2016 Buick Lacrosse

In 2014, Buick added active shutters to the grille for smoother aero, and cooler headlamps with LED wings bookended by LED taillights. We still believe the exterior design could benefit most from the addition of a pry bar for the fake portholes still stuck to its reshaped hood. They're a trite echo of the past, one of the few reminders of Buicks less-than-stellar design past.

The LaCrosse is graceful and soft where it needs to be, at the roofline and around its shoulders. But there's enough bulk down low and enough starch in its creases to lend it presence. It even has some of the stance of a classically proportioned sedan despite the fact that it's a front-driver most of the time—the long nose helps, a lot, and so does the small rear spoiler.

The LaCrosse cockpit pulls off a swanky, traditional feel in all but the very base editions, where it's a bit less nice. The modern arc of the dash divides it into two tone zones, with an upper tier that swoops its way around the cabin, flowing neatly into redesigned door panels to form an interior beltline. Warm interior hues and premium-feel materials in most versions complete a welcoming look and feel, and ambient lighting brings a pleasing nighttime aura. If you let any lingering GM biases shake off before stepping in, it's worth pointing out the LaCrosse hits the target that, say, a Lexus ES aims for.

The 304-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 will most closely replicate the grand road cruiser Buick is most known for. It's a strong, smooth engine with plenty of power in reserve at the cost of lower fuel economy. It's the best option for carrying full loads on long trips. Haldex all-wheel-drive is optional.

Lower-end models are available with a 2.4-liter inline-4 mated to a mild-hybrid system General Motors calls "eAssist." A 15-hp electric motor is used to smooth out the 6-speed automatic's shifts as well as run some of the car's accessories. It's also used to restart the engine when stopped at traffic lights. The 182-hp inline-4 is adequate, though not all that enjoyable. While eAssist does help smooth shifts, the system still shows some roughness and indecision.

Otherwise, interior refinement is luxury-car caliber. Materials are mostly lavish and finely detailed. Soft-touch surfaces are abundant and the faux-stitching on the dashboard is nicely done. For less heavily treated leather and Tamo Ash wood trim, choose the Ultra Luxury package which also adds a synthetic suede headliner.

Jump in the back seat to find the LaCrosse's biggest reason for claiming premium status above both its Regal sibling and other popularly-priced family sedans. The big Buick's conservatively styled roofline allows for an abundance of headroom in the back seat, which is plenty wide for two normal adults and sufficient even for a third, smaller person. That makes it a capable crossover pinch-hitter when needed.

Supportive seats covered in soft-touch surfaces adjust eight ways, even on the base model. Upgraded models get perforated leather with heating and cooling and even more adjustments. While head room is ample, the LaCrosse's console is fairly tall and wide—more so even than the related Chevy Impala. 

The large console means it can hold even more than the usual collection of car clutter. At 13.3 cubic feet and 10.8 cubic feet in the mild hybrid, the trunk is small for the class. With folding seat backs, however, the car can accommodate those tricky, longer items.

For 2015, Buick gave the LaCrosse several high-tech safety options including forward-collision alerts, lane-departure warning and lane-change alert systems, adaptive cruise control, and collision-mitigation braking.

From the driver's seat, visibility forward is nice and clear, but thick rear pillars and smaller rear glass combine for nasty blind spots. Available safety gear can help alleviate those, though.

Eight airbags, stability control, traction control and a rearview camera are standard on all models. Blind-spot monitors and adaptive headlights can be ordered, too.

The Buick LaCrosse approaches Cadillac-like standard and optional equipment. It features a lighter version of Cadillac's infotainment system, an advanced version of Buick IntelliLink that's shared with the Chevy Impala. IntelliLink also works with Siri Eyes Free that can read your text messages out loud.

Users are able to define as many as 60 of their favorites from any IntelliLink function: a favorite destination, preferred radio stations, etc. The system holds up to 1,000 contacts and comprehends natural-language commands. The home screen can be customized in Apple-like fashion, and if the LaCrosse is outfitted with the optional navigation system, it's possible to enter a destination in one pass, which is a great shortcut. The only thing Cadillac's CUE system has that the LaCrosse doesn't is haptic feedback—the vibration from the screen that signals gestures.

Choose the standard LaCrosse and you'll get the common power features, cruise control, climate control, and AM/FM/XM/CD player. There's also remote start, eight-way adjustable front seats, and Bluetooth with audio streaming from your personal electronics.

When trimmed into Premium or Touring levels the big Buick turns out Caddy-style feature content, including features such a nicer instrument panel and an optional head-up display. Other options include a power sunroof, Bose audio, and a DVD entertainment system.

If the LaCrosse is the car for you, but you're concerned about fuel economy, go for the eAssist mild-hybrid version. The EPA ratings are 25/36/29 mpg. For a large sedan, that's not bad, and in real-world driving, we've seen as high as 30 mpg in 270 miles of mixed driving. While we've been able to replicate the eAssist's 36-mpg highway number, we've found it virtually impossible to hit 25 mpg in city driving. In fact, we were only able to manage 19-21 mpg.