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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  06 CXS - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Fixation - August 15 - 10:22 am

  Great car. Many people are suprised to learn that it is a Buick. Superb ride and confident and poised handling. The elegant appearance, and refined interior make this the best kept secret in the automotive world.

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  Excellent Overall - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Excellent Overall - August 11 - 7:55 am

  The Buick Lucerne drives smoothly, handles turns to perfection, and looks great. I am very pleased with this car and enjoy riding it every day. I would recommend a test drive and you be the judge.

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  Luv-it Lucerne - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Chas. Stauber - August 10 - 1:37 pm

  Having owned four LeSabres prior to buying this Lucerne, I can give an accurate evaluation, I think. It is so silent one thinks you should be in a Caddy or Town car.

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  Lucerne - 2007 Buick Lucerne
  By blueride - August 7 - 10:15 am

  Excellent ride, room, and reliability. Great mpgs for a car this size. Amazingly quiet. Traded a trouble prone 5 series BMW for this one

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  Buick Evaluation - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By V.J.Romano - August 3 - 5:59 pm

  The car is very new-1000 miles on it. But it is a joy to drive, comfortable and quiet. I like the information about the car as you drive that is available on the instrument panel. The fuel economy is amazingly good for a full sized car. I traded in a Buick for this one and had no problems during the life of it and hope the same with the new one.

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  New Owner Loves Lucerne - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Lucerne - August 3 - 5:53 pm

  We are new owners. My husband, in the past, has bought Chevy Caprice and Olds Delta 88, would still be driving if they were still available. Someone suggested we look at the Buick Lucerne and within 4 hours we traded our Chevy Impala for the Lucerne. He likes the drivers space since he is a tall person and is looking forward to going on a long trip.

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  Great Car! - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By herb - July 29 - 3:50 pm

  Drove cross country 2 days after purchasing, wonderful experience. Good mileage, easy to drive, relaxing. Easy to manuver in city trafic and on interstates.

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  Best Car Ive owned! - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By James Peffall - July 28 - 7:22 am

  Car is beautiful, quiet, very comfortable,fun to drive with an outstanding sound system and fantasic features including OnStar, rear back up radar and heated seats. We really love this car and it is far quieter than the Avalon we test drove which required premium fuel (the Lucerne takes 87 octane).

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  Lucerne rating - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By John Gavin - July 26 - 10:00 pm

  I have had this for only a few weeks but the more I drive it the better I like it. However, there are two negative points that I have found, one is gas mileage is not as good as my 2001 LeSabre and the other is that visibility to the rear is not good in my opinion.

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  What an American Car should be - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Shewstring - July 25 - 8:44 pm

  Ive owned the car for a little more than two weeks. All I can say is what a refined ride. Before purchasing this car, I drove a 2007 Toyota Camary and a 2006 Dodge Charger. The Lucernes looks, smooth power delivery, refined ride, and silent running sold me. I have two young girls who now think "Daddy drives a cool car". People walk up and say is that a new BMW or Lexus, they are baffled when I say Buick. I was pleasantly surprised with a recent 150 mile highway trip, I averaged 26.6MPG @70MPH. Nice job GM.