Review & car history: '16 Buick LaCrosse Premium

[WyrTwister]

Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
I dropped by a local auto show recently. I really liked the quality of Buick interiors. Probably something to do with age, but the older I get, to more I like them.

The older I get , the more I value , quiet , comfort , interior space / room , MPG and low capital cost .

By the way , the highway MPG numbers I have reported on this web sight are usually at 70 - 75 MPH . And mostly E10 / cheap grade gasoline . Seems to a little better MPG on premium grade gasoline .

 

[WyrTwister]

I have bad knees too , and now a bad right shoulder . Most cars are not fun , getting in and out . I mostly drive a F150 company pickup . Easier to get in and out , but there is the issue of gas consumption . Thankfully , for me , I am not paying for the gas .

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted by WyrTwister


For sure, at least if you are going to put it on car, make it easily able to turn on off. These things drive me mental, in the sense that I feel it adds so much more wear and tear on components.

Pretty much what I was thinking . Seems you would need extra heavy duty battery , starter and alternator . At the very least .

Also , for us folks in the South , what about air conditioning while the system has the engine shut down ? Heater / winter would not be as much of a problem , depending on how much coolant the system holds .

I think if the system detects that outside temps or humidity are above a certain limit, it doesn't kick the engine off and the A/C continues to run. Not sure, as the Auto Stop Start was not an option on my 2016 and so the owner's manual doesn't mention it. Though my manual does say something about the eAssist model, the one with the 2.4 gas engine and the electric motor -- that the gas engine would remain on during hot conditions.

 

[WyrTwister]

That makes a lot of sense , but that does not always mean it is how the factory build/designed something .

We are completely happy with our Lacrosse !

If the price is right , would not hesitate to buy another Buick . Just not Gung Ho on some of the newest technology .

KISS - Keep It Simple , Stupid !

 

[Benzadmiral]

Today marks 1 year since my purchase of the big red beast, the '16 LaCrosse. It remains a joy to drive and to look at when I walk up to it.

In the year, I've had 2 oil and filter changes/tire rotations. Engine air filter and cabin filter have been done; and, just yesterday, a battery replacement. Like the Regal before it, the car gave no warning of a failing battery, such as difficult starts. No, I walk out, put my foot on the brake, push the button -- and "Click! click! click!" I wish they'd programmed it with a warning message: "Battery low, consider replacing" or "We know you're cheap, but could you at least look at the battery now and then???" I'll put a sticker of "8/2020" on the battery cover to remind me of its age.

Aside from that, which AAA handled without trouble, I've bought custom-fit tan floor mats for the front wells, the GM "racing" pedals for brake and accelerator (why is it that Buick creates such great cars, but goes cheap on the gas pedals?), and a HeatShield front sunshade that fits better than the one from the Regal. A local service station here offers E0 gas at only about .30 more per gallon than Exxon, and though I'm not sure my gas mileage is that much better with it (right now, where do I have to go?), I tell myself it's better for the car's digestion. I run the tires at 35, 2 over the door placard pressure, to eke out a little more mileage. Amazingly, even on the Third World cart tracks here, the LaCrosse rides superbly.

Oh, and I had the two wheels that needed refinishing done by a local shop. To my admittedly picky eye, the silver on the refinished wheels is not quite as bright as that on the other two; but you have to look closely to notice.

Since Buick no longer makes sedans, and I may not be able to find a similar one or a '17-'19 model when this one ages too much, I may be driving this car for some years yet. And that is great.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Monday 2/8 marks 18 months since I purchased the Buick LaCrosse. It remains smooth and rewarding to drive, and has cost me almost nothing in cosmetics or repairs. Things done since last August:

Purchase of 4 Continental PureContact tires, as the Goodyear OEMs were aging and showing some dry rot. Good-looking tires and they improve the ride quite a bit. I run them at 34-35, 1-2 over the placard pressure, and the big Buick handles the streets here without fuss.

Oil change (Castrol Magnatec, 5W-30, dexos1) in late December at 46,nnn miles. The OLM, reset by yours truly at the time, is dropping like a stunned condor. The readout is at 80% life left after only 940 miles, which is going to suggest a 4500-mile OCI if this keeps up. True, the weather has been cool and damp, even chilly some mornings, and it will heat up horribly in another month. But I am back to driving to work, 12 miles each way with about 7-8 of it being at highway speeds, and 25-mile round trips to the suburbs every week or so. I'm not sure, but I don't think it dropped this fast last winter after the Dec. 2019 oil change!

Also in December, transmission fluid change and coolant change at the GM-recommended mileages.

Still running on 87 E0 most of the time and seeing 21-22 mpg even with the city driving. And I do send it leaping up the bridge in the morning on my way to work, an incline that the Regal's 2.4L non-turbo struggled to handle unless I downshifted. I've not had to play with the manual shifter on this car -- putting my foot down is all the incentive this beast needs.

And I discovered, and discussed in another thread, that the car's rear seat backs can be lowered to turn the trunk into a small wagon-like loading area.

Thinking about having a dark tint strip, legal here, put at the top of the windshield. Otherwise, I'm not sure the car needs anything now. I'm putting extra funds into paying it off early so that I can drive for a while sans car note, as I did with its Buick predecessors.

 

[jstert]

thank you benzadmiral for these detailed writeups! if my wonderfully simple, base model, passat wasn’t treating me so well i would look at a cpo lacrosse.