2017 Buick LaCrosse Review

Standard equipment for the base LaCrosse includes 18-inch wheels, automatic xenon headlights, foglights, heated mirrors, rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, keyless ignition and entry, remote engine start, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear air vents, simulated-leather upholstery, power front seats, OnStar (with an onboard 4G LTE Wi-Fi hot spot), an eight-speaker sound system and the Buick IntelliLink infotainment interface (includes an 8-inch touchscreen, two USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone app integration). It also comes with fuel-saving automatic engine start-stop and cylinder deactivation technologies.

The LaCrosse's Preferred trim adds a power-adjustable steering wheel, a cargo net in the trunk and satellite radio.

Stepping up to the Essence trim gets you adaptive headlights, auto-dimming mirrors, driver-seat memory functions, leather upholstery, heated front seats and wireless smartphone charging. Optional for this trim level is the Driver Confidence 1 package (requires Sights and Sounds package; see below) that adds advanced blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

The Premium trim includes the Driver Confidence 1 items and adds forward collision warning, a head-up display, lane departure warning and intervention, the safety-alert driver seat (buzzes to draw your attention to various safety warnings), a rear storage bin, ambient interior lighting, a heated steering wheel, a household-style 120-volt outlet and ventilated front seats with massage. The optional Driver Confidence 2 package adds adaptive cruise control, forward automatic emergency braking (detects vehicles and pedestrians) and an automatic parking system.

The Essence and Premium can be bolstered with three option packages. The Sun and Shade package adds a panoramic sunroof and a power rear sunshade. The Sights and Sounds package (requires the Driver Confidence 1 package) adds a navigation system to IntelliLink and an 11-speaker, premium Bose surround-sound audio system. Finally, the Dynamic Drive package adds 20-inch wheels, adaptive suspension dampers and, for front-wheel-drive models, an upgraded front suspension design.