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2013 Buick LaCrosse

2013 Buick LaCrosse

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Overview

The Buick LaCrosse holds a strong position in comparison to similar cars. It tops the list of Best Luxury Large Cars and Best American Luxury Large Cars, indicating its superior quality and performance in both the general and American markets. However, when it comes to resale value, the LaCrosse ranks 5th among Luxury Large Cars, suggesting that while it is a top-performing vehicle, it may not retain its value as well as some competitors. Overall, the Buick LaCrosse is a top contender in the luxury large car category, but potential buyers may want to consider its resale value.

Overview

The 2013 Buick LaCrosse is doing a lot toward changing Buick's image as strictly a vehicle for your grandpa and grandma. After making its debut for the 2005 model year it is now in its second generation of production. It now receives a beefier body and sleeker roof than its predecessors. The windows have narrowed, which has limited rear driver visibility slightly; but the front end now features a wider, more dominant grille, giving it a much more aggressive look.

The 2013 Buick LaCrosse is a midsize luxury sedan that deserves serious consideration by all those shopping in this segment. This year's model is unchanged from the 2012 version, but does feature Buick's new IntelliLink communications system.

Expert Reviews

It's tough for many experts to love the Buick line but the LaCrosse seems to be winning most of them over. It has been thought of for so long as "your grandpa and grandma's car" that many reviewers find more being offered elsewhere in the luxury section. However, the LaCrosse has done a fair job of topping many competitors and going unnoticed in the process.

"Conservatively handsome, well equipped, capable and polished, the car boasts eAssist, an impressive assortment of efficiency-enhancing technologies developed from GM's mild-hybrid system." (Kelley Blue Book)

"The interior is luxurious and well finished, and rear-seat room is generous. But the exterior styling compromises visibility fore and aft, and the cockpit is narrow." (Consumer Reports)

"Shoppers who are looking at any car in this price class would do well to give LaCrosse a chance." (Consumer Guide)

"Buick's sleek LaCrosse offers serenity and comfort at an attractive price...This is a good highway cruiser with a decent interior." (Car and Driver)

"While midsize family sedans garner the most attention and sales, there's still a place for larger sedans that provide additional room and trunk space. One of the more appealing cars of this group is the 2013 Buick LaCrosse, a premium sedan that offers crisp styling, an elegant interior and impressive driving dynamics." (Edmunds)

Owner Reviews

"I like the [2013 Buick LaCrosse]. Good feel and power. Only negative is the rear window and pillars. [It is] very difficult to see [from the] side view when backing up; [there is a] narrow line of site." (Owner review from California owner, KBB)

"Best car I have ever owned. [The LaCrosse] looks great, plenty of power, fuel economy is good, and handling is excellent. It is an expensive luxury car without the luxury expense." (Owner review from Jerry Vargo, Yahoo! Autos)

"This isn't my first Buick and it won't be my last. I love the way my LaCrosse rides. It's comfortable and very easy on gas compared to my Audi A5. I don't like the navigation system. If I had everything to do all over again, that's the one thing I would leave out. It's difficult to use and updating it is a pain. Everything else about this car is great!" (Owner review from Debra J., North Carolina)

Among the features most praised by the owners of the 2013 Buick LaCrosse, the comfortable ride, modern cabin, and its powerful V6 engine. Among the detractors are a delay in the downshift of the transmission, a quirky navigation system, and poor rear visibility.

Lineup

The 2013 Buick LaCrosse comes available in five trim levels: Base, Leather, Premium 1, Premium 2, and Touring. The Base model is still nicely equipped, offering 17-inch alloy wheels, full power accessories, dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, split-folding rear seatbacks, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, an eight-way power driver's seat with lumbar adjustment, OnStar, Bluetooth, an 8-inch display screen, and a seven-speaker sound system with CD player, satellite radio, smartphone app integration, and iPod/USB/aux inputs.

The next step up, the Leather package, incorporates foglights, heated mirrors, rear parking assist, a rearview camera, heated front seats, and you can't have a leather package without the leather upholstery. It also extends the eight-way power adjustment to the passenger front seat. Of course, if you're really looking for luxury, you'll want to go with the Premium 1 package. It offers keyless ignition/entry, heated and ventilated front seats, perforated leather upholstery, and a rear power window shade.

