Refreshing or Revolting: 2017 Buick LaCrosse

Who said the full-size sedan is dead? Not Buick, which introduced its third-gen LaCrosse at the Los Angeles auto show earlier this month. The model definitely shows off a different personality than its predecessor, but are the design changes enough to make people excited about the model?

Of the many new design features on the 2017 Buick LaCrosse, one of the most notable is the slimmer, more sculpted grille. A new horizontal wing connects the Buick insignia (now red, silver, and blue) to the headlamps. Buick also ditches the old model’s rounded front fascia for a more squared-off front end with defined corners.

Looking closely at the side profile, you may notice that the LaCrosse looks just a little bigger and lower. Overall length has increased by 0.6 inch, although width increases by only a tenth of an inch. Meanwhile, the car sits lower than before, dropping 1.7 inches from the roofline. We think the LaCrosse looks more athletic than its predecessor thanks to its more pronounced hips and new character lines running across the body.

The new LaCrosse also features a short rear deck in the rear. No longer does the LaCrosse have the thick chrome accent bar running below the rear insignia. Slimmer taillights complete the minimalistic look.

Inside the cabin, the new LaCrosse features a floating center console and new center stack with an 8-inch Apple CarPlay-compatible touchscreen. While there are still plenty of button controls, they are oriented horizontally for a bit more cohesion. Other features on the new LaCrosse include perforated leather-appointed front seats with lumbar massaging, a head-up display, and wireless phone charging. And since it’s a Buick, there’s the obligatory wood decorative trim once again.

Let us know, do you think the 2017 Buick LaCrosse is refreshing or revolting? Or neither?

In last week’s Styling Size-Up, we pitted the Fiat 124 Spider against its similarly styled competitor, the Mazda Miata. So who won? Turns out the comments skewed in favor of the Fiat. Rasmus82 said, “The fiat looks timeless, classy and expensive. The Mazda, however, looks busy and overdone and somewhat awkward.” FlyoverCountry expressed a similar opinion: “the Fiat uses visual length to its advantage. The Fiat looks more mature and sexy, and less cartoonish.” But there was also plenty of praise for the Miata. “I think the design is much more simple and less strenuous on the eyes,” DriveThru commented on the Miata.

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