BGR is headed to the New York Auto Show!

By on Apr 5, 2010 at 5:47 PM
Cars April 5, 2010

Buick-LaCrosse-1

We wanted to do something fun with car technology for the 2010 New York Auto Show… a little change of pace for BGR. This year, we’re doing some segments on all the different technology that goes into the latest and greatest vehicles currently available, and those that are about to hit the market. Buick has graciously sponsored our New York Auto Show coverage this year — they’ve even dropped off a Buick LaCrosse so we could see what kind of tech it’s pushin’. Look for our Auto Show coverage segments coming real soon, but for now, here’s a quick look at the 2010 Buick LaCrosse from a technology perspective.

This post is part of our “Live Like A Genius” content series sponsored by Buick and the all-new 2010 LaCrosse.buicklacrosselogo

We won’t actually comment on how the car drives since that’s not what we’re really interested in, but as far as the interior goes, it ranges from pretty boring and bland, to pretty amazing. We’ll keep this really short, but here’s some of the stuff we’ve loved after playing with the car for over a week:

  • The car has a 40GB built-in hard drive and can rip your MP3s right from the CD and store it in the car.
  • What’s even cooler though, is that the same hard drive is used for caching the radio stations you’re listening to. That means you can literally rewind live radio up to 20 minutes in case you missed a song you wanted to hear, a contest — whatever.
  • The LaCrosse is the first car we’ve seen to show a full visual weather forecast, and damn does it look nice.
  • Bluetooth is a breeze to pair your phones with, and our iPhone connected perfectly to the built in USB port.
  • The car features some great advancements like an air quality filter which continuously monitors the quality of the outside air and will automatically switch your A/C to recirculation, a great rear camera back up system with visual guidance, and a really solid and straight forward user interface.

Some of the stuff we weren’t too happy about?

  • The car has this weird wrap around console that literally goes from the rear doors, all the way up the front, and continues onto the dash. It’s kind of futuristic looking, and makes you feel like you’re about to lift off. Cool at first, but the blue lighting kind of gets old quick. Plus it doesn’t really match with the Buick brand all too much, but maybe that’s just us…
  • While the Bluetooth pairing of our phones went oh-so-smoothly, unfortunately, we couldn’t find a way to sync our address book with the car. Worse than that, there was no recently called, missed, or most frequently contacted lists anywhere we could see.
  • Is it bad we’re hoping for capacitive navigation screens in cars? The screen on the Buick was probably just as good as any other, but we had a couple mis-fires and it was a little bit frustrating when trying to get the weather or enter in a navigation point.

Click on over to our Buick LaCrosse technology gallery!

Tags:
, , , , , , ,
40 Comments

Related Articles

  • AT&T_CSR

    OOooh! The unveiling of the iCar!!

    • Traffic1

      Sounds like they are trying to catch up with Ford.

  • Teddy

    Will there be a functional Toyota?

    • The Drizzle

      Toyota moving forward, Even if you dont want to.

      • http://www.smiteahippie.com Smite A. Hippie

        moving forward, but not stopping? :)

        (sorry, couldn’t resist, that was just kind of wide-open and easy pickings hehe. regardless of you liking/hating the company, c’mon laugh – it was funny.)

    • StevenGlansburg

      Yeah, and there will be plenty of people claiming their gas pedal is stuck when in fact they were likely just screwing off with their iphones pretending to save the world with their Prius.

  • Mike

    WOW! American cars are finally adding Xenon as an option? Gone are the days when the Escalade, CTS, and Corvette were the only Xenon-worthy cars?

    Too bad the Buick looks like a four year old Lexus LS. High five GM…way to continue to “innovate.”

    Buying a Buick is like buying a brand new, overpriced laptop and running XP on and thinking that you’re ahead of the times. Support America by having these silly US car companies finally just go under.

    • Carmen

      There’s been HID on a lot of American cars. But, you knew that, you just wanted to say something untrue to make the U.S. auto industry look bad. While you are busy being a hater, I’ll go do more positive things.

      The LaCrosse is really nice. It looks a lot nicer than the 2006 LS. Here’s a link if you forget what they looked like.

      http://www.auto123.com/ArtImages/98132/2004-Lexus-LS-430-001.JPG

      Anyway, it’s comparable in size to an ES and at under $30,000 it’s more like an IS. In fact, the cheapest IS is about $5000 more. Annnnddd, the Buick, in my opionion looks BETTER than the IS.

      • Mike

        Carmen, my man (Man? I’m not actually sure, since Carmen is one of those names like “Pat.”)

        Way to completely look past my tongue-in-cheek humor. I love when I have to explain my sarcasm like that sketch from Conan a few years back (The Grandma in the PIP window). But, I’ll be your urbandictionary this one time to my comments.

