mmarshall

I wouldn't say it is undue. Some plastic wood trim, IMO looks quite good. Some doesn't. The LaCrosse, IMO, is generally in the latter category.

Also, I have just never liked a lot of the plastic that GM uses in its interiors. You can contrast that to the more solid and durable plastic you see in Acuras and some Subarus.

I agree with you, though, that interior plastic alone should not necessarily be a deal-breaker....if the rest of the car is agreeable, then go for it.

It's just that you spend a LOT of time in the driver's seat of your car; you have to look at the interior constantly, and how nice that interior around you is can be a big factor in your long-term satisfaction wth the car.


The ES350 has (maybe) been beaten, but, IMO, the former ES330 sure hasn't.

mmarshall

I agree.....see my previous post, above.

mmarshall

Is anyone on CL actually interested in a 4-cylinder LaCrosse? I suspect that the widespread interest in the V6 models will not likely spread over to the fours....at the moment, I don't see any reason to go back and test-drive a four in December.

Threxx

Your review will be 95% the same... I don't think the extra 5% is worth it especially when "how much power is enough power" is so subjective anyway.

mmarshall

No, you're right......I wouldn't review the same car twice. Just the powertrain. And, with seemingly low CL interest, it may not be worth the bother.

But, by then (December), I'll be doing the annual Special Holiday review....and, I can almost guarantee you, it won't be a Buick.

IS-SV

btw, is the 4 cylinder engine the same one as your Saturn? If so you have provided good feedback on it based on long-term ownership, not a brief test drive.

LexBob2

It will be interesting to see if traditional Buick buyers will be interested in a 4 cyl. Maybe some non-traditonal buyers would look at it, but I question how many they will sell. It's good they are offering it at least.

Threxx

Yep it's the same engine, although the LaCrosse's 2.4 will have direct injection. Mine does not. Direct injection on the 2.4 has shown to provide roughly a 10% boost in power and fuel economy. I really wish my Aura had it just because it'd be that much sweeter to get even better econ than it already gets while adding a little extra power.

I suspect the new LaCrosse despite the extra power will perform similarly to my Aura since it also weighs about 10-15% more than my Aura.

mmarshall

I've driven several Auras (I can't remember if one was a hybrid or not), though I only actually wrote one up....some time ago. Of course, I don't have the benefit of owning one, as you do. The LaCrosse, as you note, is definitely a bigger, heavier car....you can tell the difference.

The 2.4L in your Saturn, unlike the original 1.9L of the 1990's, is not a unique Saturn-built engine (though you probably already know that). It is a corporate, generic 4-cylinder that is used in a number of small-to-mid-size GM sedans.