I acknowledge the fact that I have already posted a review of the Buick LaCrosse.  Recently, I found myself with another LaCrosse in my driveway – only this time I was about to drive a ton of miles and have a quite a bit of seat time in the car.  The vehicle was painted in a red jewel tintcoat with a cocoa/light cashmere leather interior.  This was a CXS model with the optional navigation system and upgraded audio system.  Riding on the optional 19″ 9-spoke painted alloy wheels the car is a looker. Without question, people told me the car was good looking.

Getting to that road trip I mentioned earlier –  I drove the car from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Kenosha, Wisconsin and then onto Elkhart Lake, WI for the spring MAMA rally.  Then, I went back to Minneapolis, only to turn around and head up north to my cabin.  Needless to say, this all equated to over 1,200 miles in a short period of time.  That is quite a bit of seat time in a car, and one gets to know things about that car spending that much time in it.

The first thing I noted was how quiet the LaCrosse was at speed.  With the cruise set  to over 70 mph, the interior was library quiet.  The ventilated seats were very easy to adjust and find a comfortable seating position.  I did find them to be a little flat after an entire day on the road, but regardless they were comfortable.  The two cup holders in the center console are the right size.  The second cup holder gets covered by the sliding arm rest, which is quite annoying because I had the arm rest slid out covering it.  The side mirrors are rather large and this makes it easy to see cars in your blind spot (when the mirrors are adjusted accordingly).  The A-pillars are literally ginormous.  You could (and I did) lose a biker at an intersection in those pillars, and it is a real safety hazard.  This is a huge oversight and I am not quite sure how someone in development did not say something.  I found that even though the belt line is rather high (the new trend) I was able to rest my arm on the window sill – but if I set it wrong it was quickly uncomfortable.  The short hood is very noticeable when driving on the highway and it did not bother me, but I took note of it.  I would also like to comment that I think that at least on the CXL (mid trim level) and CXS (highest trim level) model, projector headlights should be standard equipment.

The infotainment system worked terrifically, but I noted a few things.  The navigation system will not let you enter a destination while moving.  This is annoying – because what if you have a passenger that can do it safely while you are driving?  I hate this little safety feature.  Also, the navigation system would not let me enter certain addresses, so I had to resort to using my Google Maps on my iPhone.  I loved the Harman Kardon branded sound system – it sounded absolutely fantastic.  This is the upgraded system and it’s really worth it.  The touchscreen worked well and there are a ton of buttons if you would rather operate the system using them.

On the way up north to the cabin, both my mother and girlfriend noted that the LaCrosse rode nicer than another family members 2006 Lexus LS430.  After questioning them to find out more details, they noted the seats (specifically the rear seats) were more comfortable.

This LaCrosse was equipped with the 3.6 liter V-6, pushing the power to the front wheels.  The transmission was a six-speed automatic with manual shift capabilities and a sport mode.  While the car is rated at 17/27 mpg, I was able to average 28.9 mpg on the highway with the cruise set to 65 mph in Wisconsin.  Once pushed to 77 mph back in Minnesota, the mileage dropped down to a 27.2 mpg average.

After all the miles and discussion about the car with people, my conclusion is quite similar to my original review.  The car is a winner.  With a sticker price of $36,135 out the door, this is a real value for the money.  That said, it is not perfect and has a few flaws that need addressing.  However, no one can say the car is not competitive.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if General Motors made a Buick LaCrosse wagon?  Until now neither had I.  With that said, Nick Wilcox over at Automotive Renderings did wonder just that and decided to draw one out.  Taking inspiration from the LaCrosse and the Enclave, he put together this sketch.  Not too shabby.  Suddenly I would like to see a Buick LaCrosse wagon, that is, if GM could make it look this good.

Source- Automotive Renderings

Episode 28 starts with introducing this weeks guest William Maley also known as realmudmonster on Twitter.  Moving into the garage we talk about the Buick LaCrosse I was in for the past week along  We then discuss the MAMA spring rally that I attended this past week.  We then move along to the major news of the week segment.  This week included-

• Mulally Mum on Mercury’s Future
• GM still has plans for a Lambda-based Cadillac crossover
• Tesla’s Elon Musk: ‘I Ran Out of Cash’, Tesla: Model S ‘May Experience Unexpected Delays’

This week we bring back the clip of the week segment.  This week we featured Mercedes-Benz: Sorry. (Link)

Next came our main topics which we have a discussion about the going to go over some government boondoggles we’ve been seeing cropping up in the news. We actually got the idea from jalopnik which did a recent post about the world’s safest cars that were built here in America

Last we discuss we plug our respective blogs,  AutoBird Blog and Accelerate Mpls.

