mmcartalk
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Well, it's that time again.....I usually get a new car every 4-7 years (5-6 on the average)...and my present car (which has been excellent, BTW) is coming up on 5 years old. For my purposes, I find that a trade (or private-sell) during that time period is usually a good compromise between mileage, depreciation, reliability, need for repairs, vehicle-wear, and property-tax (we're taxed, in my county, on part of a car's assessed-value each year, but that's because there are no local county income-taxes in the state...it's all real-estate or property tax).
Anyhow, I have gotten superlative service from my local Buick dealer, my regular service-advisor, and Buick itself. My first instinct, for several reasons, is another Buick sedan...but the Verano is not being replaced in the American market, and the new Regal coming this fall may not even have a sedan version in the American market (Buick is still mum on that...maybe hatchback/wagon only)?
Which leaves the new-for-2017 Lacrosse, which, IMO, is not as well-built as the smaller, German / Opel-derived Verano or Regal, but is significantly more comfortable-riding, especially with the base 18" wheels/tires/suspension (comfort is important to me, as my back and knees, though still functioning enough to get mo around, are not what they once were). The Lacrosse, for my purposes (as with the sister Chevy Impala) drives extremely well, combining comfort with a relatively decent level of handling not possible on the old, sponge/wallow-suspension of old-time Buicks. But the Lacrosse has two (IMO) annoying things....an E-shifter that is conducing and awkward to use for some functions (on test-drives, I'm getting used to the Park/Drive/Reverse functions, which are used most of the time, but Neutral and in and out of manual/sport-mode is very tricky), and a non-defeatable idle-stop program for the engine. I'm generally not a fan of those systems, even though they do save some gas....they can also put a lot of extra wear on the starter in heavy traffic. Other than that, though, driving the Lacrosse, to me, is a delight....it recalls my days in college, back in the early 70s, when I had a big (used) Buick, and loved it. Buick, though, built junk-quality vehicles for so long, after that, that I could not seriously consider one for almost 40 years.....until the Verano debuted.
But, of course, the Lacrosse also has what IMO are some several fine competitors, and there are also several of them on my shopping-list. I'm also seriously considering the Lincoln MKZ (#2 on my list), which, for the 2017 facelift this year, has a dynamite-looking Continental front end this year and a much-improved trim/control-layout inside. The MKZ's driving dynamics and road manners are more or less the same as the Lacrosse's...not exactly, but close. I've never owned a Ford/lincoln product before, though I personally know the General Manager of the Lincoln shop I'd be dealing with....he was once a Lexus salesperson, and sold me my yellow IS300 some 15-16 years ago (he still remembers me). The MKZ, like most recent Lincolns, also has easy-to-use, no-nonsense shift-buttons for the transmission, which, IMO, is a much better design than the Lacrosse's finicky E-shifter. But the MKZ, like the Lacrosse, doesn't seem to use quite as good materials/hardware, or have the same assembly-quality, as the German-derived Buick Verano or Regal.
I also like the Lexus ES350, (#3 on my list). It, of course, offers the traditional Lexus reliability, precision-assembly, and superlative fit/finish. It rides smoothly by today's standards (though not quite as silky as in past versions), has en exquisite-feeling wood steering wheel that both the Lacrosse and MKZ lack, and a reasonably easy to use shifter, though I don't like the zig-zags on the lever. (It would, of course, also make me a Lexus owner (again), like many of you guys here on the forum. But the ES also has a couple of annoyances......what IMO are cheap lightweight materials for interior trim, hardware, and door-solidness, especially compared to past versions.
#4 and #5 on my list is the Kia Cadenza and Genesis G80 AWD (No RWDs for me any more....I had enough of those in the winter LOL). The Cadenza's attributes are excellent assembly quality, good materials/hardware, one of the longest warranties in the business, and excellent dealer service if I buy or lease it from the same local dealer my brother did with his former Soul and present Sportage (the owner of that dealership, which also sells Volvos, is a Member of Congress, representing that voting-District, so, of course, he has an image to keep up as well). The G80 is one heck of a nice machine (as nice or nicer, in a number of ways, than the others I've mentioned here), but would probably be expensive in AWD format, and doesn't come in a less-expensive FWD version.....only RWD.
There are other choices, too, in that range, for that type of nice cushy, mid-to-full-size sedan (Impala, Avalon, Azera, Taurus, Volvo S90, Audi A4/A6, Mercedes C/E-class, BMW 3/5series, Infiniti Q50/Q70....but, for my purposes, right now, I like the Lacrosse, MKZ, and ES350 the best.....except for the different shifters, on the road, they are almost like three peas in a pod. Since I consider you guys on the forum my colleagues (and even personal friends, in some cases), I'd like to get your input and your ideas, in case I forgot something. I know that many of you are partial to Lexus products (which, of course, is understandable in a Lexus forum). But I can also see that most of you, like me, are car-buffs, able to think and rationalize in an independent manner, can come up with objective opinions, and won't necessarily let personal preferences dictate your honest views of other vehicles.
