mmarshall

I've done several previous threads on my Lacrosse (some of which turned out quite long), so I won't really get into this one too deeply, but still try and be complete. Just past the six-month ownership mark now, with several thousand miles on it. Had the first oil change last week, with the required synthetic oil. (first two are on the house, with is my dealer's policy)...oil-life monitor was down to 34%, and my policy, just to be on the safe side, is between 30-40% on oil changes. No accident damage, incidents, dents, or vandalism (and no squeaks/rattles)..but I'M keeping my fingers crossed.

Very pleased with gas mileage, on 87-octane regular, which is exceeding expectations for a sedan this large...averaging 20-25, even in cold weather and dense traffic with the big V6....30 or better on the highway. The 9-speed transmission (new this year, for 2018) and the somewhat annoying start/stop system really does, in fact, save fuel...though I've found several ways, with the brake and gas pedals, to fool the start / stop system, even though it's officially non-defeatable. Even more pleased with the ride comfort, quietness, seat-plushness (though the still-comfortable Leatherette front seats aren't quite as heavily-padded as the super-stuffed cloth/Leatherette seats in my Verano were)....the Lacrosse front seats have just about the same feel as those in the non-Black-Label Lincoln MKZ. And the ride comfort doesn't deteriorate noticeably in cold weather, like it did on my last several cars. The paint job is gorgeous in the sun, where the smoke-gray metallic has a gold-flake texture to it.....it's called Pepperdust, a popular GM color on Chevys, Buicks, and GMC products. Also like the no-hands automatic locking/unlocking of the doors, with the key fob in your pocket, and the easy opening of the trunk by pushing in on the Buick tri-shield emblem (an old VW trunk-opening feature).The 9-speed transmission shifts like butter except on very cold mornings, with temperatures below freezing, during warm-up.

Complaints? Yep...a couple. There never was a perfect car, and never will be. First, a couple of the warning-lights on the dash are erratic about how they first come on (or are supposed to come on) for a few seconds when the engine is first started....that is not a quirk just with my car, but with the system itself, as I was able to duplicate it on the powered-up Lacrosses at the D.C. show for the Buick reps there. That's because some of the yellow and red lights share the same space, and, while the yellow ones come on every time the engine is started, the red ones only do occasionally when the yellow ones go out. The Lacrosse, however, and other new Buicks with that new dash-system, have electronic or analog gauges for all but oil pressure (even an oil-temperature gauge), so, most engine functions are covered by the gauges, even without the lights. Second, I miss having the automatic tilt-down feature on the side mirrors when shifting into reverse...the Preferred trim level does not have it, though the more expensive trim-levels which do have it also have a bunch of other stuff I didn't want. The back-up camera helps (first car I've ever actually owned with it)...but it's nice to be able to see the white parking-stripes down the side of the car, as I often back into my condo spaces rather than pull in. I am constantly tilting them up and down manually when I park. I wish that had been a stand-alone option on the Preferred trim level when I ordered it. Third, my Verano had a nice system, integrated with the buttons/video-screen, where you could see both your tuned/pre-set radio stations and climate-control status at once...the Lacrosse generally forces you to scroll back and forth between the two on the screen, and the A/C lacks a dash-button, so you don't know if the compressor is on or not (or which vents are in operation) without pulling it up on the video screen. Oh, and a fourth (minor complaint)...when Buick (properly, IMO) converted the front and rear Buick emblems to the traditional tri-color shield, they forgot to also do so for the cheap-looking outline-shield on the steering wheel, which constantly stares you in the face. LOL.

The E-shifter (also used in the Chevy Bolt and Cadillac XT5), and its unusual motions, was a PITA at first, but I got used to it in about two weeks....and I like it's smooth, silent, click-click feel which gives a feeling of quality and precision.

OK, folks, there you have it. I'll do another report at the one-year mark.

Johnhav430

Thoughts on the GM OLM....I believe it does work. My wife used to work only 2.1 miles from home, and the car would need an oil change in as little as 3,300 miles (I would start planning it when it said maybe 8%, then try to see what weekend I could do it).

