Responding to the 14th commentor you are absolutely wrong! The new buick lucerne has the cadillac northstar V8, which was rated by consumer reports, jd power,automobile magazine, and Wards automobile to be one of the best engines of the 90s. I cannot find a test yet that has its performance numbers, but I bet they are better than your rusted crapped out Honda/Toyota. As for sleek, I love the new Lucerne's looks, especially with the headlights, portholes, and grille. The end is also attractive, with the interior typically beautiful, with a nice blend of wood, and non-confusing lights, gauges or buttons. As for great, which I presume means reliable, Buick makes some of the most reliable and long-lasting cars on the road. Don't take my word for it; this years JD Power Awards for the best reliability for 2005 were:
Premium Midsize Car
1. Buick Century
2. Buick Regal.
Full-Size Car
1. Buick LeSabre.
Mid Luxury Car*
3. Buick Park Avenue.
Which means that every single Buick sedan except for the lacrosse, (which was not tested) made the list!!!
Other GM cars also made the list numerous times. You have to back your opinion up with facts my friend, and I am afraid that if you want reliability, good looks, and a great engine with performance, your answer is General Mototrs.
The Lacrosse owns because its made in Canada :)
Go Canada! :P.
I bought a Lacrosse CXL in February 2005 and have driven it 34,000 miles in 16 months. It is a comfortable and fun car to own. This is my third Buick and they have all been great problem free cars.
My only complaint is the 6 way power seat should be 8 way.
Any review I'd write about a late model GM car WOULD look like a GM advertisement. They are that good. Oh, and I've owned a "superior" Japanese car. It was a disaster and I'll NEVER own another one.
To the 12th commentor, comparing the name change of LaCrosse to Allure for the Canadian market is not in any way similar to the "experience" of selling the Nova in Latin America. The LaCrosse name change was based on a very valid language/cultural issue, the Nova story is simply an urban legend and nothing more. It deserves to be buried once and for all.
"Nova" is Latin for "new", to suggest that non-English speakers wouldn't understand a Latin word when they saw it is ridiculous. Its even pronounced differently from "no va"- Spanish for "no go"- Nova has a longer "o" and no accent on the "a", no va has a short "o" and an accented "a". To a Spanish speaker they sound very different. Also, when a car doesn't run, you simply say it doesn't run, or that its broken down. Referring to an inoperative car as "no go" sounds just as grammatically incorrect and unnatural in Spanish as it does in English.
Furthermore, the Chevrolet Nova was sold in several Spanish and Portuguese-speaking markets (primarily Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Brazil) with no name change for years, and it was actually a commercial success. There is no evidence of any kind to indicate that the car was a flop, it was actually in the top 20 on the Mexican sales charts for awhile.
My family and I are still rolling in the floor over comment 18:22 (near the beginning of the comments). We only have 230,000 trouble-free miles on our Buick. Just how many more do we have to go before we discover how crappy and unreliable it is??
I'm considering the LaCrosse as a replacement for my current very sporty and sleek sport sedan. I looked at one and I DO happen to think that "sleek and sporty" ARE good descriptions of this incredibly well-executed, fast and luxurious sport sedan. The styling of the LaCrosse definitely puts the hideously ugly Accord and new (and even MORE HIDEOUS) Camry to shame.
It's good to see Buick finally reaching the younger market. For a long time the Buick line has been regarded as GM's "old folks car division", just as the Camry has filled that niche for Toyota. Now I'm seeing an awful lot of younger people driving the very sleek, sporty and powerful Lacrosses, and I'm pleased to see a younger segment of the public embracing this very solid and well-built car. GM has built the best cars on the planet for years now, and it's good to see the public waking up to that fact. When financially troubled Nissan recently approached GM about a merger to save them from bankruptcy, I couldn't help, but laugh at the clueless folks who rave about Japanese cars. (Incidentally, the merger didn't happen. I guess GM isn't that desperate yet!!)
Please point out which of GM's wonder cars are exactly "the best cars on the planet"?
Buick may have good reliability, but their interiors are made of the cheapest components. All the rest is crap. Just read the reviews on the site here.
The merger didn't go through because Wagonner didn't want to cede control to another CEO - it was a pure ego play. GM is slowly dying and will ultimately just be an also ran in the car world. Most likely it will be split up into separate and smaller car companies, most likely named Chevolet, Pontiac and possibly GMC.
Please point out which of GM's wonder cars are exactly "the best cars on the planet"?
Buick may have good reliability, but their interiors are made of the cheapest components. All the rest is crap. Just read the reviews on the site here.
The merger didn't go through because Wagonner didn't want to cede control to another CEO - it was a pure ego play. GM is slowly dying and will ultimately just be an also ran in the car world. Most likely it will be split up into separate and smaller car companies, most likely named Chevolet, Pontiac and possibly GMC.
Read 21:35 you must have missed it somehow... I am really not into mergers and the latest stock prices when I am out test driving for yet another new vehicle purchase. I even do the same job I've held except more of it since my own employer has merged. I do however expect/demand more than basic transportation. Its refreshing to see new body designs, aluminum V8's etc. to choose from. I personally would rather read this years latest new vehicle option lists than about global economy and worldwide mergers.
Well, I think you had better bone up on mergers because if, say, GM were acquired by a competitor it is 100% conceivable that your local dealer would fold and that after market support for your car would be limited.
And this goes double if you plan on keeping your vehicle for more than four years as parts will become scarce.
Give us a break! You actually believe there will be no GM Silverado parts, aftermarket network for parts or that the earth will suddenly stop and no one that can ever service a GM vehicle again? One could almost open a phone book close their eyes and find someone in the yellow pages for any part or service needed. My 2004 vehicle is out of warranty and I am not locked into a dealership. I'll take it a step further. I literally restored a first generation 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS almost exclusively from mail order catalogs. I started a complete restoration in 1986...17 years after it was made. There are parts exclusive to that one year that differ from 67-68 and I still had absolutely no problem. I could have easily ordered a new crate motor, but preferred to go the harder route and remain stock with matching #'s. Either way my car will be on the road on nice days only appreciating in value every day. And that's even it did not remain stock! My worry would be buying a brand new model with mediocre performance and lack of options from the factory not about mergers. I have had my Silverado only a couple of years and it has literally paid for itself already. I saved a lot of money picking up all my materials. I have renovated my home and a rental utilizing this vehicle. When one looks at resale also look at the successful applications the truck accomplished during its ownership.
My comment stands.
Wish you people would do some research on DEMOGRAPHICS for once. People who buy these type of cars (or any mass market cars) do NOT shop the aftermarket and generally want the dealer to do everything. They don't even know how to change their own oil.
And what if their Buick dealer closes down and there are no other dealerships that will handle warranty claims nearby? Do you know how many electronics are in these cars, things that, if they go wrong, will be expensive to fix if you can't find a dealership to accept your warranty.
That's why there are quick lubes and basic services that have sprung up everywhere. There is even a mobile service that I have seen in my city that actually can do it in a company parking lot. I like Auto Zone a lot... I needed an 02 sensor... the parts guy walked out plugged in my harness and I went in and bought a sensor and a socket and changed it myself at home. What if the dealer is far away? When your vehicles warranty expires there are mechanics that have been to schools and can certainly work on a GM, Ford or Dodge. Don'y worry they won't be parked.