/
Full 2014 Buick LaCrosse Review
What's New for 2014
Introduction
Although most consumers come home with midsize sedans, large sedans are worth considering, especially if you have a taller family in need of additional passenger space. One of our favorites in this segment is the 2014 Buick LaCrosse, whose highlights include neatly tailored styling, a well-trimmed cabin and a very smooth and quiet ride.
This year, the LaCrosse receives freshened styling to the front and rear (a new hood, grille, lighting clusters, trunk lid and bumpers) and an updated interior. That interior is still quite elegant looking, with sweeping lines and rich surfaces highlighted by the generous use of LED accent lighting. For 2014, though, it now has a cleaner-looking center stack, highlighted by Buick's newest "IntelliLink" touchscreen interface. There are also some new safety features this year, including forward collision warning, lane departure warning and rear cross-traffic alert systems.
Under the hood, little has changed for the 2014 LaCrosse. The base "eAssist" powertrain is a mild-hybrid setup (it can't propel itself solely on electric power) that allows the large Buick to earn an EPA combined fuel economy rating of 29 mpg. This version of the LaCrosse has some downsides -- it's kind of slow and noisy -- but it doesn't cost nearly as much as other fully dedicated hybrids like the Lexus ES 300h. Still, we think most shoppers will prefer the LaCrosse's powerful V6 engine, which better suits the character of the car and is available with all-wheel drive.
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2014 Buick LaCrosse is a large luxury sedan available in four trim levels: Base, Leather, Premium 1 and Premium 2.
Base models come nicely equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, full power accessories, heated mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, an auto-dimming mirror, an eight-way power driver seat (with four-way power lumbar), split-folding rear seatbacks, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, OnStar, a 110-volt power outlet, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, an 8-inch touchscreen display and a seven-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack, iPod/USB interface and smartphone app integration.
Spring for the Leather model and you get foglamps, an auto-dimming driver-side mirror, rear park assist, keyless ignition/entry, a rearview camera, leather upholstery, heated front seats, driver memory settings and an eight-way power front passenger seat.
The Premium 1 ups the ante with the 3.6-liter V6, 19-inch wheels (chrome on front-drive version), an upgraded suspension with adaptive shock absorbers (front-drive version only), heated and ventilated front seats, a heated leather/wood-trimmed steering wheel, a power rear window sunshade and an 11-speaker Bose surround-sound audio system.
Post a Comment