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It was confirmed exclusively to the Detroit News by Toms Stephens, General Motors vice chairman of global design, that the Regal GS concept has been green lighted for production.  It will most likely come with a 2.0 liter turbo charged 4 cylinder putting out 255 hp and 295 lb-ft to all four wheels through the torque vectoring all wheel drive system by Haldex.  Thankfully we will probably get to manage that power with a proper six speed manual.  Sadly there is the possibility that the concept’s awesome Recaro seats will not make it to production.  Timing and volume were not given, though I would be bet we will see the GS sometime mid to late next year.

“Buick kind of lost its way.  We built big, floaty, quiet cars — what our customers wanted at the time.  The GS would be the next step, more performance-based,” Buick spokeswoman Dayna Hart said.

Source- The Detroit News

Episode 26 starts with introducing this weeks guests Mirko Reinhardt and Nick Fay.  Moving into the garage we talk about both the EVOMS Porsche 997.2 TT and 2010 Dodge Charger SRT8 I was in for the past weeks along with the Porsche Boxster Nick drove.  Last but not least we discuss the Tesla Roadster Sport I drove.  We then move along to the major news of the week segment.  This week included-

• Jeep Product Onslaught
• Chrysler to leave the European market
• Buick Dropping trim levels and adding three models
• Chrysler Sebring Name to Stick Around For Now

Next came our main topic which we have a discussion about the differences between American driving and European driving and the overall differences in car culture.

Last we discuss we plug our respective blogs, Cheers and Gears,  AutoBird Blog and Accelerate Mpls.

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Hold on to your hats folks.  When I was at the GM Product and Technology event put on last August I saw things.  Some things were awesome such as the future Buick Regal, upcoming Chevrolet Camaro convertible and the list goes on.  Some were not so awesome, such as the Buick that was quickly dubbed Vuick.  See it was essentially a re-badged (and I mean literally a new grille inserted) Saturn Vue.

The Vuick thing caught on quick and GM supposedly decided to kill it a mere few weeks later.  In fact they were so proudly announcing how fast they acted based on the negative feedback they were receiving (shocking).  Anyways, next to that Vuick on the floor was a upcoming small crossover for Buick.  This could possibly be dubbed the Encore.  It essentially looked literally like a shrunken down Enclave.  This my friends looked good.  It was most likely based on the new Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain platform.

Yesterday Chris Baccus was driving in Detroit and spotted this test vehicle.  He noted it looked like a Buick grille behind the cladding.  This my friends is one of two things.  The Vuick being resurrected (dear god no) or the baby Enclave (Encore?) that has been severely changed since I saw it and not for the better.  Either way you are looking at something that is not production ready.  I am sincerely hoping this is not the Vuick coming back from the dead rather just a test mule.  I hope they keep the baby Enclaves styling that I saw last fall.

UPDATE-

Some have mentioned this looks an awful lot like the Chevrolet Captiva not sold in America.  I have also just received word from GMInsidenews that GM plans to still sell and produce the Vuick but only for China.  It will be a youth oriented crossover.

Source- Chris Baccus

I will be really up front and honest with you.  When I received the email telling me a 2010 GMC Acadia was coming my way, my first thought was “I will not like this vehicle.”  The main reasoning behind this is because I actually like the current Chevrolet Tahoe (the GMC Yukon is fine but I like the Tahoe styling better) and I could not imagine why I would personally buy this mammoth crossover instead of a Tahoe.  Yes, I’m aware the Acadia starts roughly around $5,540 cheaper than the Tahoe, but pricing never entered my thoughts when making this judgment.  The more interesting thing was, I had just hopped out of a fully loaded Buick Enclave, which rides on the same platform and shares so many parts with the Acadia.  I really enjoyed my time with the Enclave, but it still didn’t sway my opinions about the Acadia.  So what happened?

The Acadia’s exterior is striking.  The headlights are unique and truly good looking.  They really set the front end apart from other crossovers.  The hood has nice sculpting in the center with lines running from the front clip into the hood on either side.  The side profile is less sculpted, but has a bulge towards the bottom of the doors near the rocker panels.  The fenders are somewhat over exaggerated but not overly done.  The rear taillights are stylized with two round turret-looking shapes in each housing.  The Acadia’s exterior is overall, very sharp especially sitting on the optional twenty inch chrome clad wheels.

