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2010 Car Comparison: Buick LaCrosse v Ford Taurus v Toyota Avalon

By Chuck Giametta
Last Updated: Sep 16, 2010

The Competitors
Many car buyers have shifted their attention to smaller, more fuel-efficient models, but automakers are not giving up on the full-size-car market. A nicely redesigned version of the 2010 Buick LaCrosse and thoroughly refreshed 2010 Ford Taurus are perking up the segment and are fine domestic-brand alternatives to one of the class benchmarks, the 2010 Toyota Avalon.

As new models with generally positive reviews, the 2010 LaCrosse and Taurus carry only modest sales incentives, at least for the time being. The Toyota Avalon, last refreshed in 2008 and with no major updates for 2010, likewise carries only a relatively minor cash rebate. However, as the oldest model in this grouping, expect Toyota dealers to discount a bit more freely on the Avalon, particularly if you’re considering the virtually identical 2009 model.

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse and 2010 Ford Taurus are among the most-improved models of the year in any segment. Both have more expressive styling inside and out, updated powertrains, and added sophistication, overall.

The 2010 Toyota Avalon remains a leader among roomy and comfortable five-passenger sedans, in large part because of its unabashedly conservative vehicular attitude. When it first debuted in 1995 reviewers hailed it as a “better Buick,” and it helped Toyota attract an older and resolutely loyal owner base than it could at the time with its Camry and Corolla.

The Similarities

  • The 2010 Buick LaCrosse, 2010 Ford Taurus, and 2010 Toyota Avalon are all full-size sedans that feature roomy five-passenger interiors with generous trunk space.
  • All come powered by V-6 engines that are mated to six-speed automatic transmissions.
  • Each delivers ride and handling characteristics that are tuned more for a smooth and comfortable ride than tenacious sports sedan-like handling.
  • Exterior styling is generally contemporary and masculine, though rearward visibility and backseat ingress and egress are compromised on all three -- a sacrifice to their sharply sloping rooflines.
  • All three come nicely equipped with such standard features as stability control, front-side and side-curtain airbags, and iPod-ready audio systems. All three also can be configured as appealing luxury cars when fitted with a full compliment of amenities that range from leather upholstery and parking-assist aids to GPS navigation and keyless-start systems.

The Differences

  • The 2010 Toyota Avalon offers one engine, a sufficiently powerful 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6.
  • The 2010 Ford Taurus comes with a 263-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 in SE, SEL, and Limited versions. Its sporty (and pricey) SHO model features Ford’s surprisingly powerful supercharged EcoBoost V-6, which has a V-8-like 365 horsepower with little sacrifice in fuel economy compared with the base V-6.
  • The 2010 Buick LaCrosse offers the widest choice of available engines. Starting in the first quarter of 2010, the CX trim level will come with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that has an unexciting but fuel-efficient 182 horsepower. The 255-horsepower 3.0-liter V-6 found in the LaCrosse CXL model will likely be the engine of choice for most buyers. Those seeking added oomph and luxury will choose the top-of-the-line LaCrosse CXS model and its 280-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6.
  • The default powertrain for all three is front-wheel drive, which furnishes good wet-road traction by placing the weight of the engine over the wheels that also power the car. LaCrosse and Taurus offer optional all-wheel drive systems for added foul-weather grip.
  • The Taurus SHO is the sportiest model across all three lines, though its performance-tuned suspension introduces a slightly rougher ride as a trade off for nominally better handling.
  • LaCrosse is distantly related to the Chevrolet Malibu, while a more-luxurious version of the Taurus is offered as the Lincoln MKS; the Avalon shares components with the smaller and lower-cost Toyota Camry and with the Lexus ES 350 from Toyota’s luxury brand.
  • Of the three, the Avalon’s ride and handling is the most passive, with a suspension tuned to soak up bumps rather than tear around corners. Taurus and LaCrosse also deliver a smooth ride but feel a bit livelier through the turns, though neither could be mistaken for a BMW 7 Series in this regard.
  • Taurus’s interior is sportier and rich looking but still fairly conservative compared with the sweeping forms in the LaCrosse cabin. Avalon’s cabin is unassuming though some may feel it overdoes its plastic chrome-look treatment.
  • Taurus offers an array of features usually found on luxury-class cars, including heated, cooled, and massaging front seats, adaptive cruise control with an integrated collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, Ford’s Microsoft-developed Sync hands-free multimedia control system, and the subscription-based Sirius Travel Link service that provides real-time traffic, sports and weather information as well as local movie times and gas prices. Piling on the goodies, however, will indeed price the Taurus well into luxury territory.
  • LaCrosse likewise offers some high-end items, such as a head-up display that projects some instrument readings onto the windshield, a heated steering wheel, and noise-canceling headphones for the available rear-seat DVD entertainment system. The OnStar telematics system is standard and comes with a one-year subscription that includes services like turn-by-turn voice-command navigation, stolen vehicle assistance, and hands-free calling.
  • Avalon features a long list of desirable amenities, including laser-guided cruise control, but since it’s been in the marketplace for a few years it tends to lack some of the cutting-edge features available on the Taurus and LaCrosse.
  • These are among the larger cars on the road and while all offer roomy seating for front passengers, the Taurus’s rear-seat accommodations don’t match those of the Buick and Toyota for space and comfort and are in fact relatively cramped given the Ford’s generous exterior dimensions.
  • The best fuel economy comes with the four-cylinder engine in the LaCrosse: the EPA rates it at 20/20 mpg (city/highway). Go with a V-6, and Avalon comes out on top with a rating of 19/28. Give Buick credit for achieving the same mileage ratings for both LaCrosse V-6s: 17/27 mpg. A Taurus with the base V-6 is rated at 18/28 while the SHO comes it at a pleasant 17/25 mpg, despite its class-leading horsepower.
  • Opt for all-wheel drive and LaCrosse’s fuel-economy ratings dip to 16/26, while the Taurus’s slip to 17/25. Note that the Taurus SHO, which comes standard with AWD, achieves the same fuel economy as the base AWD Taurus.  
  • The 2010 Taurus SE model carries the lowest base price in this group, at about $26,000, though the Taurus SHO, which starts around $39,000, has the highest.
  • Base prices for the 2010 Buick LaCrosse range from about $28,000-$34,000 with a V-6; Buick had not announced pricing for the four-cylinder LaCrosse CX in time for this review. The Toyota Avalon has a base price range of around $29,000-$36,000.
  • Toyota leads all non-luxury brands for resale value as calculated by Kelley Blue Book, an industry authority. Kelly Blue Book, however, predicts the 2010 Taurus will have the highest resale value among full-size cars.
  • LaCrosse has the most generous warranty, at 4 years/50,000 miles bumper-to-bumper and 5/100,000 powertrain coverage. Warranty coverage for Taurus and Avalon are 3/36,000 bumper-to-bumper and 5/60,000 powertrain.

The Winner

The 2010 Ford Taurus. Any of these three big sedans can satisfy your craving for style, features, and size. The 2010 Toyota Avalon is the most conservative of the trio and deserves its loyal following based on good overall performance and a reputation for quality. The 2010 Buick LaCrosse offers the most expressive styling with an impressive selection of features that includes a segment-unique four-cylinder engine. Unfortunately, Buick’s new flagship rides a bit too softly, suffers some cheap-feeling interior materials, and fails to offer its top model with AWD, which would go a long way toward eliminating the powerful V-6’s annoying tendency to tug the car to the side during rapid acceleration – an undesirable affect known as torque steer. The 2010 Ford Taurus gets the nod for its composed ride and handling, upscale features, and availability of the  hot-rod SHO model.