Accelerate Mpls

You may ask yourself why would someone want to buy a Lexus ES350.  In essence, the Lexus ES350 is essentially a really nice Toyota Camry.  For the higher price you receive a much nicer dealer experience, a cushier ride, and overall a nicer car.  This car has no sporty pretensions about it.  The industry keeps moving towards sporty cars while this car retains the traditional luxury feel.  Lexus has made strides to become a little sportier on other models, but this is a break in that formula.

The ES350 is designed using what Lexus calls “L-Finesse design”.  The result of this design particularly in the ES350, is a bland car.  The car tends to just blend right in.  Those characteristics continue onto the inside with a simple design. The dash is soft touch and gauge cluster is very good looking.  The clock on the dash looks like a cheap wrist watch which seems to take away from the interior.  The seats are road trip worthy, though they have no real support for energetic driving.  With plenty of real wood thrown around the interior, this car is a nice place to spend your time with a few things that seem dated.

The ES350 is powered by a once choice 3.5L V6 which is ULEV II (Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) certified.  This engine is good for 272 hp and 254 lb-ft which is channeled through a six speed automatic transmission.  The transmission does have manual shifting abilities but no paddles are included.  Like the Camry, the ES350 is front wheel drive and is not available in all wheel drive form.  Rated at 19/27 mpg, the ES350 posts respectable milage numbers.  Though most drivers will not be speed demons the car is rated at 6.8 seconds 0-60 which is respectable in its class.  Torque steer is well in check and the steering is very light.  Driving the ES350 is a very uneventful affair.  The car can literally just cruise along.

The car I had was a base model with optional equipment including heated and ventilated front seats, and a wood and leather trimmed steering wheel and shift nob.  The sticker price for the vehicle I had was $36,645.  That is nearly $3,000 more than the better equipped Buick LaCrosse.  The LaCrosse is more engaging to drive and overall had a better driving balance.  The interior of the LaCrosse also has more design character and feels slightly richer.  I am comparing the ES350 to the LaCrosse in a harsh way and the reason is simple.  The all new for 2010 Buick LaCrosse is trying through both marketing and design, to directly take on the ES350.

So this all seems to circle back to the beginning.  The car drives like it looks, boring, fluid, yet comfortable.  The dealer experience is top notch.  The question I have is why pick this over the Buick LaCrosse?  The LaCrosse seems to be more car for the money and is definitely more engaging to drive.  Picking the Lexus ES350 over the Buick LaCrosse comes down to two simple reasons.  The first is Buick has an image problem.  Though it is worth noting they are working swiftly to try and change the brand’s perception.  The second is the dealer experience.  The Buick dealership does not give out free loaner cars and will not pamper you anything like the Lexus dealership.  At the end of the day, the Lexus ES350 is a fine car, but now there is real competition in the price point now and Lexus needs to step up their game.

2010 Buick LaCrosse

I have heard the “New GM” say over and over again that any product launch can not be just a launch, it has to be a success.  The new LaCrosse for Buick is no exception, and in fact, this is the car that is helping to “reinvent” the Buick brand.  The Enclave that debuted two years ago went in the reinvention direction, it was however, less reinvention and more a new segment for the brand.  The Enclave was the vehicle that started generating younger foot traffic into Buick showrooms.  That is a good start, and this new LaCrosse looks to keep that momentum going.  So how is the car?  Well this is not your grandpa’s Buick.

The last generation LaCrosse was a curvy affair that had four headlights and the bland styling of white bread.  Buick has set its sights upon some new comers and some industry leaders ranging from the new Lincoln MKZ and Acura TL to the recently updated Lexus ES350 and let’s not forget the aging, and not gracefully I might add, Toyota Avalon.  These are the “main competitors” in GM’s view.  The list makes sense to me, although I believe, the main direct competitor is the Lexus ES350.  The advertising is poking at Lexus and the Buick is actually better looking.

The exterior design of the new LaCrosse has a very strong sweep spear line down the side.  The character line goes continuously from the headlights all the way down the side to the tail lights, creating a long and flowing line that helps to give the sides character.  This, along with curves toward the bottom of the doors, keep the car from appearing slab sided.  The front has a new modernized interpretation on the Buick waterfall grille.  Following the current trend, this car has a high belt line and the result is down right good looking.  No yawn inducing smoothed out jelly bean here.  The bland styling from the previous generation LaCrosse has been kicked to the curb for LED tail lights and that bold character line down the side.  With dual exhaust and finishers, the whole outside screams “I have style”.

