Toys4RJill

I thought I would just provide some friendly information on the Buick Lacrosse in case people are not paying attention

1. Right now there is a promotion for 16% under MSRP.
2. Looks as if the model ordered is available as a 2017 model in the D.C. area and is currently sitting on the lots.

Perhaps this info can be of some value.

mmarshall

Thanks, Jill. There are indeed a number of them on the lots (and you can bet I checked every one of them out LOL, at least on-line if not in person) . But almost all of them in stock are Essence or Premium models (I ordered a Preferred) and / or are not the color I ordered (which is not easy to find in stock)....and Base Lacrosse models are extremely hard to find. Also, the 2018 Lacrosse and Enclave will get the heavier-duty 9T65 version (designed for V6s) of the all-new 9-speed FWD 9T50 transmission currently used in the four-cylinder 2017 Chevy Malibu Premium 2.0 turbo. GM co-developed the 9T50/65 series with Ford. You will probably also see the new 9-speed 9T50/65 in next year's non-hybrid Taurus, Fusion, Lincoln Continental, and MKZ, which currently use a 6-speed. This transmission is considered by a number of reviewers to be the most advanced FWD unit on the planet....some 60 different patents were filed in its development. GM and Ford also jointly co-developed a 10-speed automatic for longitudinal engines and RWD.....we'll soon see that on Ford and GM larger trucks/SUVs and RWD cars.

Also, by waiting for a 2018, I'll get a car fresh off the assembly line, with all-new fluids in the drivetrain, and without rubber parts like tires, wiper blades, seals, etc.....sitting out in the sun for months deteriorating / flat-spotting, and the paint exposed to acid rain and bird-droppings. Most important, any TSBs (service-bulletins) and teething problems on the first-year-production 2017s will (hopefully) have been corrected on the assembly line.

BTW.....on the subject of new cars not sitting out in the weather, that is one thing that I really give Longo Lexus, in El Monte, CA, near L.A., credit for. Their entire new-car stock (I'm not sure about used) is kept inside, in special multi-level garages, until test-driven or delivered....a great idea. One of our former CL staffers, Liz (AsianGirl007) worked at Longo as a Sales-Rep. Sadly, she passed away several years ago.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

is preferred above premium? i hate marketing-speak

SW17LS

Preferred is below Premium. It goes Base --> Preferred --> Essence --> Premium

The Preferred is basically the base model with a power tilt/telescopic steering wheel.

The point is, this order is clearly costing you significantly over finding one on the lot Mike. Even if it has equipment you don't want, you're paying more to get a car with less equipment which doesn't make any sense IMHO. Rubber parts deteriorating? If Rubber parts deteriorate in a few months on the lot enough to have an impact how could the car be expected to endure ownership? Sitting on the lot or sitting in your parking space whats the difference?

LexBob2

Buick dealers around me are offering some very good discounts on in stock LaCrosse's. It's a personal decision, but I'd take a nice discount on a higher trim level with additional equipment (even if I might not use some of them much) every time.

Toys4RJill

Fitzgerald Buick in Maryland has your exact build.

Toys4RJill

I agree. If a big discount such as 16% off MSRP plus a cash discount are available, I believe it is a mistake not to move on it.

A loaded LaCrosse can be had with a $7356 discount.

Now if I were ordering and there were no deals, it would feel more special if it were right from the factory and I had to wait.

mmarshall

I haven't paid anything yet out of my own pocket (besides the $1000 deposit). GM's policy is that any rebates/discounts in effect on the actual production date is what will apply to an ordered vehicle..not what was in effect on the day it is ordered. So, right now, I have no idea what the final price on a 2018 will be....no one else does, either. Buick has not even announced factory-pricing yet, on their web-site, for next-year's Lacrosse a (1-2% hike is likely, but not certain).......assuming that they actually keep the car in production, with its currently low sales. Past Lacrosses were very popular, especially with senior citizens, but sales are way down this year.....in spite of the fact that the all-new 2017 is far better in almost every way, except maybe for the shifter and the standard engine start-stop system. I was assured, though, by a person in Buick marketing (not just an over-the-phone customer-rep) that production will carry over into 2018. I'll believe it, though, when I see it. If not, then I will look at a 2017...which is what I originally ordered.

SW17LS

They sure do:

http://www.fitzgeraldbuick.com/Vehic...-MD/2995978873

Highlights my issue with Fitzgerald pricing too lol. MSRP is $37,385, "FitzWay" no haggle pricing is $33,977. Savings of $3,388 or 9%. Well, the Buick Memorial Day pricing is 16% off.

In this case buying from this no haggle dealer would either require you to haggle, or to leave thousands on the table.

For what you're paying for that special order, looks like you could buy a fully loaded 2017. Thats a dear price to pay.

Toys4RJill

I only posted this info today to help someone out. We were looking at GM cars and the Buick's are really looking good. We got home we decided to look up some configurations and that is how I got to the info.

I want to just say. Not moving on one of these Lacrosse models is a huge, huge, huge mistake. For a fresh design and a first year model. The current deal is almost too good to be true.

mmarshall

Thanks.....I'm well-aware of the equipment difference. The Preferred also comes with satellite radio, which I definitely wanted (it's not available in the base version), a better-finish on the 18" wheels (Meh, OK..........I could do without that if necessary), and a cargo net (I could do without that, too). And I definitely don't want the sunroof that is difficult (though not necessarily impossible) to avoid on the upmarket Essence and Premium trims.

mmarshall

I don't mind waiting. My Verano has been a good car, and is not falling apart. It will still have a good residual value (whether sold privately or traded-in), so I'm not in any big hurry to sell it.

Yes, I saw that one at Fitz a couple of days ago..........I like Fitz's no-haggle deals, but I've gotten such excellent service from my own shop that I decided to reward them as a repeat customer...and their price, if last time is any indication, should be pretty close to Fitz (though maybe with some haggling LOL). And that car at Fitz doesn't have the advanced 9T65 transmission, though. The 2017s have an 8-speed that, while not a bad unit, was a one-year stopgap unit that GM purchased from Aisin until the new 9-speed was ready for production. The 9T65, unlike the Aisin 8-speed, was special-engineered for GM's engine start/stop systems (and any that Ford will be using), not just grafted on to them.

SW17LS

I know that you understand, but bitkahuna asked how the models work which is why I posted.

You yourself said you didn't want the new transmission, you specifically did not want it. you ordered a 2017 and the only reason you have a 2018 coming is because they had closed the order banks for 2017s.

That car is exactly what you wanted. You're spending around $5,000 more than you have to by waiting for your order.

mmarshall

Yes, that's true, I was originally leery of the complex new tranny....but the more research I did on it, the better I felt about it. I also test-drove the 9T50 version in a new Malibu Premier and was satisfied with it. The fact that the new light-duty unit has already had a year's teething in the 2017 Malibu (and some other GM products overseas) makes me more confident that the more robust 9T65 version (with beefed-up components) is not going to fall apart prematurely. Ford engineers also approved the design......they co-developed the tranny with GM.

I know you and some others here mean well, and are trying to give me good advice ...just as I spend time giving others advice. On the money figure, though, one can't make any predictions of what the final price will be.....that 5K you came up with, at this point, is basically just pure conjecture. We won't know for a couple of months yet. Besides, if Lacrosse sales stay in the tank like they currently are, GM may (?) lop on even more incentives for 2018.

SW17LS

Your logic doesn't make sense. You won't get 16% off of a 2018 special order, they're still going to have 2017s to move.

If you're content paying more to get a 2018 that's fine, but own that, don't try and pretend you're not going to pay significantly more, because you are.