SW17LS

Remember too that with the G80 you would never have to visit the dealer, and all the maintenance is included for 3 years, as well as map updates, satellite radio, etc.

Aron9000

When do the 2018 models come out???? Reason I say that is the 2017 LaCrosse is a new design, and GM does have a history of quality/engineering slip ups with first model years(2014 C7 Corvettes had a lot of problems). Something to think about, but at the same time GM has been building the very similar Impala for a couple years now. The new LGX 3.6 V6 debuted in the Cadillac range and Camaro for MY 2016, so they've had a year to work out the kinks in the engine, but this is the first car they have mounted it transversly in. Although if you compare it to the C7 Corvette(all new chassis, engine, everything was new except maybe the gearboxes), the LaCrosse might be new, but it shares a lot of parts with other cars GM has been building for a while now.

They might have great deals on them now, but then again there might be better deals in a few months on 2017's when the dealer gets in a truck of 2018's. Or maybe just wait for the 2018 model year.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

lexus ls (swb) is same width and height as a lacrosse, and only 2" longer. oh and a WAY better car.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

these days, you generally don't have to wait for a new model year for fixes, just perhaps new features. car makers implement running changes all year round so the car built in march 2017 may not have the fixes the july 2017 one does.

Aron9000

Well the LS should be a WAY better car since its double the price of a LaCrosse.

Marshall, have you looked at a Lexus GS??? I know its going to be more than the LaCrosse(maybe more than an ES). However, I feel like its a more solidly built car than the ES, the interior is nicer IMO, and it does handle better. Granted the trunk/back seat is smaller than the ES, but you said nobody rides back there most of the time anyways. Stay away from the F-Sport model and larger wheels/tires, I'd bet you'd find the ride to be pretty nice.

SW17LS

The GS won't ride the way he wants a car to ride is the only issue.

My issue wth the Lacrosse, which is my issue with any GM car (other than maybe the Cadillac CT6) is that I feel like I'm driving a rental car.

mmarshall

I don't really need a NAV unit..you can get base Lacrosse models without it. When I got my Verano, they tossed in a free oil-change and free safety/emissions inspection package on the deal. They would probably do that for me on a Lacrosse.....plus there is a $3000 rebate back from Buick...that will more then compensate for anything needed in the first 5-6 years, which is about how long I plan to keep it.


While I appreciate your input and opinions, You certainly don't have to sell me on a G80......it's in a solid second place on my list for a reason.

Up until the last few years (maybe a little longer for the Malibu, when the superb 7Gen 2008 model came out), with most GM and Chrysler products (and some Fords), you WERE driving a rental-grade product. However, like with Hyundai and Kia, times change. Welcome to 2017.

SW17LS

Even though the product is better, they still feel like rental cars to me. Something about it, as soon as I sit in one I think "Hertz Rental Car". Fords don't elicit that feeling in me, but almost every GM product does.

mmarshall

2018 Lacrosse models will get some different paint colors and a new 9-speed transmission. All-new transmissions can often be troublesome.

I agree that the Impala is a good alternative....and has a much better, conventional shifter. But the Lacrosse has a longer warranty (same as that of Lexus), a plusher interior, and, from what I can tell, better soundproofing. The Lacrosse also comes with a standard N/A V6.....with the Impala, you pay extra for it.

mmarshall

Thanks to all who replied here with their input and opinions (turned out to be a much longer thread than I anticipated, but, of course, this is Car Chat LOL) I knew I could depend on many of you for input. I'm looking at a reasonably short time frame here....but not immediate. Lacrosse is still #1 on the list, but I take the others seriously...and the Impala and Cadenza are not out of the question either, as there are some good reasons to purchase ether one. The only cars in this class I've ruled out (besides the Europeans, though I might consider an Audi) are the Toyota Avalon and the Hyundai Azera, partly because neither one impresses me (for different reasons), and because the Azera is probably doing to be discontinued in the American market....might not be easy to get parts for after a few years.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

just looked at the lacrosse on buick's website (which i believe i've never seen in person)... sharp looking car.

funny they call it full size when it's shorter than a SWB LS. but that got me thinking, why do you want such a big car when isn't it just you in the vehicle most of the time and probably not much 'stuff'? if i didn't have to carry around so much gear for work and sometimes personal i'd probably have a smaller vehicle.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

i notice all buick's pics have the 20's. doesn't look as good with 18's but i know you want the softer ride...

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

with 20's...

mmarshall

I sampled the 20s when I reviewed the Cascada convertible, and they were awful over bumps....tolerable only on a glass-smooth road. Of course, the Lacrosse is wider, heavier, and has a longer wheelbase (which helps with the ride quality at least some), but, still, the salespeople tell me that Lacrosses are very difficult to sell with the 20s....nobody wants them.

I'm not terribly thrilled with the Azera-clone rear end and the relatively small trunk-lid-opening, but, yes, the front end really looks nice with that new grille, the chrome bar, the (imitation) Buick center portholes, and, of course, the big tri-color Buick logo in the grille. IMO, Buick made a mistake, several years ago, by going to that chrome-outline logo......it looked cheap and chintzy (they kept the tri-color shield for the big Chinese market, and never changed it) . The rear tri-color logo on the Lacrosse's trunk serves as the trunk-lid release...just push it in (VW-style) and the lid opens. It's not quite as convenient as the foot-under-rear-bumper trunk release (when your arms are full of packages) that Ford first introduced on the Escape Titanium model, but that system has proved troublesome and unreliable, with the sensors failing from corrosion and other causes.

Though it's not quite the size of an LS, it is considered a full-size sedan by today's standards. It's just about as big a car as I can reasonably fit into my parking space.


I'm not buying this car because I NEED it......any more than you bought your former Ford Explorer or present Jeep Grand Cherokee when a smaller, cheaper SUV like an Escape or Honda CR-V probably would probably have done the job. Like me, you've worked hard for your money (I worked 35 years for my retirement), and felt that you were entitled to something nice for it, and the JGC is certainly a nice vehicle in that class. In my case (though some of my teen-age friends at the time laughed), I had a big Buick (and I mean B-I-G, with a 225" length and 125" wheelbase) when I was in college, though it was several years old and worn (I couldn't afford a new one), and I just loved it. My friends bounced around in their compacts, noisy and cramped air-cooled VW Beetles, and stiffly-sprung American muscle-cars, while I rode around in living-room comfort and quietness, though it was (admittedly) a gas hog and required 100-octane leaded premium fuel.....used a lot of oil, too, from worn rings and valves. Later on, because I was saving my money and preparing for retirement, I was the one who ended up driving econoboxes....some of them, like the Omni/Horizon and Citation, troublesome lemons (the Citation was arguably the worst-built new car I ever owned, though one or two others came close). I always wanted another big Buick ever since, but their build quality tanked in the 70s (right around the time I got out of college), and basically remained junk until about 6-7 years ago, when we got the reliable Opel-rebadged Buicks. And, as I said earlier, today's Lacrosse is just about as big as I could reasonably own and operate in my driving and parking environment. So, yes, the Lacrosse, MKZ, G80, ES350, etc...... is probably more car than I actually need.....but It's something that I've wanted ever since I left college and the gas-crisis atmosphere of the 1970s struck. (I also don't plan to get the top-line, most expensive version....it's got a number of things I don't want).

Aron9000

In that case, go with the 2017. I know with these newer auto trannies with lots of gears, its kind of hit or miss if they shift right(I know the 9 speed ZF box Chrysler uses in some cars has been universally panned).