2017 LaCrosse. Has anyone test driven it?

[Rick341]

Thanks for the link XtraPerformance. I'll be ordering a set of those as soon as I decide on a logo. I'm also planning on installing LEDs where they aren't now.. The tail lights on mine don't look to be LEDs but the 3rd brake light is.. Not sure why they did that or if I want to tackle the tail lights yet but definitely going to change out the yellow looking courtesy lights behind the vanity mirrors.

 

[bobby49]

but definitely going to change out the yellow looking courtesy lights behind the vanity mirrors.

Uhhh. OK. Those lights are supposed to be _warm_ in color. If a lady is trying to powder her nose, she doesn't want LED lights that are cold blue.

 

[Rick341]

Uhhh. OK. Those lights are supposed to be _warm_ in color. If a lady is trying to powder her nose, she doesn't want LED lights that are cold blue.

Ha ha... they're so "warm" a lady would have a Jimmy Durante nose to see it in that light. 😉

 

[XtraPerformance]

Thanks for the link XtraPerformance. I'll be ordering a set of those as soon as I decide on a logo. I'm also planning on installing LEDs where they aren't now.. The tail lights on mine don't look to be LEDs but the 3rd brake light is.. Not sure why they did that or if I want to tackle the tail lights yet but definitely going to change out the yellow looking courtesy lights behind the vanity mirrors.

Are you wanting a different logo besides the Buick logo for yours?

The dual function brake light/blinker and the reverse lights are the only two lights that aren't LED in the tail lights. The reverse lights will be an easy swap but in order to swap out the brake/blinker bulb you would need a resistor to eliminate hyper flash.

In the interior the vanity mirrors, center console storage, glove box, and puddle lights aren't LED. These should all be easy to swap out as well.

In the front I believe only the headlight and fog light bulbs aren't LED.

 

[XtraPerformance]

Rick, how has your transmission been? Mine is a little harsh and rough, especially when downshifting.

 

[bobby49]

The dual function brake light/blinker and the reverse lights are the only two lights that aren't LED in the tail lights.

I wonder why? I would think that they get better life out of LED lamps.

 

[XtraPerformance]

I wonder why? I would think that they get better life out of LED lamps.

Probably wasn't in the budget no matter how little it would have added to the overall price.

 

[oldteach]

I drove two 2017 LaCrosse's the other day...an Essence with 18 inch Continental tires and a Premium with 20 inch wheels. As a disclaimer, I prefer a softer, plusher ride, and that is exactly what the 18 inch Essence gave me. Very impressive. The 20 inch tires reminded me of the Cascade ride I took. Even on a perfectly smooth road, you could feel the road surface. And bumps....better than the Cascade, but not by much...I am sure those that love the sports tuning, tight cornering, and don't mind feeling every bump in thr road, then go for the 20 inchers. For comfort, stick with 18 inch Continental softer tires. The front leg room is much better and arm rest is wider than my 2010 LaCrosse. The sound system was fantastic in both cars. My favorite feature was shut-off of the engine when you came to a stop...to save gas. The start up was seamless and smooth as silk. The 2017 Lacrosse also has a perfect combination of just enough push buttons and a very responsive touch touch screen that works together very well. Then I first looked at the electronic gear shifter(borrowed from Cadillac, I hear), the attached written instructions in picture form seemed confusing, but when my saleman joined me in the car, he showed me how simple it was to go to drive and park,and I was impressed. I highly recommend this new Buick, especially with the 18 inch Continental tires.

 

[Rick341]

Are you wanting a different logo besides the Buick logo for yours?

No, I want just the Buick logo..not one that says Buick & Cadillac but I didn't see it listed on the list of logos available .. I guess I'm missing something.

Rick, how has your transmission been? Mine is a little harsh and rough, especially when downshifting.

