SONS Automotive Group Compares 2019 Buick LACROSSE VS 2019 Cadillac XTS Near Tucker, GA

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the LaCrosse are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The XTS doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the LaCrosse and the XTS have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all-wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, front parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the LaCrosse the rating of “Top Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 139 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The XTS has not been fully tested, yet.

There are over 2 times as many Buick dealers as there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the LaCrosse’s warranty.

The LaCrosse has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The XTS doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the car’s engine.

The battery on the LaCrosse is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the LaCrosse’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The XTS’ battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2018 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick third in reliability, above the industry average. With 70 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is ranked 27th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ April 2018 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick 19 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

The LaCrosse’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 6 more horsepower (310 vs. 304) and 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (268 vs. 264) than the XTS’ standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Buick LaCrosse V6 is faster than the Cadillac XTS V6:

On the EPA test cycle the LaCrosse with its standard engine FWD gets better fuel mileage than the XTS with its standard engine FWD (25 city/35 hwy vs. 19 city/28 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the LaCrosse gets better fuel mileage than the XTS:

An engine control system that can shut down half of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the LaCrosse V6’s fuel efficiency. The XTS doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the LaCrosse eAssist’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The XTS doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the LaCrosse’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The XTS doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Buick LaCrosse uses regular unleaded gasoline. The XTS V-Sport requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The LaCrosse stops shorter than the XTS:

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the LaCrosse’s wheelbase is 2.7 inches longer than on the XTS (114.4 inches vs. 111.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the LaCrosse is 1.2 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than on the XTS.

The LaCrosse Premium handles at .84 G’s, while the XTS AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The LaCrosse Premium executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the XTS AWD (26.8 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the LaCrosse’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the XTS’ (38 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

The Buick LaCrosse may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 550 pounds less than the Cadillac XTS.

The LaCrosse is 3.4 inches shorter than the XTS, making the LaCrosse easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the LaCrosse uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The XTS doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the LaCrosse Premium is quieter than the XTS AWD (75 vs. 78 dB).

The LaCrosse has .8 inches more rear hip room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the XTS.

Insurance will cost less for the LaCrosse owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the LaCrosse will cost $605 less than the XTS over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the LaCrosse is less expensive to operate than the XTS because typical repairs cost much less on the LaCrosse than the XTS, including $68 less for a water pump, $639 less for a muffler, $184 less for fuel injection, $96 less for a fuel pump and $268 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Buick LaCrosse will be $15881 to $28515 less than for the Cadillac XTS.

The Buick LaCrosse outsold the Cadillac XTS by 24% during 2017.