The new 2014 Buick LaCrosse is not your grandfather’s Buick. It is one of the sharper reminders of how much change that’s brought. It has enough of the vintage Buick styling cues to recall the connection–but the way it drives is almost entirely disconnected from the past, from its controlled ride to its available mild-hybrid drive train.
The V-6 car’s acceleration is adequate but, the ride is impeccable. Buick has worked hard to keep the harsh outside world at bay by utilizing acoustical laminate on the windshield and front side glass, expanded baffles in the roof pillars, and melt-on sound deadeners throughout the lower body. Buick calls it QuietTuning, and the deafening silence was only occasionally penetrated under hard acceleration or on particularly broken pavement.
The interior has premium materials and comfortable, roomy seats, particularly in the rear. The LaCrosse’s infotainment system is easy to use. The 2014 Buick LaCrosse comes standard with a power-adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, remote vehicle start, OnStar and Buick’s IntelliLink infotainment system, which includes an 8-inch touchscreen display, a seven-speaker stereo, satellite radio, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming and a USB port. Optional features include leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats,
a heated steering wheel, a head-up display, a sunroof, push-button start, parking sensors, a backup camera, a Bose sound system and navigation. The LaCrosse includes new optional driver aids and safety features for 2014, including blind spot monitoring, forward collision warning, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control.
The graceful LaCrosse has been tweaked a bit for 2014 with new LED eyeliner and taillamps, but the pleasantly thick shape has always had most of the details down pat. The cabin’s revamp this year remodels the center stack into a less complex shape, and an Ultra Luxury package slathers it in tamo wood and wraps the cockpit in semi-aniline leather.
The LaCrosse has gone premium, along with the rest of Buick, and that’s meant leaving the softly sprung past in the past, and a turn to more sporty and more shapely alternatives to the brand’s heritage.
BASE PRICE $34,000– $40,000 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, FWD (All-wheel drive is optional.), 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE (Standard) 182- hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder with electric eAssist mild hybridization and a 304-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic WHEELBASE 111.7 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 196.9x 73.1 x 59.2 in EPA CITY/ HWY FUEL ECON 17/27