Fair disclosure: I love Buicks. More accurately, I love Buicks from the ’60's and earlier. For the last forty years or so, GM's “near luxury” brand has forsaken me at the altar without so much as a text message. Me and everyone else. The carmaker that cranked out overlapping, maligned, entirely functional automobiles like the Regal, Park Avenue, LeSabre and Century is in dire straits. This year, the average Buick dealer sold fewer than seven units per month. So when Buick brass invited ttac.com to check out their latest rescue plan at a Manhattan bank vault-cum-restaurant, I was good to go.
Going in, I knew what automotive delights would be sur la table: the face lifted Buick LaCrosse and the new “Super” LaCrosse and Lucerne. Entering the building which once catered to Buick’s doctor-lawyer-mid-management buyers, I harbored unreasonably optimistic expectations. After all, the Buick brand is clearly on the rebound– in China.
Working with its mandatory “partner” in the military dictatorship known (without apparent irony) as The People’s Republic of China, Buick has resurrected and stabilized its protean image of fast with class. No, they haven't pawned off the Chinese with the same lameduckmobiles available in The Land of the Free. The Chinese Buick LaCrosse is priced to go, looks great and comes complete with an honest-to-God, I-can’t-believe-this-is-a-GM-product, top-shelf interior.
When Buick’s extremely tall U.S. Brand Manager Steve Shannon kicked off his spiel about the “new” Buick, giving heavy play to the company’s profitable inroads into the burgeoning Chinese market, I knew exactly what was coming. I nudged the hack next to me and told him we were about to see a striking facsimile of the sharp looking Chinese LaCrosse. Anyone got a bridge to sell?
The “refreshed” 2008 LaCrosse is a 2007 LaCrosse with a bigger chrome grille. I hate to say it, but I preferred the old schnoz. Steve then told us the new LaCrosse Super will earn its monniker with an Olde but Goode: The General's 5.3-liter small block V8.
Provided you believe that Buick’s geriatric audience want a tire smoking vehicle that gets mid-20’s mileage, or think semi-successful rappers will suddenly raise this milquetoast motor from obscurity, or feel there's a huge market of misguided pistonheads looking for an American luxobarge that sends 300 horses through the front wheels, the Super is a guaranteed hit.
To entice the latter demographic, GM marketeers assured me that handling, braking, and steering were all improved on the LaCrosse Super. I forgot to ask whether they were referring to an improvement over the standard LaCrosse or the torque steerific Impala SS and Grand Prix. No matter. Neither possibility holds forth much prospect of pistonhead passion.
The ”Super” Lucerne offers more warmed-over kisses, leftover love. Buick’s tuned the Lucerne’s Northstar V8 from 275hp to 292hp. Rivet counters rejoice! You’ve got a new factoid to flaunt to your friends. The Lucerne Super offers eight fewer horses than the LaCrosse Super, a car that sits below it in Buick’s product line. While I’m sure the pumped-up Northstar is a refined woofler, when it comes to marketing, numbers speak louder than mufflers.
Still, driven with a careful right foot and a company gas card, I'm sure there’s nothing particularly wrong with either the LaCrosse or Lucerne Super. The problem– the eternal General Motors problem– is the competition.
Only shoppers like me (who fancy Buick in an entirely unnatural way) would think about dropping $35 large on a LaCrosse Super. Everyone else will [continue to] drive off in something cheaper and more sensible, or opt for luxury branded cars from Germany and Japan. The same goes for the Lucerne Super, which will sticker at around $40k. BMW 335i anyone? Exactly.
There’s only way these cars could become the smash hits Buick needs to avoid tumbling into the grave next to Oldsmobile: price. If Buick offered the Buick Supers at the same price as the standard issue LaCrosse and Lucerne– around $27k and $32k respectively– you might see some serious movement on Buick's dust-covered showroom floors. Ad campaigns could proclaim “Every LaCrosse and Lucerne comes with a 300 horsepower V8. This isn’t your father's Oldsmobile Buick.”