The Acadia’s interior does have a few design cues shared with the Chevrolet Traverse, though it is worth noting the Acadia came to market before the Traverse.  The center stack and instrument panel are all easy to operate and organized well.  At night the gauges and switchgear all light up GMC red and white. I personally find this easy on the eyes late at night.  The standard fold-flat third row is easy to operate but as a usable seat, the space back there is really meant for a child.  With the third row in seating position, there is still room in the back for bags.  The seats while large and flat were most definitely road trip worthy.

Powertrain options in the Acadia are limited to the 3.6 liter V6 featuring direct injection. Power output is 288 hp and 270 lb-ft to either the front or all four wheels.  The power is handled by a six speed automatic with manual shift capabilities.  I am undecided on this transmissions programming.  It could be the particular Acadia I was in, but the transmission seemed lazy to me.  Shifts were not quick and crisp.  They were delayed and took longer than expected when not pushed hard.  In all-wheel-drive mode, as the tester was equipped, the EPA rated the Acadia at 16/23 miles-per-gallon.  I saw an average of 16.8 mpg in the city and 19.9 mpg cruising at 75 miles-per-hour on the highway.  It is worth noting I averaged 22.8 mpg when cruising at 65 mph.

Rear End With Third Row Seat Up

The Acadia was optioned as a SLT-2 model with a sticker price of $42,185.  The test model also included the following options: technology package, touch screen navigation with rear view camera, rear seat entertainment, power sunroof with second row skylight, heated and cooled front seats with perforated leather surfaces, and red jewel tintcoat.  The total price swelled to $49,740 after destination and the plethora of options!  That’s a lot of money for a non-premium CUV.

A few things that stood out to me while I was in the Acadia:  first, was the heads up display. I like how GMC decided to include this feature with the technology package.  Second, the cooled seats in this Acadia were some of the best I have encountered to date.  They seats cooled very quickly and prompted me to pay attention as the seats made my backside chilly.  Finally, the iPod/iPhone interface on the optional touch-screen radio worked terrific.

So after driving the Acadia for the week, was it good enough to change my original opinions?   I was sure I wasn’t going to like it.  My final opinion on the CUV is I kind of like it and I kind of don’t.  I definitely was impressed at the end of my test.  I liked the Acadia as a vehicle; more than I ever thought I would like it.  With that said, I cannot admit the Acadia would be my top pick for $49,740.  GMC is deep into luxury territory at that price and in reality, the Buick Enclave has a nicer interior.  Looking past GM’s products other vehicles in the same price category as the Acadia include: the Acura MDX, Audi Q7 and many others luxury brand CUVs.  For the same price as the Acadia, the Audi Q7 TDI or the Acura MDX might be a better buy in my opinion.  The main problem is not the Acadia, but rather GM’s pricing of the Acadia. This vehicle fits in much better at with a $44,000 price ceiling to be truly competitive.   The bottom line is, if someone was ready to buy an Acadia and asked me if they should, I would say this: if you like it, it is a good vehicle but if selecting a fully loaded one I might be cautious on purchasing.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

It is true!  The first 2011 Buick Regal’s are hitting dealerships now and the first one sold this past weekend.  The car was sold in Elgin, IL by Woody Buick GMC dealership to 44 year old CEO at a manufacturing company.  He traded in an 2007 Saturn Outlook while also considering a Toyota Camry and Audi A4 before purchasing the new Regal.

The new owner stated “The Regal is a superb car to drive on the road, with more of a European feel than any other car we looked at,” said the new owner. “My 15 year-old daughter has already said she wants to take the car to college with her in a few years.”

GM had this to say about the first sale, “We are encouraged to see that the first Regal was sold within 24 hours of hitting the dealership lot,” said Roger McCormack, director of marketing for Buick. “The Regal is the next chapter in Buick’s modern transformation and will continue attracting new buyers to the brand.”

I personally think the Regal stands a good chance at luring more buyers at a lower age range into the Buick showrooms.  Time will tell but everyone that has driven one so far walks away throughly impressed.