        First off, my man, I am not a hater. I actually have been looking at cars for quite a while, and if it weren’t for my terrible impulsiveness and indecisiveness, I would’ve purchased one already. I stopped by and was completely disgusted by the warranties offered, overall build quality, and “technology” of most American cars. I found myself saying, “I’d rather have a four year old German car than this” with each model I looked at.

        Sure, there’s HID…But I want the auto-leveling, road hugging, tied to the steering wheel Xenon that has become commonplace on most entry level German/semi-luxury models. Hopefully, on this site, you know the difference.

        Also, I wasn’t talking about the 2006…I was OBVIOUSLY talking about the 2007. When did that come out? Oh yeah, late 2006. What year is it? 2010. 2010 MINUS 2006 = 4 years. Want to argue over some months? Write that off over poetic license.

        If you honestly think the Buick looks better, you’re a lost cause…I’d hate to see your interior design setup and your taste in clothing. I’m sure you’d probably tell me you can find something fashionable at K-Mart, right?

        PS…Hop off my D, brah. You have no clue.

      • nick

        Just to let you know Mike, Lexus is actually owned by Toyota and their cars are manufactured in…japan and china not Germany. If your looking for a good German car you be looking for BMW and Mercedes both companies are way better than Lexus. And Buick is going through a brand reinvention process, their cars actually becoming very comparable to many luxury car brands and the prices are much more affordable. Of course you know all that since you’ve been in the market for a new car.

      • Mike

        I was going to type a lengthy post, but I’ll keep it simple. Would you buy a Buick over a BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc?

        I wouldn’t.

        The dash is overcomplicated. The “technology” that others were praising are YEARS behind other car companies. The design leaves something to be desired. Sure, Buick was typically for the older demographic, and maybe this new model appeals to them. Yet, I’m not buying it.

      • Mike

        Fine, fine, fine…I get it.

        Buick is for those who have no sense of style and lack individuality. My bad.

      • T Man

        “The dash is overcomplicated.”

        I’ll give you that.

        “The “technology” that others were praising are YEARS behind other car companies.”

        Since you are praising German cars (of which I’ve owned three), I’m wondering where you are getting this idea about the technology being superior in German cars. Sure, we can talk about the engineering of innovative safety and driving dynamics features, but if we are to compare the inside electronics, they generally have been sucky. They have improved a lot, but I can say that the iDrive in my 2008 BMW X5 is crap. The COMAND in my E and ML was crap too. When the Japanese were running with DVD navs, the Germans were still using CD. Check out an Infiniti navigation system and then compare it to a German car and there is no comparison. The Bluetooth in my ML? Complete joke. There is much more to a car than electronic gizmos, but they are sorely lacking on German cars.

  • Loopy

    Gotta admit, Buick is trying hard with their new Lacrosse and the Enclave. The Enclave looks nice as hell.

    But those ads that compare them to Lexus are sad. If I had Lexus money in my pocket, trust me I won’t opt for a Buick instead.

  • http://www.chewyfanipackclub.com chewbacca

    I’m when the milestone coming to AT

  • mangenius

    I think we are witnessing the slutting out of BGR..

    Buick just pimped slapped u

  • Onceuponatime

    Buick, as well as many US auto makers have been doing great work. Too bad GM continues to be greedy self serving pricks. ( discruntled UAW, lol)

  • ron

    One new $50000 auto has an iPad instead of an owner’s manual.

    • http://ran-o-matic.com ranomatic

      One new $55,000 Hyundai Equus.

      • Will H

        Hyundai is a car company of the future. They are now where Toyota & Honda were 5-10 years ago (no Toyota puns intended). The American car infrastructure is horrible. Innovation is low and prices are too high for what you are actually getting (you can blame the unions for that). GM, Chevy and Ford have a select few desirable cars but besides that the lot is looking pretty dull.

      • Mike

        I LOVE Hyundai. I testdrove a Genesis and was shocked by it. It really makes me reconsider a 335i coupe…But a BMW is just SO much fun to drive.

        As much as I love German cars, companies like Hyundai are showing that you can get similar features and specs for a significant discount without losing quality. (perhaps even gaining quality).

  • Fady

    I guess BGR has been out of touch with in car tech for a while. The tech in this car has been on the CTS since 2007 w/ the 2008 model unveiling (bluetooth in 2009 model). I’m surprised you haven’t played with the heads up display though!

    Btw, if this is like the CTS, it also allows you to mix favorites accross XM, FM, AM…another subtle feature where you don’t have to switch between them to get favorites from different bands.

  • Gees

    Good..stay there and quit reporting on shit like this

  • BBSwany

    “Plus it doesn’t really match with the Buick brand all too much, but maybe that’s just us…”

    That’s the point BG. Buick needed to rebrand itself and vehicles like the LaCrosse, Enclave and soon the Regal show that. Buick is back in a big way.

