Paolino

It boggles my mind how I once liked Lincoln more than Buick and now I could care less about their entire lineup (although the newest Navigator's interior choices made me look twice). 

It's probably the battery--it's the original!  I'm going to leave it for them to cope with--they'll be home soon and I'm insanely busy.  Why this ended up in the Cadillac forum instead of the Lounge where I thought I posted it, I don't know.

Thanks for the response.

So, parents are away for an extended period of time.  I try to drive their 2013 LaCrosse once every week or two just to move it around.

Today something odd happened... started it up, and the first things I noticed is there was no gauge sweep and the animation for the LCD screen between the tach/speedometer was out of sync with the animation on the radio's screen.  I figured, no big deal.

I put the car in reverse, reverse camera comes on, sensors pick up that a girl is walking past the car on her way to the bus stop, everything is normal.  I back up, shift into drive, and start going along my way.  About a minute into the drive, the radio screen goes black, reboots, and now is showing the startup animation.

Car is driving perfectly fine.  I get to work, no problem.  I go to leave work, start up the car, same thing... animations are not in sync, no gauge sweep.  This time the radio stayed on without restarting.

I checked the numbers for the volt meter, and although it was SLIGHTLY higher than normal (it is usually mid 14's and today it was 15.2), it wasn't really showing anything alarming.  Again, car feels fine.

Just a fluke?  Anything to be concerned about?

There's something about the side of the car that makes me feel like I'm watching a late 90's movie and someone souped up a generic midsize sedan with a spoiler and some wheels and a big exhaust... nothing about the exterior screams premium or luxury to me.  Nothing in my opinion is attractive at all.  And the interior looks awful and looks like it'd be frustrating to operate.

Yuck.

12 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

If that does not say spoiled phoquing North American entitled asshat, I dont know what is...

So yeah! Even when I said 1st world problems in JEST...it looks like I was 100% right all along!!! 

If YOU are uncertain of YOUR future, one word of advice...STOP being a dreamer. 

Your lease is up?

Look to buy the car you are leasing up front, or look to a used car... there is NO need for you to be looking at brand new Buick Lacrosses and there is certainly no reason for you to be bitching about cars that you cannot actually afford in the first phoquing place! 

Yup...I still stand by my statement...and this time its NOT in jest.

1st world entitled problems we have!!!

Who ever said I was complaining I can't afford it?  I simply said I was looking for better packaging and equipment, and that I didn't want to spend that kind of money to get what others offer on cheaper cars.  You took it to another level.

Again, you're being inappropriate and rude.  Nothing in my original post said I couldn't afford it--it said I was displeased with the layout of the trim levels.  You're making a lot of assumptions, man.  And you're completely off-base with what you're saying.  What on earth could you possibly know about my life to make those assumptions from a simple post?  You're going out of your way to start an argument where none was necessary.

15 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

1st world problems are nice to have.  

Buick does NOT offer you what you want in a car. Dont buy Buick. Buy something that offers you what you want at the price you want it for.  

And if I love Buick and want them to do better and succeed?

I love the LaCrosse.  I just wish I could get a LaCrosse how I want it.

14 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Not necessarily focusing on you Balthy or on Paolino with my 1st world problem statement...

Just a general statement that 1st word people like to complain about...in general.  

 

But as you and Paolino have stated in these posts, and how you even said:

Yes...1st world problems.

Manufactures in the USA have collected enough data over the last car buying century, have conducted many focus group meetings, that they have more or less stream lined the options available in their offerings...

Pay up and shut up it shall be.  And that means that the way these options are being offered is just to facilitate the money coming in for these companies...you know...profit. Profit is the driving force of a 1st world country. 

I understand what you want out of cars as I have a feeling we both want the same thing out of our cars regarding these safety features. I always buy the top of the line trim model, yet I hardly use the features that come with the car. 

I pay up and shut up...but that is how I want it anyway.

In Paolino's case, either he pays up and shuts up with a higher trimmed Buick that he doesnt want, but living in the 1st world, he has options to buy somewhere else other than Buick.

It is NOT frustrating because we, North Americans, are free and rich enough to buy almost whatever we want, whenever we want it. 

Look at his statement...

He has another year to go to get another car. He KNOWS he will get another car. He just does NOT know what he wants yet. 

He is frustrated with a false sense of not getting what he wants. Yet what he wants is available somewhere no doubt... 

He WILL find it. He WILL acquire it. There is no doubt that he will find it and acquire it. Next year. Its a guarantee.

In your case.

