2005 Buick Lacrosse
Friday, November 17th, 2006
The 2005 Buick LaCrosse is an elegant and good alternative to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, champions of the midsize sedan category, but doesn’t match their quality or refinement. It does, however, represent a monumental improvement over the boring duo it elbows from the lineup the Century and Regal. The LaCrosse is Buick’s harbinger of change.
This svelte yet unexciting midsize sedan signals a new direction for the company bolder and better. It happens to be both, compared with previous Buicks. But the cars it replaces were so inferior that even a quantum improvement hasn’t elevated the LaCrosse to Accord and Camry territory, despite Buick executives who say otherwise.
While the Buick LaCrosse’s understated styling doesn’t set any new design standards, it does look classy and is an improvement over the bland Regal and Century models it replaces.
Big, creased fenders combine with elliptical themes in the grille, the chrome-framed window area and the rear of the car for an elegant look. Its upswept haunches are particularly attractive.
The Cardinal Red metallic exterior paint and 17-inch chromed wheels of the CXS model we drove (which starts at $28,335 and had $3,165 in options) dress up the otherwise innocuous design and heighten the LaCrosse’s visual appeal. Buick emphasizes the car’s tight fit and finish in press materials and heralds the styling as a bold, new direction for the company.
Despite improvements over older Buicks, the LaCrosse still doesn’t rival the Accord or Camry for interior refinement. Drivers will be rudely alerted to this fact every time they get in or out of the car and snag their foot on the gangly parking-brake pedal that juts from beneath the dash.
Textured plastics lining the interior feel nice to the touch, but the leather on the seats of our tester was stiff instead of sumptuous. Controls are well placed and for the most part intuitive especially the optional ones on the steering wheel, but the windshield-wiper and turn-signal stalks didn’t feel solid.
Buttons on the center instrument panel often didn’t work on the first try, requiring a firm follow-up press and split-second hold, which is annoying and potentially dangerous in heavy traffic. A row of buttons along the top of the center console operates the onboard computer, calculating miles per gallon, average speed, distances and all sorts of other things. But they aren’t easy to decipher and require consulting the owner’s manual.
Spacewise, the interior is pleasant for drivers and passengers, with ample seating room and an able stereo and climate control system. The trunk is also spacious. The test car’s six-way electronically adjustable driver seat approximated an ideal driving position well enough, though more lumbar support would’ve been welcome. (The front passenger seat on our CXS model was also electronically adjustable, per the $1,150 “Gold Convenience Package.”)
Large potholes, bumps and road irregularities on the highway are all well absorbed. If you don’t care about sporty steering or suspension, the two lesser-trimmed LaCrosses (CX and CXL, starting at $22,835 and $25,335, respectively) might offer even more isolation from rough roads, since they forgo the more aggressive setup on the CXS and have tires with taller sidewalls on 16-inch wheels.
Although the car looks and feels big (after all, it weighs between 3,495 and 3,568 pounds, depending on trim level), it’s not a chore to drive, even on tight city streets, thanks to the precise steering and controlled handling.
It doesn’t lean much in corners like softly sprung Buicks of old, but the LaCrosse does pitch and dive noticeably when braking and accelerating. Drivers who prefer the heavier feel of the steering on a Honda or BMW might find the LaCrosse’s too light, but it’s still predictable and stable at speed.
The two lower-trim levels (CX and CXL) get GM’s 3.8-liter V6 engine generating 200 hp and 230 pound-feet of torque. This engine has been around for a long time and isn’t anything special, but it gets the job done and is reliable and reasonably fuel-efficient, judging by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ratings of 20 mpg for city driving and 29 mpg for the highway.
The CXS model came with GM’s next-generation V6, whose major structure and components are made entirely of aluminum. Though it’s smaller in displacement than the old V-6 3.6 liters versus 3.8 advancements such as variable valve timing help it crank out 240 hp and 225 pound-feet of torque.
Slightly less fuel-efficient compared with the base engine, it’s smooth and refined, with enough power to make passing tractor-trailers or merging onto busy highways a cinch. Acceleration wasn’t overwhelmingly fast but brisk, accompanied by a muted snarl from the V6.
For all its rough edges, the LaCrosse is a leap forward for Buick. If the upcoming all-new Lucerne sedan shows similar improvement over the outgoing LeSabre and Park Avenue, Buick will have gone a long way toward wooing a new generation of drivers.(Forbes)
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