After decades of being too closely associated with older, more conservative buyers, Buick made a breakout in appealing to a younger, more affluent set with the 2008 Enclave crossover utility. The Enclave has been an unqualified success. A second effort is ready with the all-new Lacrosse sedan. While the name is familiar, the car is anything but. It’s a fresh approach with stunning good looks inside and out. Now we’ll see if the Lacrosse can deliver.

Except for the name, the 2010 Buick LaCrosse is all-new. And even that was a point of discussion, since it was first revealed as the Invicta concept at last year’s Beijing Auto Show, and is sold in Canada as the Allure. Its sexy, Asian-penned styling could be mistaken for anything from a Lexus to a Mercedes. Scimitar blade-shaped headlamps flank an Enclave-like waterfall grille. Stylized Buick portholes have migrated from the fenders to the hood.

A high beltline makes room for a deeply sculpted “sweepspear” body line, and provides the greenhouse a low-slung look, even though this LaCrosse is two inches taller.

The less-original rear has lots of chrome- on the license plate header, edging the taillights, and plating the dual exhaust. Wheels come in 17’s, 18’s, or our top-of-the-line CXS Touring’s 19-inch chrome-painted alloys wearing low-profile Eagle RS-A rubber. As part of the ground-up redesign, the outgoing LaCrosse’s pushrod engines are gone, replaced by a trio of twin-cam motors, all with fuel saving direct fuel injection, and a six-speed automatic transmission. Base CX and mid-level CXL share a 3.0-liter V6 with the new Cadillac SRX, churning out 255 horsepower and 217 pound-feet of torque.

Our LaCrosse CXS sports the same award-winning 3.6-liter V6 that powers the Enclave, rated at 280 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque. It will be available in front or all-wheel-drive, a first for a Buick car. Due soon is the Malibu’s frugal Ecotec 2.4-liter four cylinder. This new base is rated at 182 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque, with highway fuel economy well into the 30’s.

But even our CXS 3.6 did pretty good in that area. Government fuel economy ratings are 17 city, 27 highway. We achieved a fine 24.5 mpg in real-world driving with regular gas. With an Energy Impact Score of 16.3 barrels of oil consumed annually, and a carbon footprint of 8.7 tons of CO2 per year, the LaCrosse CXS is on par with its premium rivals. Ditto acceleration: zero to 60 in a respectable 7.5 seconds, with a quarter mile of 15.9 at 90 mph. The big six delivers fine low-end power off the line.  Shifts, however, were soft and delayed.

Handling from its new-generation Epsilon platform was actually better than expected. Despite some tendency to understeer, the LaCrosse shifted its weight well along a taut suspension equipped with optional real-time damping. Steering had reassuring heft and a strong self-centering feel. With standard stability and traction control, LaCrosse is much nimbler than its 4065-pound curb weight suggested. Grippy anti-lock disc brakes and a nicely-modulated pedal made for stops averaging a short 125 feet from sixty. Stability was excellent.

Now for the best part; Invicta’s gorgeous and emotional interior theme was delivered intact for LaCrosse, including elegant door treatments, twin-pod instrument cluster, cool blue lighting, and graceful center console. Beefy seats are wrapped in finely-stitched soft leather with available heat and ventilation. Eight-way power is standard for the driver as is excellent lateral support. 

All trims are equipped with satellite radio, automatic climate, and OnStar. Our CXS was loaded up with navigation and rear view camera, oversized sunroof, and head-up display. The split rear seat cushions are a little low, but there is generous legroom, besting the Lexus ES 350 by 4 1/2 inches. There’s an armrest with pass through, an available power rear sunshade, and dual screen DVD. The trunk, however, at 12.8 cubic feet, is smaller and less useable than the ES’.

Base pricing for the LaCrosse is $27,835 for the CX; the CXL starts at $30,395, $32,570 with all-wheel-drive, and the CXS starts at $33,765. In China, where Buick is number one in sales, the venerable brand is revered as a style-setter. With the Enclave, and now the 2010 LaCrosse, that image is starting to take hold in America as well. The “new” General Motors has a lot riding on the success of the LaCrosse, and from where we sit, this ride looks fantastic.

 

This is easily the best handling Camry we’ve driven.