Given Buick's razor thin margins there ain’t no way in Canada they can afford to adopt that strategy. This leaves Buick right where I found it before I sampled their fine food and less delectable spin. (Perhaps I should have eaten in the back of the bank, where the money men held their enclave.) If Buick’s aesthetically challenged crossover doesn’t pick up some serious slack for the Lucerne and LaCrosse, Buick will continue going nowhere fast. You can take THAT to the bank.
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Droopy blob-mobiles. For droopy people?
My mother just bought a Buick Allure (aka: LaCrosse). I begged her to consider an Accord, Camry, Sonata, hell, ANYTHING else!
It amazes me how GM still screws up some simple stuff, like how the plastic feels brittle as egg shells, or how rear seat headroom is so tight in a such a large car…
So how does GM decide to improve it? Stuff a V8 in its already struggling FWD chassis!
Scary.
What is the deal with China?
It appears their market is asking for more sophisticated cars than you have in the U.S. (i.e. a better Buick; the Ford S-Max).
How come?
I like how on the suv the designers were obviously going “where are we gonna put the portholes? ahhh let’s just stick ‘em here. done!!”
The chinese buick looks great. Like a mixture between the previous generation Passat and Mondeo, just slightly bigger. I like it.
Buick is merely a microcosm view of the entirety of General Messup.
7 cars per month per dealer average?
That might work in a tiny small-town showroom (holding one car, with one owner/salesman) such as I recall the AMC dealer was in 1972 here in small-town America. But for a modern large overhead dealer, well….. it’s just a sideline alongside the equally lame Pontiacs.
Times change, GM cannot. Dodo birds couldn’t change, neither could dinosaurs…
The Buick Allure/LaCrosse,Regal/Century mid size,has untill recently been a good seller.
And reliable,I know thats a shock but true.
The recent downturn IMHO has been looks,It looks like grandads car.So lets give it a face lift.The Buick line of cars may suvive in North America,or will live on on in the PRC.
In the meantime the mid size Buick might be around for another year or 2 tops.
Blunozer convey my thanks to your mom for buying a car from the JD POWER number 1 plant in North America,
What's up with the new Buick names? Lacrosse, Lucerne, Allure, Enclave…they all sound so fogey-friendly. I can just picture a couple of 70 year olds with white pants on the golf course talking about their new Lucernes.
Please bring back a large two door Riviera on the new RWD Zeta platform, and a four door Wildcat on the same platform. Both cars should have modern yet elegant styling and no-excuses top notch interiors. Then, maybe the US version of Buick will have a future.
Also, Justin, while I agree with your assessments, I think the Enclave looks just fine, and is the only new Buick that is truly appropriate.
“The chinese buick looks great. Like a mixture between the previous generation Passat and Mondeo, just slightly bigger” = the 500/Taurus
Our 1984 Buick LeSabre V8 was our best car ever, 300,000 miles without a major repair! Unfortunately our next GM was a mechanical and electrical disaster, and GM’s warranty performance was unacceptable.
We have purchased Japanese cars since and are very pleased with the cars, if not the dealers.
actually buick is on the right track as far as my little latvian sixth sense tells me.
buick has better exterior finish than caddy. i refer to enclave, lucerne( cow food?), la Crosse( canadian wanker?). the rest of the line looks visually obsolete.
I was surprised of the lucerne, pleasant progress.the wind is blowing towards german passat. yet its winding sound comes from an oldtech 4speed auto and fwd( fwd lacks the possibility to create a high hp halo car, that helps to rack in profits from bread and butter cars.).
how bout creating an in-house gm rwd platform where to put some premium sedans? don`t even look towards holden- refreshed opel!
buick needs to add more models something like sts a la buick style. but with an all -new exterior, not regrille. plus you need to roll out that sleek chrome plated bengal/velite style cabrio coupe.could be based on vette, with an all -new sheetmetal. plus create your own minivan, and not some opel Sintra 94 rebadge.
Whether we realize it or not, GM is actually showing a rational product strategy with its divisions. First Cadillac and now Saturn have had complete product makeovers, and they are now relevant divisions. GMC and Chevy full size trucks and SUVs have been upgraded, and are universally respected.
