Buick LaCrosse

Not long ago, Bob Lutz (then "Car Czar" at General Motors) told me that the Buick LaCrosse was one of his prouder achievements, and that he always thought the car was underrated. For 2010, Buick is rolling out an all-new LaCrosse, and now that the General has trimmed down to just four brands, the spotlight is on this new mid-size Buick. Is the 2010 LaCrosse a car that will make Bob and GM proud? And is it one you'd actually want to buy? Read on. Price range $27,835 - $41,895, preliminary EPA fuel economy estimates 16-20 MPG city, 26-30 MPG highway.

When Acura introduced their all-new TL in 2009, I complained bitterly about the complex controls, lousy navigation system, bizarre styling, lack of options, and a dashboard that looked like it was designed by a committee of 7th graders.

For 2010, there's a greatly improved Acura TL. It looks better, has a better electronics package, and it's even a little bit more user friendly.

Unfortunately for Acura, it's a Buick.

Granted, the idea of a Buick going head to head with an Acura sounds a little far-fetched. (Okay, a lot far-fetched.) Frankly, I'd hesitate to even call the TL and the LaCrosse direct rivals. But from the moment I laid eyes on the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, and all during our one-day press preview, I couldn't help but think that Acura could learn a thing or two from Buick.

It started when I approached the LaCrosse from the rear. (Settle down, settle down.) The taillights, the deeply sloped roof, the small trunk lid -- they all reminded me of the TL, except without the ugly factor. That said, there's nothing TL-like up front. The LaCrosse draws on 60+ years of classic Buick styling -- kind of ironic, when you consider how hard they're trying to shake the brand's old-timer image -- with details like a waterfall grille, deeply-dipped body side crease, and classic Buick portholes (link goes to photo), which now reside on the hood rather than the fenders. Overall, the LaCrosse a good looking car -- not as visually stunning as Buick's Enclave, but not as bland as the Lucerne... and certainly not as homely as the Acura TL.

source :  http://cars.about.com/od/whatscomingin2010/tp/bestnewcarsof2010.htm