2009 Buick Enclave Cxl Sport Utility 4-door 3.6l on 2040-cars

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2019 Buick LaCrosse Sport Touring isn't that sporty

The 2019 Buick LaCrosse Sport Touring is presumably a new, sportier version of Buick's large sedan. And on the surface, it does look more exciting. It has less chrome trim than its counterparts, the grille gets a body color surround and a black wire mesh insert. It has a simple little spoiler at the back, 19-inch wheels, and the all-important badging. We can't imagine Ford is thrilled at the use of the "ST" nomenclature on display at the back, though. Unfortunately, Buick hasn't really done anything to actually make this car sportier than other LaCrosse sedans. It has the same 3.6-liter V6 found in other versions making the same 310 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. That power goes through the same nine-speed automatic as the others, too. Additionally, the Sport Touring is only available with front-wheel drive. Still, if you like the style, and the LaCrosse's standard performance is suitable to you, you'll want to know how much it costs. Base price is $41,220. You'll also have a choice of five colors: white, black, red, and two kinds of silver. And if the LaCrosse ST isn't sporty enough for you, you might want to check out the Regal GS. It has the same engine, but with a bit more torque, all-wheel drive, is in a smaller body, and has hatchback versatility. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Buick LaCrosse Sport Touring Image Credit: Buick Buick Luxury Sedan

Best cheap SUVs: You don't have to pay a lot to get a lot

Here's a news flash: Everything is a lot more expensive now! And that definitely goes for new SUVs, with prices that keep nudging higher and higher. Actually "nudging" might be too soft of a description for their motion. "Skyrocketing" is probably more accurate.  While higher prices and hefty interest rates have likely knocked a lot of people out of the new car market entirely, there are still quite a few cheap SUV choices. Better still, they're not terrible! Far from it, in fact. While the lowest price SUVs used to be drab, sorry affairs best left to the lots of Avis and Budget, that is definitely not the case today. Not only are there legitimately appealing cheap SUV choices, they offer genuine differences in character, capability and design. It's not just a series of anonymous boxes with different badges. Below you won't just find a simple list of the cheapest SUVs available. We are actually pointing out the best ones. They are listed from least expensive to most expensive, with none exceeding a starting price of $30,000. Most are subcompacts, but a few of our top choices in the compact SUV segment snuck on. Finally, please excuse the crummy photo quality. We sought out representative trim levels of the prices in question rather than just reusing pretty carmaker-provided photos of the most expensive trim levels. This is what the cars will actually look like. Kia Soul Why it stands out: Ample space and abundant features for the money; unique style; strong turbo engine upgrade Could be better: All-wheel drive is not available Starting Price: $21,315 Read our most recent Kia Soul Review The Kia Soul definitely didn't start off as a small SUV, and the term "crossover" is probably better applied to it. Still, what started life as an undefinable funky tall hatchback now finds itself in its third generation with numerous vehicles of similar shape and size that are dubbed "small SUV" or "small crossover." If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ... Call it what you will, but the Soul delivers the goods with tons of equipment and space for its price and size, an agreeable driving demeanor, and an even more powerful engine upgrade than the Kona's. We also think it's pretty cool. All of the above helped it win our subcompact SUV comparison test. Now, if there's one area where the Soul does not satisfy a typical SUV requirement, it's the lack of available all-wheel drive.

2013 Opel Cascada

The Future Buick Verano Convertible?
I wasn't wearing a pedometer while in Germany covering the Frankfurt Motor Show this year, but it's safe to say I walked more than a few miles between press conferences, shooting cars and trekking back to the media center on the first day alone. For this reason, it didn't take much convincing from General Motors for me to duck out of the Messe a day early and drive some of its latest Opel models. No, this didn't include the all-new Country Tourer, but I was able to drive the Opel Mokka (our Buick Encore), the Opel Adam and the Opel Cascada.
I focused most of my driving time behind the wheel of the Cascada, which went on sale in Europe earlier this year, since rumors are swirling that a Buick version of this convertible "could happen soon." Buick hasn't had a convertible since the Reatta, and GM has been lacking a non-performance, budget-minded convertible since the Pontiac brand - and its G6 - was dropped, so adding the Cascada to Buick showrooms could further help the reemerging brand compete in the near-luxury segment. Although the weather was too chilly (and occasionally rainy) to enjoy the Cascada with its top down for very long, I was able to clock a fair bit of drive time behind the wheel on roads ranging from the autobahn to tight roads in small, quaint villages.