Conservative Comfort | 2018 Buick LaCrosse Avenir Review

[@jrod8153]

Good video man. I disagree with your opinion but gave the video a like because of well spoken review. I’m 28 years old and have a 2017 lacrosse Essence l. I absolutely love it. One of my favorite cars ice ever had. I think Gm did very well with amping up the lacrosse

[@PRNTestDrive]

Thank you! This is quite possibly one of the best comments we've ever gotten. We appreciate that you can disagree with our point of view, yet still find the video good. Often we find if someone disagrees with something minor, it ruins the entire episode for them. We did like the LaCrosse, but we had high expectations for the Avenir trim. It's easily one of the most spacious and comfortable sedans we've driven in the segment, and if they added a few of the little features we'd expect it would be a killer car!

[@jrod8153]

Perpetual Radio Networks thanks for the friendly response, much appreciated! Keep up the good work on the channel, I’ll definitely be keeping up with you guys, I’m glad I found y’all. P.S. maybe the lacrosse is still a grandpa car and I’m just getting to that age where I don’t see it anymore lol.

[@PRNTestDrive]

Haha! We like our ‘grandpa’ cars also, so don’t worry 😁

[@Larwiz]

I'm a huge Buick fan. I've owned 4. I currently drive a 2015 Lacrosse that seems to have all the features of this Avenir model, except mine actually has led lights. Honestly, I feel like everyone else that commented: disappointed. This car is underequipped for 56 grand. Why is there no wood on the steering wheel? No wood on the center console? More powerful engine options? Massaging rear seats? I mean, this doesn't even have led lights?!?! How does the 2014-16 have leds, but the 2018 doesn't? Unacceptable.

[@PRNTestDrive]

That's exactly our thoughts too! This car was lacking a lot from our expectations, especially if the previous generation had better features. We would have loved to speak with the owner of the 2nd Gen we filmed, but it was parked next to us and we grabbed a few shots while we could.

[@DeeeBeee123]

I don't know what they expect from a family sedan. The car is beautiful and rides great. Relax

[@PRNTestDrive]

You musn't have watched the episode then. As a sedan, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, in fact we liked it quite a lot. Our problem is Buick's attempt to create a sub-brand with Avenir, but not fully committing to it. If this were a 2018 Buick LaCrosse CXL, we'd have almost no complaints, but since they decided to call it an Avenir, we feel it's half of what the Enclave Avenir had to offer.

[@hoderharris]

Big Buick fan. Am going to most likely purchase this exact model when i finish paying off my 2015 Lacrosse. Have to say you make some great points here. Great review. You should have way more subscribers. Keep up the good work.

[@PRNTestDrive]

Glad you like it, thanks! We did have high expectations for this car, and we do hope GM listens to our criticism. Just a few small changes can make this car a top contender in the segment!

[@graze105]

I have to agree with most of the points made. We just bought a 2019 Lacrosse AWD Avenir for my wife. She needed AWD and ventilated seats and wanted a large sedan or SUV. I really like the car and it is perfect for our needs - no regrets. However, I was disappointed with the lack of 360 degree camera but it DOES have a virtual 360 view with alarms for obstructions around the car. Same with the lack of rain sensing wipers. We have the chestnut interior and it is fantastic. In black this car looks fabulous and much more sporty than other colors. The fact that there was 0% for 72 mo. was the kicker.

[@PRNTestDrive]

Not bad at all! We've only spotted a couple of these on the road since filming this episode. The few missing features are a disappointment for us, but GM wants to keep those for the Cadillac CT5 to force buyers up to that. It's been a problem with GM for a while.

[@shakeguitar1234]

Just bought a used 2017, dirt cheep, you can hear a pin drop inside at 70 mph, Nicest car I've ever been in i think, traded my 2013 malibu, guess I'm a grand pa at 58. lololol don't drive like one, fantastic car in my opinion. thanks

[@PRNTestDrive]

Glad you like yours, congrats on the purchase!

[@danieljohnson4418]

Another excellent review from PRN. I love the interior and exterior styling of this vehicle, but the omission of the features you identified in the review is undoubtedly disappointing. Step it up, GM!