I can't say that it's harsh, but I can feel it shift at times and it doesn't shift as smoothly as the old Deville did. I just chalk it up to the 8 speed tranny being a whole different animal. It does seem to shift through the gears quicker than I think it should. To be honest, I'm still trying to get used to it and I'm still in the "test" mode and haven't even turned 2,000 miles yet. I haven't used the paddle shifters at all so all the downshifting has been automatic. I still haven't figured out the "engine stop" function... It seems the engine stops whenever I come to a complete stop... no matter if it's a quick and short stop or a long stop at a red light... it starts back up when I take my foot off the break at short stops but starts back up on it's own at the red lights... I like the way it works but I wish there were a way to adjust the time the engine remains off at the longer stops.
The absolute BEST thing about this car are the back massages!!!! 😀
What kind of mileage are you getting with yours? So far, according to the odometer, I'm averaging 29.9 mpg over close to 2k miles. Not too shabby.

 

[dbris]

I've been thinking about buying another LaCrosse, but the auto start stop "feature" will keep me from doing it until someone comes up with a way to defeat it. I've driven GM cars that have it, and I find it really annoying especially when the weather is hot and the air goes to the lowest setting every time you stop.

 

[Rick341]

I've been thinking about buying another LaCrosse, but the auto start stop "feature" will keep me from doing it until someone comes up with a way to defeat it. I've driven GM cars that have it, and I find it really annoying especially when the weather is hot and the air goes to the lowest setting every time you stop.

My LaCrosse is my first Buick since a Buick Special I had in high school in the 60s. I was worried about the start/stop feature too and didn't think I'd like it. We almost bought a new Cadillac CTS instead just because the Caddy has a defeat button for the start/stop feature where the LaCrosse doesn't but I'm glad we didn't. It's taking a while to learn all the options and gadgets, but so far we are really impressed with the car. The air conditioner blows colder than any car I've ever owned and we actually really like the start/stop feature. There's absolutely no engine noise, or vibration when it's engaged and as hot as it gets here is south Alabama, I haven't noticed any lesser degree of cooling. I wish the engine would remain off longer than it does at times.

 

[XtraPerformance]

No, I want just the Buick logo..not one that says Buick & Cadillac but I didn't see it listed on the list of logos available .. I guess I'm missing something.



I can't say that it's harsh, but I can feel it shift at times and it doesn't shift as smoothly as the old Deville did. I just chalk it up to the 8 speed tranny being a whole different animal. It does seem to shift through the gears quicker than I think it should. To be honest, I'm still trying to get used to it and I'm still in the "test" mode and haven't even turned 2,000 miles yet. I haven't used the paddle shifters at all so all the downshifting has been automatic. I still haven't figured out the "engine stop" function... It seems the engine stops whenever I come to a complete stop... no matter if it's a quick and short stop or a long stop at a red light... it starts back up when I take my foot off the break at short stops but starts back up on it's own at the red lights... I like the way it works but I wish there were a way to adjust the time the engine remains off at the longer stops.
The absolute BEST thing about this car are the back massages!!!! 😀
What kind of mileage are you getting with yours? So far, according to the odometer, I'm averaging 29.9 mpg over close to 2k miles. Not too shabby.

The logo protectors I linked include both the Buick and Cadillac logos. When you receive the projectors you have to take the American flag slide out and put the Buick logo slide in. Three different logos come with the projectors (American flag, Buick, and Cadillac) that you can change yourself before installing.

The 8-speed is very new to me as well having come from two cars with 6-speeds. It's not the worst when shifting but hearing so many reviews saying the 8-speed is so smooth I have to wonder if something is a little off. I might have the dealer look into it next time it's in for service. I am also very surprised at how often the engine will shut off even on cold days. I also find that at longer stop lights it comes back on before I take my foot off the brake but I'm sure it does that to protect the battery. I find it is the harshest when starting back up without taking my foot off the brake.

I love the massaging seats as well! It's even better when you have the heated seats on at the same time!! I have 4,148 miles right now with an average of 27.5 mpg.

 

[XtraPerformance]

I've been thinking about buying another LaCrosse, but the auto start stop "feature" will keep me from doing it until someone comes up with a way to defeat it. I've driven GM cars that have it, and I find it really annoying especially when the weather is hot and the air goes to the lowest setting every time you stop.

Have you driven the new LaCrosse and experienced the auto stop start system specifically in the LaCrosse? I would definitely give it a try before you take it off of your list. The new LaCrosse has a stop start system that was developed with the engine rather than simply added on to an existing engine so it is much smoother than applications of the system have been in the past.

