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2005 Buick LaCrosse CXS: In The Autoblog Garage Day 1
It was a tough day for me. In the morning I found out I would not be testing the new 2005 Corvette. There were unforeseen events that prevented it from reaching the Autoblog Garage. In exchange I was offered a variety of choices, obviously none as exciting as the Corvette. I settled on the new Buick LaCrosse simply because it is such an important model for the Buick brand. Plus I needed a ride home so who was I to argue.
I dont know if other writers admit this but I read lots of reviews of the cars I test, mainly because we post so many of them on Autoblog. Yesterday we linked to Brian Moodys review over at Edmunds.com. After only one day in the car I think Brian and I are almost on identical pages. This is a large American sedan. It should not be compared to a Lexus by the automaker or journalists. It will not win in that comparison.
Two things the LaCrosse has going for it are the 240 horsepower engine in our CXS test car
and the quiet and comfy ride that Im guessing exists throughout all trim levels. But what I was blown away by was
something much less noticeable. Knobs. Yes knobs are back. You remember knobs right? Little stubs that stick out of the
dashboard to control lights, radios etc. Sure theyve mostly been replaced by buttons these days but not in the
LaCrosse. There are two knobs (pictured here, click on the image for a larger version) to the left of the steering
wheel to control headlamps and interior lights. Of course their functionality is pretty confusing but hey we have
knobs.
Otherwise the interior isnt going to blow people away. It is very conservative compared to the sleek exterior lines. Our test car has a center mounted shifter and seats five but you can get a LaCrosse to seat six that comes with a column mounted shifter. This is kind of a cool idea to accommodate the grey haired set that wants six seats (why I have no idea) and younger folks who want a center column of cubbies and shifter placement.
However in our five-seater there is still a foot brake that is always getting hit by my
left foot on entry and exit and just one stalk on the left of the wheel column. Obviously these need to be universal to
save costs.
And yes look at that exterior. There are elements of Jaguar around the front headlamps and clearly more modern Mercedes around the taillights. My favorite feature in person is the curved line from the rear door over the rear fender. It adds some needed personality. While the LaCrosse will never, and I mean never, win over the younger set it offers a very viable alternative to the Ford Five Hundred and Chrysler 300. The 300 will win every time of course but many people dont like that styling and the LaCrosse has a mild elegance to it.
Read Day 2 here.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Michael Smith 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
I too am heartened by the return of knobs!
But from what I've seen of the styling (and I have yet to see it in person), it looks like a stylish front fascia has been grafted onto an otherwise ordinary form -- cynical branding. I'd even go so far as to say that it reminds me of the way certain Russian cars (eg. the current GAZ Volga http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/4546/gz3111_34.jpg)
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David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
For what it is it's attractive I'll post more pics of the exterior tomorrow. The profile is not great but not as bad as previous Buicks that's for sure
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Shoefly 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Eh, more reason to be the first to test out the new Z06 right?
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Dan from Delaware 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Regarding the bench seat: lots of older ladies prefer a bench seat because they can keep their purse near them. It's got nothing to do with seating six people.
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Fabulo 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
My first impression when I looked at it is that it looks like a ford Taurus. I know, the aim of the style is to be as inoffensive as possible.
I agree not everyone likes the 300C looks (I personnaly do not) but I'm not sure that the Buick would win over the ford 500 in the elegance department.
The styling looks dated, too round, too smooth, almost sagging. The 500 has straighter, cleaner lines. The 500 looks more elegant to me.
But it is all a matter of taste.
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David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Fabulo,
True beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But what you would call dated others would say timeless ;)
After seeing both in person I prefer the Buick's looks to the 500. 300 of course I dig more.
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Eric 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
The ads that GM is running for this model are a joke--The slot-car one particularly. When I think of racing a road course, Buick is not the first nameplate that comes to mind. Here is my version:
Voiceover:
I am dreaming about . . . excessive depriciation.
I am dreaming about . . . a rental car.
I am dreaming about . . . a dashboard made of cheap plastic.
I am dreaming about . . . Buick LaCrosse.
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mickster 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Hey Dave,
Great write-up. Pop in the Pontiac Grand Prix GXP's 5.3 Liter V-8 and then I think you have a great car.
Albeit, they need to add power passenger seats and I still think the car looks like Le Merde...
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Scott Carter 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
I drove the car and found it very quiet. The interior is plain but the controls are easy to use except for some parts of the radio. There needs to be more room in the back seat.
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Breeze 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Keep in mind that this car replaced two models in Buick's line-up(Regal and Century), unless it spans the same sales volume, GM still loses market share. Also, even if the car were superb in all measures, it still gets overlooked by many - just because it's a Buick - lackluster by association. Remember the last strategies of Oldsmobile ???
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