[@PRNTestDrive]

Thanks! We knew as soon as we started driving this what the focus of the episode would be. For Buick to succeed with their Avenir trim they'll need to ensure consistency. It's missing features a lot of consumer sedans offer.

[@nastinati647]

All those missing gadgets just means. Less problems. Ill take it over a caddy everyday all day.

[@PRNTestDrive]

Fair enough!

[@PlanetEaterG]

Another thing I'd like to know is why they took 14lb ft of torque out of the motor in the 18-19 model years. 2017 had 282, the 18-19 has 268.

[@PRNTestDrive]

Simple answer probably comes down to cost. They know they can make a cheaper engine without losing any sales.

[@Impericallyfrozen]

My 2012 premium 1 lacrosse has a rearview camera, it has the wood trim, side view lights, yea the visibility is poor but the rearview camera makes up for it and starting out it was 35,000....wayy better than a toyota or a honda in this year model in terms of specs and I love it so much ...honestly I like the wall charger bring your car brick along it's much faster that way...plus it has led taillights....I got it recently for 8 grand and I'm beyond happy...I think its definitely this trim level because the premium which is cheaper has e-assist which is the rear view camera...according to buicks website you should have a rearview camera

[@PRNTestDrive]

Sorry what we were referring to is the rearview mirror, a feature GM has been rolling out across Cadillacs but also the Buick Enclave Avenir we featured. The rearview mirror acts as a video display out of the rear while the car is on, even while driving. Either way we're glad to hear you like your 2012!

[@nastinati647]

People are just to spoiled now a days. It's good to see a car that's just a smooth running car.

[@PRNTestDrive]

Most buyers don't end up going with the fully loaded models anyway, so they wouldn't necessarily have all the features on another car anyway.

[@kpf8186]

Thanks for another honest review. My Equinox Premier has more options than a fellow GM family vehicle has. Buick had my interest until they picked off the options. If I'm spending this much money, I'll look at the Lexus ES, even with the hideous front end. Appreciate your videos.

[@PRNTestDrive]

Glad you liked it, thanks! We think GM needs to focus on giving the consumers features they want, rather than making them go to the cars that have the features. The 2018 Chevrolet Impala Premier we have this week is fully loaded, has quite a lot for a consumer-segment full-size sedan. So far I've found that you get a lot with the Impala for enough less to make it worth the 'step down' to the Chevy.

[@destincoutee7377]

I'm a huge Buick fan!

[@PRNTestDrive]

Then make sure you’re subscribed! On Monday we’re publishing our episode of TestDrive Spotlight on the 2018 Buick Regal GS, and Thursday our Showdown with it against the Kia Stinger GT!

[@destincoutee7377]

Perpetual Radio Networks Aw heck yeah! Thanks for the heads up!! Just subscribed!

[@PRNTestDrive]

Glad to hear it, we’re excited for these two episodes! We do something a little different with the cars.

[@telliesmith9825]

It's a nice classy looking ride but 56 g's I'm all on the cadillac cts

[@PRNTestDrive]

That's the problem, at least for consumers. The Cadillac is the way up for GM, so there's little incentive to improve the Buick models when they can push sales towards the CTS.

[@allentolbert8404]

Great video

[@PRNTestDrive]

Glad you think so, thanks!

[@Sc0rpy]

Excellent review mate i do agree with you as a luxury brand it’s missing a lot

[@PRNTestDrive]

It certainly feels like it's missing a lot, but we're starting to see that with GM's other non-Cadillac products, specifically the Regal GS and the Terrain Denali. Both are great cars, but are missing a few extras that can only be found by going up market to the Cadillac.

[@realbeetlejuice]

great review man.

[@PRNTestDrive]

Glad you liked it, thanks! We had high hopes for the LaCrosse, but we're hoping GM takes our suggestions to heart. There's potential!

[@thelastlunari1639]

I expected a 360° camera and much more, it's a shame since the Kia Cadenza offers so much more!

