Buick Blogger

Will Buyers Latch on to the Lucerne

- Ridding itself of the Park Avenue was one thing, but letting go of Americas favorite full-size sedan, the LeSabre, was altogether another. Nevertheless, Buick made both moves in a calculated risk, and now the car most trusted by senior citizens is gone for good. Will the legions of senior buyers who made the LeSabre the best selling full-size car in the United States turn to the larger Lucerne? That remains to be seen, but chances are many will make the leap to the Lucerne while others will opt for the also new, midsize LaCrosse, the Buick that replaced the Century and Regal. Its a no-brainer going from a LeSabre to a Lucerne. The Lucerne is good in ways the LeSabre never could have been. At 203.2 inches, the Lucerne is about the same size as the Park Avenue, but its built on the same platform used for the Cadillac DTS, and for the first time since 1996 Buick is offering a V-8 engine. The V-8 is a 4.6-liter, 32-valve developing 275 horsepower while delivering up to 25 miles a gallon on the highway. The V-8 engine gives the car a completely different personality from the 3.8-liter V-6 that produces 197 horsepower. The V-8 is as smooth as Pam and it has that familiar GM V-8 sound when asked to deliver the goods. Even so, it's a safe bet most Lucerne buyers will go for the V-6 power team because that's what they have been used to. Besides, when equipped with a V-6 and cloth interior, a Lucerne CX goes out the door for less money than a comparable LeSabre. We drove the top-of-the-line CXS. The Lucerne has plenty of what traditional buyers are looking for: room galore in the front and rear seats and the trunk, where a couple of sets of golf clubs attached to pull carts are hardly going to make a difference. Buyers of big Buicks demand a smooth ride, and the Lucerne is not going to disappoint anybody. The Magna Ride system is without any fuss and is whisper quiet. The only fly in the ointment is the front doors that open so wide that its next to impossible for the driver or front-seat passenger to simply reach out and grab the handle to pull either door shut. The doors make entering and exiting easy, but it takes Gumby arms to reach the door pulls, proving that you ca not have your cake and eat it, too. People will compensate, so its a good bet GM is regaining its reputation in bits and pieces. Cars such as the Lucerne prove that GM is on the hunt and will not be thwarted by Asian and European automakers. The body is as tight as the bark on a tree and as precise as can be. Like we said, economy-minded buyers will shop the CX but those who want to step out will look to the CXS. Tack on a few option packages and you've got a full-boat cruiser making a foray into the luxury class.

posted by Car Boys Media @ 10:58 AM