Buick

2011 Buick Regal CXL RL1

What it Is: A four-door, five-passenger premium midsize sedan.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH points, a good-size trunk, and a little luxury.
What's Hot: Lots of premium features standard equipment.
What's Not: Tight rear seat, confusing model mix.
Family Friendly Options: Bluetooth, USB input (standard); navigation (optional)
How It Got Its Score: Like many 2011 models, NHTSA crash test scores are not yet available. However, excellent IIHS scores (it's a Top Safety Pick), a big trunk and a relatively low price offset the Regal's relatively small size.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.6

2010 Buick Enclave CX All-Wheel Drive

What it Is: A full-size eight-passenger luxury crossover.
What's Hot: Luxury look and feel that rivals Lexus, but for less.
What's Not: Collision avoidance not available..
Family Friendly Options: Back-up camera, rear-seat DVD player.
How It Got Its Score: The all-wheel drive Enclave's Family Friendliness score drops a bit because of lower fuel economy and higher price, but it's still quite good, with its cargo and passenger space mostly trumping its luxury price.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.4

2010 Buick Enclave CX Front-Wheel Drive

What it Is: A full-size eight-passenger luxury crossover
What's Hot: Lexus-level luxury at a much lower price.
What's Not: We wish we collision avoidance was available.
Family Friendly Options: Back-up camera, rear-seat DVD player
How It Got Its Score: Despite its mid-30's price tag, the Buick Enclave scores well on our Family Friendliness Index thanks to its generous cargo capacity, plentiful safety features and relatively good fuel economy.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.5

2010 Buick LaCrosse CX

What it Is: A midsize five-passenger luxury sedan.
What's Hot: Luxury surroundings at a sub-$30,000 price.
What's Not: Needs a bigger trunk.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation system with back-up camera, Bluetooth, Rear-seat entertainment system with dual screens.
How It Got Its Score: The Buick LaCrosse boasts good fuel economy and generous safety equipment, and its low price (for a luxury brand) helps it score well against many competitors.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.5

2010 Buick LaCrosse CX 4-Cylinder

What it Is: A midsize five-passenger luxury sedan.
What's Hot: New fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine.
What's Not: Needs a bigger trunk.
Family Friendly Options: Premium audio, Bluetooth, USB connection, dual-zone climate control.
How It Got Its Score: The Buick LaCrosse CX boasts fuel economy that's among the best in the premium midsize sedan market. However, it's still pricey, and a bigger trunk would help.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.6

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXL All-Wheel Drive

What it Is: A midsize five-passenger luxury sedan.
What's Hot: Only all-wheel drive LaCrosse model.
What's Not: All-wheel drive system eats into trunk space.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation system with back-up camera, Bluetooth, Rear-seat entertainment system with dual screens.
How It Got Its Score: The all-wheel drive Buick LaCrosse CXL loses a couple of tenths compared to the CX due to its higher price, lower fuel economy and slightly smaller trunk.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.3

2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS

What it Is: A midsize five-passenger luxury sedan.
What's Hot: Performance-oriented V-6 engine doesn't sacrifice fuel economy.
What's Not: Needs a bigger trunk.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation system with back-up camera, Bluetooth, Rear-seat entertainment system with dual screens.
How It Got Its Score: Normally, an upgraded engine means lower fuel economy, but in this case, the 2010 Buick LaCrosse CXS gets a slightly better score than the all-wheel drive CXL because of its more fuel efficient engine.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.4

2010 Buick Lucerne CX

What it Is: A full-size luxury sedan.
What's Hot: Big-car styling and available six-passenger interior.
What's Not: Short on value for family car buyers.
Family Friendly Options: Back-up sensors, navigation, Bluetooth, blind-spot assist
How It Got Its Score: The Buick Lucerne is a full-sized sedan, and one of a handful still available with six-passenger seating. Its big trunk helps its score, but so-so crash test scores hurt.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.4

2010 Buick Lucerne Super

What it Is: A full-size premium sedan.
What's Hot: Standard blind-spot monitor.
What's Not: Expensive, lacks many modern features.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation with traffic monitor.
How It Got Its Score: The Lucerne Super costs nearly $10,000 more than the base Lucerne, but it still manages a decent Family Friendliness score thanks to standard stability control and a blind-spot monitoring system.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.0