Then, there was a stretch where every weekend, we were visiting relatives meaning about 90 miles with 70 being highway--suddenly we went about 7,100 before the OLM went into single digits. Now we have over 70k and I've done many oil changes. I just go by what the car says. imho there is no reason to change the oil when the OLM say say more than 10%....last time it went into the reminder, for the first time, which may have been under 5%, not positive (would have to dig up cell phone pics)...my .02

But sounds like you're happy with the vehicle overall, good deal!

mmarshall

Yes, the OLMs are much better than they used to be. The first oil change on any new car, though, for several reasons, is often the most important single one, to deal with any break-in that today's more closely-toleranced engines still need. But the break-in process itself, though still necessary to some extent, is shorter and less-critical than before. Besides, GM now runs full-synthetic in even the non-turbo engines, which would normally cost more than petroleum-based oil....and my dealer's regular policy is the first couple of changes are free, unless you have an extra-cost maintenance program.

Thanks. Yeah, I waited over forty years, after college, to get another big Buick (had a 60-series Electra in college, and loved it). It was worth the wait, though my previous Verano was also very nice.

To be honest, though, I'd probably be equally happy (or almost as happy) with the latest version of the Lincoln MKZ and its much-improved front end, interior, and ergonomics. I chose the Lacrosse over the MKZ mainly because I wasn't as impressed with the MKZ's engine choices...essentially all or nothing. It lacked a non-turbo V6 option like the Lacrosse. I'd also be well-satisfied in a V6 Chevy Impala, Kia Cadenza, or an (AWD) Genesis G80.

bagwell

this says Chevy but its for all GM products....

The Oil Life Monitor (OLM) system is not a simple oil quality sensor, but a software-based, algorithm-driven device that takes into account various operating conditions of the engine to determine when the oil needs changing. Certain driving habits can affect the life of the oil, as well as driving conditions such as temperature and driving terrain. Lighter, more moderate driving conditions and temperature will require less frequent oil changes and maintenance, while more severe driving conditions will require more frequent oil changes and maintenance. Read the table below to see how the OLM system determines oil life:


https://www.yourmechanic.com/article...rent-minderler

tex2670

I'm glad you noted this. As soon as I saw this post, I was going to ask. I have a BMW with a similar shifter, and I actually love it. I agree it was easy to get used to. I'm not sure about GM's shifter, but unlike the Jeep tragedy with Anton Yelchin, BMW's shifter automatically goes into park if you shut the car all the way off, or even if you open the driver door (you can't even open the door and back into a parking space if you are looking to see how close you are to the curb). I'm a fan.

Johnhav430

I agree that the OLM actually works, based on my personal observation. When my wife drove 2.1 miles to work in the winter, it was under 10% in only 3,xxx. Yet when it got highway summer miles, beyond 7k. And this car requires Dexos1 which was a 2011 requirement. This is policy more than anything else because there's nothing different between a 2010 and 2011. Since it's cheap enough, I use full synth (well let's not get all bitog, Pennzoil Platinum or Mobil 1 lol).

Anyway on the car choice I also agree, I love that new Lincoln Navigator, but twin? turbo V6, no thank you. V6 is already an imbalanced design right off the bat. Sure, so is V8, but we could argue not as bad.

Look at what scotty k says, no V6, no diesel, no turbo, this rules out almost anything modern. But life is too boring to have a NA 4 cyl. I would say NA V8 is in the sweet spot.

The sheer complexity of a twin turbo today is imho light years beyond my N54 BMW which solved the equation with hardware. Today it's software (like the Trackhawk that could not go into launch mode at 218 miles on the ODO).

I wonder if GM has any new/exciting motors coming out?

Johnhav430

Didn't BMW do away with the shifter? The only '18 I've driven is admittedly the X1 loaner in Dec. BMW has gone mainstream, their "research" says the typical buyer does not want the turn signal and wiper controls the way it's been for what 25+ years, they want these items to be like all the other cars on the road. I find that fascinating to toss heritage away....

