Well at least I think it could help out the struggling automaker.
GM is aiming for the Lexus ES350/Acura TL buying audience with its smartest looking sedan in years. Buick's Enclave started the change. The Enclave was a beautiful sports ute that did everything right, including the thing that had been escaping Ford and GM in recent years - fit and finish.
This new GM was introduced at the January car shows and looks like a winner. It should be in showrooms next month with a price tag starting in the high 20s and topping out in the high 30s if you opt for an All Wheel Drive 280 horsepower version. I think the stock motor, at 255 horses, will be plenty.
The car will have every bell and whistle, every gadget, you could imagine, from Bluetooth support, in-dash navigation, an electronic head-up display in the windshield to track speed and even a system to warn you when objects are in your blind spot.
The LaCrosse will also offer internet connectivity, DVD headrests in the rear, and GM's industry-best On-Star system. Ambient lighting in the cabin just looks cool and hand stitching on the dashboard screams luxury.
This may be a game-changer for Buick, which used to be your father's brand.
LaCrosse Specs
Exterior
Length: 196.9 in. Width: 73.1 in.
Height: 59.2 in. Wheel Base: 111.7 in.
Curb Weight: 4019 lbs.
Interior
Front Head Room: 38 in. Front Hip Room: 55.2 in.
Front Shoulder Room: 57.4 in. Rear Head Room: 37.3 in.
Rear Shoulder Room: 56 in. Rear Hip Room: 53.9 in.
Front Leg Room: 41.7 in. Rear Leg Room: 40.5 in.
Luggage Capacity: 13.3 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 13 cu. ft.
Maximum Seating: 5
Performance Data
Performance
Base Number of Cylinders: 6 Base Engine Size: 3 liters
Base Engine Type: V6 Horsepower: 255 hp
Max Horsepower: 6900 rpm Torque: 217 ft-lbs.
Max Torque: 5100 rpm Maximum Towing Capacity: 1000 lbs.
Drive Type: FWD Turning Circle: 38.7 ft.
Fuel Tank Capacity: 18.4 gal.
EPA Mileage Estimates: 17 mpg / 28 mpg
Range in Miles:
Automatic: 312.8 mi. / 515.2 mi. / mi.
42 comments:
They can spend all their money on design and looks and junk and it won't make a difference.
All Americans want it a Mechanically RELIABLE car like Honda, Toyota, etc.
Emphasis on RELIABLITY
Build cars that don't break after 3 years and you will bust the market wide open.
10 yr 100,000 bumper to bumper no hidden print warranty. except for regular wear and tear.
That's it.
I seriously doubt that anyone considering a TL or ES350 will consider this new LaCross. To date GM is not even capable of making a car on par with either Lexus or Acura in terms of reliability, fit, finish and durability.
Anon is absolutely correct...there are enough 'luxury' cars out there. Build a reliable, safe...and HYBRID, if possible, vehicle, atan uninflated price point...and they will come. In droves.
Thank you me-too people. Do you feel better now that no one will kick sand in your face or stuff you in a locker for not buying a Toyota or Honda...Your lunch money is safe.
I've owned a GM for 14 years and it's been very reliable, but I'm sure you'll blow that off...but we know, the real reason is you won't consider a GM is because it's not "in." If all you're worried about is reliability, then buy a Ford. They've been on top recently. Buick has always been reliable, BTW.
This is why GM is in bankruptcy. The economy is in the tank; unemployment is rampant; and GM introduces a new LUXURY car. Yep, just what we need - more luxury.
I believe this is the very similar car that has been built in China for the last couple of years or so. A 'Chinese Buick' has a interesting ring to it. I'm impressed with the new Hyundai Genisis coupe and sedan.
Hardly a game changer
OMG! Ha ha ha are you kidding?!!
I have owned classic (read old and well built) Buicks my whole life so I lean heavily that way but give me a break.
I think Buicks new car quality is going to be pretty good but WHO has 30 grand right now to spend on a techno wonder that is one spilled coffee cup down the dash away from a inhouse Fourth of July show?
Seriously though, we are tired of price inflated products loaded with a mine field of expensive to repair "must haves to BE someone" options.
Build a high quality car, with the "Bell" being a good sounding engine, and the "whistle" being a nice stereo and put a LOW FIXED PRICE on it like Saturn, and you MIGHT hit on something.
