2015 Buick LaCrosse Review - My name is Satish Kondapavulur. I am what most baby boomers call a "millennium." I like Vampire...
My name is Satish Kondapavulur. I am what most baby boomers call a "millennium." I like Vampire Weekend, streaming movies on Netflix, and play Gran Turismo. My plans this weekend involving car Berkeley, from that the eardrum splitting concert my friends want to see, with my plans for dinner is probably a burger and fries from in-N-Out picked up at midnight. My daily driver is a BMW 530i 02 BMW one of the best ever made. My favorite movie is American Graffiti , a film that involves a lot of noisy exhausts, racing through the streets of the city, and Harrison 30 years trying to pass for a teenager. and I liked my test car Buick LaCrosse.
"He loves the Buick LaCrosse?" you might think. " But it is a millennium! He drives a BMW! It is probably glued to their smartphone all day! He probably does not know what DOS is! "And I have some of these" features millennia. "I do not like to wear cardigans, play golf almost every afternoon, or eat dinner at 17:30. I do not drive 5- 10 mph slower than everyone. I do not look forward to moving into a retirement community at any time in my life, but I am looking forward to higher discount to the cinema during the rental of a car, and Ben and Jerry. (These savings really add up. As enough to buy another smartphone.)
But I like the Buick LaCrosse. Yes. really . I like that. I like the fact that I do not have to prepare myself for the next shock on the roads of California. [ what's up? You have those? -Canada ] I love I am not a target for all agents Highway patrol. I want the HUD gives me all the necessary information without having to watch the screen in the center console. I want this is pretty quiet on the road so I could listen to "unbelievers" on the Bose audio system 11 speakers without a pothole interrupting the high notes. I wish it has enough sensors to greatly minimize the chances whatever I need to get in a car accident. I want OnStar can support me if I'm hopelessly lost and my phone can not find a signal. I think it still looks good.
Now, the first thing I'll talk about my test car Buick LaCrosse is its price. It was more than you expect. Try $ 45,955. Yes, it was about the same price as a Lincoln MKS, basic level Audi A6 2.0T, Lexus ES350, or rather loaded Hyundai Genesis V6. For that price, you can expect many technological features packed into the car, a powerful engine, large wheels, maintenance free, and a day to soak lessons with Shaquille O'Neal. The LaCrosse had it all, with a 3.6-liter V6 that makes 304 horses, 20-inch wheels, two years of free scheduled maintenance, and so many advanced features I need a whole paragraph of the enumerate. Unfortunately, soak lessons with Shaq are not on the Monroney sticker, probably because customers can apply the lessons of free throws, too.
The options on my test car included a display -up head, a blind spot warning system, a lane departure warning system, HID lights, a system through traffic alert back (which works amazingly well when saving an alley), a sensor that indicates the distance between my car and the car in front, and an alert system before collision. All these features I have listed are part of the $ 2,125 "trusted driver Package # 1." There was also a "trusted driver # 2" on my test car that provided adaptive cruise control and automatic braking before it a perfect option for the modern millennium distracted by his smartphone. Also, since my LaCrosse was the top trim level range II, it came standard with a Bose audio system, heated and cooled front seats, navigation, entry and keyless ignition system, XM radio 6 months of OnStar full coverage, and five years of OnStar basic coverage.
One feature that Buick and General Motors is highly announce OnStar 4G LTE with Wi-Fi connectivity included with all 2015 LaCrosses. It can connect up to seven devices as long as they are within 50 feet of the car, such as phones, tablets, laptops, refrigerators, coffee machines, GoPro cameras, microwave, etc. Buick offers data test 3 months or 3 GB OnStar 4G LTE service after which customers must sign up for a data plan from $ 5 to $ 50 per month for 0 MB to 5 GB, similar to those of phones. According to the OnStar Web site, AT & T customers can add the car to their wireless action plan for an additional $ 10 per month. The OnStar 4G LTE ended up being one of the many features I did not sample, since I had a smartphone with a data plan and streaming American Graffiti maybe would have used the data allocation.
The LaCrosse led surprisingly well. From my previous experience with Buick LeSabre involved a screeching and 190 which showed an extraordinary amount of body roll when driving "fiery" I was not prepared for how the LaCrosse could stick to the road when cornering and power on them. If I had power, the V6 provided enough traction and he was immediate. The car had a sport mode (I only used once, it undermines the driving experience) that adjusts the crossing points and allowed the transmission to remain in gear until it reaches a diet higher. In addition, the car was sinking and Hi-Per Strut suspension which I'm sure helped the ride and handling dramatically despite the 20-inch wheels in real time. During my week with the car, I drove down the Pacific Coast Highway from Monterey to Big Sur and had no complaints.
Inside, the Buick was very quiet and nice place. The controls are very easy to use, particularly when using the temperature control or tuning the radio. I liked that I could rest my arm on the gear selector knob up to adjust the radio. The HUD was very strong, especially at night, but it was not as good as the BMW Head-Up Display which radio stations you can easily scroll and whose display is much more readable face directly into the sun. At the rear, there was plenty of legroom and access to a 0-volt outlet, probably to charge laptops to use the 4G connection board. One aspect of the interior, I did not like were the thick pillars that affect the visibility and take some getting used to. In addition, the LaCrosse was difficult to parallel park without using the rear camera, hearing the warning sensors, feeling the vibration of the seats if you were too close. (The seats vibrated as if there were cars going when backing up my driveway.)
When I had the Buick, with a lot of highway driving, I managed to get around 24.5 miles per gallon over. However, fuel economy in the city, thanks to the 3.6-liter V6, was not very good, especially once I hit the economy where indicated fuel traffic lights would go down a few tenths. If fuel economy is a major concern for you, there is the possibility of a four-cylinder with eAssist (a mild hybrid system mounted on the powertrain) that enables the LaCrosse to get an EPA-estimated 25 mpg in the city of 2.4 liters and 36 mpg on the highway. Jack Baruth had the LaCrosse eAssist-ed last year and has managed over 31 mpg with the car while describing the powertrain "satisfactory". (He drove around New Jersey Motorsports Park too, if you're into that sort of thing.)
Buick has for some time been my favorite of all brands of General Motors. In the past, people drove Buicks rather than Cadillacs when they do not want to appear to have a lot of money or being ostentatious. After a week with the LaCrosse, I feel the same. While your neighbors are going to try to the other with the latest Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Lexus, you can have the Buick LaCrosse in the driveway and feel absolutely satisfied. With the Buick, you will have something comfortable, easy to use and much cheaper with the same toys that commanders cars from $ 10,000 to $ 20,000 more. When your colleagues rave about the blind spot warning, head-up display, and active cruise control systems in their cars, you will be well knowing that your car has the same systems.
And above all, you won 't be a target for law enforcement, you will not have to complain of discomfort after long trips, and you will be get away with wearing the vest you've always wanted.
Buick provided the vehicle, insurance, and a gas tank for the road test.
Satish Kondapavulur is a writer for Clunkerture, where about a fifth of the items are on old cars and where its unique racing Lemons dreams ended once he realized that it was impossible to run a Ferrari Mondial. He is currently taking golf lessons from attempting to qualify for GT Academy
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