BUICK LACROSSE (all-new for 2017)
Plusses: Excellent dealer service, semi-traditonal Buick ride/quietness (with the (18", not 20" wheels), increasing Buick reputation for reliability, better build-quality than previous version (but not as good as Verano), rich wood or wood-tone trim inside, semi-cushy seat (not quite as cushy as the Verano's), complete set of engine gauges instead of idot-lights, superb fit/finish, AWD available on top versions, luxury-car-grade 6/70 and 4/50 warranty.
Minuses: Awkward E-shifter (although it does automatically go into Park when shut off and the doors are opened, a nice feature), non-defeatable engine idle-stop system, cheap-looking 4-spoke steering wheel and stalks, sophisticated Hi-per strut suspension only available with the stiff 20" wheels/tires.
LINCOLN MKZ (current-generation, face-lifted for 2017):
Plusses: Push-button-transmission shifter on the dash (IMO) easier and more convienent to
use than the shifters in either the ES or LaCrosse, Dynamite-looking Continental front-end styling, good noise-isolation and softish ride on base-level tires, nice color choice, generally nice-looking interior trim, new knobs this year for volume and climate-control much better then previous finger/sensor-slides, AWD available even with base engine.
Minuses: Sold and serviced out of bread-and-butter Ford shops, looser assembly quality not quite up to Buick or Lexus standards, 2.0L turbo four base engine, though torquey, not up to luxury-car standards, some interior hardware cheaply done, large awkward-looking C-pillars impede some visibility, no N/A V6...one has to move up to the grossly overpowered 400 HP TT V6 and AWD.
Lexus ES350 (last of current-generation 2017 version...a new one is coming next year)
Plusses: Industry-benchmark fit/finish, precision assembly at the plant, top-notch reliability, Interior room/comfort, quiet and smooth ride (though not as silky as with past versions), gem-like wood steering wheel, low depreciation, not-too-garish Spindle-Grille compared to other Lexus models.
(Also, it would again make me a Lexus owner like a lot of you members LOL)
Minuses: Well-fitted but thin, tinny-feeling doors/trunk-lid/sheet metal, some cost-cutting inside with plastic trim-parts, annoying zig-zag-pattern shifter (but better than the E-shifter in the LaCrosse), suspension nice but not as soft as on previous versions (I like a soft ride).
Thanks ahead for your input.
MM
Anyhow, I have gotten superlative service from my local Buick dealer, my regular service-advisor, and Buick itself. My first instinct, for several reasons, is another Buick sedan...but the Verano is not being replaced in the American market, and the new Regal coming this fall may not even have a sedan version in the American market (Buick is still mum on that...maybe hatchback/wagon only)?
Which leaves the new-for-2017 Lacrosse, which, IMO, is not as well-built as the smaller, German / Opel-derived Verano or Regal, but is significantly more comfortable-riding, especially with the base 18" wheels/tires/suspension (comfort is important to me, as my back and knees, though still functioning enough to get mo around, are not what they once were). The Lacrosse, for my purposes (as with the sister Chevy Impala) drives extremely well, combining comfort with a relatively decent level of handling not possible on the old, sponge/wallow-suspension of old-time Buicks. But the Lacrosse has two (IMO) annoying things....an E-shifter that is conducing and awkward to use for some functions (on test-drives, I'm getting used to the Park/Drive/Reverse functions, which are used most of the time, but Neutral and in and out of manual/sport-mode is very tricky), and a non-defeatable idle-stop program for the engine. I'm generally not a fan of those systems, even though they do save some gas....they can also put a lot of extra wear on the starter in heavy traffic. Other than that, though, driving the Lacrosse, to me, is a delight....it recalls my days in college, back in the early 70s, when I had a big (used) Buick, and loved it. Buick, though, built junk-quality vehicles for so long, after that, that I could not seriously consider one for almost 40 years.....until the Verano debuted.
But, of course, the Lacrosse also has what IMO are some several fine competitors, and there are also several of them on my shopping-list. I'm also seriously considering the Lincoln MKZ (#2 on my list), which, for the 2017 facelift this year, has a dynamite-looking Continental front end this year and a much-improved trim/control-layout inside. The MKZ's driving dynamics and road manners are more or less the same as the Lacrosse's...not exactly, but close. I've never owned a Ford/lincoln product before, though I personally know the General Manager of the Lincoln shop I'd be dealing with....he was once a Lexus salesperson, and sold me my yellow IS300 some 15-16 years ago (he still remembers me). The MKZ, like most recent Lincolns, also has easy-to-use, no-nonsense shift-buttons for the transmission, which, IMO, is a much better design than the Lacrosse's finicky E-shifter. But the MKZ, like the Lacrosse, doesn't seem to use quite as good materials/hardware, or have the same assembly-quality, as the German-derived Buick Verano or Regal.
