Today marks 3 months since I purchased this big beast: some 36,700 miles on the clock today. Like my previous Buicks, it is solid and reliable (so far, anyway!) and quite the pleasure to drive. I find myself taking a 25-mile, 35-minute run to work in the early morning now and then instead of my usual 12-mile, 25-minute commute, just so I can enjoy the car's power and ride. That ride is not soft, not a boat like Buicks of old, but this is not a car that makes you feel every bump, thank goodness.
Garnet Metallic (red) over cream, the car has most of the whistles and gimmicks Buick loaded onto its top sedan for its last year on this chassis. I don't have a sunroof, which is fine with me, or any sort of adaptive suspension. I can shift manually if I want to -- but the 300hp V-6 has enough power for passing, even going uphill, that I don't need it. Besides, unlike those on the 2011 Regal or the '15 BMW 328i, the shifter is not in the best location to play with. I can imagine using it to downshift when going up or down a steep grade, but probably not much otherwise.
Oil at this point: about 53% left to go, and it was at 98% when I bought the car in August. So I expect that a 5.5-month, 5000-mile OCi will be about right. I will probably try to change on multiples of 5K, 40,000, 45,000, etc. Fuel mileage on regular hovers around 21-23, with heavy city driving. However, if I gas up and then take the long, mostly highway 25-mile route to work, the average mileage number rises to about 32! And the big car does not have the auto stop start, which turned me off from a 2017 LaCrosse when I was searching.
Things needed: Not much. The oil change and tire rotation in December or January, when I will also have the cabin filter swapped and I'll do the engine air filter, just to have a baseline I'll remember. Now that the weather is cooler, I'll start on the complete claying-glazing-hand waxing process. The wheels need repainting, though if I run across a good deal on 18" chromed wheels I'll go for that. And perhaps I can take a road trip in late December.
The BMW was a lot of fun to drive. This one gives a different kind of fun, a serene enjoyment, much like my late '03 Park Avenue. This car and its successor the '17-19 LaCrosse are possibly the last of the great Buick sedans. I'm glad I grabbed this one when I did.
Garnet Metallic (red) over cream, the car has most of the whistles and gimmicks Buick loaded onto its top sedan for its last year on this chassis. I don't have a sunroof, which is fine with me, or any sort of adaptive suspension. I can shift manually if I want to -- but the 300hp V-6 has enough power for passing, even going uphill, that I don't need it. Besides, unlike those on the 2011 Regal or the '15 BMW 328i, the shifter is not in the best location to play with. I can imagine using it to downshift when going up or down a steep grade, but probably not much otherwise.
Oil at this point: about 53% left to go, and it was at 98% when I bought the car in August. So I expect that a 5.5-month, 5000-mile OCi will be about right. I will probably try to change on multiples of 5K, 40,000, 45,000, etc. Fuel mileage on regular hovers around 21-23, with heavy city driving. However, if I gas up and then take the long, mostly highway 25-mile route to work, the average mileage number rises to about 32! And the big car does not have the auto stop start, which turned me off from a 2017 LaCrosse when I was searching.
Things needed: Not much. The oil change and tire rotation in December or January, when I will also have the cabin filter swapped and I'll do the engine air filter, just to have a baseline I'll remember. Now that the weather is cooler, I'll start on the complete claying-glazing-hand waxing process. The wheels need repainting, though if I run across a good deal on 18" chromed wheels I'll go for that. And perhaps I can take a road trip in late December.
The BMW was a lot of fun to drive. This one gives a different kind of fun, a serene enjoyment, much like my late '03 Park Avenue. This car and its successor the '17-19 LaCrosse are possibly the last of the great Buick sedans. I'm glad I grabbed this one when I did.