mmarshall

GM and Ford's new 9-speed automatic (co-developed) was also specially-designed for the start/stop system. Among its 60-something patents is a device in the transmission which keeps hydraulic line-pressure up even when the engine is stopped, which makes it easier and smoother on the transmission when it is re-coupled.

A lot has been written about the smoothness of GM's start/stop system (and most of it is true), but I'm not sure it's consistently the smoothest one on the market.....that honor, from my admittedly limited test-drives, may (?) go to the Kia Cadenza. The one I test-drove at the D.C. auto show (which had a lot of start/stop cycles on the D.C. city streets) was about as consistently seamless as any I've seen....you couldn't really tell when it engaged at all, except for some faint engine noise.

mmarshall

Well, folks...it looks like I might have found an answer to that warning-light quirk on start-up I mentioned before.....where the yellow T/C-off and Service-Parking-Brake lights briefly come on and prevent the red oil-pressure and coolant-temperature lights (which share the same space, and cannot flash simultaneously) from the momentary red-flash on start-up. I find that if I press the ignition button for a second or two, without starting the engine (in other words, with my foot off the brake), and THEN start the engine, the system works as it should....the two yellow lights flash momentarily, and then the two red lights (in the same space) right after them. The remaining red voltmeter warning light doesn't always come on, but the Lacrosse has an actual electronic voltmeter gauge on the dash, so that's not a big deal. Same with the engine coolant temperature. it has both a red warning light AND a gauge on the panel for it. The Lacrosse also has an electronic oil-temperature gauge, unusual in non-sport sedans. The most important one, of course, is the oil-pressure......it has a red warning light, but no gauge, so the light is important. So now, if, when I want to see if the red coolant-temperature and oil-pressure lights work, I don't have to wait for the system to flash them sporadically on start-up whenever the system decides.....which was about once every three weeks or so LOL.

The real problem, IMO, is in the design.....the engineers should not have had two yellow and three red lights all taking up the EXACT same space on the dash, and flashing on and off in tandem. But, it is what it is. Other than that, it's an almost perfect car to my tastes, and I just love driving it, though I'd prefer having an on/off button for the A/C without having to go into the video screen, and, of course, a deactivation switch for the engine start/stop system....which Buick, BTW, is finally adding to next year's Envision. I have a separate thread going on that.

chromedome

I wish I could see more LaCrosses on the road but it seems that crossovers have killed off the market for large sedans. A LaCrosse with the Volt plug-in drivetrain would be awesome - it's supposed to be available in China but I haven't seen one there at all.

I saw a Verano wagon (Excelle GX) the other day, it was a handsome car that looked like the Regal wagon's little sibling.

mmarshall

For 2018, Buick changed the Lacrosse standard powertrain from the 3.6L V6 to a four-cylinder hybrid and 6AT, and dropped the base price $1500, making the former standard V6 and 9AT a $2500 option. The hybrid powertrain, though, is not an advanced plug-in system like the Volt's. Just FYI, the Volt is built in the same plant (Detroit/Hamtramck) as the Lacrosse and GM's other large sedans (XTS, CT6, Impala)...so, if the plant is re-tooled for trucks and SUVs (which, though not yet certain, is likely), the Volt will also be one of its casualties.

Yep.....I sorely miss the Verano. It came, of course, from the rebadged European Opel Astra (with a GM drivetrain and added Buick sound-insulation), and IMO was probably the most pleasant car of that size to drive that I have ever experienced.....the former-generation BMW 335i was also a delight, but in a different way. I owned a Verano for five years. The Regal itself, FYI, is also a rebadged Opel product....the Insignia. The Lacrosse, however, is more traditional American Buick.

oldcajun

There was an interesting article this morning (AutoWeek I believe) that Ford has decided not to use this 9 speed transmission. They will use a stripped down 8 speed version for their higher powered FWD vehicles, and a different in-house 8 speed on their smaller cars. Reason stated was cost and weight were higher but little or no improvement in performance or mileage. Maybe this working together thing is tougher than they expected. No word in the article about whether Ford would retain the start/stop feature.

mmarshall

Thanks. I found a related article.

https://www.autoblog.com/2018/04/23/...-transmission/

Hard to believe that cost and weight are an issue here. The designers managed, by a couple of engineering tricks like the use of a two-way clutch, to fit a 9-speed unit in the same basic aluminum casing (and virtually the same interior space) as the old 6-speed. That's why it was designed to be used with transverse engines, where available space is more of an issue....and one reason why that transmission earned some 60 new patents. I get better stop/go/city mileage on my Lacrosse with the V6 and 9-speed than I did with the smaller, lighter Verano, its Ecotec-4, and 6-speed....although I think that the engine start/stop system also contributes to that.

FrankReynoldsCPA

Excellent write-up Mike.

Start/stop systems are becoming industry standard. Ford has introduced it into the F-150 as early as 2015(on the 2.7 Ecoboost, I have the 5.0 so I do not have this feature), and on all trims and options as of 2018. I'm not sure if it's proliferated to the rest of the Ford lineup, but it's definitely growing. I do know that it's defeatable on the F-150, via a button on the dash. However, this doesn't stick through key off/key on. You have to push it every time you get in and start it up. But the Ford community has found a way to disable it via the Forscan app, which enables you to modify a lot of the truck's settings via the OBD port.

I imagine that as CAFE keeps ratcheting down, the automakers will not only adopt this feature more, but will all go to a non-defeatable system.

mmarshall

Thanks. I'll have another write-up at the one-year mark, at the end of August.

Do you still have your Fusion, or did you replace it? I don't recall.

Hybrids, of course, had them long before that.

FrankReynoldsCPA

My sister purchased the Fusion from me. Timing worked out because she needed a more reliable vehicle.

mmarshall

If you decide you want another, newer Fusion, better move pretty quickly. It, and four other Ford products, are on the chopping block here in the U.S.

FrankReynoldsCPA

I saw that news....and I definitely disagree with Ford's decision. I can see chopping the Fiesta and Taurus. I think they could have kept the Fusion and Focus and still done really well(with some improvements to the Focus.....I've heard nothing but bad about their transmissions).

I'm not likely to in need of a sedan for a long time. I'm single, not looking to start a family any time soon, and I've been really loving the truck lifestyle. Being single and having a professional career means that gas prices don't really impact me much either. When the day comes, I'll either buy a CUV or I'll look at the other brands.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

ok let's keep this on mmarshall's lacrosse and not ford sedans

mmarshall

Well, let's just hope the Lacrosse isn't next on the chopping block like the Ford sedans LOL. If it stays in production, I have every intention of getting another one in several more years.

FrankReynoldsCPA

I often wonder about the fate of Buick if another economic downturn comes and hits the automakers. With all of the shakeup that has happened at FCA the last couple years, I wonder if GM will continue to have such a wide lineup of vehicles.

I hope the Lacrosse continues on because I want to see the survival of larger sedans.

Toys4RJill