New 2007 Buick LaCrosse Safety Review [ 2009 , 2008 ]
Buick LaCrosse Safety Review
Safety - 7.7 (Good)
According to most reviewers, the LaCrosse offers a safe ride. It "comes with enough standard protection to help you survive" accidents, says the Washington Post, "and maybe avoid them in the first place." In government crash tests the 2007 LaCrosse received 5 stars for both driver and passenger protection in frontal crashes, 3 and 4 stars for front and rear seat protection in side-impact crashes and a 4-star rollover rating.
New Car Test Drive writes, "Electronic features make the well-equipped LaCrosse a safe, all-weather family car." The LaCrosse, however, did so poorly in early side crash tests that any vehicle made before Feb. 5, 2007, is eligible for free service to upgrade safety. All cars manufactured after that date performed much better in side crash tests.
Accident Avoidance
Standard accident-avoidance features on the LaCrosse include anti-lock brakes, a tire-pressure monitor and traction control. Rear obstacle detection is optional. Also optional is StabiliTrak, which, as New Car Test Drive explains, "can help you avoid an accident" by using "sensors to detect the direction the driver is steering the car, and if the car is not responding adequately," applying "the brakes selectively and precisely to the left or right wheels, while reducing throttle to help realign the vehicle's actual path with the path the driver intended."
Crash Protection
At all trim levels, the LaCrosse comes standard with dual-stage frontal, driver and right-front passenger and head curtain side-impact air bags. It also is equipped with a front and rear passenger sensing system that detects the presence of a passenger and adjusts air bag inflation and seatbelt tension accordingly during crashes. So equipped, the LaCrosse gets a rating of "good," the highest possible rating, from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for frontal offset crash tests. In government frontal crash tests, it does just as well, earning 5 out of 5 stars.
Government side crash tests are a slightly different story. The LaCrosse gets 3 out of 5 stars for front passenger protection and 4 out of 5 for rear passenger protection. However, these ratings only apply to vehicles made after Feb. 5, 2007. In tests on cars made before this date, the LaCrosse received a dismal 1 star for front passengers in side crash tests, and GM began a "customer satisfaction campaign" that allows owners of vehicles made before Feb. 5 to get safety upgrades free of charge.