[@PRNTestDrive]

Agreed! For a premium vehicle, especially as Buick's answer to their own problem of wanting a sub-brand, the LaCrosse was lacking. The Cadenza is a real gem in this segment, we still want to feature one but finding them out here is impossible!

[@soundlab4557]

hey man what do you think of the Lincoln aviator?

[@PRNTestDrive]

That is a tough one, we haven't actually seen it in person since they did the announcement before the Montreal Auto Show but didn't have one to show off there. The rear end looks cleaner on the new Aviator in my opinion, as the back of the Navigator was one of the things I wasn't super fond of. Despite what people think after watching our Navigator review, I want Lincoln to succeed. It's not going to go very well for the industry if Cadillac is the only American luxury maker!

[@wendell7173]

*I'll show loyalty to the sedans, practically is still good even if SUVs have it too.*

[@PRNTestDrive]

That's how we feel too!

[@R.Williamss]

It doesn't look like a old man car, I was thinking about buying but I'mma stick with the Chevy Impala

[@shakeguitar1234]

i test drove both a few times. Buick hands down, traded my 13 Malibu, never been so happy about driving a fantastic car, in my opinion

[@PRNTestDrive]

I ended up liking this quite a bit more than I figured I would.

[@mjdgi1]

I can't tell the difference between the premium and the avenir..

[@PRNTestDrive]

They might have changed things for 2019, but overall you just got the badging, slightly better seats and trim, and a couple extra features.

[@seff5677]

Over $60k with taxes and fees. Where is the wood trim across the centre of the cars interior, just plastic. It could have wrapped around the interior. No power folding mirrors wtf No rain sensing windshield wipers again wtf Halogen fog lamps.. Lack of LED lighting outside on the front and rear lights. More to be desired with this car at this premium price point

[@PRNTestDrive]

Lots missing that’s for sure. It’s almost there, but not quite a full luxury experience that we were hoping for with that Avenir name.

[@DamarcoGonzalez]

So what’s better impala or this?

[@PRNTestDrive]

I liked the Impala when I drove it, depends really on what sort of design you like more. This is quite conservative in terms of styling, whereas the Impala looks a bit more aggressive/sportier.

[@R.Williamss]

The second generation LaCrosse looks way better, they should of fuse them together and it would of been a great looking car

[@PRNTestDrive]

We'd easily take the Impala over this, it still has a decent look to it but you just don't get enough over the Chevrolet to justify the cost increase. We're glad we had a chance to get some clips of the first gen LaCrosse for this episode.

[@R.Williamss]

@@PRNTestDrive I'm actually happy and surprised you did a comparison that was a good deal looking at the contrast of both cars. And I agree, they really need to step there game up and get some new designer engineers to work on buick.

[@PRNTestDrive]

It’s something we’d love to do a lot more here on the show, tracking down the older cars with willing owners is the hard part.

[@charlesdegraffenreaid8311]

I agree, and that's why I haven't upgraded from my 2013 before now. But since it was just totaled and I have to buy another car, there's no reason not to go with a later model in this body style with low mileage. I love Buicks overall, and this will be my 4th. All this business about a "grandpa car" is silly.

[@R.Williamss]

I like it but I don't like the rear of the car, they should of kept the same body style of the 2013 in the back side.

[@PRNTestDrive]

I can see that. The rear might not be for everyone.

[@R.Williamss]

The 2013 Buick lacrosse looks way better. They should of made it bigger and fused the grill.

[@PRNTestDrive]

Too bad GM killed it off.

[@g7lethal]

No wonder I can't afford a new car, manufacturers keep listening to youtubers and adding in a bunch of unneeded BS, good video though overall

[@PRNTestDrive]

I guarantee that no manufacturers are adding features based on feedback from any KZbinrs.

[@charlesdegraffenreaid8311]

None of these things are deal breakers.

[@PRNTestDrive]

Glad to hear it!

[@colinstu]

$56k CAD? wow. I wouldn't've guessed a dollar above $45k CAD. That car is just not price competitive for the features/quality you're getting. And it's hard to say that cadillac's sedans are better than these buick ones... because there are no euro-platform cadillacs right now. The euro platform is WAY better than the NA one. I think buick should concentrate on the luxury / comfort segment, and cadillac should concentrate more on "luxury" performance.... no need to hold buick back with only being half-luxury like it seems to be right now with this car. We'll see. GM's lineup is a mess in some ways. better than before at least.