As I lay on the horn at people weaving all over the road these days texting and driving I can only imagine what owners of these vehicles with internet,blue tooth,global positioning and all that other junk will pose as a threat on the road!
Basic needs :reliable drivetrain with steering wheel,great price first please!
Gee, EVERY Toyota I have owned had RUSTED, and the last one the engine blew up in my 4Runner. My Hondas suffered from a defective transmission.
The new Acura-cars so ugly they scare women and children, and why would I pay extra for a fancy Camry?
Both are about as fun to drive as watching paint dry, they are dull, dull, dull, much like their owners.
And if domestic cars are so unreliable, then just how did I get over 250K miles out of my last three, while my Asian "reliable" POS never made it to 130K without major and costly repairs?
So, if GM introduces a luxury car (it takes 3 years to develop) in an economy that's been bad for a 1 year, it gets bashed. I assume Lexus/Acura/etc won't be introducing an luxury cars soon, right?
If GM leaves the car unchanged, then it gets bashed.
Without so much as seeing the car in person, most of you idiots have dismissed it.
Thanks for your loyalty to American workers, American companies, and your kids, since they'll inherit this economy, thanks largely to people like you.
Thanks for keeping the trade deficit up there. Thanks for helping can some more Americans. Thanks for making me spend more in taxes for the bailout.
Would it be too much to ask to see the car before you dismiss it? Yes, of course it would. Enjoy your portion of the bailout that you helped create.
I'm personally sick of all this anti-American BS that these people have been writing.
After following the auto industry for some 20 years now, I can truthfully say that GM is putting out more reliable, well-designed and provoking automobiles than ever.
What is bringing the manufacturer down right now is the greedy and antiquated unions and a bad business model.
Give credit where credit is dus, and get your facts in line before you post an uneducated and idiotic response.
You could actually post your name also.
Visually, it's a nice looking car. Economically, it's a bad idea. This car will compete nicely with luxury buyers, however to the masses, this car will not be on the top of list to purchase.
I am eager to see the upcoming non luxury line up...that is what impacts most Americans buying habits.
My wife has owned a GMC for the past 8 years, 5 with an Envoy and 3 with a Yukon and they have been perfect. Never a problem and cheap to maintain. In the same time period my brother has owned two chevy trucks, a trailblazer and tahoe which have been complete lemons. literally. They just replaced his entire engine for the second time on his tahoe. I drove a Chrysler 300M years back which was also perfect before i traded it in for a Durango which was in the shop from day one never being able to fix/find the problem. Domestic autos, from experience are hit or miss. Some are great and some are disasters. That needs to change.
I would love to buy American and do when I'm comfortable that the quality is there. I'm would buy a Cadillac without a thought and any Ford. I would think that GM would have this new buick dialed in as well.
Davids Big 40 knows what he's talking about, I'm certain he tools around town in his Pontiac Aztek.....
I have been driving GM cars since 1964, and buying them new since 1972. They have been great cars. I currently own 3, all purchased new. The oldest is 12 years old and still going strong.
The economic trouble GM is currently experiencing is not because of poor quallity, nor is it because of poor management. To quote James Caravelle from the 1992 Presidential campaign: "It's the economy, stupid".
Perhaps you sheeple who just parrot things you have heard have noticed that your heros at Toyota are also running in the red.
So what are they calling this car in Canada this time around? When the LaCrosse was first introduced, GM Canada went ballistic because they weren't consulted beforehand, and the reason they went ballistic is that "LaCrosse" is French-Canadian slang for a particular sex act. GM never learns.
GM has spent too many decades trying to disguise the same old truck platform SUV's as something new. Case in point, the new plastic clad Suburbans that Charlotteans love to drive to work in, sucking 2 or 3 times the gas as a normal car and spewing gynormous amounts of pollution into the Carolina blue sky. Anyway, this LaCrosse thing is plain ugly. Probably because GM forgot how to design anything except trucks. Cars like this are NOT going to save GM. Period. The grill on this car is downright hideous!
General Motors still thinks car buyers are clueless, uninformed idiots from the 50's. This Lacrosse? It's a sport-luxo wannabe; a real sheep in wolf's clothing.
