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The 2009 Buick LaCrosse gets a few new features. Three models of this midsize sedan are offered. CX and CXL versions have a 200-hp 3.8-liter V6. The high-performance LaCrosse Super has a 300-hp 5.3-liter V8, sport suspension, and unique trim. The CXS has been discontinued.

All LaCrosse models have front-wheel drive and a 4-speed automatic transmission. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, an antiskid system, and curtain side airbags. Satellite radio and OnStar assistance are standard.

An available front-bench seat for CX and CXL models raises passenger capacity from five to six. Also available are leather seating and rear-obstacle detection. A wireless cell-phone link is newly available, and heated power mirrors are standard on all models.

The 2009 Buick Enclave gets more available power and a few new features. This eight-passenger SUV is a crossover that shares its basic design with the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Saturn Outlook. Enclave comes in CX and CXL trims. It is available with a 288-hp 3.6-liter V6 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. The 2009 Enclave has 13 more hp than the 2008 model. Maximum towing capacity is 4500 lb. Front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive is available.

Seven-passenger seating is standard with 2nd-row bucket seats and a 3rd-row bench. A 2nd-row, three-person bench is optional. General Motors’ Smart Slide 2nd-row seats have flip-forward bottom cushions and sliding backrests. They’re designed to allow easier access to the 3rd row and are standard. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, curtain side airbags that cover all seating rows, and front side airbags. Bi-xenon headlamps are standard.

A DVD entertainment system is available. New for 2009 is a navigation system with real-time traffic updates. Also new for 2009 are a wireless cell phone link, heated and cooled front seats, and a 110-volt inverter that is standard with all entertainment packages. A rearview camera is available with the Driver Confidence package–even on those vehicles without a navigation system.

As part of the “old” Buick-as differentiated from the new 2010 LaCrosse and 2011 Regal-the Lucerne retains conservative styling and a focus on comfort above all. Classic, if somewhat dated, lines and abundant chrome accents are characteristic of the 2010 Lucerne.

Alloy wheels with optional polished upgrade versions, plus a wide range of exterior colors and interior upholstery materials, allow the buyer to style the Lucerne to suit their taste. The Lucerne Super gets some unique elements, including integrated exhaust tips, and “Super” badges on the rear deck lid. A unique grille and front and rear bumper treatments finish the exterior differences.

According to Kelley Blue Book, the “sleek roofline” is enhanced by the distinctively-shaped rear pillar, and the design of the wheel wells presents a “muscular stance.” Chrome portholes are a classic Buick styling cue. The number of portholes is also a hints as toat what’s under the hood-Cars.com points out that V-6 models have three portholes on each side, while V-8 sedans get four.

The 2010 Buick Enclave is a good-looking vehicle, most reviewers agree. Curvaceous fenders and glamorous detailing are a big part of it. The Enclave’s interior is loved, too; it’s subdued, luxurious, and high-quality throughout—and in many ways, a revelation for Buick.

A number of reviewers try to assess the overall design, and many see retro influences. MotherProof considers the Enclave “curvy” but still “lean” overall. According to the reviewers from Kelley Blue Book, the “waterfall” grille and portholes above the fenders hark back to the classic design lines of Buicks from the late 1940s and early ’50s. It’s “a more soothing design,” Car and Driver contends—and Business Week agrees, saying, “the curvy contours, the chrome, and the bold grille-work perfectly reflect the Enclave’s overall tone.”

The interior of the 2010 Buick Enclave draws overwhelmingly positive comments. “The dash features a center arch in housing an analog clock giving the Enclave an Art Deco feel,” says The Auto Channel.  BusinessWeek gushes over the interior as well, calling it “gorgeous” and “easily as nice, or nicer, as the interiors of the Lexus RX 350, the Acura MDX, and the Volvo XC90.” The New York Times agrees, reporting, “the cabin’s design showed that G.M. was successful in its effort to upgrade its interiors.” Motor Trend notes that “its nicely designed interior is as tangible an improvement over the other two [Lambda-platform crossovers] as its organic, Coke-bottle sheet metal is compared with their creased lines.”

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse offers up a new look for the Buick brand in some ways. 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.

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse is a “four-door sedan that comes in CX, CXL, and CXS trim levels,” according to Consumer Guide reviewers. The exterior sheetmetal is largely new for the 2010 version of the LaCrosse, and calls it “an exercise in well-proportioned grace.” Jalopnik agrees that the Buick LaCrosse is “a beautiful car in person, borrowing proportion from the much-lauded 1993 Lexus GS. When it comes to specific details, Motor Trend says that “the body sculpting and chrome flourishes are much more expressive than the ES 350’s, especially the crisp bow-wake shoulder line and concave lower ‘light catcher.

Autoblog continues the unanimous wave of approval, writing that “it’s hard to argue with the LaCrosse’s aesthetics,” as the new sedan manages to combine Buick styling elements that “don’t come across as retro or cliché.”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.