DRIVEN TO DRIVE

My first impression is of a Buick Lacrosse was – I like it.

It’s larger than I had envisaged.  But over all, I like it.  It’s stands proud and has a nice line to it and I really like the sculptured fender panels. The tall shoulder line gives it a strong bold look. It has what I call – roadside appeal. But more importantly, it has a head turning factor. It will get people to look at it and ask – what is that?  Mind you, the strong Buick grill and the three badge Buick emblem are dead giveaways, but regardless, it is definitely a head turner.

Inside the car, I have to say, I was a little overwhelmed.

My first impression was – is this a case of kpd? (knobs per dollar) where quantity attempts to overshadow quality.  Pleasingly, I have to say I was impressed with the quality.  But rather than sit and read the manual for an hour to find out what everything was for, I decided to concentrate on the essentials – where’s the heat?  Dual climate controls zones that could be linked – interesting.  Heated and ventilated seats.  Heated seats are a blessing in the winter, and the ventilated seats would no doubt be refreshing in the hot humid days of summer. Heated steering wheel – oh yes!

Esthetically very nice, but the best thing a new owner can do is take an evening a read the Owner’s Manual.

For example – there is a Super Knob located in the middle of the dash and surrounded by a cluster of push buttons and knobs.  I was getting a little frustrated with the apparent lack of control this control had, until it suddenly dawned on me that the screen had touch control.  Little things like that make all the difference.

Another example was the parking brake.  I couldn’t find one.  There wasn’t a handle brake or a foot operated brake, and as I understand it, a vehicle needs a parking brake by law.  Ah ha – found it – it’s controlled by a button.  That should make for some interesting handbrake turns.

So far I still haven’t discovered how to operate the Remote Start even after I read the section in the Owner’s Manual, and I still haven’t discovered how to open the gas cap cover.

This review was written based purely upon personal experiences gained during a test drive of one vehicle over a period of one week. The vehicle was evaluated solely upon its merits and not by price nor in direct comparison to any other vehicle. Prospective buyers are encouraged to contact their local dealerships to arrange a test drive to evaluate the vehicle based upon their own needs and requirements.

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