2005 Buick LaCrosse CX from North America - Comments

I have no problem with GM building the LaCrosse in Canada. The biggest issue is the fact that the corporation is U.S. based and corporate profits are earned by, and benefit, the American economy.

Also, with regard to comment 11:18, What on Earth does discussion of SUV safety have to do with the LaCrosse? Of course SUV's are safer because they are bigger (well, American SUV's at least) but that hardly seems relevant to a discussion on the mid-sized LaCrosse sedan.

"Unfortunately Buick has, over the years, earned a reputation as an "Old folks car".

Yes, quite true. But is that such a bad thing, now that the baby boomer generation has begun retiring? Perhaps catering to a more mature clientèle is a decent marketing strategy. After all, while the Lacrosse has demonstrated relatively mediocre sales, the more luxurious Lucerne has sold well beyond expectations.

And don't' forget that the majority of Mustang sales have ALWAYS been of the V6/automatic variety. These "secretary cars" are what has kept the brand going, not the V8s.

Just because something looks like a sports car doesn't mean it is.

The V8 Corvette kept the brand going not the first V6...

Although I wouldn't count the Mustang in the same category as the Corvette or Viper, I think I'd have to accept that most people perceive it (even with the V-6 automatic) as about as close to a sports car as anything else sold in America at the moment other than the "true" sports cars. There is no question that older (60's thru early 70's) Mustangs are highly sought after and fetch very hefty prices, even in mediocre condition.

Sorry, but the V6 comment obviously referred the Mustang not the Corvette as the Corvette can be defined as a real sports car.

Perception has nothing to do with the argument since my statement said that the Mustang is not in the same category as the Corvette or Viper, and it is not by definition unless you count the exclusive Shelby models.

Collector car values have little to do with modern car pricing. Everyone thought the new Beetle was going to skyrocket in value because the old VW Beetles were becoming collectors' items. It did not.

So none of the Mustang Shelbys including the KR500,the one year Shelby convertible, Mach 1's with the 428 Cobra Jet, even the Boss 302,etc are not sports cars? Sorry... sometime rent "Bullit","Gone in 60 seconds" either film if you were too young or unfortunate to grow up with these great cars. The Viper,Corvette,390 AMX are 2 seaters perhaps that is your definition of a sports car. I have driven and owned some of the ones I mentioned and theres no way you want to drive anything bland again. I just found a white loaded 1998 Vette Convertible with the new generation motor,50,000 miles for $18,000!...why drive a Camry?

I attended a Christmas party last night for some very wealthy relatives. I noticed amidst the fleet of Mercedes convertibles, Hummers, Jaguars and Porches a couple of shiny new Lacrosses. To my surprise, they belonged to the two YOUNGEST couples there. There is definitely nothing at all wrong with a car that appeals to older people. I'm no spring chicken myself. I am glad, however, that Buick is now finding a market among younger people. These stylish and well built cars are suitable for people of all ages.

To the 14:19 poster.

Please read my comments C A R E F U L L Y before posting. The Mustangs you mention are NOT mass market cars and never have been. The Mustang brand survived because of WOMEN buying six cylinder automatics. The same has always been true for the Firebird and Camaro, although GM killed them for now as sales dipped (even though I think they were still selling 150,000 units a year - not bad!)

As for the "wealthy party", not only do I see few LaCrosses around here, but old people are driving them. Again, different regions of the country have different tastes.

But I do hope you're right as Buick is running ads about customizing your LaCrosse, ads that will look pretty foolish if the average LaCrosse buyer is 60 or more.

Unless you have a crystal ball... I would not make claims about what keeps a brand going. Any nameplate may reappear and become a limited production vehicle years later. The new Challenger is coming back and I may buy one when it becomes a second year model.

Um, well, when the manufacturer cuts funding to a brand (as GM did with Buick) one does not need a crystal ball to know what the future has in store.

Yes, anything is possible (Cadillac was on the chopping block until the Escalade) but as of this date Buick's future is questionable.

938...I can live and still drive to work with a defective window mechanism. In fact I can still ride with the air conditioner on. What I cannot live with is engine failure due to sludging (Toyota) or sudden transmission failure in a $34,000 new Honda/Acura. You can make more and more vehicles, but at some point the public becomes more and more informed and will not tolerate this. I have yet to have a problem the last 2 years with domestics. I attribute serious import issues prompting the switch. I am not interested in reading about old imports or even old domestics I focus on the present only and how it affects my ownership. If I lose a dealership I'll sell my cars and buy another brand, but not another import for a long while.