You want the option to de-option.  But  your fellow American citizens want their cars to do their laundry for them  if it was possible.  Your fellow Americans are now even tired to wait in a drive-thru window to get their coffee that they would want their car to place an order through their car's internet connection and their restaurant of choice and they want their coffee to be ready as soon as they arrive...

And these features are a must today... 

So...maybe not a 1st world complaint you have Balthy, but your complaint resides with the North American market DEMANDING these 1st world options to be available at ANY price point. So...you and I have no other choice but to pay up and shut up as WE are in the minority... 

So yeah...1st world problems where we have these options at our feet, we either complain because we dont want them, or we complain because we want them offered a certain way...

Yet in other parts of the world...

OK...less grim...

That would be asylum seekers in a country that is thought to be paradise...

Yes..that would be Greece...

And lets look at Greeks in Greece. Forget that...lets look at Detroit Michigan...

So yeah...1st world problems complaining about being frustrated at the lack of features on a Buick...

Like I said. Buick offers no features you like. Do not buy Buick. Buy something else.  In America, we still have plenty of choices to choose from.  

This aint an angry rant. Just a defensive post defending my 1st world statement. 

 

 

Well, it's kinda rude to be honest.  You have NO clue what my situation is or what I've been through.  I've been through a hell of a lot in my life, and as for "He has another year to go to get another car. He KNOWS he will get another car. He just does NOT know what he wants yet."

You couldn't be more wrong.  Having lost my job several times, still paying student loans, and dealing with a shitty past, I can safely say I do not know if I will get another car in a year.  I do not know if I'll be working in a year.  I've been through several transitions where I've had to borrow a car or get rides because as hard as I've worked, things haven't worked out.

And even with all that... and perhaps it's foolish on my part, I give SO much of my own money to those who are less fortunate... all the time.  Thousands each year.

One of my biggest gripes with Buick is it appears the competition (and often cheaper cars that don't compete) have a lot more content, and better packaging.

I have to jump up 3 trim levels or even go to the top trim to get certain features that are standard on a Corolla.  Sure, the LaCrosse is a much nicer, larger car, but I can't help but feel at this price and time, some things should just be standard like Blind-zone monitoring.

Then there's the gripe that in order to add one feature you often have to add several other expensive packages.

Anyone else get frustrated?  I know I have another year before I need to get my next car, but I want to start looking now so I'm ready to go right before my lease is up.

The front doesn't really do much to make me think "Buick".  It looks like a Prius was turned into a wagon and had a Buick wing/insignia thrown on it.

19 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

It still works well enough for me.

To be honest, I never heard of the Rain-X washer fluid... does it spot up the non-wiper portion of the windshield when you use it and it sprays out?

18 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I get the autosense wipers, but like @balthazar I do not miss not having it as I rainX my windshields and all the auto's have it fly off faster than a wiper. Kinda like going Warp Speed. 

Wife, Daughter and Son all love it and are sold on it for their auto's.

My only problem with RainX is you have to like drive at least 30-40 before it really starts blowing the water off the windshield--which means it's useless in city driving/traffic which I'm in daily.  And in my own experience, the wiper blade would streak across the windshield when you used it at lower speeds, rather than smoothly wipe the windshield--otherwise I loved it.

11 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Interesting...so RainX actually works?  Always assumed it was just hype..

Oh it definitely works.  I like using it on my side/rear windows... water flies off it when you hit a certain speed like you're in the dryer of a car wash.  When not flying off, I'd say it beads up more like a freshly-waxed car.  You have to reapply every now and then, but it's a good product.

On 4/4/2018 at 4:00 PM, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Weird..wasn't that something Buick offered decades ago? 

It's offered on other Buick models currently.  It was standard on my parents 2006 Lucerne CXL.

On 4/4/2018 at 5:09 PM, balthazar said:

I'm sorry; I don't get automating something you're looking directly at/thru. How could a driver possibly be unaware it's raining?

IMO, having an 'object in trunk' monitor/warning makes more sense than rain-sensing wipers.

You've never had your wipers at a certain speed only to have a car plow a wave of water at your windshield?  The rainsense usually reacts quicker than you... or how about being at a red light and hearing the wiper chatter go over a mostly dry windshield because it's drizzling, but you stopped... but the wipers are on a preset intermittent cycle?  Or how about when the weather keeps changing between downpours and lighter rain... and your wipers just take care of it because they're automatic...

You can get rain-sensing wipers on a Yaris, and yet still not on a loaded LaCrosse.