Source- GMInsidenews

We have heard time and time again that Buick is in a renaissance.  Some told us that the movement started with the Lucerne.  They were misinformed dearly.  The real renaissance movement began with the Enclave.  Buick debuted the Enclave concept at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2006.  That concept came to reality less then a year later debuting as a production vehicle at the L.A. Auto Show later that year.  So the question is simple: is this every bit the car Buick claims it is?  Lets find out.

The outside of the Enclave is really stunning.  From the front fenders that flow into the body to the rear fenders, which pick up and flow into the rear taillights— the lines are stunning.  The headlights are unique and look great both during the day and when lit up at night.  The twenty-inch chrome clad wheels were met with more chrome strewn about the exterior, from the door handles to the rear taillight surrounds.  Chrome was all over the exterior of this vehicle.  I did have one person tell me it was a little flashy for their tastes.  I however think it was tastefully done and not overdone in the least bit.  The traditional Buick waterfall grille still resides in the front reminding you that yes, indeed this is a Buick.  Though you might be shocked to find this out by looking around the vehicle.

Inside the stunning looks continue.  Wood is literally everywhere.  Well when we use the term wood we use that generously.  The wood is actually plastic with only the wood on the steering wheel being real mahogany.  With that said, it does not look bad.  The design is aesthetically pleasing and very upscale.  The center stack has an analogue clock at the top.  The climate control set up and the radio/navigation is shared with the other lambda-based vehicles (Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and the now dead Saturn Outlook).  The second row seats can be had in either a three-person bench seat or two captains chairs.  This is a no cost option and I personally liked the captain seating option, though it is not quite as practical since you lose a seat.  The third row folds flat and is standard.  This is mainly a space for children though an adult could manage for a quick trip across town.  The dual laminated glass keeps things extremely quite inside even on the highway.  Even with the third row up you still have room for luggage or groceries.  The interior—like the exterior—is definitely tastefully done.

The powertrain is shared with the other lambda vehicles as well.  Equipped with a 3.6 liter direct injection V6 that puts out 288 hp and 270 ft-lb to either the front or all four wheels.  The power is handled by a one-choice six speed automatic transmission, which does have a manual shift capability.  The steering is noticeably boosted and is light to the touch.  This is not a barnburner but it has enough power to get up and merge onto a freeway.  Though I would not suggest racing your next-door neighbors Porsche Cayenne to the country club for pinks, for you will lose.

The Enclave I had was  CXL-2 which is the top trim level.  Equipped with every option other then the all wheel drive the sticker price rang in at $47,355 including destination.  This included such options as the audio system with navigation and DVD, power sunroof with second row skylight and the twenty-inch chrome clad wheels.  The navigation system is the older touch screen unit supplied by Delphi, which is DVD-based rather then hard drive based.  This is a tad slower then the new hard drive based unit supplied by Alpine in the new Cadillacs.  I am hoping this gets upgraded soon.  Also the rear seat entertainment, which as part of the audio system package mentioned earlier, drops down from the roof that puts the screen right in the way of your rear view mirror.  The newer models from GM are using dual flip up monitors on the back of the front seats.  This too hopefully will be upgraded sooner rather then later.  Another feature that was missing was auto up windows.  Only the driver’s window was equipped with the auto up feature.  In this price range that is almost commonplace and a little strange.

One of the biggest downfalls of the lambdas is their weight.  They are almost obese, weighing in at almost 5000 lbs (4780 to be exact).  You can most definitely feel the engine pulling all this weight around.  The EPA rates the fuel mileage at 17/24 for the front wheel drive model I was in.  I did manage to average 17.3 mpg in the city and did not have the chance to truly test the highway rating.  These are fairly decent numbers especially compared to some of the competition.

In this price range you are deep in luxury SUV territory with players such as the Acura MDX and the Lincoln MKT, among others.  The question is simple: is the Enclave a worthy competitor?  I would say it is definitely a vehicle I would recommend, but it will not be for everyone.  The Enclave to me feels bigger then the MDX and is really just a different personality than MKT.  All three are really nice vehicles and the Enclave is definitely class competitive.  While some upgrades are needed as time has passed, the Enclave is still the competitive looker it was when it made its debut.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

The 2011 Buick Excelle is almost here and these shots do not leave a ton to the imagination.  This new Buick will sell in the Chinese market and more then likely will arrive at some point here in the U.S. market.  Powertrain is unknown but one can assume it will be powered by a four cylinder possibly featuring direct injection.  The interior shot shows the continuation of the current Buick interior styling theme.

Source- autohome

Hat tip to Brian Gluckman for bringing this to my attention.