As a GS owner, I had noticed that Buick seem to be aiming squarely at the Lexus ES.

Has anybody done the comparison? Have Buick got something of substance behind the advertising?

I also heard that Buicks are European Opels (GM's), which seems to fit in with the ES being a Camry. Except the Buick's are probably less upgraded from the Opel since car quality amongst non luxury brands in Europe is generally higher than the US.

 

Yes, the irony of life is that the GM I think is indeed an Opel and assembled in German and "imported" here. So, if you think you're helping some US autoworker, think again....

The Opel is like a 2nd tier luxo make in Europe, so the jump from Opel to Buick is not as great as Toyota to Lexus.

 

The upcoming Buick Regal is based on an Opel model. It will be built someplace in Europe for the 1st year or so and then assembly will be moved to Canada I believe.

The LaCrosse is built in NA on a platform shared with some other U.S. models like Malibu etc.

 

Not so sure about that. I would say that in Europe, Opal and (European) Toyota are at roughly the same level. Neither are luxury over there.

Thus a Buick in the US over a European Opel would be about the same jump as a Lexus in the US over a European Toyota.

I would add that neither of those jumps is very big.

 

Recent Comparo.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es3...r-comparo.html

The LaCrosse is a fine Buick but no Lexus. It is bigger, styling is good (though only with the bigger optional wheels, otherwise it looks bad) and interior room is solid. It comes with an I-4 standard and a V-6 optional. It starts at 27k which is 7k less than what the ES starts at.

It really is a solid effort by them.

 

I stand corrected.. the Lacrosse is built in Kansas City, KS and only the platform is shared by the Opel Insignia and the Saab 9-5. So yay !!! it is American.

Everyone has to meet the upcoming CAFE regulations somehow, but a big boat like the Lacrosse with an I-4? Come on.

$27 is a nice "BASE" price for the Buick, but I doubt many base models will be sold and most will be in the $32-34K range. There is also a "base" ES350, but how many has anyone seen?

 

One look at the residual resale values of any Buick vs any Lexus and the choice is very clear on this point alone. Buick's hold their value like a rock falling off a cliff. People will pay more for better used cars. I will give GM credit for a good try, but they need to try again. Simply having "FM radio that you pause like a DVR" isn't going to bring your car up to true luxury levels.

 

You're right about it being a big boat for an I-4 engine. The FWD V6 weighs a little over 4,000 lbs, so take away a few lbs for the I-4 and you still have a heavy car for that engine.

Motorweek just tested it and it took 9.1 sec 0-60 and is rated at 19/30 mpg. they'll no doubt sell some on price alone but the typical Buick buyer will choose the V6.

 

9.1 seconds ??? Every soccer mom in any minivan will beat this thing...

Talk about catering to the old.. Buick is taking this to the extreme. If this ever got an accelerator jammed, no problem, it's not going anywhere fast anyway. Probably move along traffic better....