  • Acura Happy

    I actually had a 2010 LaCrosse for a few weeks. The technology is very slick and yet very GM. This car is light years ahead of many GM cars, but other brands are light years ahead of that since so many GM cars are cave dwellers.
    It is a Buick, and no amount of Tiger has convinced me completely this is not my father car. My dad has no idea what bluetooth is, and navigation is a waste to him, that is what a map is for. I fear that some of the great stuff in this car will be lost on who Buicks market is still today, not who they want their market to be. So much so that they never get this cool technology into the hands of those who will appreciate it.
    In the end I got rid of this car because as I drove home from picking it up, the windshield wiper fell apart. A couple days later the technology got the best of it and it got stuck on the reverse screen regardless of the fact I was heading down the street. I was not interested in a repeat of my previous GM nightmare.
    Bought an Acura and it is a dream. Everything works perfect. Nice iPod connector, bluetooth works great, and nothing has fallen apart yet or needed a trip to the dealer for repair…..
    No technology will help if the stuff is built like crap. GM please listen to this. Improve your quality.

    • Jim

      I call BS. The windshield wiper on a brand new car “fell apart” also please don’t drive down the street in reverse.

      Explain how other cars are “light years ahead” of this car.

      The 2010 Buick Lacrosse is Buick’s new direction. This car is priced 1000′s less than a Lexus and is just as good if not better.

      I can see how you’d be a little confused about Buick though. Even BGR doesn’t understand they’re updating their brand image. That doesn’t give you free reign to make up stuff though. Wait until the Regal comes out, you’ll see.

      Acura’s are nice cars, but they’re made by Honda. If I wanted a Accord with luxury features I might look at them.

      • T Man

        “Acura’s are nice cars, but they’re made by Honda. If I wanted a Accord with luxury features I might look at them.”

        Buicks are nice cars, but they’re made by GM. If I wanted a Malibu with luxury features I might look at them.

      • Steve

        @ Jim

        Ignorant comment.

        Are Accords available with SH-AWD and a 300+HP engine coupled to a six speed?

        Are Accords available with half of the tech shit that the TL comes with?

        I think not.

        I hate it when non-car people try to argue something completely ridiculous. Just because it shares a platform doesn’t mean that it is the same car. Is the new 5 Series GT essentially a 7 Series? Is the Santa Fe essentially a Sonata? No. No. No.

      • TNSF

        The LaCrosse won’t steal huge sales from BMW or Mercedes because those brands have very different identities and characters.

        The LaCrosse will steal sales from Lexus and Acura because there is nothing remarkable about those brands that the Buick doesn’t offer. There will also be some bleed into Toyota and Honda because some of their models are quite expensive when opting for higher trim.

        The LaCrosse is not the most advanced or amazing car on the road. The key is that it is very competitively appointed and designed for the market segment it is targeting.

  • ZPrime

    Air quality monitoring is hardly a new feature. My 2008 “people’s car” has this, and I imagine older BMWs and Mercedes do as well.

  • Ayy

    Fuck is this site doing messing with cArs, I’ll go on car and driver if I wanted that give me phones!

    • maxpayne79

      It’s called Cash Money homey.

  • Jim

    Sure other cars may have these features, even have had them for years, try and buy one for the same price as a Buick though. You can’t do it.

  • DasAuto

    I have the “peoples car” also..and quite frankly, I can buy one with all the features cheaper than the Buick. I have navigation, air quality monitoring, Bi xenon headlights with auto leveling, climatronic dual zone climate controls, a monitoring system that will tell me exactly what bulb is out if one happens to go out, bluetooth, the list of STANDARD features goes on and on. Oh and did I mention my car is a 2007???

  • MobileGuru

    regardless what some ppl have to say. This is a really sexy car. I would think ppl would be looking for something reliable good looking and packed with features. Bmw’s (AKA “Break My Wallet”) are great cars but just because there expensive and popular doesnt automatically make it a better car. Take a Honda or Toyota and now even a car from GM and see which last u longer and cost u the least in the long run, If that happens to be a Buick ill take that any day.

  • pablonewt

    Sorry I must have missed something in all this stuff about how sexy this is and all the gaizmos. Is this a zero emissions, or even low emissions car? Surely the carbon footprint is more important than all this?

  • Some Guy

    Your report sucks; and so do you.

  • bailey

    hello!It is every woman’s dream to be the most beautiful lady in their wedding party wearing the carefully chosen wedding dress. That is just like the story of the little duck turn who turned into the white swan. Each of us has the right to be the princess on our big day! So, there comes a problem of picking up a perfect and affordable wedding dress that helps to make us to be the princess. “How to choose one that is made for me?” Who has good advice, how to choose wedding gown

  • http://boygenius mtwm4

    Go with what’s comfortable and reflects your personal style and finesse.

  • http://metroautoshop.com/ metroautoshop

    this is a great news we always wanted to see this beauty from the front..i wonder how it would feel to see and sense it :)

blog comments powered by Disqus