Buick LaCrosse – A Sense of Style

[Jebaril]

The 2020 LaCrosse Avenir refresh (I guess, for China only now) is really gorgeous. If your go to GM Authority website, you can see it if you haven’t already.

 

[Globetrot1]

The 2020 LaCrosse Avenir refresh (I guess, for China only now) is really gorgeous. If your go to GM Authority website, you can see it if you haven’t already.

I will have to look for it. I like the current LaCrosse more than the one it replaced. It's sleeker and both the front fascia and the rear tail lamps are nicer aesthetically. I wish there was more of a defined trunk lid zone. My only complaint is how high the console and shifter are. I'd like to be able to crawl over it more easily if I had to. I don't like feeling like I'm sitting so low when I'm really not.

I was at the dealer for an oil change. They typically stock them with a 3.6 L V6. Sales have not been strong. I saw that they have dropped in a 2.5 L 4 cylinder engine in the entry level model with to bring the MSRP within reach for more people. If you look on line at Buick inventories, the 4 cylinder ones are few and far between. I wonder why it never took hold, seeing that they are common enough in Impalas (may be the same chassis ... and about the same size). The 2.5 L 4 has been a good engine. Being just shy of 200 horses, it should be able to power a LaCrosse but won't work any wonders on the on-ramps.

Any 4 cylinder owners or test drives of the current platform of the LaCrosse? Would you even consider one?

 

[Rich B.]

Well that’s a good question. I feel the LaCrosse should perform as well as it looks. Meaning the performance although not in the 12 second trap time 1/4 mile bracket is just fine with the V6. It’s peppy and will get you out of the way.

2008 Buick LaCrosse Specs & Performance Think the V8 with FWD had too much torque so it was dropped. So if spending the money why skimp on the HP or motion?

 

[Globetrot1]

Well that’s a good question. I feel the LaCrosse should perform as well as it looks. Meaning the performance although not in the 12 second trap time 1/4 mile bracket is just fine with the V6. It’s peppy and will get you out of the way.

2008 Buick LaCrosse Specs & Performance Think the V8 with FWD had too much torque so it was dropped. So if spending the money why skimp on the HP or motion?

I see what you mean about the current LaCrosse. The 3.6 V6 is currently GM's workhorse, selected to power the Cadillac CT6. If you are going to buy a Buick, you say to go all out. However, the price point on many LaCrosses makes for sticker shock. The sticker on my 2008 CX was about half that of a decked out new LaCrosse.

The thing with the 4 banger is that it takes the MSRP down to $29.9 K before adding on options and freight. That's FWD. AWD pushes it up about $3K or $4K. If a person found a base model without many options and got all the deals and incentives on them, they'd be in the flagship Buick sedan for under $30K. I think the entry level model is aimed only at those buyers. I could be a potential buyer just to remain loyal to GM and Buick but the curtain is falling and I'm not in the market.

 

[Rich B.]

Yes, I could see that way of looking at purchase. Myself, the “4” may have enough gumption. Same difference between AWD and FWD. Didn’t really need AWD so couldn’t see spending the extra; more to breakdown. If it snows I stay home and shovel, nothing pressing these days. Wouldn’t venture out with AWD either. No choice during work years, hate phones too which is a good thing lol.

And base model, roger that. I have no need for the frills and don’t use either but alas; paid for a few. Other car takes care of need for speed; too old for that even these days, ho-hum.

Although think we picked up our Buck for $24K plus traded wife’s little wagon; she just wrapped up her ceramics business. Car was brand new on lot and was a ‘16 in ‘16. Wanted to move it, was black; didn’t want black car but actually like it now, have to keep it shined though. They can do what they please, the dealers pretty much.

Interesting, keep us posted if possible- Rich

 

[Human]

So I've had my 2013 LaCrosse eAssist hybrid since mid-December last year. It was a lucky find two days after my 2011 Impala got totaled by a drunk driver. No one was injured in the three-car collision, thank Goodness. A used car dealer in a small town an hour north of me had it and didn't want to have to pay inventory tax on it so he had priced it to move at almost 25 percent below market, according to Edmunds.com. I didn't even wait for the insurance check. I bought it on the spot and ditched the rental car.

