Trendsetter: Buick Gets a Facelift …and We’re Feeling It.

That’s not a Buick! You’ve probably seen the commercials where ordinary drivers are trying to connect with friends and family by saying, “I’m in a Buick…right in-front of you.” Then you see the friend or family member say, “I see you!” and walk by the Buick and into a less attractive vehicle of lessor stature.  Once the family member or friend gets close they realize – this isn’t a Buick and this isn’t the person I know.  They share a laugh and ultimately before the 30 seconds are up are reunited with the person they know in the car they thought they knew but really did not know them. Kudos to the marketing team at General Motors for finding a humorous and self-deprecating way to market the venerable Buick nameplate to a new generation.

Buick LaCrosse Steering Wheel

Sure, for anyone born between 1975 and lets say 2010, the thought of driving a Buick makes you think you’ve either lost a bet or you’ve been drafted into family service to escort Aunt Dianne back home after she’s had one too many mint juleps with Sunday dinner.  In 2016 however, the redesigned Buick vehicles aren’t something you’re ashamed to say you drive or even own.

The 2016 Buick LaCrosse is full of all the modern conveniences you expect to find in cars foreign and domestic.  Bluetooth, navigation, phone integration, driver assist, rear view camera, all were equipped with our LaCrosse, which we used to road trip the East Coast during the holidays.  One thing that you may not expect to find in a Buick or anything not being propelled off an aircraft carrier was a bright and easy to use Heads Up Display that projected your speed and distance to the car ahead through your windshield.  A safety feature to keep your eyes on the road but also a great opportunity to pretend you’re a pilot from Top Gun, minus the helmet and weapons of course.

The car drove well, even in wet and cold weather.  You felt like you were driving a car assembled with care and attention to detail. Gone were the plastic wood grained trim “luxury” finishes found in other Buicks of the last several decades.  In the city, gas mileage was good and on the highway, things were even better.  A weeks worth of driving, including a round trip visit to Philly and we only needed to fill up once.  Try that in your Mom’s 1990 Buick Estate!  The engine under the hood actually felt like something that could move that 1990 Estate but with a lighter vehicle to power, and a real suspension the end result was good acceleration and handling.  When you stepped on the gas, the car responded and positively!

As Buick re-images itself for the next generation, they won’t have any trouble showing why the legendary nameplate belongs in your Aunt Dianne’s driveway and also in yours.

Tags: Buick, GM, product review, Travel

Category: Product Review, Style Section