Jill Ciminillo

The first time I saw the new Buick LaCrosse on the streets was about a year ago, when I pulled up to a valet. It was the car in line in front of me.

I was drawn in by the chrome enshrouded taillights and well-defined rear deck lid. I was thinking BMW. It took me a minute to grasp that this was, in fact, a Buick. I was so stunned that I got out of my car while it was still running and walked up to the front window and peered in.

Luckily the driver was long gone.

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS

The valet walked up to me cautiously and asked: “Can I help you ma’am?”

“Um, sorry,” I replied. “This is the new Buick LaCrosse, and I just haven’t seen one on the streets yet. It’s gorgeous.”

The valet was slightly less wary at this point and agreed, but still wanted to move me along. I went back to my car, grabbed my stuff and left him the keys. Then I took another circle around the LaCrosse and gave it a few backward glances as I walked away.

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a test vehicle. And once I did, I was even more impressed.

Inside and out, the 2010 LaCrosse helps take Buick to a new level of luxury. It’s amazing what can happen when General Motors decides to focus on its core brands.

While I have to admit I did like the Jaguar-esque design of the previous generation LaCrosse, the styling of this all new model knocks the ball out of the park. I loved the large chromey accents on the outside, and everything from the wheels to the trapezoidal dual exhaust pipes to the hood lines is well placed and well designed. It has an overall high-end look that the previous model just didn’t have.

2010 Buick LaCrosse Interior

Slip inside, and it gets even better. Since my first drive in this car was at night, I immediately noticed the Tiffany Blue accent lighting. It was creatively located surrounding gauges and controls but also around the center console, armrest and and door handles. It had the potential to be overwhelming, but the color and appropriate dimness give it a glowing cool hue that looks upscale rather than overdone.

All the controls had solid touch points and were intuitive and within easy reach. The center stack was a departure from the General Motors same-old, same-old, which was a relief.

I only had two interior complaints. The first is the chunky B-pillar. From my far forward driving position, it caused a huge blind spot over both right and left shoulders and caused me to depend more heavily on my side mirrors. Lest you think this is only a petite person problem, I had both my sister (who is 5-foot, 5-inches) and my brother-in-law (who is 6-foot) adjust the driver’s seat for their heights, and both agreed that the B-pillar was obtrusive for them as well.

The second complaint centers around the hand grip on the doors. In my driving position, the hand grip is in an awkward position that falls almost in line with the seat. It’s also a little high. So, as I was closing the door, I continually found myself grabbing the the storage bin on the door instead of the hand grip. Taller drivers might not find this to be a problem.

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS

In addition to looking nice, the LaCrosse is a very comfortable cruiser. And I can say that confidently after more than 500 miles spent behind the wheel. Plus, after fitting my sister, brother-in-law, dad, mom and myself in the car, I can say it does comfortably seat 5. Though, I wouldn’t recommend putting the fireman brother-in-law in the back.

The test vehicle was a CXL all-wheel drive model (AWD) with a starting price of $31, 820. The base LaCrosse is a front-wheel drive (FWD) CX model that starts at $27,085. Both the CXL and CX models come equipped with the 3.0-liter V-6 engine that delivers 255 horsepower. On the top end of the scale, you can opt for the FWD CXS model with the up-level 3.6-liter 280-horsepower engine and a $33,015 price tag. Neither the CX nor the CXS models offer the AWD option, so if that’s what you’re looking for the CXL is what you’ll be looking at. The CXL does offer a FWD powertrain as well.

The test vehicle added a bevy of options that brought the final price up to $35,770, which wasn’t quite what I was expecting for a vehicle that didn’t have a navigation system. But I suppose I do have to give a little since you have to account for about $2K with the AWD. Options included the Comfort and Convenience Package ($550), Luxury Package ($1,350), Entertainment Package ($650) and 18-inch chrome plated wheels ($650). While I would absolutely recommend the Luxury Package (think heated steering wheel and perforated ventilated front seats), I could probably do without the rest.

And I was perfectly pleased with the engine power of the CXL model. So, I’m not sure I’d upgrade to the CXS. Then again, since the 3.6-liter engine adds 30 horsepower as well as gets 1 mpg better fuel economy on the highway, it might be worth the extra money if you’re not looking for AWD.

If you are looking for a well-appointed midsize sedan, you’ve got to put the all-new LaCrosse on your test list. From fit and finish to ride quality, this new sedan is definitely a harbinger of good things to come at this oft-overlooked brand.

Like what you see, but you’re looking for something smaller? Stay tuned as the all-new 2011 Buick Regal hits dealerships in a couple of months.

This week’s test car is a Lexus RX350. For more automotive coverage and up-to-date raves and rants on Jill’s car du jour, be sure to visit her car blog, Drive, She Said.

2 Responses to “Buick’s got it going on”