That GM / Buick execs even *think* they can come close to matching a Lexus, Infiniti or Acura over the long run is ludicrous! Put the crack pipe down, boys!
Problem is, at the 60,000 - 65,000 mile mark, your average GM sh!t-box is running - and looking - like one, too.
Most Lexus / Infiniti / Acura's are just settling in real good by then. (Ha! The paint is still attached to the body if nothing else!)
GM is done like dinner; stick a fork in 'em.
Wow, another rebadged Chevy Impala with a different grill and "fancy" interior. This is what killed GM in the first place - trying to sell Americans the same car 5 times over. Put the final nail in the coffin.
Never been able to afford a new car, but when and if I did purchase one, I don't want to have to worry if the Union brats had a tantrum that year and quality on my investment as a result suffered.
Pay your people a REASONABLE wage, dump the freeloaders that have received benefits longer than they even worked there and get lean and mean again!
Other than the 2009 Camaro that took FOREVER to release I see no stand out styling, no test driver ranting praises (except for Malibu), all I hear is Unions demanding more,GM Execs being paid for boring looking products (remember when you could tell brands apart?) high prices, and billions of our tax payer money going towards confirmed failed business practices.
Result? Low consumer confidence on several levels,and high prices due to poor managment and greedy unions.
With Obama "running GM" (Government Motors!) I am sure he will cut them off further at the knees with his blitzkrieg of "go green" propaganda.
With ALL that extra stress my "green" will be going into keeping our paid for older GM's and one foreign van well maintained for long service and stay OUT of this rat race.
Stress we don't need.
Used and paid for is fine by me.
All of the comments on here that rip the quality and reliability of the Buick brand aren't paying attention the industry. J.D. Power and Associates just awarded Buick with the award for highest quality of ANY automaker, unseating Lexus who had won the award for 14 straight years. It is a huge achievement for Buick, and according to J.D. Power and Associates, the quality and reliability of a Buick are second to none.
Even though people say "Buick" is not your father car any more, I still see more handicap signs in them then any other brand. The designs Buick has may be not be boats any more, but to most young people, under 45, one still needs a membership in the AARP in order to purchase one.
The only thing GM could do to save itself is to start making small diesel cars. Google the VW Polo. People would buy a car that gets 60 mpg on reliable technology for 2/3 the price of a Prius.
When will the American auto industry start producing clean burning diesel engines that get high mileage? If VW can produce a mid size passenger car that gets up to 58 MPG why can't we? Ford sells a Festiva model in Europe that gets 65 MPG. Here in America, we get the next "luxury" car. Get off the hybrid bandwagon. In 5 years after purchase, when the battery dies, you will have a car that will cost more to fix than it will sell for plus have the EPA on your back about how you are going to dispose of the battery.
Since the article failed to mention engine performance and mpg, I assume it is as bad as most of the GM cars. If so, they need to go to Toyaota and get it right... Uve been a Lexus 350 owner and get 28 highway and 19 in town, can they match that?
If so, GM will have finally learned an important lesson.
its a buick.
i know they have very high customer reviews, but its still the quintessential gray haired car of choice.
image is everything - and this is still a buick.
anon 715a, you must be from the heart of detroit the way you are slammin' foreign autos! are you sure you don't live in a flood prone area and your cars all rusted from the water? how about i got 289k from my acura with the only major repair being a new clutch. and how is it that your "last three" american rides all passed 250k? did you put the 250k on them? i know i put 200k+ on my acura myself!
RELIABLE?! Well Buick as a brand only has 122 problems per 100 vehicle. The next best brand is Jaguar. That's right Buick tops J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study. Honda has 144 problems per 100 vehicles. Lexus has 126 problems per 100 vehicles.
This 2010 Lacrosse is going to be the car that everyone is talking about when the new GM is done with there restructuring.
Here at Folgers Buick we will be seeing it in our showroom at the end of June. As a Buick dealer for over 72 years and North Carolina's oldest Buick dealer, I am pleased to say we're here to stay. We have a contact list for when we start getting them in. If your looking for a luxury car with the style and proven reliability, call Dave at 704-536-9635 or email me at ddowell@folgerautomotive.com.