On 3/28/2018 at 12:20 PM, dfelt said:

Nice looking sedan as sedans go and it fits the Nissan family. Should sell well for them. My only hold up is that based on past experiences, I have NO FAITH in the CVT lasting past 60-70 thousand miles. CVT is a great engineering concept, but after all these years, has FAILED to live up to its potential and traditional Geared transmissions have proven to be far superior.

Big PASS on this for me due to CVT.

I'll say this, my friends still have a 2004 Prius and the CVT is just fine... the car has over 120,000 miles, and although it doesn't really hold much of a charge, it's the same hybrid battery.  I was wary of the CVT when they first got it and I hate driving with them because I like gear shifts, but the durability surprised me.

As for this Altima, I like it--I have enjoyed the last few Altimas... but the new Camry in my opinion really upped its game in style (not a fan of the rear of the new Accord).

I like the exterior, hate the interior.

I honestly don't care one way or another.  I mean, I'd prefer they update the "Buick" font, but not having it there isn't going to affect me.

On 1/16/2018 at 12:12 PM, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

They are there, right below the screen in the center stack slab.

I looked SO hard for them and didn't see them originally!

Sooooo... no center vents?  I guess that gets shifted to the passenger side?  With rear seat vents in most cars I guess it's a moot point, though.

Not digging the center stack at all... especially the way the screen slopes what appears to be very angled away from the driver.  The solid row of "chrome" buttons lining the bottom are going to be a distraction from the driver who might need to change something while driving.

As others have said, that grille... huge, plastic, and well, eww.  I felt the Camry's design was heading in a nice direction... this drove off a cliff.

LCD screen blocking center vents? Okay...

I'm impressed and intrigued.

I love the idea of cars having names instead of the alphanumeric obsession we currently have... I don't know what's up with Lincoln though; I think they look premium, I know they're trying, but all of their new cars' designs just make me say, "Eh."

I will say this, Wards voted the LaCrosse interior as one of their top 10 auto interiors.

Eh

Quick Drive: 2016 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 2.4L 6A

While my parents were away, I took a little time to use their second car to offset some of the mileage on my lease.

The Sonata they leased was their first lease ever, and honestly they got it for a steal.  The car is nicer than their last Sonata, a 2006 with the 3.3L V6 and a 5-speed automatic.

Having spent a couple of hundred miles on both highway and city driving, over the course of 2 weeks, they’ve made dramatic improvements in a decade.  They styling I’m not at all crazy about.  Frankly, I think it’s ugly and a step back from the previous generation which I thought was very nice and contemporary.  The car is loaded with features such as blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear parking assist, dual zone auto climate control, auto-dimming rearview mirrors, a 7” LCD screen for the infotainment, heated leather seats, front auto up/down windows, keyless entry, push-button start, etc.

Ride and quality are calm and controlled.  Bumps are nicely cushioned out and the handling is controlled, but not sporty.  Hey, it’s a midsize family car… I’m not taking it on the autobahn.  The drive modes do change the car’s personality a bit, with Eco making it a bit sluggish and Sport tightening the steering a little and making the transmission a little more rev-happy.  The engine is smooth and not very buzzy… much more refined than the 4-cylinders I’m used to from growing up!  I’d put it on par with my friend’s 2013 I-4 Camry.

I didn’t calculate actual fuel economy numbers, but the car appeared extremely frugal.  I used half a tank of gas in the 200-250 miles I drove.  I’m fairly certain my car would have taken three-quarters of a much larger tank, granted I have a larger engine, AWD, and a heavier vehicle.

Some features I appreciated:

Perhaps it’s just me, but the digital speedometer readout updates instantly.  In my LaCrosse it only updated about once or twice per second.  This is a much faster readout, and I prefer it (yet I can’t figure out why as once or twice per second is fast enough—maybe it gives the illusion you’re accelerating faster than you actually are).

The radio is like in my Genesis in regards to out of the 18 presets, it is always recording the first 6 favorites… even if you’re not on that station, it’s recording.  So like a DVR, if I’d like to rewind a song or skip one, or pause the radio, I can.

There are plenty of little cubbies all over the place, and even ones that perfectly fit my wallet and smartphone, and another that perfectly fit the key fob.

Something that annoyed me:

The entire car is LED.  The DRL’s are LED.  All the dash lights are LED.  The taillamps are LED.  The front dome lights are LED.  The rear dome lights are incandescent.  Why?!  When you open the doors at night, the front seats illuminate brightly in cool white, and the rear seats illuminate in a dimmer tan.  What did that do, save a few cents?  Hell, the trunk light is LED!  Swap the two!

This is so disappointing... I love a larger sedan, as do my parents, my brother, etc.  My friends have always enjoyed being passengers in them.