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

i like the electronic shifter in my jeep too, but sadly they got rid of it now to avoid lawsuits even after they did a software update to stop people running themselves down. now it's a giant tall old school shift lever with giant ugly leather boot around it. no thanks. that's a big reason i won't get another jeep unless they change it.

mmarshall

Yes, GM's E-shifter also has that safety-feature...it goes into Park automatically (sometimes with a couple-second delay) when you come to a stop and turn off the engine. You can also do it manually, of course, with the Park button on top of the shifter. I like to let the system do it automatically, not because I'm lazy, but because if the engine has already shut off automatically and you manually shift into Park, it will briefly start the engine up again while going into Park, and that just adds more wear to the start-mechanism.

That automatic-park safety feature, BTW, was added (as you note) after Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin was killed when the ZF-sourced 9-speed E-shift tranny in his Jeep Grand Cherokee was accidentally left in neutral, engine-off, and Yelchin got out and tried to walk away. The vehicle rolled off, pinned him, and he was killed. The safety feature (and a shifter re-design) was added to later JGCs, and GM/Ford incorporated it on their latest 9 and 10-speeds.

Johnhav430

Maybe the next thing to go is the engine start/stop. I could never understand why people leave the vehicles running then are injured from CO poisoning as a result. My former colleague who is a really smart guy explained why he left a rental running for 12 hours because of the stop/start, but I didn't understand his reasoning to tell you the truth. Is it like leaving your car in uncovered airport parking, with all the windows down, while you fly somewhere? Buick had a commercial like that, so maybe I'm the one who's not understanding or not normal lol

rogerh00

The E-shifter is very easy to use, I like it in my XT5

Does this mean you are a convert to electronic shifters and we won't see you complaining in your reviews anymore about them?

I see a lot of similarities in the dash to my XT5.

mmarshall

IMO, there are still better ways to do it. That is why the PRNDL sequence was mandated back in the 1960s. Different types of shifters (and patterns) back then were confusing drivers and sometimes damaging the transmissions, especially those drivers without previous experience in the vehicle. We're seeing more or less a repeat of that confusion today...conventional shifters mixed in with several different types of E-shifters, single-action buttons (Lincoln), and dual-action buttons (GMC, Acura). Consumer Reports is already calling for a new round of shift-standarization with the automakers, and I tend to agree.

E-shifters, BTW, can be implemented with the old PRNDL pattern, without that spring-load action back to the middle of the quadrant, or the left-cross motion into reverse.

rogerh00

Oh well, I should have known better. I set myself up for the history lesson and your contrarian ways.

tex2670

No--the X1 has a traditional shifter. But the new 7- and 5-Series both have e-shifters. The current 3-Series did change the turn signal and rain-sensing wiper controls to be more traditional style, unlike my '14. Just when I got used to the turn signal controller....

Johnhav430

Part of me likes innovation, being different. Part of me likes things being the same. I prefer the "new" kind of shift like the one you have. I admit--the first time I drove a vehicle with it was a X5 loaner, and it didn't seem intuitive at first. Also, at the time, both our cars were manual and I hadn't driven an auto in a long time, except on business trips. But I think that it took all of about 3 times moving out of park to get the hang of it. BMW seems to be going in the "non confusing" direction, as shown by the tranny, the turn signals, and the wipers. But I think it's for sales and to appeal to the masses. I rather like the BMW turn signals and wiper stalks that have no detent. Or at least they used to not have a detent. You'd always spot a BMW poseur on the road because they would signal left, change lanes, and the signal right, then left, then right again, and if they were lucky, the signals would be canceled.

edit: just thought of an example of a poseur. In the Costco line, this tough guy is arguing with the cashier over having to use Visa, stating they should accept American Express. I'm thinking way to go champ--what a great way to tell everybody that's not your membership that's being used for the purchase.