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 Strange.
The badges on this car say "Buick" and "LaCrosse"
and "CXL," and they're small enough that if you don't look carefully,
you might think this big sedan, especially in Quicksilver metallic paint,
is a European luxury car. And except for that three-shield emblem in the
middle of the steering wheel hub, I'd swear that what I'm driving is a
new Lexus.
Now, those impressions
are very good things if you happen to be General Motors. They're especially
good if you're one of its Buick dealers, and particularly good if you're
one of those long-time Buick buyers who has been waiting for the brand
to build the car you deserve, because this brand new 2010 Buick LaCrosse
(my test vehicle is the mid-range CXL model with front-wheel drive) looks
and feels a lot more like an imported luxury car than maybe anything that
ever rolled off any GM assembly line, let alone one in Kansas City, Kansas,
U.S.A., which is where this LaCrosse was produced.
And while I've been
sitting up front with the steering wheel in my hands, I suspect the ride
may be even better in the back seat, where there's limousine-like legroom.
Yet the Monroney
pricing and information sticker that came with the vehicle says the base
price is only $29,645, and that even with the optional Harman/Kardon 384-watt
audio upgrade and 18-inch chrome-plated wheels, plus destination charges,
this vehicle costs an unluxury-like $31,695.
Yet it's equipped
with electronic stability control, and front, side and side-curtain airbags,
with leather seats that are heated for those up front, with power and
heated mirrors, dual zone climate controls, satellite radio, OnStar, Bluetooth
and all those sorts of luxury and safety features you'd expect on a Lexus
- oops - I mean that maybe we should come to expect on a Buick, even though
there's still an even more luxurious Cadillac brand in the GM portfolio.
But there's nothing
about this Buick LaCrosse that even hints at Cadillac's little brother.
It's very much its own vehicle, well, although it might appear to be right
at home in a Lexus showroom.
Oh, and here's another
luxury: This Buick LaCrosse CXL's 183-horsepower, 3.0-liter V6 engine
with its six-speed automatic transmission is rated at 17 miles per gallon
in town and at 26 on the highway -- and saving at the fuel pump is a luxury
all of us can appreciate, even those who might be able to afford regular
visits to a Lexus showroom.
However, and this
is a big however, at least for those of you who consider yourselves to
be automotive enthusiasts: While this new LaCrosse is just what Buick
and its dealers and customers want and need, it's, well, as boring as
a Lexus to drive on the open road. It's just so smooth and so comfortable;
to the enthusiast who likes the occasional - no, the frequent challenge
of twists and turns and elevation changes, sometimes while the road is
twisting and turning at the same time - the LaCrosse is a car you might
recommend to friends and relatives but wouldn't buy.
But that's O.K.,
because for driving enthusiasts, GM has vehicles such as the Cadillac
CTS and Chevrolet Camaro.
Fun-to-drive probably
isn't a big factor with Buick buyers. They'll love the Lexus-like luxury
and the smooth and comfortable driving dynamics the LaCrosse provides.
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