mobile-menu-icon
GM Authority

Buick LaCrosse Sales Drop 10.5 Percent To 2,826 Units In December 2016

Buick LaCrosse deliveries in the United States totaled 2,826 units in December 2016, a decrease of 10.5 percent compared to the 3,158 units sold in December 2015. During the 2016 calendar year, cumulative sales of the full-size premium sedan decreased 34.4 percent to 27,582 units.

Sales Numbers - Buick LaCrosse - December 2016 - United States

MODEL DEC 16 / DEC 15 DECEMBER 16 DECEMBER 15 YTD 16 / YTD 15 YTD 16 YTD 15
LACROSSE -10.51% 2,826 3,158 -34.38% 27,582 42,035

In Canada, the LaCrosse recorded 68 deliveries in December 2016, an increase of 51 percent compared to December 2015. During the 2016 calendar year, LaCrosse sales decreased 20.7 percent to 785 units in Canada.

Sales Numbers - Buick LaCrosse - December 2016 - Canada

MODEL DEC 16 / DEC 15 DECEMBER 16 DECEMBER 15 YTD 16 / YTD 15 YTD 16 YTD 15
LACROSSE +51.11% 68 45 -20.71% 785 990

The GM Authority Take

Given that the launch process associated with the all-new 2017 LaCrosse is now complete, we can only point to changes in consumer behavior as the primary reason for the model’s sales decline in December. Specifically, consumers are now favoring crossover utility vehicles (CUVs) at the expense of sedans such as the LaCrosse. Whether the trend represents a permanent shift or a temporary wave is currently unknown, but depressed LaCrosse sales could continue into the future so long as crossovers continue to remain in vogue.

Related Sales Reporting

Reporting by Francisco (Frankie) Cruz. GM Authority Take analysis by Alex Luft.

A car-loving millennial. We Are!

Subscribe to GM Authority

For around-the-clock GM news coverage

We'll send you one email per day with the latest GM news. It's totally free.

Comments

  1. I hate to belabor the issue but lets not forget this car, as nice as it looks on the outside and in, as the start stop system that is not defeatble even by a button. I have now talked to several salesmen both at Chevy and Buick that have stated their are people that flat out refuse to by a car that shuts itself off… And I am one of them myself.

    There are plenty of car companies that have this feature, even Cadillac, but at least you can shut it off. Lets say your driving in a bad neighborhood with your spouse and kids. Do you want your car shutting off at everystop? Hopefully GM addresses this. I am not saying its the full reason for the lower sales, but I am sure its not helping. At least that’s what I have been hearing some close friends that are salesmen saying.

    Reply
    1. The undefeatable start/stop is bad, as is the confusing electronic shifter. A shame, really.

      Reply
      1. I have the 2017 Lacrosse. Overall it’s a great car. ACTUALLY…. Start/Stop IS basically defeatable in two ways. 1) Just flick down on the shifter to drop the car into manual shift mode; the car will NOT autostop in manual mode. Or… 2) feather the brake pedal as you come to a stop…if you ease into your stops, the car will go into ‘traffic creep along’ mode and won’t autostop. And BTW the manual mode shifts are actually really very very good – very crisp, better than my Audi. SHOULD they have included a defeat? – yes absolutely. But don’t let that be deal breaker. And the shifter and the storage under is an upgrade. I do have beefs:
        – I leased… pricing precluded buying
        -Did not allow pairing of 18″ or 19″ wheels+adaptive suspension… 20″ is just too low profile for NE crappy roads. I took 18″ but I pine for the adaptive.
        – One lingering fit and finish issues with wind noise
        – Drive train (w/ awd) shunts and flares a bit under light accel…feels like they need to work on the transmission a bit more. Too much emphasis on fuel economy!

        Reply
  2. Once again, help me with my math curse:

    So roughly, the Lacrosse breaks even for a two-year period if they sell – say – 130% to 150% more in 2017 vs their 2016 numbers? Depending on lease deals/subsidizing/whatever APR incentive are (or aren’t) there?

    Meaning, if Buick can sell 70,000 or so (give or take 10,000 either way), they’ve broken even in the US over a two-year period?
    If that’s the case, best of luck – Alex usually straightens me out on my math, or at least gives me a stern talking-to if ‘m not getting the full pic. Thanks …

    Reply
  3. I don’t think the average Lacrosse buyer is going to be swayed by crossovers like a Cruze or Malibu or even the Regal. I think it has everything to do with the sticker shock at the combination of lack of rebates, lack of cheap financing, lack of lower priced models on dealer lots, not to mention the MSRP has crept up marginally. I’ve driven a few of these at various dealerships, and the general consensus by the sales staff is that the people that are interested are turned off by the price.

    Reply
    1. I agree with you; I wrote this before on this site on the matter (3rd gen LaCrosse), but I’ll repeat myself again: I see 2nd gen LaCrosses more or less frequently (both initial 2010-2013 version (in particular, I drive 2010 LaCrosse myself) and refreshed 2014-2016 version), but I’ve yet to see a single 3rd gen one on the streets of Toronto as of yet. IMHO, it seems that poor trim & price structure is to blame: the basic 3rd gen LaCrosses are, like, less equipped than new Kia Optimas, in some aspects, while the top trim 3rd gen LaCrosses are approaching MB E-class price range (in CAD (Canadian Dollars), literally, no over-exaggeration). So, it seems unlikely that 3rd gen LaCrosse will gain any traction in Canada – oversimplifying, more wealthy people grab E-classes and such, less wealthy people will grab Optima and such, while LaCrosse just stays on the dealer lot.
      3rd gen (and even 2nd gen) LaCrosse was developed for Chinese market in the first hand, anyway (and has different powertrain options over there, such as hybrid etc.), so, at least, it is supposed to get good sales in China.

      Reply
  4. The new design of the 2017 Lacrosse is all off. It is targeting an even younger audience than its predecessor. The younger audience. It is going to take time for it to bring the audience to it if it ever does because the younger audience doesn’t have the income for such a car.

    This car may be more successful in Europe with a few more tweaks but I see it crashing in the USA and Canada.

    Reply

Leave a comment

Cancel