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Post by human on Dec 19, 2019 10:23:38 GMT -6
I haven't been around here much since I donated my '95 Aurora to charity a year ago. I've been having fun with the Cutlass convertible and the Impala has been amazingly trouble-free--until noon this past Sunday when I got rear-ended by a drunk driver. Thankfully, no one got hurt but the Impala is teetering on the bubble of being totaled. The insurance company has called in a third-party appraiser to make the final call, which I don't think bodes particularly well for its future. Although I haven't heard anything definitive, I started looking at used cars in my area on Edmunds.com, just to get a feel for what was out there and at what price points. I started by looking at Impalas and Malibus but was disappointed in what I was seeing--Lots of miles, ridiculously expensive or both--and just as I was about to close up my laptop in frustration, I decided just so see what a Buick Lacrosse was going for. My mother has a 2013 model that has all of 6,800 miles on it and she's promised that car to me whenever she's ready to stop driving, but that's not about to happen any time soon. Imagine my surprise when the first Lacrosse on the list was a 2013 model (same as Mom's, except no sunroof) with 57,000 miles on it and priced quite reasonably; in fact, it was the only car I saw on Edmunds that night rated as a "Great Deal" at almost $2,400 off market. It was in a small town about an hour away, so I rode up the next day to take a look at it. The car was absolutely pristine. and the price was right, so I went ahead and rolled the dice and bought it as the bird in the hand it was. The independent dealer who had it was firm on the price but to his credit, that was the out-the-door price. No administrative fees or any of that BS. Of course, I had a nice fat bill waiting for me at DMV, but that was all the state of North Carolina. If the insurance company totals my Impala, I'm a step ahead of the game. If not, they can fix it and I'll bring it home and stick a For Sale sign on it. Either way, I win.
Now that I've had the Lacrosse for a few days, I'm getting a distinct feeling of deja vu. The car has a distinct Aurora-ness about it. The appointments and handling are very reminiscent of the Aurora, although the Eco-Assist 4cyl hybrid power plant doesn't come anywhere close to matching the Aurora's performance. I can't help thinking that if Oldsmobile had still been around a decade after its demise, the Aurora might well look a lot like this Lacrosse.
Daily Driver: 2011 Impala LT Weekend Toy: 1995 Cutlass Supreme convertible
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mrn65
Aurora Groupie
Posts: 116
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Post by mrn65 on Dec 19, 2019 12:22:52 GMT -6
Congrats on your recent purchase, they are truly beautiful cars....Olds & Buicks are pretty much the "Same difference" in recent years
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Post by human on Dec 19, 2019 15:52:11 GMT -6
Congrats on your recent purchase, they are truly beautiful cars....Olds & Buicks are pretty much the "Same difference" in recent years Yeah, I remember Chevy Chase had a line of narration in one of the 'Fletch' movies from the early '80s where he says something about driving a rented "OldsmoBuick". That pretty well sums it up. Daily Driver: 2013 Buick Lacrosse hybrid Weekend Toy: 1995 Cutlass Supreme convertible
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Paulaurora
Super Moderator
Posts: 3,823
Staff Member
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Post by Paulaurora on Dec 21, 2019 15:11:49 GMT -6
pix plz:)
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Post by human on Dec 29, 2019 12:43:54 GMT -6
Here are a few pix of the Buick. My insurance company contacted me Friday and made a very generous settlement offer, just north of Edmunds.com's somewhat conservative dealer retail figure. When it's all said and done, I will have stepped up to the Buick for just over $2,000 out of pocket. I really can't complain. Daily Driver: 2013 Buick Lacrosse hybrid Weekend Toy: 1995 Cutlass Supreme convertible
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Paulaurora
Super Moderator
Posts: 3,823
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Post by Paulaurora on Dec 29, 2019 15:43:23 GMT -6
nice!
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mrn65
Aurora Groupie
Posts: 116
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Post by mrn65 on Dec 29, 2019 21:18:19 GMT -6
Nice!!!, what a way to bring in 2020!
