Automotive

New LaCrosse gets thumbs-up

Monday, November 09, 2009

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automotive, randy conat

Randy Conat
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FLINT (WJRT) -- (10/19/09) -- Buick has always appealed to older people, but in recent months, the GM division has made an effort to attract a younger crowd.

The 2010 LaCrosse has been redesigned to charm those in their 30s and 40s.

If you like the way the LaCrosse looks, you can thank designers in China, Germany and Warren. The car was made to appeal to people around the world. And it's an effort to rid Buick of its stodgy image.

We showed the four-door sedan to Kettering University engineering students to get their opinions.

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Mike Tebbe is a graduate student in mechanical engineering. "It's getting better; more appeal to the younger generation. It really is. More for those in their 30 and 40s."

Another student says the LaCrosse would be the kind of car his mother might drive. "It's got a little more style to it, an aggressive look, a little sportier," student Sam McLernon said, nodding his approval.

"It look like a step in the right direction. There's a little more shape to the car. It's just a little sportier-looking in general than past Buick have been in the last few years," graduate student Jason Fahland said.

The LaCrosse features huge rear doors for easy access to the back seat. The dash has a wide, sweeping look, but the speedometer is a little hard to read.

"The interior is beautiful. They revamped it," Tebbe said.

Visibility to the side and rear is not good because of thick pillars. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says the LaCrosse earned a Top Safety Pick Award. Engineers have made the sedan incredibly quiet.

It's competition is the Acura TL, the Toyota Avalon and Lexus ES350.

The version we drove has a 3.6 liter V-6 engine made in Canada. It gets 17 miles per gallon in city driving and 27 on the highway. The six-speed automatic transmission in made in Michigan, with final assembly in Kansas City, Kansas.

Prices for the LaCrosse start at $28,000. The model we drove was listed at $35,000.