2012 Buick Lacrosse vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

Landing somewhere between mainstream and true luxury brands, the 2012 Buick LaCrosseThe 2011 Buick LaCrosse lands somewhere between the mainstream and serious luxury brands—in the nowhere land occupied by vehicles like the Nissan Maxima and Saab 9-5.

The Maxima has more of a performance emphasis, and it's slightly smaller inside than the LaCrosse, but it appeals to some of the same crowd that wants a stylish large sedan that's sportier if not high-performance.

The Acura TL and Lexus ES are true luxury sedans, though they're both front-wheel drive and have more of an emphasis on comfort—though the TL is available with all-wheel drive and a six-speed manual and as such is more of a driver's car.

And for those who want more of a traditional large luxury sedan, the Hyundai Genesis might appeal; it has rear-wheel drive and a choice of V-6 or V-8 engines and is an especially strong value.

For those who are considering the LaCrosse V-6, the Infiniti M might be worth comparing; it's more of a sport sedan and more dynamically engaging, but its feature set is remarkably close to that of the LaCrosse.