San Francisco:
In the last ten years or so, change has been
constantly reforming the world around us. So it’s a good thing we got a
chance to drive Buick’s all-new 2005 LaCrosse, the car replacing the
Century and Regal.
Debuting this year the
LaCrosse is an attractive car with great potential and is getting the
younger crowd’s attention with the help of Tiger and his resurging golf
game. We drove the “performance-oriented” CXS and the powerful,
new-for-05 3.6-liter VVT V6 and it made a lasting impression on us. With
240 horsepower and 225 lb.-ft. of torque, we found getting onto the
freeway a breeze and getting a head start on the surrounding traffic
pretty easy.
We were able to get
around 22.5 miles per gallon out of the LaCrosse with quite a bit of
spirited driving and a lot of freeway driving. We thought this was
pretty good for a sedan like this, and after looking at the EPA
estimates of 19 city and 27 highway, we decided the mileage was on par
with other cars in this class and size.
Trying to get through a
hilly countryside is another matter. With front-wheel-drive making
understeer the soup du jour, driving fast around any corner was more
chore than playtime but we had some fun shooting ourselves out of long
sweepers with the available horsepower the new engine had on tap.
Inside, the LaCrosse is
more European than Japanese, with an uncluttered dash and center stack
with attractive wood-grain trim throughout. There was also a really nice
two-tone theme with the rest of the cabin: dark gray on top of a lighter
gray that looked awesome … especially at the Buick’s price point.
The greatest single
feature of the LaCrosse, and other GM vehicles with this feature is the
remote starter. It was totally functional, without any bad habits, and
even turned on the heater or air conditioning, depending on the cabin
temperature. It is a perfect execution on a useful feature.
The seats, of course,
were top notch. That is one area we have come to expect from Buick -
great seats to sit in. We found them to be comfy and well worth the
price of admission, if not totally in synch with the “sporting”
character of the CXS.
Outside, the styling of
the LaCrosse fits somewhere between some sort of new Lexus, a bigger,
more rounded Kia Optima and a resurrected Riviera…with four doors. We
actually like how the LaCrosse looks. It’s a definite evolution from the
Regal / Century twins that really brings Buick’s mid-size sedan into
this century.
The bottom line on the
LaCrosse is an as-tested price of $32,160. Our car was equipped with the
Gold Convenience package that included a leather-wrapped steering wheel
with radio and climate controls, a Homelink transmitter, heated outside
mirrors, six-way power passenger seat, rear park assist, and rear
reading lamps for $1,150; chrome-plated 17-inch wheels for $650,
Stabilitrak, GMs stability control program, for $495; Head & side
airbags for $395; XM Radio for $325, and the remote starter option for
$150.
With a base price of
only $28,000, the standard equipment list in no small thing. Couple that
with the options of our test car and you have a great value in an
American sedan. We think the golf crowd and Americans bent on getting an
American-made vehicle will love the Buick LaCrosse and we can’t blame
them for wanting a solid car with a great quality rep and good looks.
By
James Bryson © AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
Buick Home Page
Byline: Syndicated content provided by Tony Leopardo ©
AutoWire.Net
Column Name: LaCrosse
is a solid car with good looks
Topic: The
2005 Buick LaCrosse
Word Count:
652
Photo Caption:
The 2005 Buick LaCrosse
Photo Credits:
Buick
Internet Media
Series #:
2005 - 39
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2005 Buick LaCrosse
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2005 Buick LaCrosse
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