2010 Buick LaCrosse

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Interior - What the Auto Press Says

The automotive press is simply floored by the interior of the 2010 Buick LaCrosse. With soft leathers, French seams, thoughtful ergonomics and easy-to-use electronics, it may the best interior General Motors has built in years. Reviewers routinely compare it to the cabin of a Lexus - and some say the Buick wins that comparison.

• "The real coup for the LaCrosse is its interior. Man-o-live, it's nice. The LaCrosse never cuts costs with the choice of cabin materials. Even at night, drivers are rewarded with an ice blue ambient lighting package that creates the same effect as chrome during the day." -- Detroit News
• "The interior materials felt one big notch above the usual GM décor." -- Popular Mechanics
• "The leather covering the seats has a soft feel to it, as does the surface of the dash. A wood trim piece bisects the face of the dash, offering a nice contrast to the interior. The switches and controls for the radio and the heating and air conditioning are straightforward and easy to operate." -- AutoWeek
• "The top of the dashboard, door panels and instrument cluster hood are covered in the sew and stitch leather normally reserved for the Cadillac brand, and it isn't exclusive to the range-topping models - it's included as standard across the range." -- Autoblog
• "The interior is so quiet you can hold conversations at 100 MPH without even hearing the engine." -- Jalopnik

Seating

Test drivers are impressed with the front seats of the LaCrosse, which offer more bolstering than the bench-like chairs in most previous Buick products. But where the LaCrosse really bests its competition is in the rear seats. The second row of seats in this car is nearly as spacious and comfortable as the first. The LaCrosse was designed to be sold not just in the U.S., but also in China, where Buick is regarded as a premium brand and a status symbol. Chinese Buick owners often choose to be chauffeured, and spend most of their time in the back seat - so GM designed it to be an accommodating place for adults.

• "The standard eight-way power driver's seat offers plenty of adjustment range, so spouses of wide-ranging sizes should have no trouble finding their fit. If you're much taller than 6 feet, avoid the optional dual-pane moonroof, as it cuts headroom significantly." -- Cars.com
• "The front seats are well shaped and supportive, and should hold up surprisingly well to both aggressive driving and long road trips." -- Autoblog
• "Style aside, the biggest marker of Chinese influence is the car's enormous back seat. According to GM, about 25% of Chinese buyers -- entrepreneurs and corrupt bureaucrats -- will be chauffeured. If legroom is high on cross-shoppers' list, the LaCrosse will score a clean kill." -- Los Angeles Times
• "The second row offers as much room as the front (there is 41.7 inches of leg room up front while there is 40.5 inches in the back). A key requirement for a large sedan is to fit five adults, and the LaCrosse can do so easily. " -- Detroit News

Interior Features

The automotive press is almost universally astounded by the high-quality materials and superb fit and finish of the LaCrosse's cabin. Easy-to-use electronics, including a unique radio recording system that allows drivers to pause and play back radio content, win particular praise.

• "On my first night home with the car I sat in the driveway for ages programming the car to avoid all my pet peeves (driver-only unlock, automatic locking, horn chirp on lock, etc.), and did it all without cracking the owner's manual." -- Motor Trend
• "While some customers prefer a touch interface for the navigation and audio systems, others prefer a traditional knob arrangement. To cater to as many consumers as possible, Buick provides both setups in the LaCrosse, with most of the controls accessible via the screen or a knob directly below. And for the tech adventurous, most of the systems are also accessible through voice commands by pressing a button on the steering wheel." -- Autoblog
• "Buick also added lots of luxury features selective consumers expect: Bluetooth hands-free phone operation, dual climate zones, heated outside mirrors, push button start, dual stage front and side-impact air bags, as well as side-curtain air bags and a 354-watt Harman/Kardon 11-speaker stereo." -- Detroit News
• "No corners are gracelessly cut here -- no ugly cover plates, no exposed fastener buttons and the barest minimum of seams. The whole transverse sweep of the cabin, the two-tone materials bisected by a lyric bow of ambient lighting and wood grain that plays into the doors, looks great, especially at night." -- Los Angeles Times
• "As in the CTS, a radio recording system is optional. The version in the LaCrosse buffers up to 30 minutes of AM, FM or satellite radio, allowing you to pause, rewind and fast-forward in TiVo-like fashion." -- Cars.com

Cargo

Reviewers have one consistent complain about the LaCrosse: its trunk is not as useful as those of many midsize cars. At 13.3 cubic feet, it's a bit below average size for the class. It's also plagued by a relatively narrow opening, making it more difficult to load than those of many competitors.

• " The trunk has a narrow opening, made narrower on both sides by trunklid supports. At any rate, it's not particularly roomy: Overall volume, at 13.3 cubic feet in the CX and CXL, leads the TL (13.1 cubic feet) but trails the ES 350 (14.7) and MKZ (16.5)." -- Cars.com
• "What isn't remarkable is the center console storage space. For large cars in a luxury segment, the cubbies and storage in the LaCrosse are pretty terrible." -- Jalopnik