I've owned American cars from a Chevy Vega to a Ford Exploder (sorry, only the TIRES exploded on it--unlike the Pinto). And foreign cars from a Beetle to a several Lexus and Acuras. The foreign cars hold their looks and their performance better all around. It seems that American cars used to be the choice of the educated, upper and upper middle class. Buick, Mercury, Lincoln, Caddy, etc. were in back then amongnst the wealthy and educated. Now those classes drive Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Mercedes, etc. Why?
My Explorer had a lot of problems not the least of which was tranny slippage. I took it in and was told yup, it's slipping badly and needs to be replaced. They made an appointment for me for the replacement the next week. When I arrived to pick it up I was told they had cancelled the appointment. They knew the tranny was bad but had had to replace too many and were going to force me to wait until it failed completely (even if that put me or the other occupants in potential danger). They were afraid that Ford was going to come and audit their shop so they had changed their policy that day. Of course, I could take it to another dealership and try my luck there. I did. Luckily what I decided to do was to take that piece of crap to the local Mercedes dealer and trade it for an M class which ran beautifully for 6 years and still got me over 50% on trade-in when we bought an Acura.
New GMs or American cars in general? No thanks. I have fallen for their "quality" too many times. My current Lexus is 6 years old and people think it is brand new when they ride in it. It has 70k miles but drives and rides like a new car. Show me a Ford or GM that does that.
They should have scrapped the Buick namebrand and kept Saturn or Pontiac.
Fords are made in Mexico. My Toyota was made in America!
No one seriously thinking about a Lexus or Acura is going to look twice at this chunk of crap floate dout of Detroit's museum factories. The Gm's, Chryslers and Fords sewed the seed of their own destruction by building CRAPPY cars!!! I have owned all three over the last 40 years, but they SUCK now. The LAST one was a 1989New Yorker that should have never been allowed on the road. I now own a Toyota truck with 150K miles on it and it will go ANOTHER 150K with ease. A Volkswagon DIESEL that gets over 50 mpg and has done it for over 120K miles. My newest is a Honda Pilot that still BEATS the mileage of the buick and is a heck of a lot more useful for road trips, towing a camper or boat. Unless something seriously changes, which this model illustrates has not, I will NEVER own another big three auto.
Here are the specs on this car, which are included on this page below the pictures of the vehicle.
My specific reason for this is to point out the MPG
EPA Mileage Estimates: 17 mpg / 28 mpg
Not bad for the price, which is much lower than that of a high end lexus, acura or honda!
LaCrosse Specs
Exterior
Length: 196.9 in. Width: 73.1 in.
Height: 59.2 in. Wheel Base: 111.7 in.
Curb Weight: 4019 lbs.
Interior
Front Head Room: 38 in. Front Hip Room: 55.2 in.
Front Shoulder Room: 57.4 in. Rear Head Room: 37.3 in.
Rear Shoulder Room: 56 in. Rear Hip Room: 53.9 in.
Front Leg Room: 41.7 in. Rear Leg Room: 40.5 in.
Luggage Capacity: 13.3 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 13 cu. ft.
Maximum Seating: 5
Performance Data
Performance
Base Number of Cylinders: 6 Base Engine Size: 3 liters
Base Engine Type: V6 Horsepower: 255 hp
Max Horsepower: 6900 rpm Torque: 217 ft-lbs.
Max Torque: 5100 rpm Maximum Towing Capacity: 1000 lbs.
Drive Type: FWD Turning Circle: 38.7 ft.
Fuel Tank Capacity: 18.4 gal.
EPA Mileage Estimates: 17 mpg / 28 mpg
Range in Miles:
Automatic: 312.8 mi. / 515.2 mi. / mi.
Langy W:
Is this a game or a gadget?
This probably is a move in the right direction. American carmakers need to focus on building higher-end cars, because the fixed costs in this country put them at a disadvantage against foreign companies in making cheap cars. By trying to compete in that cheaper market, U.S. companies put out bad products because they have to cut costs somewhere.
Back when I was richer (before the crash), I could afford to take a chance with American "quality", so I bought a 1999 Mercury Sable.
Not bad, but seriously coming apart after about 110K miles.
I only keep it around for the potential $3K "windfall" I'd get for trade-in as a 10-year-old clunker (if they pass that law).
My last purchase was a 2007 Toyota Sienna van. It drives more like a luxury car than my Sable ever did and I expect it to last twice as long.
