OverviewLaCrosse is the Buick of mid-size sedans. So, as you would expect, it's quiet, pleasant-mannered, and demands little of its driver or passengers. Its styling is sophisticated and modern, yet conservative. Inside is a rich, high-quality cabin with attractive woodgrain trim, nicely presented instruments and controls, and available leather seats with nice-looking gathered stitching.
What owners of recent Buicks might not expect is the way LaCrosse drives. Its steering is more precise, and it turns into corners crisply, with little body lean. In short, it handles quite impressively on winding mountain roads where it's capable of keeping up with any of the imported mid-size cars. Its V6 engines offer good power, growling under acceleration, but motoring along smoothly and quietly on the freeway. And of course its transmission works flawlessly.
Electronic features make the well-equipped LaCrosse a safe, all-weather family car with nice conveniences. Among them: a remote starting system that will work from up to 500 feet away, great on cold winter mornings; OnStar, which will dispatch emergency crews to your precise location if you have a wreck and don't respond to operators' calls; XM Satellite Radio to pick up Fox News, CNN, ESPN, or your favorite music; and StabiliTrak, which can help keep you from skidding off a slippery road. ABS and side-curtain airbags come standard.
For 2007, Buick LaCrosse benefits from revised trim and equipment upgrades, including a standard tire-pressure monitor and available Turn-by-Turn navigation from OnStar. Otherwise, it's largely unchanged from 2006.
Model Lineup
The '07 Buick LaCrosse comes in three models. The base CX and the more luxurious CXL are powered by Buick's veteran 3.8-liter overhead-valve V6, rated at 200 horsepower. The performance-oriented CXS comes instead with a 3.6-liter V6 with modern double overhead camshafts and variable valve timing; although slightly smaller in displacement, it develops 240 horsepower.
CX ($22,230) comes with cloth upholstery, manually operated air conditioning, tilt wheel, six-way power driver's seat, programmable power locks with remote keyless entry, power windows and mirrors, theater-style interior light dimming, leather-wrapped shift knob, and a six-speaker AM/FM/CD sound system. All models also come standard with OnStar hardware and a one-year subscription to OnStar service. For '07, a tire-pressure monitor has been added to the standard-equipment list as well.
CXL ($24,645), features leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescope steering wheel, power lumbar adjustment for the driver's seat, a split-folding rear bench seat, driver information center, and content theft alarm.
CXS ($26,860) comes with thicker anti-roll bars front and rear, and 17-inch wheels and tires to go with the more powerful V6. CXS also boasts additional touches like driving lights under the front bumper.
Five- or six-passenger seating is available. Front bucket seats with a center console and leather-wrapped floor shifter come standard, but a six-passenger option for the CX and CXL is available that moves the shifter to the steering column and substitutes a 40/20/40-split bench seat whose center cushion flips over to become a mini-console.
A Comfort and Convenience Package ($690) for CX adds a remote vehicle starter, multi-language driver information center, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, a theft-deterrent system, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, tilt and telescope steering column, visor-mounted illuminated vanity mirrors and a cargo net.
A Driver Confidence Package for the CXL ($1,250) and CXS ($1,150) adds steering wheel-mounted audio controls, universal transmitter, electrochromic inside rearview mirror, dual heated and power-operated outside rearview mirrors, six-way power adjustable front passenger seat, Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist, rear passenger interior reading lamps, and tilt-and-telescoping steering column.
Other options include nine-speaker stereo with MP3 capability ($545) or six-disc CD changer ($695); digital audio with XM Satellite Radio ($199) that includes a one-year subscription; power sunroof ($900); heated front seats, now available with cloth or leather ($295); power adjustable passenger's seat ($350); 17-inch chrome wheels ($650-750); remote starting ($190); and an engine block heater ($50).
Safety features on all 2007 Buick LaCrosse models include anti-lock brakes (ABS), traction control, a tire-pressure monitor, and side-curtain airbags, along with the required front airbags. Optional safety features include park assist and StabiliTrak electronic stability control.
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