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Buick LaCrosse replaced the mid-sized Buick Century and RegalBuick LaCrosse - enlarge

Complete Buick LaCrosse New Car Reviews listed below

The Buick LaCrosse debuted in 2004 and replaced the mid-sized Buick Century and Regal in the, ever-shrinking, Buick model lineup. LaCrosse was based on a very popular concept car General Motors introduced at the 2000 North American Auto Show in Detroit.

American cars are often sold under different names in Canada, as well as other countries. LaCrosse was chosen for the product name because it is a favorite sport with the prep school set, a young, active and affluent demographic. In Canada LaCrosse is sold under the name Allure instead, as in Quebecois (French Canadian dialect) slang, LaCrosse refers to "swindling," "rip off," or worse, "masturbation."

The 2008 Buick LaCrosse mid-size, near-luxury sedan is available in three trim levels. The CX (base MSRP $23,415, base Invoice $23,170) and CXL (base MSRP $26,505, base Invoice $25,808) come with a 200-horsepower, 3.8-liter, V6 engine. The top-of-the-line LaCrosse SUPER (base MSRP $32,605, base Invoice $30,852) comes with a 300-horsepower, 5.3-liter V8 engine. And all come with four-wheel independent suspension, semi-trailing arm rear suspension, and modified MacPherson strut front suspension, and front and rear stabilizer bars.

The Buick LaCrosse has lots of competitors in its class and competes with the Acura TL, Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Cadillac CTS, Dodge Avenger R/T, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Ford Taurus, Honda Accord, Hyundai Azera, Infiniti G35, Kia Amante, Lexus EX350, Lincoln MKZ, Mazda MAZDA6, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Mercury Milan, Mercury Sable, Mitsubishi Galant, Nissan Altima, Nissan Maxima, Pontiac G6 and G8, Saab 9-3, Saturn Aura, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat and Volvo S40 and S60.

Comfort and convenience features in the Buick LaCrosse include five-person seating capacity, six-way power, height-adjustable, bucket driver's seat, tilt and telescopic leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise controls, power steering, tachometer, trip computer, and a low fuel level warning indicator. Features such as a driver's seat with power adjustable lumbar support, multi-level heating driver and passenger seats, center folding armrest with storage, leather upholstery, dual zone climate controls for driver and passenger, simulated wood trim on dash, shift knob, doors, and center console are available on the CXL, SUPER trim levels. Other basic features include cloth upholstery, front and rear cupholders, climate control, front reading lights, interior air filtration, dual-illuminating vanity mirrors, and memorized settings for two drivers.

In the back of the LaCrosse there is a bench rear seat, rear ventilation ducts, and a cargo net. A split-folding rear seat back is available on the CXL and SUPER trim levels, while features like a six-way power passenger seat and height-adjustable passenger seat are standard only on the LaCrosse SUPER.

Buick LaCrosse power features include remote door locks, mirrors, windows and a one-touch power window for the driver, and remote engine start.

The exterior of the Buick LaCrosse has 16" steel wheels (17" wheels for CXS, and 18" wheels for the Super trim levels), all-season tires, full wheel covers, inside-mounted temporary steel spare tire, rear defogger, chrome grille, and variable intermittent wipers. Painted alloy wheels are available on all of the trim levels.

Entertainment and telematics features include AM/FM in-dash single CD player stereo, element antenna, six speakers, XM satellite radio, adjustable-speed sensitive volume control, OnStar with Turn-by-Turn Navigation telecommunications service, and hands free phone. The LaCrosse SUPER has an additional three speakers (total of nine, in all) and two subwoofers, as well.

Safety and security features include tire pressure monitoring, ventilated front disc and solid rear disc brakes, four-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), traction control, front and rear head airbags with passenger airbag occupant sensing deactivation, child seat anchors, rear door child safety locks, emergency interior trunk release, rear center three-point seatbelt, two front integrated height-adjustable headrests, two rear height-adjustable integrated headrests, engine immobilizer, daytime running lights, and dusk-sensing headlamps. The LaCrosse SUPER has parking sensors in the back as part of its package.

A safety report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that the 2008 Buick LaCrosse received five stars out of five in frontal crash tests, three stars out of five (front seat) and four stars out of five (rear seat) in side crash tests, and four stars out of five in rollover tests.

A reliability history report from ConsumerReports.org showed how the Buick LaCrosse sedan held up mechanically. The Buick LaCrosse sedan received the following ratings for the year 2007 (major redesign year was 2005): Excellent ratings for its engine, transmission, drive, fuel, and climate systems, suspension, brakes, exhaust, paint and trim, and power equipment trouble spots, Very Good ratings for its electrical equipment and body hardware, Fair ratings for its audio system, and Poor ratings for its squeaks and rattles trouble spots.

Click here for more information on 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Buick LaCrosse car prices, auto insurance, auto loans, car dealers, and car leases.

Footnotes and References

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