2011 Buick Lacrosse Cxs Pano Sunroof Nav Rear Cam 28k Texas Direct Auto on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Watch this phantom Buick drive itself down the highway in a snow storm

Years ago, General Motors used Buick cars to test out the idea of a "smart highway" concept. More recently, GM has been talking up its award-winning Super Cruise semi-autonomous technology that will roll out with Cadillac and make its way to Buick. The LeSabre in the video above has nothing to do with any of that.
On Interstate 15 in Utah, a man driving this LeSabre got into an accident that rearranged the front end and set the horn on permanent blare. At the time of writing this, no one is sure what happened next, but the man ended up sitting in the snow in the highway median while his car carried on down the highway without him. Passing traffic stayed well to the right.
The 51-second video below provides a different take on our autonomous future. A local newscast on KUTV covered the story the evening of the incident, but the Utah Highway Patrol didn't have any update on the fate of the LeSabre. We'll take that to mean that Buick's take on Christine could still be out on the prowl... so watch out!

2022 Buick Encore starts at $25,795

The Buick Encore entered the market here for the 2013 model year, its combination of solid, practical, and premium-ish content working well enough to increase sales by about 10% every year until 2019. The shine on that first-year model was such that it was recently voted one of the best used-car buys under $10,000. Still in its first generation, the Encore soldiers into the 2022 model year with a few small changes. The biggest update for the 2022 Encore is a newer 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine with more power. The previous unit produced 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque; the new 1.4 will unleash 155 hp and 177 lb-ft. That engine will only be available on the Preferred trim — which is the only one left. In 2018, the Encore came in six flavors. Whittling reduced that to a base model and a Preferred model for 2021, and for next year the base departs. Also (kind of) under the hood, an electric heater and defroster replace the traditional heater core system, for faster toasties in cold climes.  The only change outside is the addition of an exterior temperature sensor. Inside, the eight-inch infotainment touchscreen shrinks to become a seven-inch touchscreen. The passenger's seatback will no longer fold flat, so Buick took the opportunity to add a seatback map pocket to the shotgun position. Buick will charge $25,795 for the 2022 Encore, that figure including the $1,195 destination charge. It's the same price as the 2021 Encore Preferred.  The continued paring of the lineup suggests GM is ready to wind the model down now that the tiny-bit-larger and more profitable Encore GX is killing the Encore in the sales race. Through the end of September, the Encore is down on its 2020 sales volume in the U.S. by about half, whereas the Encore GX has more than doubled its 2020 sales so far this year. Automotive News reported that the Encore will quit the U.S. market in 2023 without a replacement as the automaker digs into its electric efforts. GM Authority believes there's a chance the new-generation Encore sold in China could come here. 

2021 Buick Envision order guide shows $32,995 base price

Based on an early dealer guide Cars Direct got its hands on, the 2021 Buick Envision will bring more to the market than handsome new design inside and out. The 2020 Envision in 1SV and Preferred trims starts at $33,500 plus a $1,195 destination charge, totaling $34,695. The dealer guide shows the 2021 Envision Preferred starting at $32,995 after destination, a $1,700 cut compared to this year's model. The 1SV was also listed in the guide but didn't get a price. A Buick spokesperson confirmed to Cars Direct that the Preferred trim will be the new entry-level, so it appears the 1SV could go away. The two trims are equipped the same as standard, the difference being that Preferred opens up the options menu to features like the Active Package and a powered panoramic moonroof. That pricing puts the 2021 Envision thousands of dollars under of its luxury competitors like the Acura RDX, Audi Q5, Lexus NX, and Lincoln Corsair. The price of the middle Essence trim doesn't change, at $36,995 after destination.   The current Premium trim will be replaced by the Avenir trim. At present, the Premium trim only comes in all-wheel drive, which Buick has changed for the 2021 model year. A 2021 Envision Avenir with front-wheel drive will start at $41,395, which is $500 less than a 2020 Envision Premium with all-wheel drive. Adding power to the rear axle adds $1,800 to the price, the Envision Avenir AWD the most expensive model at $43,195. That's a $1,600 cut compared to the 2020 Envision Premium AWD. The only engine on offer will be a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 230 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, the same engine in the 2021 Envision's E2 platform-mate, the Cadillac XT4. That output falls between the two engines that can be had on the 2020 Envision, either the base 2.5-liter four with 197 hp and 192 lb-ft, or an optional 2.0-liter turbo four with 252 hp and 295 lb-ft.  Related Video: