Instant Alert: The Buick LaCrosse Avenir is a $47,500 sedan that gives luxury SUVs a run for their money

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   The Buick LaCrosse Avenir is a $47,500 sedan that gives luxury SUVs a run for their money by Matthew DeBord on Apr 25, 2018, 10:26 AM Advertisement The 2018 Buick LaCrosse is available in a new "Avenir" trim level. I tested a well-equipped $47,485 version of the sedan. On a medium-length road trip, the Buick surpassed my expectations and made me question why I think we need a big SUV to haul around a family of five. The passenger-car business is collapsing in the US. The big, soft-cruising sedan was once the mainstay, the great American family car. But now the great American car is actually an SUV. Sales of utes have boomed for years, and the automakers aren't complaining because they make hefty profits on these vehicles. Consumers like them better, and that has raised a conundrum: Are sedans worth keeping around? If you're planning any family road trips in the future, you might want to give sedans a second look — and your first-second look should be a Buick. Specifically, the new premium Avenir trim level.  Recently, I drove my family of five and my dog on a 500-mile round-trip journey. Normally, I use trips such as these to sample big old SUVs, with three rows of seating. But a planning screwup on my part led to a 2018 Buick LaCrosse Avenir landing in my driveway instead of a Cadillac Escalade.  So we undertook a throwback family jaunt. And it worked out far better than expected. FOLLOW US: On Facebook for more car and transportation content! Say hello to the Buick LaCrosse Avenir, an upmarket trim level of the full-size sedan. Debuted in 2005, the LaCrosse was updated in 2010 and then again in 2017. It's not a small car, but Buicks always take some of the bulk off with smooth curves and sinuous shapes. Our test car was a front-wheel-drive version that came in at $44,870 with many options and the Avenir treatment. A Driver Confidence package, featuring adaptive cruise control, auto braking, pedestrian warnings, and parking assist added $1,700 to the sticker, bringing the as-tested price up to about $47,500. The paint job was "Dark Slate Metallic." You could obviously call the styling a bit dull. Or you could say that the LaCrosse isn't showing off. See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to: nguyenvu1187.love5@blogger.com   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011