I'd love to trust a GM or Ford, but considering that I typically drive my cars 10+ years, really can't.
I've always trusted Consumer Reports over JD Powers.
JD Powers sells advertising rights to its ratings, Consumer Reports doesn't. That means Consumer Reports isn't tempted to lie for profit.
Not that THAT would EVER happen in AMERICA...
JD POWERS?!
Well, they have an "award" for just about every car built.
Not a bad idea since they SELL the rights to ADVERTISE their AWARDS!!!
Just look at this LAUNDRY LIST of AWARDS from their website:
http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2009043
"Toyota garners five segment awards—more than any other nameplate in 2009—for the Highlander, Prius, Sequoia, Solara and Tundra. Lexus follows with four segment awards for the ES 330 (in a tie with the Acura RL), GX 470, LS 430 and SC 430. Lincoln captures two awards for the Mark LT and Zephyr. Models by Acura, Buick, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Mercury, Nissan and Scion each rank highest in one segment."
HA. AN AWARD FOR EVERYONE...
The LaCrosse is a great car but not the game changer GM needs.
People need to catch up with the times, GM isn't the maker of unreliable junk anymore, they haven't been for quite some time. GM has come a long way, and it's reliability has significantly. Buick tops J.D. Power and associates 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study.
GM already make hybrid cars, here's three:
http://www.chevrolet.com/pages/open/default/series/hybrids.do
The Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid is the most affordable midsize hybrid.
The cars GM needs more than anything are the Volt, Cruze and Spark. Three fuel efficient compact cars and they are coming.
http://www.chevrolet.com/pages/mds/vehicles/futurelanding.do
I'll add a counterpoint to the folks bashing the quality of American vehicles.
The last 4 new vehicle purchases in our household were a Nissan, a Honda, a GM (Cadillac) and a BMW. Of the four, the GM product has had the least problems and maintenance issues in 4 years of ownership (the BMW is only a year old, but already has had more problems than the GM and Honda did in 4 years). Even the few problems I had with the GM were minor issues (CD changer problem and a creaking seat) while all the others had mechanical and/or electrical issues.
I, for one, have no problem going back to GM if they build products that I like when I'm in the market again.
At ~$35k the car will NOT change anything. GM needs a car of thsi size in the ~$25k reasonably configured and sell volume with profit, instaed of liitle volume with marginThey need a car to compete agains the ACCORD and Camary and NOT Lexus (that is what Caddy is suppose be). A Caddy of Epsilon II for $35k would be needed to go after Lexus or BMW3.
Are all of you American-car-bashers idiots or what??? American cars have always & continue to be not only competetive but better than anything Japan or Korea has produced. The only reason Asian automobiles are popular today is because during the gasoline crunch of the 1980's, the Asian automobiles we're simultaneously introduced to the American roads & the only reason they were/are smaller/"fuel efficient" is because that's what Japan & Korea produces. American produces small/fuel efficient cars too, but we also produce practical cars designed for the American roads & lifestyle, therefore making it only look like we don't produce anything like that of the Asians when the fact is that we do. ...&, the large Asian automobiles are just as, if not more so, fuel inefficient as you accuse American cars to be. Get educated. This 2010 Buick LaCrosse is the best thing that General Motors could possibly be doing right now & they are doing/have done it right. Yes, they have made mistakes in the past, but we are in the present & looking toward the future. General Motors, with Buick as a main-stay, will grow & onece again be at the top of the world's automotive industry. Just you watch.
The ignorance of the Anti-American comments here is disappointing. I had a 1986 Pontiac 6000 that I sold with 359,000 miles when it finally blew a piston ring. Up until then it had never had a single major problem. Currently, I have a '96 Oldsmobile and my sister a '96 Pontiac. They have higher miles than my friends' '98 and '96 Corolla and Protege and are higher-quality cars with fewer problems. I'm an automotive enthusiast in tune with the current auto industry and I can tell that none of these anti-American posters are. Some people here have hit the nail on the head-GM is building good cars now; they've just been held back by antiquated, bureaucratic systems such as the UAW. Go rebuild and engine and then read automotive news every day like I do, then maybe you can voice your opinions about cars. Until then, I'm a GM guy.
Enclave is a great car and everybody just loves it.
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