[@PRNTestDrive]

We agree! GM needs to beef things up with Buick, there's plenty of room for them to have two proper luxury cars available on the market. The ride of this was excellent, and the 2018 Buick Regal GS we just dropped off was also excellent, mostly because it's 100% German and imported here as a Buick. We thought GM was going in the right direction with Buick back when we featured the Enclave Avenir, but now we're not sure if they are.

[@silentrefusal9911]

Just launch a station wagon model of this car with the same exterior length, and I would love to see that vehicle fail.

[@PRNTestDrive]

Would have been a nice ride for sure!

[@DERRECK153]

Center console needs wood

[@PRNTestDrive]

Definitely agree about the wood. If they want this to be in a category of its own with Avenir, it will need to stand out more.

[@unclewangsgarden8302]

Guess which car has been awarded as Best New Large Premium Car 2017 by AJAC?

[@PRNTestDrive]

Could it be the only large premium car that had a new generation update for 2017, the Buick LaCrosse?

[@unclewangsgarden8302]

Competitors in 2017 in this category: Cadillac CT6, Genisis G90, Volvo S90 and Mercedez -Benz E300.

[@PRNTestDrive]

Those are all Luxury vehicles. Look, I'm not an AJAC member, so I don't know how they classify the vehicle segments internally, but here at TestDrive Buick competes with none of those, because it's in the Premium segment, not the Luxury segment like all of those are.

[@unclewangsgarden8302]

As far as I know, before 2017, AJAC set the categories based on MSPR, (Best new family car under 30000, over 30000, best luxury new SUV under 35000, 35000-60000, over 60000). Buick Enclave was the best new SUV over 60000 in 2008 and Buick Regal was the best new family over 30000 in 2011. Since 2017 they have removed the price tags from the categories but made them more generic. "Premium categories" include all luxury brands.

[@nastinati647]

Wow. Turned your video off. All you did was complain about the damn car. And petty shit at that.

[@PRNTestDrive]

K

[@coreysmith8057]

With it

[@PRNTestDrive]

Ok

[@HealthyyHottiee]

♥️🚘 *GORGEOUS* 🥰✨

[@PRNTestDrive]

Agreed!

[@Tonyx.yt.]

This car seems a rebrand from Opel Insignia...

[@PRNTestDrive]

Just wait for the Regal GS this coming Monday, it’s 100% Opel, but also the end of GM’s captive importing since Opel was sold off last year to PSA Peugeot.

[@nastinati647]

Why did you review a car that you clearly dislike.

[@PRNTestDrive]

Well, that's how a review works, right? If someone only drove cars they knew they'd like then it would ultimately be marketing for the brand, not an unbiased review of it. And I didn't dislike this vehicle, it has a purpose or rather it did before GM killed it off. It had some minor flaws that I discussed.

[@charlesdegraffenreaid8311]

@@PRNTestDrive But your review is not at all balanced. Just highlighting all the things you don't like. At the end of the day, I'm about to buy this car as my 4th Buick.

[@Nohesitone214]

What the hell is the purpose of doing the interview? If you ain’t going to use nothing on the car or Sweetheart really runs you wasted your time and everybody else looking at the video really leave it to the professionals man

[@PRNTestDrive]

K

[@DERRECK153]

Its disappointing plus It needs more horsepower 310 ain't enough 350 to 400 hp would be great

[@PRNTestDrive]

Fair enough!

[@coreysmith8057]

With

[@PRNTestDrive]

yes

[@unjaded2]

THIS CAR IS GARBAGE AT THE $$ . IF IT WAS 40K MAYBE. this is in the same class as a 300 and the 300c is a much better car all around for less than 56k .

[@PRNTestDrive]

Buick definitely will need to look at either price or features if they want to be competitive.

[@shakeguitar1234]

go a 2 year old used for 19700 canadian 40000 km, sweet deal.