I also like the Lexus ES350, (#3 on my list). It, of course, offers the traditional Lexus reliability, precision-assembly, and superlative fit/finish. It rides smoothly by today's standards (though not quite as silky as in past versions), has en exquisite-feeling wood steering wheel that both the Lacrosse and MKZ lack, and a reasonably easy to use shifter, though I don't like the zig-zags on the lever. (It would, of course, also make me a Lexus owner (again), like many of you guys here on the forum. But the ES also has a couple of annoyances......what IMO are cheap lightweight materials for interior trim, hardware, and door-solidness, especially compared to past versions.
#4 and #5 on my list is the Kia Cadenza and Genesis G80 AWD (No RWDs for me any more....I had enough of those in the winter LOL). The Cadenza's attributes are excellent assembly quality, good materials/hardware, one of the longest warranties in the business, and excellent dealer service if I buy or lease it from the same local dealer my brother did with his former Soul and present Sportage (the owner of that dealership, which also sells Volvos, is a Member of Congress, representing that voting-District, so, of course, he has an image to keep up as well). The G80 is one heck of a nice machine (as nice or nicer, in a number of ways, than the others I've mentioned here), but would probably be expensive in AWD format, and doesn't come in a less-expensive FWD version.....only RWD.
There are other choices, too, in that range, for that type of nice cushy, mid-to-full-size sedan (Impala, Avalon, Azera, Taurus, Volvo S90, Audi A4/A6, Mercedes C/E-class, BMW 3/5series, Infiniti Q50/Q70....but, for my purposes, right now, I like the Lacrosse, MKZ, and ES350 the best.....except for the different shifters, on the road, they are almost like three peas in a pod. Since I consider you guys on the forum my colleagues (and even personal friends, in some cases), I'd like to get your input and your ideas, in case I forgot something. I know that many of you are partial to Lexus products (which, of course, is understandable in a Lexus forum). But I can also see that most of you, like me, are car-buffs, able to think and rationalize in an independent manner, can come up with objective opinions, and won't necessarily let personal preferences dictate your honest views of other vehicles.
BUICK LACROSSE (all-new for 2017)
Plusses: Excellent dealer service, semi-traditonal Buick ride/quietness (with the (18", not 20" wheels), increasing Buick reputation for reliability, better build-quality than previous version (but not as good as Verano), rich wood or wood-tone trim inside, semi-cushy seat (not quite as cushy as the Verano's), complete set of engine gauges instead of idot-lights, superb fit/finish, AWD available on top versions, luxury-car-grade 6/70 and 4/50 warranty.
Minuses: Awkward E-shifter (although it does automatically go into Park when shut off and the doors are opened, a nice feature), non-defeatable engine idle-stop system, cheap-looking 4-spoke steering wheel and stalks, sophisticated Hi-per strut suspension only available with the stiff 20" wheels/tires.
LINCOLN MKZ (current-generation, face-lifted for 2017):
Plusses: Push-button-transmission shifter on the dash (IMO) easier and more convienent to
use than the shifters in either the ES or LaCrosse, Dynamite-looking Continental front-end styling, good noise-isolation and softish ride on base-level tires, nice color choice, generally nice-looking interior trim, new knobs this year for volume and climate-control much better then previous finger/sensor-slides, AWD available even with base engine.
Minuses: Sold and serviced out of bread-and-butter Ford shops, looser assembly quality not quite up to Buick or Lexus standards, 2.0L turbo four base engine, though torquey, not up to luxury-car standards, some interior hardware cheaply done, large awkward-looking C-pillars impede some visibility, no N/A V6...one has to move up to the grossly overpowered 400 HP TT V6 and AWD.
Lexus ES350 (last of current-generation 2017 version...a new one is coming next year)
Plusses: Industry-benchmark fit/finish, precision assembly at the plant, top-notch reliability, Interior room/comfort, quiet and smooth ride (though not as silky as with past versions), gem-like wood steering wheel, low depreciation, not-too-garish Spindle-Grille compared to other Lexus models.
(Also, it would again make me a Lexus owner like a lot of you members LOL)
Minuses: Well-fitted but thin, tinny-feeling doors/trunk-lid/sheet metal, some cost-cutting inside with plastic trim-parts, annoying zig-zag-pattern shifter (but better than the E-shifter in the LaCrosse), suspension nice but not as soft as on previous versions (I like a soft ride).
Thanks ahead for your input.
MM
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