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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  Keep the Miles off the Ferrari - 2007 Buick Lucerne
  By winglow1 - October 15 - 7:24 pm

  Really - to keep the miles off the Ferrari but help with MPG, I bought the new Lucerne and am selling my Lexus GX40 SUV. I first drove a Lucerne in the spring, but I was not sure. I looked at the BMW 5s, the M Infinitis, Lexus, Chrysler, MBs and Lincoln sedans. The Lucerne finally won me over when they added the new GPS Nav systems.

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  Beautiful car, great ride - 2007 Buick Lucerne
  By Thomas Jones - October 14 - 2:59 pm

  Bought the 07 in quartz metallic...WOW, what a looker! Ride is superb and comfort & spaciousness best I have ever seen...I have owned Mercedes in the past.

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  Lucerne is definitely a Buick! - 2007 Buick Lucerne
  By Wayne Kight - October 13 - 11:31 am

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  Vibration - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By sedan - October 12 - 11:32 pm

  Vehicle has been in shop 7 times due to vibration in the accelerator, brake pedal, and steering wheel during acceleration. Buick claims that is the way the vehicle is manufactured and refuses to handle the problem. My fifth new Buick! Problem noted on way home from delivery of vehicle. Has 3800 miles currently. Drivers seat is plush, but narrower than my 03 LeSabre.

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  Great - 2007 Buick Lucerne
  By Thompson - October 9 - 8:23 pm

  The workmanship, inside and out, is beyond anything Id have expected from a US car manufacturer. Mechanically, the vehicle is beyond anything I expected from the car it blows you away. Fit, finish, performance and comfort are unbelievably superior. I call it the top of the line Caddy without the steroids.

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  A lot of car for the money - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By A Gator in Georgia - October 9 - 4:17 pm

  An extremely smooth ride and very quiet, except for some limited engine noise on initial acceleration. Traded in 4 year old Crown Victoria to get a more comfortable ride for my bad back. The styling outside is quite modern looking, with only the rear end being slightly less attractive. On the first tank of gas with one-half in town and the other half on the highway it delivered 24.5 MPG, which is impressive for a 4,000 pound automobile. Have owned large GM cars since 72 and this one is better than my 1993 Bonneville (300K miles) or my 1998 Park Avenue that were both 3.8 liter V6s.

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  Think Twice - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Mark - October 6 - 12:30 pm

  Im not happy with this car. Right "A" pillar is too big, creates a really big blind spot. Not enought headroom with sunroof if you are over 6 2" tall. Car is quiet at low speeds but not so at 70 mph. Turning radius needs to be tighter, makes it hard to be into my side entry garage. I traded in a 98 Buick Regal GS, sorry I did. I loved that car! Passenger seat rattles at 40 mph, and I already had it into the shop because it pulled to the right just driving down the road.

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  Down a notch from Lincoln - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Weatherboy - October 3 - 8:32 pm

  Car rides fine, but is a come down from the Continental. The exterior and interior quality is more light weight and lesser quality. Noticed the thinner metal on the hood when washing car. More likely to ding and dent.

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  Lucious Lucerne - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Jim Wheeler - September 29 - 10:50 pm

  Before shopping for our new Lucerne I checked Edmunds.com. One reviewer said (paraphrasing): "If you think you need more luxury than the new Lucerne, you need therapy." Those are my sentiments in a nutshell. This is the car GM tried to build 9-10 years ago with the Olds Aurora. My wife and I passed then, largely due to price. With the new Buick Lucerne-CXL, we have just about everything we could have wanted, including the Northstar, V-8; leather seats; and chrome, 17-inch wheels for a lot less money. I was astounded at what we got for what we paid--a $40,000 car for $27,500. Its in the color we wanted, Sagemist metallic. The car is powerful and ultra-quiet. A must-see for a new car shopper.

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  Fuel Gauge incorrect - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By RAM - September 28 - 11:02 am

  Overall, I am happy with this car. However, the fuel gauge does not give me accurate readings. If I start the car on an unlevel surface the gauge will not give me an accurate reading. Depending on whether the car is on an incline/decline the gauge will give me a higher/lower reading (off by a 1/4 reading) than what is in the tank. According to Buick, this is normal and it may take up to 10 miles of driving for the gauge to correct itself and give me an accurate reading. This makes no sense at all. I am not pleased.