We can see that Potiac is finally getting its mojo back, in the form of the RWD Solstice and G8. Saab is too small to worry about; but where does this leave Buick?
As GM merges its dealer networks, Buick is increasingly sold next to GMs and Pontiacs. Buick can’t go below $25K, or the midsize Buick will compete with the G6. Buick can’t go into real trucks, or it competes with GMC. So they are paring back the products to 3: a midsize sedan, a full size sedan and a large CUV.
This is smart, as they are likely to have only 200K in annual sales, and more than 3 models won’t gain consumer recognition. My guess is that much as Saturn has become the American Opel, Buick will become the American version of Chinese Buick, which has more attractive models.
Good move.
Re: China versus North America.
GM (and Ford) still feel entitled to a certain number of sales in NA whereas the China market is new and growing fast. They have no choice but to be competitive there. A certain demographic will always walk into a Buick dealer (in North America) and buy a Buick (or Mercury/Lincoln) no matter what.
Ahhhh…Riviera. My buddy's dad had a 1st generation (I think) Riviera while we were in high school. The hood was 10 feet long and it had a gazillion cu. in. motor. We used to load up with bunch of beer and ride around in the country. Paul would stop in the middle of the road in the middle of nowhere to perform his patented "zero point turn."
From a stop he would light the rear tires up and the car would just sit there with smoke pouring in the windows. Then he would just turn the wheel a little bit and the car would turn a 180 esentially in place. Paul's dad was always complaining about how fast his tires wore out. Buick needs to build THAT car again.
SherbornSean:
Define “relevant.”
A word on Buick quality. As Mikey points out, Buicks are becoming JD Power and C/R darlings for their definition of quality, which is simply a measure of the number of defects.
But I think that people spending $35K on a comfortable sedan want more than a minimum of defects. They want high quality, comfortable leather seats inside interiors with attractive, convincing wood and metal finishes. They want glossy paint jobs on striking, attractive exteriors. And they want to purchase in a dealership that reflects that luxury experience.
I think this is where Buick needs to focus, rather than RWD supercoupes for enthusiasts.
When’s the review on “Buick’s aesthetically challenged crossover”?
We like the Acadia, but are waiting for the Enclave.
oh i dunno – my dad had a lesabre i guess about 1998 or so, it was an OK car i guess, it had no particular color, sort of light soemthing, the inside was cushy, made it comfy for long trips. Impressive gas milage too, with the noticeably lathargic 6 in it.
However, the suspension was dangerously bouncy – it rolled like a boat in a storm – u really needed to hang on to the wheel over bumps! AND, the engine blew up at about 60K miles (no one knows why), the dealer fixed it good as new for 2200 bucks.
Buick contributed NOTHING…so I'm pissed at them for that! My dad drives like.. well… an old guy.
In other words, the car was not misused. They still offer the 36000 mile warranty? Good thing that they are new in China. None of these kinda stories there.. YET…
Persoanlly, i like tight little cars now, so I probably wont be buying one of these -especially not with the gas quzzler 8. they should make the big one into a convertable if they really wanna make some buzz…
jd-
Buick has a 4 year / 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty and a 5 year / 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.
I wouldn’t necessarily lump the Grand Prix GXP and Impala SS together. Despite it’s flaws, the Pontiac is far more fun to drive than the Chevrolet. I expect the Buick will drive more like the Chevrolet.
I’m also not seeing the 335i as a competitor. First, good luck finding one for $40k. Prices are pushing $50k with options. But, more than, that, the 3er and the Lucerne are simply two very different sizes and classes of car.
Forgot to mention–same way I would have explained the China situation, Sid. It’s a nation full of first-time car buyers, who’ll always fondly remember their first car. So everyone will want to put their best foot forward.
kaisen:
good for them. about time. too late for my dad’s car, he hates then now, as do we all. Big Italian family all hate buick because of his misadventure…they could have thrown in something for the repair… instead they sent a form letter explaining the why the warranty was not applicable. So they were rude AND stupid.
The only significant market for Buicks in America is comprised of the folks who have memories of the cars from the past, yet GM has now discarded every one of the product names that had any ties with Buick history. Lucerne? Lacrosse? I don’t know what they are or what they are supposed to be and I suspect very few people at GM do either.