Everyone that got in the interior commented on how nice the Lexus was.  That is until I told them it was the new Buick.  It took their breath away.  Once you get past that you are in a Buick, you have to stop yourself because suddenly you want to admit you like this Buick.  It is ok, someday it will be the cool thing, and this is the big first step toward that day.  The interior was designed with input from the Chinese division within GM.  Why would they do that you ask?  The answer is because Buick is a smash hit over in China, so they decided to have the market where Buick sells best design the interior.  Lets just say, bravo.  The gauge cluster looks great, probably one of the best in any GM vehicle.  The whole entire dash is covered in soft material which is how it should be.  The bottom, by your knees and where the glove box is, continues to be made of hard plastic.  It does look good, and you will rarely touch it.  The steering wheel both tilts and telescopes to help find the perfect driving position.

The car I had was a top tier CXS model with no additional options other then special paint for $195.  The sticker price was $33,960.  Equipped with an auxiliary jack and a USB port you could listen to your music from your iPhone or iPod through the Harmon Kardon branded sound system which sounded great.  I would even venture to say it rivals the Mark Levinson sound system in the Lexus ES350.  The wheels were 18″ with chrome plating.  I really liked the CXS standard heated steering wheel.

The car comes with three different engines.  The top shelf CXS I had came with a one choice 3.6 liter V6 featuring direct injection putting out 280 hp and 259 lb-ft to the front wheels.  Rated at 17/27 mpg, the car averaged 21.5 mpg with a mix of city/highway driving.  If you step down one trim level to the CXL you can get all wheel drive as a option, but you can not get the 3.6 V6, you have one choice, a 3.0 liter with 255 hp and 217 lb-ft.  The base CX model comes in front wheel drive with the 3.0 V6 standard though a 2.4 liter four cylinder with 182 hp and 172 lb-ft is optional.  I was surprised with how well the torque steer was in check with front wheel drive and the larger 3.6 liter V6.

So it seems all cheers here right?  Buick hit a home run with no flaws.  Well not exactly.  The car uses old goose neck hinges for the trunk which significantly eat into the trunk room.  Though the arms are covered so they can not crush luggage, that does not stop them from eating trunk space in a large way.  Yes the Lexus ES350 uses them too, but that is not an excuse.  Also, the seat tracks in the front have a very open design that, in theory, could easily devour a long evening gown while moving back or forth.  Also, as I have mentioned, I am not a huge fan of this high belt line trend.  Sure I am being nit picky I will admit that, but they did that good of a job.  My biggest complaint is simple.  You can not see the rear end when backing up.  This thing needs a back up camera stat!  The only way to get the back up camera is to have the optional navigation package.  When the back up camera is standard on the GMC Terrain, which has a base price less then this CXS, something is not right.

The new LaCrosse certainly is not your grandpa’s Buick anymore.  This cars main target are the people shopping for a Lexus ES350.  It hits that target while being a better value, having more character, and is overall better looking.  Certainly a few things I mentioned could use tweaking, but overall this is a nice execution on General Motors part.  Buick’s new marketing slogan is “The new class of world class”, and for the first time this brand has a car that is world class.

2010 Buick LaCrosse

Buick has been using the tag line “Take a look at me now” with its advertising and it is not working for them.  They are finally starting to get product that would warrant such a tagline such as the Enclave and now, the new for 2010 LaCrosse.  Seeing as the tagline and advertising is a bit stale General Motors has come up with a new campaign.  The new spot titled “The new class of world class” will start airing soon.

Bob Lutz who has most recently turned his sights on the marketing area of GM is really honing in on Buick’s message.  He was recently quoted by Automotive News as saying the new spots are “aggressive stuff”.  That’s good because Buick needs some aggressive advertising now that it is one of the four core brands left of GM.  I am personally excited to see the new spots and hope they are successful now that Buick finally has some good product both in the showroom and on the way.

2010 Buick LaCrosse Interior

As posted late last week, I was fortunate enough to be invited by GM to an exciting event. The event started with GM showing some of the products and technologies coming in the near future. Pictures were not allowed in the design center.

2010 GMC Terrain

Front and center in the GMC design studio was a design concept, a Denali trim of the Acadia crossover. It had a body kit and larger chrome wheels with the mandatory chrome grill and wood inside. I can see this trim level coming soon and it was rather good looking. Next up was the 2010 Terrain the GMC version of the new 2010 Chevy Equinox. The exterior of the Terrain is better looking in person than it is in pictures. The interior had soft materials and a clean look. Equipped with the four cylinder, the Terrain will achieve 32 mpg on the highway, quite impressive. The most interesting vehicle was a clay model without a name. It looked reminicent of the Kia Soul. It was boxy and short with little to no overhangs and like no other current GMC. Even though is was not bad looking, I do not see it fitting in with the rest of GMC unless the future products are considerably different than the current lineup, which could happen.

