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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  Driving pleasure - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By charles - February 10 - 4:10 pm

  This is a very quiet comfortable automobile. I enjoy driving this car as it has good power and handles very well. Avg. weekly driving I get twenty miles per gal. and expect this to rise as the car gets more mileage on it.

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  Best car Ive ever owned - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By cxs - January 23 - 5:43 pm

  Traded a 2003 Cadillac DTS and was somewhat apprehensive about buying a Buick. This car is more than equal to the Cadillac in ride, appearance, power, quietness and handling. I have been buying new cars every 2 years for the past 50 years, and this is the best car I have owned. If GM changed the name from Lucerne to Lexus they would not be able to keep up with the demand.

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  Lucerne - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By paul - November 7 - 8:23 am

  The Lucerne is the quietest and smoothest riding automobile I have ever owned in my 50 years of driving. It glides along with ease and the Northstar is powerful and quiet.

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  Awesome - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By John Horton - October 24 - 3:33 am

  Just got it. Excellent. I cant say enough. So much better than previous generation Buicks. This is a much better car than Avalon, which I also tested. Im 36, and my buddies think this is one cool ride.

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  Lucerne is the best buy - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Jjohn - October 11 - 3:33 am

  I shopped around about a year before I came across the Lucerne CXS. My car is loaded! All of the extras I wanted were standard equipment. When comparing with otherluxury models, the Lucerne CXS by far was the best buy. The ride is awesome!

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  Performance Package at a Value Price - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By bill bane - October 2 - 3:30 pm

  I have owned a number of Cadillac STSs and generallly partial to GM products. However, a new STS with the performance trim list was in excess of $60k and the DTS similarly equiped was $50+k. The CXS was priced just under $37k. It has the all the equipment: Northstar, stabilatrack, magnetic ride control, variable raitio steering, 18 inch wheels and more. I enjoy driving this car. It has ample accelelation and corners well for a large car with plenty of room in the back seat as well as the front. The leather seats and wood trim rival both the domestic and foreign competition. I popped for the wood/leather steering wheel and wood shift. I think this car is fun and great value!

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  My Buick CXS is a Dream Vehicle - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By RDS - August 15 - 1:00 pm

  I initially drove the XL & purchased a CXL for a weekend. The CXS is a whole different breed of vehicle. The V8 engine & the 18-inch wheels make the drive a lot like the Buicks of old. I love the ride as well as the four pseudo vent holes on the front fenders. The Northstar V8 has excellent acceleration -- I felt that the V6 engine even though very adequate did not have the smooth acceleration of the V8. I know that gas is very costly now but the ride & the power of this vehicle make it wonderful. I feel like a little kid when driving it. I considered a Cadillac STS but this car was $6,000- $7,000 less with the same engine & drive train. I love my CXS very much & highly recommend it.

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  My New Lucerne - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Doc - August 1 - 6:26 pm

  Easy to handle and a pleasure to drive. The Harmon-Kardon radio with XM is fantastic

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  Finally a great car from GM - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By bob politza - July 31 - 11:40 am

  I traded in my 2001 A6 2.7t quattro for this car and LOVE IT! Much quieter than the audi and handles just as good! Fit and finish is on par with the a6 and the styling is better! I test drove the new Avalon, m35, and tl but this car WON. It has the best combination of styling, luxury, price, and performance. This is the first American car Ive owned in a long time! Great car BUICK!!!

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  On the road again. - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Mary - July 13 - 5:53 pm

  I love my Buick. It is 10 years old now. And always reliable. Only thing I did wrong was buy heavier snow tires for it and dont like the ride. So am changing the tires now. But have 83,000 miles on it and this will be the third set of tires. Maybe they will be the last.