My grandfather used to buy a new Buick every 2 years.
My father bought a new Buick every 4 years or so.
They are no longer alive.
No more Buick sales there.
A guy at work is 2 years from retirement.
When he went to buy a new Buick, to replace the one he was driving, they no longer made the model he owned. He wanted a new version of the model he was driving–but nope, no longer made.
So he bought a new Toyota Avalon, instead.
Where are Buick’s customers?
Current Buick offers for CT:
2007 LACROSSE: $750 Cash Allowance – OR As low as 0% APR – AND $1,000 Bonus Cash
2007 LUCERNE: $1,250 Cash Allowance – OR As low as 0% APR – AND $1,000 Bonus Cash
2007 RAINIER: $4,000 Cash Allowance – OR As low as 0% APR
2007 RENDEZVOUS: $3,750 Cash Allowance – OR As low as 0.5% APR
2007 TERRAZA: $500 Cash Allowance – OR As low as 5.9% APR
Question is, how many potential buyers are there?
Yep, same way my neighbor feels about Toyota for blaming HIM for the sludge issue in his Sienna, for which he forked out $5K for a new motor. They later (much later) reimbursed him, but I think too late. He now drives a new GMC Acadia.
Well Buick lately has the image of well an appliance car. And not a good appliance like a viking(lexus) or even a decent line like whirlpool(toyota) but sort of a cheap hey it has stuff line like sunbeam. You know the sort of thing you get when you won’t need it that often, but want decent options.
So in theory sure making performance cars makes sense. But no one is going to see the new performance because well who is going to buy it? I mean new. I suppose a few crazed people might be willing to pick it up cheap used, but who is going to spend full price to… what exactly? Have a V8 that pulls like a modern V6 and definitely burns fuel like a V8?
Besides I don’t see performance vehicles (which are riskier to buy used) helping buick’s resale problem. Resale matters, as it makes leasing silly, and prevents those people who buy vehicles new every 3-4 years using trade in from well doing that. Buick used to have a lot of people who would just buy one every few years, now that just isn’t very feasible.
If Toyota is a Whirlpool, then Lexus is KitchenAid, not Viking. Buick is a Fridgidaire (cheap, and originally a GM product).
I’m OK with what Buick is to GM. Let Pontiac have the RWD fun cars, let Caddy have the RWD luxury and sport luxury cars, let Chevy make everything on the cheap, make Corvette it’s own brand (it pretty much is anyway), and let Buick have the big and cushy front-drivers. just stop making them ugly.
actually, the gray/brown/old man colored car above (lucerne?) is quite attractive from the ports back. what a butterface
I love Buick – the only problem is they have become sort of copies of Japanese cars – no American mojo in them, regardless of the marketing says.
I loved the old RWD Regal and Roadmaster – I’d buy a RWD Roadmaster in a heartbeat, but they are not available.
If GM still built large RWD American boats, I’d grab one. They could not have done a worse job in that market than Ford has done with completely ignoring their Panther cash cows.
I own a Grand Marquis – I’d switch in a heartbeat for a real Buick, but none are being built.
“This isn’t your
father’sdoctor’sOldsmobileBuick.”Buick makes a bargain priced alternative to the Cadillac
SevilleSTS. They really have completely lost their way in the US market, and these “Super” editions are doing nothing to change that.Some of us happen to quite like FWD cars, even big ones. Having owned two 200hp FWD cars I liked them both. You see it snows 6 months of the year here and despite what marketing types from California and editors from Michigan will tell you, even with ESC, ABS, TC and snow tires, RWD isn't the same, even AWD with a rear wheel bias isn't that hot.
Two years ago I drove in a snow storm between Calgary and Edmonton, I saw 52 cars in the ditch in a little over 3 hours of slow driving. All but about 5 were RWD cars, some new some old, some trucks, some fancy German luxotanks. Yes RWD is fun in the summer but practicality on horrible iced over winter roads is important. That said my Jeep YJ was one of most -fun- cars I've ever owned, that said I also slid into a van and drove up the side of it because of ice.
