Overall Thoughts: I rented a 2011 Buick Lacrosse CXL FWD this weekend, and I am extremely impressed with this product from GM. First fun to drive Buick! Can't wait for the Buick Regal GS, with AWD and 325 HP, if only National would carry that! I also have to thank National for equipping this particular Lacrosse with the upgraded 280 hp directed injected V6 (borrowed from the Cadillac line, though slightly detuned). The 2010 Buick Lacrosse CXL uses the 3.0L V6 with 252 hp, though this engine has been discontinued for the 2011 model year and instead replaced with the 4-cylinder with 182 hp. The more powerful 280hp V6 is available as an option on the CXL, but comes standard on the higher end CXS trim line. So do yourself a favor and pop the hood before you drive off; this car is fun to drive, but ONLY with the uprated V6.
Interestingly, the new Lacrosse was designed entirely in China. I only wish they had done this 5 years ago! I love the design language.
Exterior: The head-turning exterior. It has a handsome front and rear with a sloping rearward roofline. The profile is recognizable and distinctive, and IMO, looks fantastic. It's more sleek looking than its Detroit rival, the Ford Taurus.
While the rearward sloping roofline gives a sleek appearance, it causes some functional problems. Primarily, headroom for rear seat passengers is quite restrictive; I'm 6' 1", and could not sit in the back without bumping my head on the ceiling.
The trunk is also, unfortunately, quite tiny.
However, it has a fairly wide opening with low lift height. I appreciated the automatic trunk opening mechanism on the key fob, which proved to be a lifesaver during numerous situations.
Interior: A+ effort by GM engineers here. When looking at Lacrosse pictures online, I originally thought that the dashboard was covered in hard plastic. Not so, it's actually a very comfortable soft plastic, almost leather-like in quality. The dashboard features contrast-stitching across nearly the entire width, which is a nice upscale touch. The overall layout is airy feeling, and adds some volume to the driver's position. Unfortunately, the wood is fake, and feels out of place in a mid-$30K car, however, it is tastefully positioned. Genuine aluminum trim is used to adorn the interior. The noise insulation is top notch here; even at highway speeds, there is relatively little wind or road noise.
Looking to the passenger side.
One aspect of the interior that I liked of the Lacrosse over the Taurus, is that for non-Nav equipped models such as mine, the information/radio screen is larger and has larger font sizes. On the other hand, the radio controls are rather clumsily organized; too many buttons. There are several buttons that could be easily integrated into the root main menu (e.g. tone button to adjust bass/treble/etc..).
The steering wheel is ok, but looks and feels cheap. Rather than being wrapped in leather, it's covered in some sort of vinyl/plastic. Additionally, the numbers/fonts on the speedometer/gauges felt tacky and out of place.
During the night-time, the instrumentation is very easy to read. The headlamps are excellent; in particular, the highbeams are AWESOME. Practically everything within 50 feet of the front hemisphere of the car is lit up. There is a strip of blue lighting that extends across the dash at night, which looks classic.
Night-time driving
Driving Feel: The Buick's 280 hp DI engine is superlative; driving is fun! Acceleration is excellent, 0-60 in 6.8 seconds. Handling is good for a Buick, but of course could be tighter, especially around turns. Steering feel is on the light side. Excellent highway cruiser, effortless highway passing, around town fun, great vehicle.
The foot well for the left foot is rather uncomfortable however, and I found myself constantly re-adjusting to (hopelessly) find a better position. In addition, the seats could use more cushioning and felt rather thin/flat in some areas.
Visibility: After driving the Lacrosse a second time, found visibility restrictive. Thick A- and C-pillars, no spotter mirrors either.
Sideward View
PROS:
- Excellent engine (but only on upgraded models)
- Exterior/interior
- Quiet interior, excellent NVH dampening
- Airy feeling dashboard
- Info screen on non-Nav equipped models
- Visibility (better than some other cars)
- Generous rear leg room
- Sliding arm-rest on driver's side
- Good braking response, pretty good handling and steering feel
- Puts previous generations of Buicks to shame
- The Chinese need to design more Buicks
CONS:
(mainly minor ones)
- Gauges in driver's pod look tacky
- Left foot well uncomfortable
- Tiny trunk considering vehicle size
- Base stereo is terrible
- Too many radio buttons
- Seats need more cushioning
- Steering wheel looks and feels cheap
- No rear headroom
How does it compare against the Taurus?
- Lacrosse has a better looking and higher quality interior with abounding soft plastics, not a big fan of the Taurus' dual pod design. OTOH, perhaps the Lacrosse should be compared to the Lincoln MKZ, since they are both entry-level luxury sedans. I prefer the Taurus' speedometer gauge design and lettering however.
- Lacrosse handles better and features better driving dynamics, since it's not as portly as the Taurus. Additionally, braking on the Lacrosse is better and not as spongy feeling.
- Taurus has better driver seating position, better entry/egress, bigger trunk, better headroom.
- Taurus has better visibility.
- Taurus has a better steering wheel, better Sync integration, more comfortable seats, and left foot well. Taurus might be more comfortable for very long distance driving (e.g. greater than 3 hours) due to better driver positioning.
- Need to test the Taurus SHO for comparison, since a well-optioned Lacrosse is getting into SHO pricing territory, (or even par with some lower end Lincoln MKSes).