybe Winamp.
    Mp3 do work on thumb drives, but I could not get others to play.
    Never got the best possiblility, a portable USB HDD to function which it is supposed to.
    4) Torque steer. From the beginning, I noticed a little. That surprised me since the 96 Olds Aurora, V8, FWD, had absolutely none ever. Some other owners did experience some. I just assumed GM had this issue nailed down.
    It has been getting worse and since I've never hit a chuck hole, I suspect the tires are involved, GoodYear.
    5) Don't get me started, but do read through the forum.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    You did not list options which can make a big difference.
    On the seat memory issue, it is like having two separate systems tied together.
    The seat buttons are not momentary, sadly.
    The other is tied to a system that recognizes the remote used and if enabled, it will return to previous position. ( if it is working). Mine tried to put knees in dash before update. Settings are reached through the screen, small or big Nav screen.
    Sadly, I'm hearing new ones off the line still have the zero delay. But some may have slipped through with a 5 second delay and none of the stupid behaviour such as not moving if passenger door is opened before you open driver. Or moving ahead if driver door is open and one of the rear doors is opened.
    The original fix was to change the module, but GM came out with a later which says do not replace, reprogram, which applies to vehicles with SBZA. I can't imagine how those two systems are tied, but maybe the SBZA dieing is tied to seats not functioning properly.
    The reprogram only gives three seconds, not near enough time many times.
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,852
    Thanks, everyone for your sharing your experiences. I'll report back when I make a decision.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • ntprontpro Member Posts: 5
    I have all the options except the touring package and driver confidence package.
    I'll check out the config options but didn't notice it in there initially.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    edited October 2011
    You should have a navigation manual and it takes precedence over some of the material in the owner's manual.
    Multiple ways to get at settings, but hitting "config" on center panel should work.
    BTW, which brand of tires?
    I am certain brother-in-law's father's car does not have Touring, but he thinks it has Goodyear. We seldom communicate and the thought occured to me that they might start putting other tires on it.
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