2013 Buick Lacrosse vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

The 2013 Buick LaCrosse occupies a middle ground lands somewhere between the mainstream and serious luxury brands—where the likes of the Hyundai Azera and Genesis, as well as the Nissan Maxima, reside.

There's more of a performance emphasis to the Maxima, which is slightly smaller than the LaCrosse, but it also appeals to those who value rich interior appointments.

Both 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; opt for the TL with all-wheel drive and a six-speed manual and as such is more of a driver's car.

The 2013 Lexus ES has also been redesigned The Hyundai Genesis has rear-wheel drive and a choice of V-6 or V-8 engines, and it's an especially strong value.

Along the same line, the Infiniti M might be worth comparing, although as a rear-wheel-drive sport sedan it does give up some space-efficiency for performance.

None of these models are as fuel-efficient as the LaCrosse, except for the all-new Lexus ES 300h, a hybrid model that achieves 40 mpg city, 39 highway.