The styling, interior and exterior, is anything but stodgy and boring and it has a number of touches one would expect to find on a Cadillac. The ride and handling are very comfortable and thankfully not the mushy, sloppy driving experience of Buicks gone by. The little four-banger, even with the little boost it gets from the hybrid system, is mostly adequate, if a bit anemic, especially when going uphill on an on-ramp and trying to achieve highway speeds so I can merge into traffic. It's just a little scary. Fuel economy is a good tradeoff, though. I get about 27 or 28 in town and mid- upper-30s on the highway. Not Prius mileage, but not too shabby, either. I have no complaints for the size car. By comparison, my Impala had a 3.5L V6 and would do about 22 in town and 28 on the highway, 30 if I was lucky. All that said, I certainly wasn't happy this past August when the air conditioner suddenly quit working and the system needed to be almost totally replaced to the tune of $1,500. I sure hope that sort of repair doesn't become a regular occurrence.

 

[Globetrot1]

I was going to add that I see so many 2005-2009 LaCrosses (Allures) on the road. I've seen some 2005s around, the first year for the model and the Series III V6, that are either in great shape or beat to hell. What they have in common is that they are all running well ... some with a boatload of miles. People really took to this car, as did I, and seem to be keeping them because they don't know what else to buy. There's not much product out there that's similar to the first-gen LaCrosse in form and function these days.

 

[Globetrot1]

Like the thread title says: "a sense of style." Good style and design is usually timeless.

Here's a photo I recently took during autumn colors in a state forest. This LaCrosse was built 13 years ago, per its placard. I'm the original owner and have owned it a few months less than that.

 

[Globetrot1]

So I've had my 2013 LaCrosse eAssist hybrid since mid-December last year.

The styling, interior and exterior, is anything but stodgy and boring and it has a number of touches one would expect to find on a Cadillac. The ride and handling are very comfortable and thankfully not the mushy, sloppy driving experience of Buicks gone by. The little four-banger, even with the little boost it gets from the hybrid system, is mostly adequate, if a bit anemic, especially when going uphill on an on-ramp and trying to achieve highway speeds so I can merge into traffic. It's just a little scary. Fuel economy is a good tradeoff, though. I get about 27 or 28 in town and mid- upper-30s on the highway. Not Prius mileage, but not too shabby, either. I have no complaints for the size car. By comparison, my Impala had a 3.5L V6 and would do about 22 in town and 28 on the highway, 30 if I was lucky. All that said, I certainly wasn't happy this past August when the air conditioner suddenly quit working and the system needed to be almost totally replaced to the tune of $1,500. I sure hope that sort of repair doesn't become a regular occurrence.

Air conditioning repairs can be a bad experience Was it about $1,500 at the dealer? Compressor, other major components?

I had forgotten about the 4 cyl. with eAssist. But it makes sense since they made a 2.5 liter 4 cylinder version to get a lower priced LaCrosse in 2019, maybe 2018.

I've rented many 3.5 V6s in Impalas and Monte Carlos. If the original 211 hp 3.5s which they rolled out for 2006, they should be good for over 30 mpg on the highway. I've gotten low 30s mpg on those when the trips were all highway. It was the 3600 V6 (300 hp) Impalas (toward 2013) that I'd only get about 27 or 28 mpg on the highway with. The 3600 is found in so many recent Buicks.

 

[Human]

The air conditioner wasn't repaired at a dealership but at a chain repair shop called Precision Tune. It included the compressor and a bunch of other stuff. I don't remember what all off hand.

The 2011 Impala I had before the LaCrosse had the 3.5L V6 and might give 30 under ideal highway conditions but it was more frequently in the 27 or 28 range, which is what my LaCrosse does around town, compared to the Impala's 21 or 22 in town.