2010 Buick Lacrosse

The center vehicle in the Buick studio was the new 2010 Buick Lacrosse which should be hitting dealerships soon. The new Lacrosse is gorgeous with tight panel gaps and great character lines. It is a car that will be competing with the Lexus ES350, the lines on this Lacrosse are much bolder. The interior has a soft touch dash and has a quality feel. Impressive! I felt the seat tracks looked unfinished. They were completely uncovered and looked as if things could get caught in the tracks. We viewed four other vehicles, two crossovers and two sedans. One of the crossovers was basically a re-badged Saturn Vue which will be launching as a Buick next year, and it will come as the first plug-in hybrid suv in 2011. It was truly unsightly and reminds me of things (re-badging) that was wrong with the “old GM.” The other crossover will launch in 12-16 months as a baby Enclave which itself is a good looking vehicle. The other two vehicles that are coming within the next 10-24 months include a midsize sedan based on the European Opel Insignia. This midsize sedan could very well wear the Regal name. The second vehicle will launch later and will be based on the new the European Opel Astra. They had two interior styling bucks for the two sedans, both of which were as good looking as the new 2010 Lacrosse. Buick seems to have gotten their mojo back in the styling department other then the re-badged Vue.

2010 Chevy Spark

The predictable future vehicles, such as the convertible Camaro coming 2nd quarter of next year and the Chevy Spark small car, was there as well. I was surprised to see a next generation Aveo, which happened to be a hatchback. The rear end was practically the same as the current generation while the front end was much more aggressive. The front end reminded me of the current generation Mitsubishi Lancer. The headlights were good looking but not very aerodynamic. The vehicle that caught me off guard was the next generation Malibu. It is drop dead gorgeous! It has a little BMW in the rear end and the front end is straight European design. The exterior was impressive and the interior had three real interior styling bucks. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would never believe it was a Chevy interior. Keep in mind that these were production designs, not concepts. Arriving in 2011 as a 2012, the next Malibu is going to be a winner.

2009 CTS-V

The Cadillac CTS coupe will arrive next spring. It will be accompanied by a CTS-V coupe which, of course, is exciting for any enthusiast. Next the new 2010 SRX and CTS sportwagon, both of which should be arriving in dealerships now. I personally love wagons. After the presentation, I asked the director of Cadillac about the possibility of a CTS-V sportwagon. During our conversation, he informed me that there was a CTS-V sportwagon on campus and it is a shade of black. He also said that “if” a CTS-V sportwagon was to go into production, he would guess it would be in dealerships next summer. I would not say that is a promise but darn closer than “no we have no plans on making one and have not studied it as a business case.” Here’s hoping for a CTS-V sportwagon.

Three new Cadillacs were revealed to us. The first was the sportwagon. The next was a BMW 3 series fighter dubbed ATS, which will come in both coupe and sedan forms. The car is similar looking to a CTS with a more evolved look. I could see the ATS coming with a turbo and naturally aspirated four cylinder as well as direct injection six cylinder engines. The proper wheels (rear wheels) will be receiving the power and all wheel drive will be a option. The last was a car that will compete with the BMW 7 series, dubbed XTS. It will replace the quickly aging STS/DTS sedans. The styling of the XTS is reminiscent of the Cadillac Sixteen concept from years back but without the long hood. Both cars were good looking and have real potential.

Joel Feder & Bob Lutz

I had a conversation with Bob Lutz and questioned him about the future of the now dead Pontiac G8. He informed me that the response to them killing it has been overwhelming, and they are working hard to figure out how to incorporate it in the Chevy lineup in the future. Mentioning how it will die with Pontiac but could be coming back as a Chevy. He went on to say it would have big brakes, a big V8 and quickly adding, no V6 option. This would be an aggressive sports car without a doubt, the four door of Corvettes (no it will not wear the Corvette name). Though he mentioned it would most likely be expensive and probably a niche product, making only enough for demand. My question is when and how much!? I asked about the Caprice name and styling of the Asian market Caprice and he said it was not aggressive enough and would not happen. This conversation was informal and is in no way a final green light for production.

Lastly the Millford proving grounds. I drove the Camaro SS with the 6 speed. First order of business was to turn off the traction control completely. Dropping the clutch and smokey burn outs are easy to accomplish. The car is definitely heavy but carries its weight well through the slalom. While the brakes definitely got toasty and you could smell the burn, they never gave up or made me nervous of losing effectiveness. Had I been on the track longer it could have been a different story. Next the CTS-V with a automatic. I felt this handicapped the cars potential on the track. On the other hand, the automatic shifts quickly and zips around when driving it in the city on a daily basis.

After this event it is safe to say, I can say I feel GM has a real future and great product in the pipeline. The only true questionable vehicle was the re-badged Vue. Two big take aways here are that the G8 may not be dead after all and the CTS-V sportwagon is more then a possibility! I would say Toyota should be put on notice because the next Malibu and new Equinox are truly world cars.