When you have something good going, why change it? That’s the new car buying philosophy of this month’s Dear John letter writer, recent retiree Wayne Robertson, from Sherbrooke, Que.
Wayne is looking to replace his four-year-old, 2010 Buick Lucerne CXL — literally. His letter stated that he’s been “a Buick Man” since he bought his first new car: a 1986 Buick LeSabre. And the combination of his current Lucerne’s traditional four-door sedan body style, large trunk, and quiet and roomy interior is something that he’s been quite happy with. So even with his recent evacuation from the workforce, Wayne wrote that his driving needs don’t require any “big changes” with his next new car.
While Wayne no longer needs to make the daily drive to work as a university administrator, he wants to keep his Lucerne’s large trunk (all the better to house his and his wife Joan’s golf club bags). He also plans on driving his next new car to and from their new winter home in Jacksonville, Fla. That means the Lucerne’s relatively powerful V6 gas engine and comfort-first ride and handling characteristics are also “must haves” for his next new car.
Wayne’s only “upgrades” for his next vehicle are limited in number. With the price of regular gas hovering back in the $1.30 to $1.40 per litre range, he’d like to get better fuel economy than his Lucerne’s estimated 12.0 litres per 100 kilometres city and 7.4 highway numbers. And although he’ll be down South during the majority of the winter driving season, he’d still like to try all-wheel-drive, a feature his front-drive Lucerne lacks. As well, his only other stipulations are a budget “under $45,000” and “no import brands!”
Armed with Wayne’s requests, I managed to gather up a trio of domestic-branded luxury sedans, the first of which is the Canadian-made 2014 Buick LaCrosse. The LaCrosse is the more luxurious platform-mate of the Chevrolet Impala, and replaced the Lucerne as Buick’s top sedan for 2012.
While front-drive, four-cylinder LaCrosse models start at $37,595 (all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees), to get six-cylinders and traction at all four wheels, you’ll need to pop for the $43,495 LaCrosse AWD, which adds leather seats, too.
Alphabetically, my next recommendation is the 2014 Chrysler 300 Touring AWD. Also built in Canada, the Chrysler’s starting price is $40,485. It’s the least expensive of my recommendations, despite being the more upscale version of the Dodge Charger sedan.
Finally, Wayne, I’m offering up the 2014 Lincoln MKS. The Ford Taurus-based Lincoln luxury sedan comes just as you ordered, as all-wheel drive and six-cylinders come standard with the U.S.-made Lincoln flagship sedan.
With a six-cylinder gas engine making 304 horsepower and 279 pound-feet of torque, matched to a six-speed automatic transmission, the Lincoln matches the Buick for horses and beats it by 15 lb.-ft. However, the MKS’s 12.2 L/100 km city and 7.8 highway fuel economy estimates are merely average. That said, with 538 litres of trunk space, the big Lincoln does have the roomiest trunk of this trio.
The trouble is, the MKS also sports the biggest price. By far. At $49,860, the Lincoln is considerably more than the Buick or Chrysler. And that’s over your budget, Wayne, so the MKS is the first to be eliminated from our list. (Keep in mind that a similarly equipped Ford Taurus can be had for about $11,000 less.)
The next Dear John recommendation to be tossed from our list is the LaCrosse. While the Buick comes with a 304 hp and 264 lb.-ft. six-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed autobox, its 12.6 L/100 km city and 7.5 highway estimates are worse than your four-year old Lucerne. Plus, with only 377 L of trunk space, the LaCrosse offers the smallest golf compartment of this trio.
While the decision not to buy a Buick for the first time since the last episode of The Friendly Giant aired on CBC may be a hard one to make, the best replacement for your 2010 Buick Lucerne is the 2014 Chrysler 300 Touring AWD.
For starters, the big Chrysler sedan comes with the lowest price — something to consider for anyone on an indexed income. Secondly, the 300’s combination of its 292 hp and 260 lb.-ft. six-cylinder gas engine and new eight-speed autobox delivers the best fuel economy of this group: 11.4 L/100 km in the city and 7.3 on the highway. And although its 462 L trunk is mid pack, that’s more than enough for a pair of golf bags.
Who knew, Wayne, that you could be a “Chrysler Man”?
If you’re in the market for a new car, and would like to be the subject of a Dear John consultation, please contact John LeBlanc at editors@straight-six.com
