The 2010 Buick LaCrosse: Should Have Been Called Allure

I’ve always questioned manufacturer’s bizarre desire to saddle perfectly good cars with uninspiring nomenclature. Perhaps best exemplified by Lincoln’s decision to turn the whimsical Zephyr into the bland (and forgettable) MKZ, it’s a phenomenon that seems most common among luxury brands. BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, Acura, even Lincoln now use an alphabet soup of badging to identify their different models.

But Buick has stuck to their multi-syllabic guns. Sadly, none of the models currently in their line-up have a name that could be considered even close to attractive. Lucerne? A dairy. Enclave? A place where cult members live. But there was a beacon of hope on the horizon: the Allure. Slated to be affixed to the shapely rump of a rebadged Opel Insignia, it was everything Buick needed in a name: youthful, succinct, and unique. And it also didn’t survive. So, instead of introducing you to the Allure, I’m introducing you to a Buick named after what is probably the single most violent team sport extant: the Lacrosse.

• Also: 2010 Buick LaCrosse: A job well done

And that name does absolutely no justice to this; what is assuredly the finest of Buick product ever produced. Sure, the GS455 and GSX were monstrous behemoths of the musclecar era, and the Regal T-Type and Grand National beat BMW to the punch with sporty six-cylinder, turbocharged coupes, but the new LaCrosse legitimately launches Buick into the 21st century with an amazingly luxurious sedan. Although little more than a mildly modified Opel Insignia, the LaCrosse inherits what was Europe’s Car of the Year for 2009, and blessedly, little has been changed in the car’s naturalization to this hemisphere. Eagle-eyed readers will notice a few changes to the styling both inside and out, but it hasn’t detracted from the car’s appeal. From every angle, the LaCrosse looks shapely and thoroughly upscale with tight lines and fine detailing. It’s still expectedly understated in the grand Buick tradition, and trades the Insignia’s drama for a more handsome profile, but looks downright exciting when placed next to its chief competitor; the Lexus ES350.

And it absolutely demolishes the Lexus when you open the door. Entirely styled in GM’s Chinese design office, the interior is simply stunning. The seats are comfy and adjustable in every which way, just as you’d expect from a Buick, but it’s the sculpted dashboard and door panels that really lend it an air of sophistication. Some have criticized it for being overstyled, but when you think about it, that’s hardly an insult. Taking a different approach than that of Lexus’ styling department, the Buick’s multifaceted dash is a work of art in its own right, with various stitched leather pads throughout, fantastic ambient lighting, and a great control stack. The gauge cluster, impressive enough to behold, houses a full colour high resolution LCD screen which serves as trip computer, fuel computer, and navigational aid and even features nifty animations when switching between settings. Above that, the LaCrosse offers an optional heads up display that provides much of the same information. But dominating the interior is the central control stack and navigation system. Keeping all the controls (and there are a lot!) within one area does steepen the car’s learning curve, and as such it took a couple days to familiarize myself with the car’s controls. Furthermore, GM’s engineers built some pretty serious redundancies into the control interface, and drivers can choose from between the console button array, the high-resolution touch screen, and the steering wheel-mounted controls. However, once I’d gotten used to them, it was one of the easiest systems to manipulate and offered quicker access to functions like the iPod integration and climate control than almost any other, excepting Ford’s Sync setup.

If technology isn’t your thing, the LaCrosse still has much to offer. A cavernous center console with both a roll-top storage bin and a standard flip-top arm rest bin give plenty of room for just about everything, and their rearward nature ensure that all the pertinent controls stay within your line of sight. Behind, the rear seating positions are nearly as comfortable as the front, with hordes of knee room and comfy seats in all but the central position. It’s airy too, with a sunroof that stretches from the front seats to the rear, and features a motorized ventilated screen that allows the sunroof to be opened with the screen closed; providing ventilation without the glare... you know, if you’re not in Canada in December.

Of course, if neither the technological nor the convenience aspects appeal to you, then the driving experience surely will. Although not quite as sporty as the Cadillac CTS, it’s perhaps the better-rounded package for those that prefer a slightly milder ride. Equipped with adaptable air suspension, the LaCrosse rides just as you’d expect a Buick of old to: smoothly. Striding over imperfections without a ruffling a feather, it’s gorgeous in its ability to isolate its occupants. But, hit a corner, and it’s anything but your grandpa’s Regal. With all wheel drive, a six speed paddle-shifted automatic and a lusty 3.6L V6 that makes all the rights sounds when angered, it’s spec sheet reads like... well... anything but a Buick’s. And that reflects in its attitude. The steering is light at low speeds but weights up progressively with speed and input, and body roll is almost nonexistent. The overall sensation is one of almost no unsprung weight; it feels as if the wheels follow every undulations of the road without imparting any of the suspension movement to the chassis. Left in normal mode, the transmission keeps the engine in the lower reaches of the rev range, but a quick stab of the sport button solves that. With a fat torque curve and great suspension, sport mode really taps into the LaCrosse’s performance envelope, firming up the adaptive suspension and sharpening the drivetrain’s response. Turn-in is even quicker, and although the steering feel still falls short of what you’d find at a Bavarian helm, it’s still damn good. Using the shifter paddles, it’s easy to surf the torque curve on every corner exit, letting the all wheel drive’s electronic differentials shuttle power around to maximize available grip.

But for me, leaving the LaCrosse in comfort mode was the best way to enjoy its exceptional talents. Nestling into the cosseting heated seats, flipping through the iPod, and completely forgetting all the stressors of daily life, it took three seconds in the LaCrosse to change my perception of the Buick brand, and possibly three more to fall in love. To say it merely beats the competition would be misleading; this is a car that precludes any comparisons. I mean, it doesn’t just beat the ES350, it makes you wonder why anyone would even bother buying one. And while Lincoln’s excellent MKZ and MKS made compelling arguments against the purchase of similarly luxurious cars, and Cadillac’s inspired CTS offered a fantastic and arguably better alternative to the sportier premium import offerings, the LaCrosse straddles the line between luxury and aggression like no other. And with healthy doses of techno-wizardry and oozing quality from every facet, this is without a doubt the most alluring Buick you’ve ever seen.