Driving Impressions

Buick LaCrosse buyers have two main options: the CX and CXL with a soft, traditional ride good for cruising and commuting, or the CXS and Super with a firmer ride good for sporty handling on winding roads. The CX and CXL suspension is about 20 percent stiffer than in the old Regal and Century, with larger stabilizer bars. It works well for commuting and running errands. It isn't designed for driving hard on winding roads, however, and will wallow in turns. The CXS handles more like a sports sedan. The steering is precise, really biting into the pavement when you want to turn. The car is not bouncing and yawing around when pushed harder on rural roads. Compared to the CX and CXL, the sportier CXS steers through a quicker ratio (13.3:1 vs. 15.3:1), featuring GM's electronic Magnasteer (rather than hydraulic) assistance. It also rides on stiffer anti-roll bars both front (32 mm vs. 30) and rear (19.4 mm vs. 17). Indeed, our impression was that the chassis has excellent roll control. We found the CXS to be responsive on winding roads in Northern Michigan. We later pushed one hard on some tight, bumpy canyon roads outside Los Angeles and found it handled quite well there. The tires grip nicely. Even when squealing around curves, the CXS maintained good composure, not losing its poise the way older American sedans tended to. The CXS offered good transient response, meaning it could change directions quickly in hard left-right-left maneuvers. The quicker steering ratio enhances the good steering feel and turn-in responsiveness we noted in the other Lacrosse models. CXS models with optional StabiliTrak feature GM's even more sophisticated Magnasteer II power steering. The Super is sharper yet, thanks to several mechanical upgrades, including Bilstein front shocks, a premium steering gear with lower friction, larger front brakes, and 18-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot tires. The Super's steering feels more precise on center, but it is tuned to have a light, easy feel. While there is less body lean than in other models, the LaCrosse is still rather large and heavy, so body lean is still evident. In a trip around a road course, we found that the Super leaned in turns, but quickly took a nice set to track through without a problem. The Super felt surprisingly at home on the racetrack. For the most part, the LaCrosse rides smoothly. However, the CXS suspension suffers a bit on bumpy freeways. We noticed this on a particularly bumpy section of the I-405 freeway through Los Angeles, one of the busiest freeways in the world and one that really tests a smooth ride. Here, the CXS transmitted some road vibration into the cabin, at least by Buick standards, a trade-off for the more responsive handling of the CXS. The Super's tighter suspension and 18-inch tires transmit a bit more road feel, but was never uncomfortable over bumps. The CX and CXL offer a smoother ride on rough freeways. StabiliTrak can improve driver control during emergency or evasive maneuvers and we highly recommend opting for it because it can help you avoid an accident. StabiliTrak includes a traction-control function and uses sensors to detect the direction the driver is steering the car; if the car is not responding adequately, it applies the brakes selectively and precisely to the left or right front wheels (something no driver can do), while reducing throttle to help realign the vehicle's actual path with the path the driver intended. This can help the driver maintain control in an evasive maneuver. Remember to steer where you want to go and the car will do everything it can to get there. The brakes worked well, big four-wheel discs, ventilated in front, with ABS all around. We found the brakes gave good pedal feedback and were easy to modulate, making it easy to bring the car to nice smooth stops in normal driving conditions, ensuring comfort for your passengers. All three engines have been tuned to give a nice, healthy gro

Final Word

Buick's long tradition of fine sedans is well-served and continued by the LaCrosse. It's a quiet, comfortable car that measures up well against the best of the midsize sedans. Those who prefer a smooth ride and traditional Buick comfort will find it in the LaCrosse CX and CXL. Drivers who like sporty sedans will appreciate the CXS or Super, which deliver good acceleration performance, steering precision and crisp handling. NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Jim McCraw filed this report from Pellston, Michigan, with Mitch McCullough reporting from Los Angeles and correspondent Kirk Bell reporting from Chicago.