I cannot imagine that for the demographic that buick is after, fwd or rwd makes any difference. Fwd is better for snow and ice, and packaging. My old mans buick could hold five comfortably. Or an 8 cyl over a 6 – the 8 has a fuel penalty that everyone understands. The 6 cyl was as much as was required by him and my mom.
ALSO, I do not know what is particulary wrong to point a brand at retirees – there are lots of them, and many many more to come (me too in 9 years). Cars that are large, comfortable, not necessairily the latest everything, but again, why is that necessary? Build it well, build it large, skip all the unnecessary nonsense, make it relilable and priced well- people will come running. KInda whats happening in China???
IMHO, one of the keys to Buick’s current crisis is GM’s established Buick/Pontiac/GMC dealership model.
Buick can load new-product launches (like the one pictured above) with as much velvet drapery, chandelier glitter, and pro-golfer praise as they like, but how are customers supposed to take all this seriously when the dealer experience involves dingy Kmart offices, rows of “special value edition” Pontiac G5s, and a sweaty finance manager with whiskey breath? QuietTuning is desperately needed, and not in the cars.
If this trio of brands must continue to be sold together, Buick at least needs its own semi-detached corner of the dealership with a unique character, as many Toyota dealers have done with the Scion line.
Here’s a link to a fascinating article about the Chinese designer of the next gen. LaCrosse. It gives insight into the Chinese market, and GM’s strategy. Is this the GM of the future?
http://www.fastcompany.com/subscr/114/open_features-made-in-china.html
Does it say something about Buick that the ads Google feeds for this story are for Audi & Consumer Reports?
Almost like even Google knows Buick’s in the crapper.
thanks, paul. good article.
My stepfather-in-law recently almost bought a Buick. Cross shopped it with an Avalon but he wanted the V8. After talking to him a bit (he already has a previous model Impala SS) and explaining that his Impala would get him next to nothing he decided not to buy anything (which was the right thing to do).
What I found interesting was his reason for wanting to buy the Buick. “I like a big car that I can fit into (He’ is 6’2” 300+lbs). The STS is too expensive and the Avalon is nice but not luxurious enough”.
He is Buick’s target demographic, White, Male, retiree and big. I think RF did a piece on this a while back. Buick should just focus on the geriatrics and cater to that demographic. Going to be a whole lot of baby boomers looking for car’s at some point.
Also what is the purpose of a brand if it only sells 3 cars? Why bother?
I think that Buick is catering to their demographic. The front end of the Super Lucerne is reminiscent of a steam locomotive, which many of their customers can probably remember.
At the local doctors’ parking lot I’ve seen a Z8, Quattroporte, NSX, beat-up Civics, minivans galore, the occasional F-150, and SUV’s up the wazoo. But I can’t remember the last time I saw a Buick.
NickR
the front end of a buick looks like a steam locomotove????
WTH? Why did they kill Oldsmobile before Buick? At least Olds had the Intrigue and Aurora (2 sedans that wouldn’t make an enthusiast vomit), the most handsome interpretation of the GMT360 platform (the Bravada), and the Alero (horrible reliablility, but still a far better GMX130 than the Grand Am).
Olds made the most out of the crap platforms handed to them, or at least more than Buick.
RIP Buick, you’re next (and should have been first).
Blautens
I got a 7 year old Grand am my second one nothing but a few brake problems.
I don,t know where you get your info.I do know that GM would love to have another car that sells like a Grand am did
Mikey:
Where did you get the idea that reliability is the ultimate measure of a car’s quality?
Those days are gone.
Blautens
Other than the badge whats the difference between an Alero and Grand Am
RF reliability is huge for folks that keep cars 8 or 9 years.
Hell with todays resale values{yeah I know on GMs}ya got no choice
Nice article, Justin. I guess I lament the fact that at one time Buicks were considered tasteful cars, a clear notch above Chevies and Pontiacs, but without the “look at my money” implications of Cadillacs. Maybe the V8 implants will help them sell better, but really, they ceded this market territory to Toyota/Lexus a long time ago.
I don’t know what a Buick is supposed to stand for now.
