More than Expected: Shaq Does Another Buick Commercial

Shaquille O’Neal would like you to know he’s a very big fan of the Buick LaCrosse. The player turned pitch man has hit the airwaves and interwebs in a new 30-second spot called “More Than I Expected.”

Shaq even took a few minutes on the set of the commercial to extoll the virtues of Buick’s flagship sedan. In what became sort of a promo within a promo, O’Neal explained how, with its fuel efficiency and styling, the LaCrosse essentially sells itself. Without considering whether that might not be a wise sentiment for a paid spokesman to hold, it seems he is truly impressed with the product.

The LaCrosse does have a generous set of standard features. MPG-minded consumers will appreciate its eAssist system, which increases mileage through the use of a minimally-intrusive hybrid system. The EPA scores it at 25 and 36 miles per gallon for city and highway driving, respectively.

Other standard features of the LaCrosse do a good job of ticking off all the boxes you’d expect an entry-level luxury car would. The base model offers Buck’s IntelliLink infotainment suite, with Pandora and Stitcher serving up Internet radio through its seven speakers. The system is controlled by an eight-inch touch screen or voice commands.

We suspect many will agree that the interior is as stylish as Shaq promises in the advert. It’s also quite capacious; six-footers should find it comfortable. Even O’Neal was able to wedge his seven-foot frame into the cockpit with just enough room left to potentially allow him to operate the controls. It was, after all, built to be occupied by human-sized humans.

For those of us who are more common than Shaq in stature and salary, the Buick offers more than just a solid bargain at its starting price of about $30k. Then again, this segment is inhabited by some pretty stiff competition. The best of those deliver all the must-haves with little compromise, if any. The LaCrosse makes its case with a combination of technology, fuel economy, and comfort. A little time in this car and you might find yourself doing your best Shaq impression and saying, “Wow, that’s a lot more than I expected.”