 

[Rick341]

The logo protectors I linked include both the Buick and Cadillac logos. When you receive the projectors you have to take the American flag slide out and put the Buick logo slide in. Three different logos come with the projectors (American flag, Buick, and Cadillac) that you can change yourself before installing.

Thanks, I thought that might be the case but wasn't sure and was hoping you would confirm it before I ordered one. I tried to find LED replacements for the vanity mirror lights today and didn't even get close at any place I went... They look more like fuses than lights and I'm not sure they even make an LED that small. Can't change the one in the console box either... it's an encased rectangular light and I doubt they make an LED replacement for it.

 

[XtraPerformance]

Thanks, I thought that might be the case but wasn't sure and was hoping you would confirm it before I ordered one. I tried to find LED replacements for the vanity mirror lights today and didn't even get close at any place I went... They look more like fuses than lights and I'm not sure they even make an LED that small. Can't change the one in the console box either... it's an encased rectangular light and I doubt they make an LED replacement for it.

Were you able to figure out the type of bulb the vanity mirror lights are? They are very small but should be able to be changed. I'll have to take a look at the console light, kind of lame if you can't replace the bulb and are forced to replace the whole encasing if the bulb were to burn out.

I found the bulb types for the non-LED lights in the tail lights listed in the owners manual but haven't ordered anything yet. Being that this is the first model year nobody has bulb information on their sites yet.

 

[Rick341]

Were you able to figure out the type of bulb the vanity mirror lights are? Being that this is the first model year nobody has bulb information on their sites yet.

Nope, at first look, I thought they were fuses. I took one out and went to Wally World and a few auto parts stores and no one had anything close.
I know what cha mean about no bulb info on the 2017s...I got a notice from Amazon stating the puddle lights won't fit my 2017 LaCrosse. 😀

 

[joeybuick]

I test drove the Premium with both 18" wheels FWD and 20" wheels AWD with hiper strut suspension with continuous damping. The ride is much harsher with the bigger wheels. I wrote to Buick about swapping 18" wheels on the 20" model (with the more sophisticated suspension) and they replied that while the ride would be smoother, it won't be as smooth as the lower tech suspension (the one that comes with 18" wheels). I think the 18" model is definitely worth it; the 20" model transforms the Buick into a less comfortable car which defeats the purpose from my perspective. It's not really that sporty, definitely sportier than the 18" model, but nowhere near other sportier cars in this class. The 18" models have a nice quiet ride, and the tech is top notch - the only thing missing is self-driving and the all around camera - other than that, it has pretty much everything you find in any luxury car (other than performance stuff like air suspension, handling, etc.).

I'm also going to test drive a Genesis G80 which I heard has a pretty refined ride as well, not much cabin noise, but the interior (including the seats) are better than the Lacrosse. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[Sal Collaziano]

Wheels with a larger diameter always stiffen up a ride. In my personal opinion, larger wheels for a luxury car are more for looks than performance. It's a hard choice for me because I often feel the wheels are a big part of visual appeal. But I also like a soft, smooth ride in a luxury car. A bit of a dilemma for me. 😛

 

[stoopid]

I'm also going to test drive a Genesis G80 which I heard has a pretty refined ride as well, not much cabin noise, but the interior (including the seats) are better than the Lacrosse. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

The Genesis is a bit more money (base). Reliability, although not bad with Hyundai products of late, is still a question mark with any new manufacturer. I would feel more confident at 100,000 miles with the LaCrosse. But if you don't even see using all of the warranty, then it's probably a moot point as you'r likely to experience fewer issues with fewer miles. Feel and fit are entirely preferential so follow your heart, it's your money and time spent in the car.

 

[Sal Collaziano]

The Genesis is a bit more money (base). Reliability, although not bad with Hyundai products of late, is still a question mark with any new manufacturer. I would feel more confident at 100,000 miles with the LaCrosse. But if you don't even see using all of the warranty, then it's probably a moot point as you'r likely to experience fewer issues with fewer miles. Feel and fit are entirely preferential so follow your heart, it's your money and time spent in the car.

All spot on but the G80 is actually going into its third year now being it's the exact same car as the 2015 Genesis Sedan which went on sale in 2014. I think it's definitely a challenging choice to make between the two. They both look so different and are both very classy in their own ways...