Seating & Cargo

The standard eight-way power driver's seat offers plenty of adjustment range, so spouses of wide-ranging sizes should have no trouble finding their fit. If you're much taller than 6 feet, avoid the optional dual-pane moonroof, as it cuts headroom significantly. At 5-foot-11, I found the driver's seat roomy enough, and the optional leather seats have enough side bolstering to provide un-Buick-like levels of curvy-road support without being so sculpted that it's hard to slide into the car. On the flip side, I found the driver's seat had too much lumbar support even with it dialed back to zero, and a vertical seam in the backrest kept digging into my spine. The cloth seats in the LaCrosse CX don't have these issues, and they're exceptionally comfortable. They're less expensive, too.

Less comfortable is the backseat: Legroom and headroom are good, but the seat sits too low to the ground to provide adult-sized thigh support. It's a more generous setup than small luxury cars like the Acura TSX or BMW 3 Series, but others in this price range — particularly the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord — have roomier confines.

The trunk has a narrow opening, made narrower on both sides by trunklid supports. At any rate, it's not particularly roomy: Overall volume, at 13.3 cubic feet in the CX and CXL, leads the TL (13.1 cubic feet) but trails the ES 350 (14.7) and MKZ (16.5). Subwoofers for the upgraded stereo, which is standard on the CXS, reduce volume to 12.8 cubic feet.

    See also:

    System stays in background
    While I only got to drive the 2012 LaCrosse for a little over an hour, I was impressed at how utterly unimpressive the eAssist was. Everything works in the background. There's no electric motor wh ...

    If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow
    Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels to free the vehicle when stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. See Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out. If the vehicle has a traction system, it can often help to ...

    Replacing Brake System Parts
    The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many parts have to be of top quality and work well together if the vehicle is to have really good braking. The vehicle was designed and tested ...