 

[HotZ28]

Another 9-yr OLD thread!

 

[Globetrot1]

Another 9-yr OLD thread!

New(er) members. New(er) LaCrosses.

 

[Mad*Max]

This is my 2010 after 11 years, gave it a wash:

 

[Globetrot1]

As I drive around, I see a lot of base LaCrosses with the grille that tells me they are from 2005 to 2007. Most are CX and CXL models. That tells me they are equipped with the 3800 V6.

They look, and sound, great. It's good to see people getting such great service from their 14 to 16 year old LaCrosses.

 

[Mad*Max]

This is my first Buick and it has been rock solid after 11 years and 100,000 miles. So far I have only done the water pump post warranty. Plus it uses regular gas and conventional oil 🙂

 

[PulpFriction]

This is my first Buick and it has been rock solid after 11 years and 100,000 miles. So far I have only done the water pump post warranty. Plus it uses regular gas and conventional oil 🙂

I too have a 2010 CXS. Doesn’t yours have the 3.6L LLT? My manual (somewhat ambiguously) says:

“ If the vehicle has the 3.6L V6 engine (VIN Code V), use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating of 91 or higher. You can also use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but the vehicle's acceleration could be slightly reduced,..”

Somewhat reduced? I’ll say. On regular, under just mild acceleration, it will stumble unpredictably and sometimes badly, creating a dangerous situations. In those cases I’ve never heard a knock, but presume this is the ECM rolling back the timing inelegantly in response to a complaint from a knock sensor. So I feel compelled to use premium.

Yeah, the manual doesn’t specify synthetic oil, but the 3.6 is a direct-injection VVT motor with a reputation for timing chain problems, so I’m going with good full synthetic and changing it often to avoid coked valves, and gummed-up timing chain tensioners and VVT solenoid valves.

 

[Globetrot1]

The air conditioner wasn't repaired at a dealership but at a chain repair shop called Precision Tune. It included the compressor and a bunch of other stuff. I don't remember what all off hand.

The 2011 Impala I had before the LaCrosse had the 3.5L V6 and might give 30 under ideal highway conditions but it was more frequently in the 27 or 28 range, which is what my LaCrosse does around town, compared to the Impala's 21 or 22 in town.

Thanks for putting up this information. When I was shopping, it was between the 07 and 08 Grand Prix, LaCrosse, and Monte Carlo.

The Grand Prix had the 3800, so that was good. The dashboard, despite cheaper build quality, was very cool. However, the styling, especially up front, was too polarizing. They could have toned it down. I like them enough, but don't know how I would have liked owning one.

Interesting what you experienced with the 3.5 V6 in an Impala. In all the Impalas and Monte Carlos I've rented, the 3.5, and the previous 3400, returned 33 and 34 mpg on the highway each and every time. I loved that. However, I didn't know how I felt about a 60 degree block, cast iron block and aluminum heads, and a newly introduced VVT system (by Borg Warner, which turned out to be nothing to worry about, since you see so many on the road today running just fine). I really wanted the Monte Carlo. Had there still been a 3800 offered as an option, such as in previous SSs, I would have gone that route.

Mind you, I am very happy with the LaCrosse and 29 to 31 mpg on the open road is still good enough for me.

 

[techmann]

I just picked up a 2007 Lacrosse with 47.000 miles. My vehicle has the shifter on the column and after looking at pics of other 2007's, was wondering what percentage were built with column shift.

 

[EDSELRANGER]

Horrible, salty road conditions here in the Rust Belt. And many trips through the carwash. After almost 9 years, the paint on my '15 LaCrosse still looks fantastic!

GM has screwed up a lot of things over the years and the cheesy, peeling, fading paint (specifically but not limited to blues and silvers, mid '80s to early '90s) was one of them. This seems to be one area where they really made some improvement.

 

[Human]

White was also a bad color back in the day, It would lift right off of the primer. But yeah, it took them a while to get the hang of those two-stage, base coat/clear coat paint jobs.