2011 Buick LaCrosse Review

Buick's goals with each new car seem the same: Get less stodgy and attract younger buyers. The redesigned LaCrosse's insipid TV ads may not help the cause, but the car they feature should. The LaCrosse is comfortable, luxurious and easily the best-looking Buick since the Clinton administration. More important, Buick didn't turn it into a sport sedan — something no one ever asked of the brand, and a temptation I'm glad GM didn't give in to.

So did the General accomplish its mission? I'd like to think so. I'm in my 20s, and I want one.

Trim levels for the LaCrosse include the base CX, CXL and more-powerful CXS. All-wheel drive is optional on the CXL. With this redesign, the LaCrosse moves to a new platform from last year's Chevrolet Impala-based model. I test-drove all three trim levels of the 2010 version; you can compare it to the 2009 version here.

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Initial Drive Information
This section provides a brief overview about some of the important features that may or may not be on your specific vehicle. For more detailed information, refer to each of the features which ...

Battery Load Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM) that estimates the battery's temperature and state of charge. It then adjusts the voltage for best performance and extended life of the batter ...

Battery Voltage and Charging Messages
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE This message displays when the vehicle has detected that the battery voltage is dropping beyond a reasonable point. The battery saver system starts reducing certain features of t ...