“A guy at work is 2 years from retirement.
When he went to buy a new Buick, to replace the one he was driving, they no longer made the model he owned. He wanted a new version of the model he was driving–but nope, no longer made.
So he bought a new Toyota Avalon, instead.”
I see this comment all the time and I don’t understand it. Buick doesn’t make my Regal anymore…..so I’ll buy a Toyota???? I don’t get it – do you mean he’s so loyal to one particular Buick nameplate, that if it’s not there, he’ll show those people at Buick by buying an entirely different brand? Hogwash. I’ve been driving GM all my life and I can get into any GM from Chevy to Caddy and operate almost everything intuitively. I married into a Honda and there’s a different logic/placement of switches. Neither is right or wrong, but just different. Most old people would prefer what’s familiar and I guarantee and Lucerne feels much closer to a LeSabre than an Avalon would.
Being a current owner of a 1999 Buick Century Limited, of which I factory ordered new, I would say a Buick is a mixture of good an bad.
The Buick was already making its run up the JD Powers charts so reliabililty was not supposed to be an issue.
The car was well built, extremely quiet and comfortable to ride, seats 6 (bench seating up front), had reasonable power and looked conservatively attractive. In fact all my friends that bought Camry’s and Accords kept commenting about how much better they like being in my car than in their own. Hence when we go anywhere as a group, we take the Buick. It doesn’t handle like a sports car, but that’s not what these cars are about.
Then after its first service, the wheels fell off…literally. After its one and only recall, not long after that, a front wheel fell off the car (while moving). I found out very quickly that broken wheel bolts are not covered by warranty. I replaced a steering rack less than 100 miles after the warranty expired. We’ve spent over $500 per year servicing nit picky problems every year since. Last year, it was the ABS sensors on the rear wheels. This year, so far, the odometer LED panel went blank and it cost $800 (!!!!?) to get that fixed. Also, the front air dam is mounted too far forward and low that it bottoms out over every speed bump, or driveway entrance.
Having a friend at my local GM dealership I thought I would at least look at the current Buicks. I looked at an “affordably equipped” Lacrosse (Allure in Canada), and though fit and finish was noticeably up, plastic trim materials on the dash was somewhat of a disappointment. Otherwise, it’s pretty well the same car. But then, after owning GM cars for 35 years and so many “second chances”, my current Buick is my last GM car. I sure hope it makes it to 10 years.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but the “darling” of quality has been, and remains Lexus, not Buick. In fact, the only reason Buick quality is up there is because all of the Buick models are using old, and proven technology. 4 speed transmissions? Check. Old platforms from the 90s? Check. Interiors that look like the came from the 90s? Check. Simple, proven, and outdated powertrains? Check.
It’s almost shocking to see GM focusing on China, and yet almost abandoning Buick in North America. The Enclave is only one model. Sorry to say, it’s not going to save Buick. This is another example of poor thinking on GM’s part. GM believes that because Buick sales in China continue to grow, that they’ll put all of their efforts, or all their eggs in the China basket so to speak.
Is it possible that the people who used to buy buicks are no longer the same people?
Seems to me that Buick was the car for the stable mid management type. Not the VP, but not the foreman either. Nowadays, there are about one fifth of the people in between those two levels as there were 30 years ago. Also, a lot of those guys got company cars in those days, but not many companies offer that benefit any more.
The image people want to project now is more aggressive than it used to be. Drive up in a Buick to a job interview, and they likely think you lost your job because you couldn’t change or keep up.
Nope, they need to change the product to go after knowledge workers or some other class that still exists.
All this is full of generalizations and opinion, but that’s how I feel about Buick. The best thing they have going is the lady in the commercials. My doctor buddy tells me that conversation stops in the lounge when she comes on.
Another strategy could be to go seriously retro. They could likely do well with a retro wagon roadmaster. Put in those curved glass pieces on the top, a couple sky lights, TV/Game station, etc. It could be almost as tall as a crossover, but give it visual cues to look more like a wagon. Kind of like a flattened Disco/LR3. Special edition could have a brushed metal finish and wood siding inserts in the modern style.
Yeah, that would be cool.