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Post by human on Jan 5, 2020 21:25:00 GMT -6
I realized this afternoon that the observation I made in my original post that the Lacrosse seemed a successor to the Aurora is quite literally true. the second generation (2010-2016) Lacrosse, based on the Epsilon II platform, saw the model move upscale from its original (2006-2009) midsize W-body iteration, and in due course also replaced the Buick Lucerne, which was the last model of the G/H platform. The second generation Aurora was also a G/H body, and itself replaced both the classic Aurora the Eighty-Eight. Therefore, the Lacrosse is not only a spiritual successor to the Aurora but a literal successor as well, especially the V6 version, which puts out almost 300 horsepower.
Daily Driver: 2013 Buick Lacrosse hybrid Weekend Toy: 1995 Cutlass Supreme convertible
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tigger
Administrator
Posts: 2,844
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Post by tigger on Jan 6, 2020 4:15:59 GMT -6
I can follow your line of thinking, but I'm not buying that...
Epsilon, as well as Epsilon II, were in production well before the end of the G platform in 2011. It was a GM/Fiat penny pinching joint venture to consolidate all FWD sedans to a common chassis. It's not better, it's just cheaper to do it that way.
In my mind, the G platform has no successor, it just died.
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Post by kyngofpop on Jan 6, 2020 23:14:05 GMT -6
I can follow your line of thinking, but I'm not buying that... Epsilon, as well as Epsilon II, were in production well before the end of the G platform in 2011. It was a GM/Fiat penny pinching joint venture to consolidate all FWD sedans to a common chassis. It's not better, it's just cheaper to do it that way. In my mind, the G platform has no successor, it just died. EXACTLY my thoughts...
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jofa
Aurora Newbie
Posts: 15
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Post by jofa on Jan 7, 2020 10:56:38 GMT -6
G platform was strong and expensive to build. If I remember correctly GM had to use truck testing equipment on the G body because the platform broke the regular testing equipment. In GM’s eyes the Ep.2 lwb did take the place of the G body but definitely cheaper to build.
As far as spiritual successor to the Aurora I lean to the 10-11 Saab 9-5. I like the rounded clean look which reminds me of the 01-03 models. They drive very nice with a well balanced taut feel.
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Post by human on Jan 7, 2020 20:19:04 GMT -6
Yes, the G body was a unique and special platform during the time of the classic Aurora but the second generation was a separate platform in name only. While it retained the 'G' designation on paper, it and the H body Bonneville and LeSabre were all built on the same platform, as was the Lucerne, which replaced the LeSabre. Platform consolidation is nothing new. My thought that the Lacrosse was a successor to the Aurora comes ultimately from the idea that occupies a similar position in the GM lineup as a premium sedan designed to compete with similar imports. The driving experience is definitely more premium than the W-body Impala I've had for the past few years. At the same time, I can see where my Lacrosse has at least some 'W' DNA.
Daily Driver: 2013 Buick Lacrosse hybrid Weekend Toy: 1995 Cutlass Supreme convertible
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Post by AuroraGirlFromMars on Apr 8, 2020 5:06:56 GMT -6
Yes, the G body was a unique and special platform during the time of the classic Aurora but the second generation was a separate platform in name only. While it retained the 'G' designation on paper, it and the H body Bonneville and LeSabre were all built on the same platform, as was the Lucerne, which replaced the LeSabre. Platform consolidation is nothing new. My thought that the Lacrosse was a successor to the Aurora comes ultimately from the idea that occupies a similar position in the GM lineup as a premium sedan designed to compete with similar imports. The driving experience is definitely more premium than the W-body Impala I've had for the past few years. At the same time, I can see where my Lacrosse has at least some 'W' DNA. Daily Driver: 2013 Buick Lacrosse hybrid Weekend Toy: 1995 Cutlass Supreme convertible Thats hilarious. On 1st gen lacrosse, that is(something else in canada). I owned a 2006... not a bad experience... but not luxurious. Id say with all the options it was like a lesabre. like.
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