Cars.com's Kelsey Mays takes a look at the 2010 Buick LaCrosse. It competes with the Lexus ES 350 and Volkswagen Passat.
Transcript
<v Announcer>Cars.com Auto Review. Hi, I'm Kelsey Mays for cars.com. With me the second generation Buick LaCrosse redesigned for 2010. Buick positions this car against the likes of the Lexus ES 350. That's a pretty formidable competitor.
We've got a video of the car's interior and styling and trunk from the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year when it was introduced, so be sure to check that out. Now, I'm gonna take you through what it's like to drive the LaCrosse and see how it stacks up against that certain Lexus competitor. Our test car has the top available engine. This is the V6 from the Cadillac CTS. There's also gonna be a smaller V6 offered as well as a four-cylinder that reportedly gets 30 miles per gallon on the highway. For a premium car, that's not too bad. Like the ESR test car is front wheel drive, and there's enough power that the steering wheel can tug back and forth a little bit if you're really pushing it hard from the stoplight. The six speed automatic isn't the most responsive for downshifts, but it upshifts pretty smoothly and if you're comparing it to the ES, well, that automatic isn't the most responsive either. Ride comfort is still king at Buick and I really think that's something that the brand oughta keep. Our test car has 19 inch wheels, but even then it doesn't beat you up over rough pavement. There are 17 and 18 inch wheels available. Those deliver even superior comfort. Our test car's optional adaptive suspension has regular and sport modes. I can't really tell a huge difference between the two, but overall definitely ride quality in the neighborhood of that Lexus ES. The brakes are a little bit mushy, but the steering wheel feels buttery smooth and turns with a nice, light touch. And the cabin is whisper silent even at highway speeds. Really, this is a very easy car to drive that matches up well with the ES and should please traditional Buick customers. Buick is looking to get some younger buyers these days. I am glad to see that they've managed to embrace some new things without ditching any of the traditional comforts that really define any Buick. As for those younger buyers, well, this weekend a college kid came up and snapped a shot of this car on his cell phone, said it looked awesome. Of course it was right after a football game, so he might've been drunk, but I gotta say, reactions like that are good news for Buick. <v Announcer>For more car related news, go to cars.com or our blog, kickingtires.net.
