Behind the wheel, the new LaCrosse is a transformation compared to past models. While the classic Buick ride quality isn’t compromised—it’s still as comfortable as anything in its class—the 2010 LaCrosse offers much more competence in the curves than its predecessors. Fitted with the optional magnetic adjustable suspension, the car offers even more fun to the mildly enthusiastic driver, though its roughly 4,000-pound weight and front-biased weight distribution do make themselves known in the form of understeer and body roll when pushed too hard. Wheel configurations range from standard 17-inch steel wheels with plastic covers in the base CX up to large 18- and 19-inch machined, painted, or chrome-plated alloys. In TheCarConnection's drive tests, the 17-inch-equipped models rode noticeably more comfortably and quietly than the 18- or 19-inch models, where stiffer sidewalls transmitted more road noise into the cabin.

Safety features are abundant in the 2010 LaCrosse, with a full complement of dual-stage front and side airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags standard on all models. Rear-seat-mounted thorax airbags are also standard across the range. StabiliTrak stability and traction control and ABS brakes are standard as well. The 2010 LaCrosse hasn’t yet been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA for safety.

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse offers a great combination of value packages from the entry-luxury sector up to the mid-luxury range, with more modern ride and handling characteristics, a range of high-tech features and quality interior design and materials. A new high-resolution digital center instrument panel screen is also available, as is a Heads-up Display (HUD), pushing the LaCrosse’s feature set into the high-tech realm. A 40-gigabyte hard-drive-based navigation and entertainment system can also be fitted. All LaCrosses except the base CX feature hands-free Bluetooth phone connectivity, remote start, eight-way adjustable seating, and dual-zone climate control.

The only downside is that the 2010 Buick LaCrosse gets the ‘signature’ porthole look, with the faux vents moved to the top of the hood. The decorative vents appear cheesy from a distance, out of place up close and, in the words of Cars.com, “hurt an otherwise sharp design.”

If you open up any of the Buick LaCrosse’s large doors and sit inside you’ll be treated to a rethought interior that wins over reviewers with its refinement. Like the exterior, Jalopnik thinks that “the interior is handsome, too, with sweeping lines, modern styling and enough ambient lighting to shake a cane at.” Motor Trend is equally impressed, writing that “if the exterior entices, the interior could seal the deal.” Cars.com reviewers find that the many small details found throughout the LaCrosse’s cabin “go a long way toward convincing those with sticker shock that Buick’s midsize sedan’s price premium is deserved.” Whether or not the appealing design is enough to win over cash-strapped consumers who still view Buick as a senior citizen brand, however, remains to be seen.

If you get enjoyment out of shifting your own gears, you’ll probably want to avoid the 2010 Buick LaCrosse. Motor Trend says that all three engines “bolt to six-speed automatic transmissions,” and the only option is whether you want “all- or front-wheel drive in the CXL.” Fortunately, initial impressions of the transmissions are positive. Jalopnik reports that “the transmission is well sorted with shift points exactly where you’d expect,” and Cars.com says that the auto “handles upshifts smoothly.” Autoblog offers high praise as well, finding that the available automatics “shift with exemplary smoothness and reasonable speed.”

Fuel economy is not going to be a marketing point for the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, but it’s far from the worst entry-level luxury sedan on the road. According to the official EPA estimates, the 2010 Buick LaCrosse should return 17 mpg city and 26 mpg highway with the 3.0-liter engine/FWD combination, while the AWD gets knocked down to 16/25. The 3.6-liter version of the Buick LaCrosse, meanwhile, offers 17 mpg city and 27 mpg on the highway.

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse handles confidently enough on most roads, but, as Cars.com points out, “its capabilities stop short of an all-out sport sedan’s.” Fortunately, Cars.com mentions, “no one ever wanted Buick to build the next BMW.” An available Sport mode for the Buick LaCrosse “improves body-motion control” and also causes the steering effort to increase “without ever delivering much in the way of genuine road feel,” according to Motor Trend. Jalopnik characterizes the hydraulic steering as “comfortably overboosted and on-center feel is a bit numb,” but there’s nothing frustrating about the way that the Buick LaCrosse drives. The ride quality is quite comfortable, and Consumer Guide calls it “perhaps LaCrosse’s most impressive quality,” although they point out that “ride quality suffers in sport mode, with larger road irregularities registering with pronounced thuds.” One major downside on the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, however, is found once the driver steps on the brakes—according to Cars.com reviewers, “the pedal doesn’t elicit a particularly strong response,” and “under hard braking, the car’s nose dives excessively.”

The materials and build quality of the Buick LaCrosse are somewhat less controversial, and most reviewers give the LaCrosse’s interior a thumbs-up. Consumer Guide feels that the “handsome cabin is finished in rich, well-textured materials with apparently careful assembly.” Jalopnik partially agrees; on the one hand, they argue that “the wood on these cars is quite impressive or, rather, we should say fake wood,” as they write that “magnification may be necessary to confirm the screen-printing.” On the downside, Jalopnik also says that “material choice[s] are occasionally mediocre, with the dreaded GM flat gray and beige plastic making an unexpected appearance.” Overall, however, the materials are a decided step up from the 2009 Buick LaCrosse lineup.

Buick engineers apparently worked on more than just the interior materials and workmanship, since a ride in the new 2010 Buick LaCrosse is much quieter than one in other Buicks of the last decade. Jalopnik is so impressed that they claim that “the interior is so quiet you can hold conversations at 100 MPH without even hearing the engine,” and Consumer Guide seconds that by calling the LaCrosse “impressively hushed.”

Crash-test ratings may not be available yet for the latest Buick sedan, but the safety features list has been heavily pushed by Buick. As Cars.com points out, “four-wheel-disc antilock brakes are standard” on the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, and other standard features include “an electronic stability system and six airbags.” Unlike some competing models, the 2010 Buick LaCrosse doesn’t offer all of its safety equipment as standard fare; backseat side airbags are an optional feature, and when added they bring the total number of airbags inside the big Buick to eight.

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse doesn’t suffer from any major deficiencies in terms of sightlines. Consumer Guide reviewers write that “visibility is generally good in all directions” from the LaCrosse’s driver seat. For those who are particularly concerned about visibility, Cars.com notes that “a blind-spot warning system and adaptive cornering headlights, which automatically swivel a few degrees to illuminate upcoming curves when you turn the steering wheel, are optional.”

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse also gets a slew of optional features, including a world-class navigation system. Cars.com raves that the LaCrosse’s “optional in-dash navigation system—it’s GM’s latest generation—has excellent graphics and quick response: zoom in on the map or jump to a submenu, and it happens now.” Motor Trend adds that “once everything’s programmed, many of the features can also be accessed via voice command.” The nav system is far from the only desirable feature on the list, though, as Cars.com writes that “Additional options include a panoramic sunroof…xenon headlights and a backseat DVD system with a screen behind each front-seat head restraint.”

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse gets mixed reviews from automotive experts for its cargo space and interior storage. Beginning with the trunk, Consumer Guide claims that the Buick offers a “deep and spacious storage area,” but Cars.com contests that it’s “not particularly roomy.” Cars.com reviewers also back up their opinion with some data, pointing out that “overall volume, at 13.3 cubic feet…leads the TL (13.1 cubic feet) but trails the ES 350 (14.7) and MKZ (16.5).” Inside the passenger compartment, Jalopnik reviewers are disappointed to find an unremarkable center console, and notes that, “for large cars in a luxury segment, the cubbies and storage in the LaCrosse are pretty terrible.”