Overview & Reviews

The Buick Lucerne was the last sedan of what we'd call traditional Buick design. Without a doubt, this front-wheel-drive, full-size car put passenger comfort as its top priority. Seating was spacious and luxurious front and rear, and Buick's "Quiet Tuning" measures, which covered everything from the thickness of the carpet padding to the design of the windshield wipers, made the Lucerne one of the quieter cars on the market. Soft suspension tuning provided a plush, absorbent ride.

Although this Buick's coddling nature was a strong attribute, consumers looking at used full-size sedans should be aware that the Lucerne has numerous faults, the main ones being a lack of desirable luxury features, sloppy handling, unimpressive V6 acceleration, subpar brakes and a dated four-speed automatic transmission. Traditional Buick buyers may be willing to overlook these faults, but otherwise we think used luxury sedan shoppers can do better with other, more highly regarded choices such as the Hyundai Genesis or Toyota Avalon.

Most Recent Buick Lucerne
The Buick Lucerne full-size sedan was produced from 2006 through 2011. Trim levels initially consisted of the CX, CXL and CXS. Powering the CX and CXL was an underwhelming 3.8-liter V6 good for just 197 horsepower. The more desirable CXS came with a 275-hp, 4.6-liter V8 that was optional for the CXL. The 4.6 could move the big sedan to 60 mph in a respectable 7.7 seconds.

The base CX was well equipped with alloy wheels, full power accessories (including driver seat), a CD player and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls among its standard features. The CXL added larger wheels, rain-sensing wipers, leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control and an MP3-capable stereo with an auxiliary audio jack. The CXS featured driver-seat memory, a Harman Kardon audio system, satellite radio, 18-inch wheels and a Magnetic Ride Control suspension.

The Lucerne was essentially unchanged its sophomore year, while '08 saw the debut of the Super (which replaced the CXS and offered a more powerful 292-hp V8) as well as the adoption of modern technologies such as lane departure and blind-spot warning systems.

For 2009, the 3.8-liter V6 was finally retired as the Lucerne got a new 227-hp (219 hp in California-emissions states) 3.9-liter V6. That year also saw the addition of Bluetooth connectivity. The following two years brought minor styling and equipment updates, though the final year saw stability control become standard across the board.

Mostly unchanged throughout the years, the Lucerne's cabin has a clean design with solid materials and simple, well-organized controls. Unfortunately, there are some cheaper plastics thrown into the mix, and build quality can be inconsistent.

Though the CXS and Super boast adaptive "Magnetic Ride Control" shock absorbers (that automatically firm up the suspension when the car is pushed on a curvy road), the Lucerne still won't appeal to demanding drivers. However, its comfortable cruising demeanor was hard not to like on long road trips. Braking was not one of the Lucerne's strong points, as testing revealed stopping distances that were the longest in the full-size sedan class.

User Reviews:

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  Buick Lucerne rating - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By vmcdowell2 - July 15 - 6:56 pm

  Very comfortable and quiet ride. Very good gas mileage, 30 to 32 mpg hwy, 24 to 26 mpg city. Good assembly. A minor rattle in the drivers door. Good paint job.

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  Great Ride - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Happy Virginian - July 14 - 8:53 pm

  Smart ride right out the door! Fit, finish and ride are better than Avalon.Interior noise abatement is fantastic, sound system on the mark and dash controls are all easy to use. Glad I waited for Lucerne vs Avalon or Lacrosse.

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  Buick Lucerne Report - 2007 Buick Lucerne
  By Carlton Robbins - July 10 - 8:38 pm

  We purchased our Buick Lucerne on May 10th. The Buick Lucerne with the 3800 V6 Series III engine was the best choice for our needs. In June we made a 2,035 mile trip to North Carolina. We enjoyed a most confortable ride, it was quiet and with the added secure feeling provided by the OnStar system. Today fuel economy is important and on 1,379 mile of mostly Interstate we averaged 30.2 MPG, and on 656 miles of rurual travel we averaged 27.4 MPG. I was pleased with this performance on our first road trip. The Lucerne is definitely in the class with the Avalon and Chrysler 300.

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  06 Lucerne - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By chas4bass - July 2 - 3:02 pm

  Nice vehicle. Looks fantastic - drives OK. Too low for freeway driving. Still feels like your "Grandpas car"! Sold as extremely quiet but has developed too many rattles for 18 months. Time to sell it.

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  Loyalty Finally Pays Off - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Nice Ride - June 30 - 10:11 am

  The Lucerne is the perfect match of luxury and performance. An extremely quiet, smooth ride that is firm and responsive. Our daily commute includes a mix of interstate and surface street traffic. The Lucerne 3.8 accelerates as quickly as necessary to meet highway speeds, smoothly merge and maintain traffic flow. We live in an area where road construction is a way of life, and the roads change paths more often than the Mississippi River. The Lucerne handles the rough and winding road without a problem. It is responsive, tight and never wanders. The Lucerne is an ideal car for adults who want a refined yet sleek look, and a well appointed luxurious ride.

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  Luxury Vehicle - 2007 Buick Lucerne
  By John Wagner - June 28 - 10:43 pm

  This Buick is a very nice road car and rides very well. The fuel economy is very good also. The appointments are also very well coordinated. However the memory on the seats and outside mirrows were not a very easy learning process.

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  2007 Lucerne - 2007 Buick Lucerne
  By lucerne - June 26 - 12:22 pm

  Difficult entry and exit. Doors swing closed when trying to exit. Owner options on computer difficult to do. I liked the LaSabre 2005 much better.

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  I love it but - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Ann - June 22 - 10:33 pm

  I love the car. It is probably the best driving and riding Buick I have had. The only problems are the headliner is sagging in the front and the driver’s side door handle pulled out. Took it back to the dealership and have to bring it back when the part for the door handle comes in and an upholsterer will have to work on the headliner. The car has 6000 miles on it.

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  People say to me "thats a Buick" - 2007 Buick Lucerne
  By John K - June 21 - 8:31 am

  I love the comfort in my car. I am in sales and bring many clients out and I hear all the time "this is a Buick" or "Thats an American Car". A few of my friends that bought other cars will say they wish they had riden with me first before they made their purchase. I also love that I get an email each month telling me where I am with tire pressure, oil, and other maintenance. My wife will trade in our BMW X5 for the new Enclave.

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  Think Twice Before You Buy - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By 06lucerne - June 14 - 9:06 am

  Ive had my 2006 Lucerne for almost 10 months and am getting rid of it in the next week. Vibration/shimmy issues that will not stay corrected after at least seven attempts to repair and three sets of tires. Also steering wheel issue that has not been corrected and rotors had to be machined already. At a distance, it is a beautiful car but when yous start looking at the details, theyve cut too many corners. Some of the interior materials are of poor quality and some of the design details are downright shoddy. It is not what the Park Avenue was. Make sure you test drive many miles before you buy! If I could do it over, I would have bought a Toyota, Lexus or Acura.