Moving up to the Premium 2 package will bump you up to the chrome wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, a 120-volt house-style power outlet, and an 11-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound audio system.  The top of the line is the Touring package. It adds 19-inch alloy wheels and adds adaptive suspension, xenon headlights, a blind-spot warning system, a heads-up display, digital music storage and a navigation system.

Interior

The 2013 Buick LaCrosse's interior can be described as simple and upscale. Controls are all compactly placed in an area that is very accessible to the driver but makes the controls seem cluttered. Buick's IntelliLink system should be a big hit with most consumers as it both functional and user-friendly, although it does seem to interfere with the radio controls sometimes. Modern features such as the ambient blue nighttime lighting and the smoked chrome accents make the cabin of the 2013 LaCrosse appealing to just about any driver.

Seating is comfortable but the cloth seats can be scratchy if you're wearing shorts. Overall, the cabin of the LaCrosse is spacious, providing an ample amount of head- and legroom in both front and rear. On the other hand, that headroom does
become slightly more limited on versions with the optional sunroof. The back seat is one that boasts the capability to haul three passengers comfortably and for the most part it delivers.

Cargo space is the Achilles heel of the 2013 LaCrosse. It is on the lower end of the scale for the luxury sedan class with a maximum capacity of 13.3 cubic feet in the trunk. Models with the eAssist engine get even less than that, garnering only 11.4 cubes of trunk space. The opening for the trunk is also narrower than one would find on many competitors.

Performance

The LaCrosse comes powered by a choice of two engines. The first is a 2.4L four-cylinder eAssist engine that comes with a hybrid-assist feature used to save on fuel economy. It pairs the engine with an 11-kilowatt motor and a lithium-ion battery pack to enhance fuel economy to an EPA-estimated 25/36 mpg (city/highway). Total power output from this engine is 182 horsepower and 172 ft.-lbs. of torque, but this powertrain was built for economy not performance.

The second engine option offered with the 2013 LaCrosse is the 3.6L V6. It ups the power to 303 horsepower and 264 ft.-lbs. of torque. A six-speed automatic is the only transmission option here. Purchasers will have the option of front-wheel or all-wheel drive though. Fuel efficiency from this particular power plant is estimated by the EPA to be 17/27 mpg with the front-wheel drive and17/25 mpg with the all-wheel.

The automatic stop-start system works very well on the LaCrosse; the usual shudder upon restart isn't near as noticeable, especially on the eAssist model. Coincidentally, that eAssist 2.4L engine isn't as underpowered as the numbers would lead. Still, it's not going to win any races and feels sluggish at higher speeds. The one thing the LaCrosse does well is offer precise steering and a cushioned ride.

Safety & Reliability

The 2013 Buick LaCrosse is an IIHS Top Safety Pick, earning a perfect mark of Good in all of their crash tests, including the roof strength test. The NHTSA agrees in the sturdiness of Buick's luxury sedan. They gave it a perfect five out of five stars in all regular crash tests and four out of five in the rollover test. Standard safety equipment on the 2013 LaCrosse includes antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, side curtain airbags, and OnStar emergency alert system. Rear-seat side-impact airbags and a blind-spot alert system are optional.

There are currently no major safety recalls on the 2013 Buick LaCrosse. J.D. Power and Associates gave it 3.5 out of 5 in its Vehicle Dependability Study; that's a shade above average and a bit of an improvement for Buick in recent years. It comes covered by 4-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 6-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty. MSRP on the 2013 Buick LaCrosse ranges from $31,660 to $39,240 depending on trim level.

2013 Buick LaCrosse Trims

Trim Engine Drive Train MSRP
Base 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder FWD 31660
Base 4dr Sedan 4 Cylinder FWD 31660
Leather 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder FWD 33870
Leather 4dr Sedan 4 Cylinder FWD 33870
Premium 1 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder FWD 35285
Premium 2 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder FWD 36705
AWD Premium 1 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder AWD 37460
Touring 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder FWD 39240
AWD Leather 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder AWD 36035

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