2011 Buick Lucerne PA

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The 2011 Buick Lucerne is an attractive near-luxury car offering looks, features, quality and value. If you like a modern, comfortable ride with competent road manners, the Lucerne, with either a V6 or V8 engine, is well worth consideration. New for 2011, Buick adds a standard electronic stability system to the Lucerne. Buick has a long history of innovative engineering, handsomely conservative styling, and premium luxury at below-premium prices. The Lucerne follows these Buick traditions. The 2011 Buick Lucerne is a full-size, premium sedan with front-wheel drive and a standard V6 engine. The Lucerne CX is a traditional Buick, with the Premium Ride Suspension maximized for cushioned comfort. The Lucerne CXL comes with a firmer Ride and Handling Suspension, and is positioned to compete with the Toyota Avalon and Lexus ES 350. We found it a very enjoyable car to drive, with agile handling and plenty of performance. The CXL Special Edition adds numerous trim and convenience features. The Super is the top of the Lucerne line and includes a V8 engine and Magnetic Ride Control, a sophisticated adaptive suspension with responsive handling. The Buick Lucerne is built on the same platform as the Cadillac DTS and benefits from modern build techniques for a quiet luxury car.

Driving the 2011 Lucerne

Buick Lucerne CX and CXL are powered by a 227-horsepower 3.9-liter V6 engine with a four-speed automatic transmission.  Lucerne Super  is powered by a 292-hp 4.6-liter V8 and equipped with Magnasteer power steering, Magnetic Ride Control adaptive suspension, StabiliTrak stability control, Brake Assist, and P245/50R18 all-season radials on 18-inch aluminum wheels. The Buick Lucerne is a smooth but spirited car. The ride quality is excellent, thanks to its long wheelbase and stiff body structure. The steering is precise and responsive, and the suspension is well controlled, even at high speeds along not-always-smooth roads. The V8 engine comes with GM's electronically controlled Hydra-Matic 4T80 four-speed automatic transaxle, and the V6 uses the 4T65 four-speed. Both Lucerne engines feature electronic throttle control.

'11 Buick Lucerne Design

The 2011 Lucerne has a handsome appearance with a good stance thanks to its long wheelbase and wide track. The classic, Buick waterfall grille blends in well with the large integrated headlamps. The side profile, with its steeply raked windshield, is reminiscent of several recently introduced European sedans. The rear of the Lucerne features a high trunk line with nicely integrated tail lamps. The Lucerne Super is distinguished by a larger grille that cuts deeper into the front bumper and features fewer, thicker vertical bars. The grille bars turn sharply inward at the top, giving more definition to the waterfall effect. Below the grille, the look is more familiar, with twin lower air intakes accentuated by chrome slashes that seem to point to the outboard foglights. The smaller main grille of the CX and CXL is finer in texture and is chrome. The twin lower air intakes on these models hide behind horizontal grillwork cut into the lower bumper.

Inside the 2011 Buick Lucerne

Inside the 2011 Lucerne you will find individual front seats as standard, but buyers who want seating for six can order a traditional front bench seat. The individual front seats provide a good level of comfort and come with an armrest in the center console. Rear-seat passengers are well taken care of with good headroom and excellent leg room. The Lucerne's long wheelbase allows for a wide-opening rear door with almost no intrusion from the wheel well, making it easy to get in and out of the car. OnStar with Turn-by-Turn service is standard and allows customers to talk to a live advisor who downloads complete step-by-step directions to the vehicle through the OnStar system. Audio directions are then automatically played through the vehicle's stereo as they are needed, triggered by the OnStar system's GPS capabilities. Drivers can be directed to their destinations without having to take their hands from the wheel or eyes from the road. New OnStar eNav allows a subscriber to find and save destinations on MapQuest.com, and have those destinations sent to the vehicle's OnStar system.  A touch-screen navigation system is also available, giving the Lucerne driver the best of both worlds. New OnStar Destination Download enables OnStar subscribers with screen-based navigation to quickly input their destinations via the press of a button; while XM NavTraffic delivers real-time information about accidents, traffic backups, and road construction directly to the navigation screen. With or without navigation, all Lucernes come with an enhanced XM display that delivers more channel and artist information.

New Lucerne Lineup

Buick Lucerne CX standard equipment includes cloth upholstery, air conditioning, seats for five people with a power driver's seat, power windows, power door locks, leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel, AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio with six speakers and steering wheel audio controls, XM Satellite Radio, cruise control, electrochromic rearview mirror, remote keyless entry, cornering lamps, heated outside rearview mirrors, an extended-range key fob, and 17-inch bright-silver-painted aluminum wheels.

Lucerne CXL upgrades with leather seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, universal home remote, a cargo net, eight-way power heated front seats with power lumbar support, memory settings, a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, and turn signals integrated in the outside mirrors. The CXL suspension is tuned a little tighter, too, and includes airlift control in the rear for automatic level control.

 Lucerne Super features a leather-wrapped upper instrument panel with French-seam stitching, heated leather seats with suede fabric inserts, harman/kardon audio, heated and wood-accented steering wheel on a power tilt-and-telescope steering column, wood shift knob, and other upgraded finishes and trims. StabiliTrak, Brake Assist, rear parking assist, remote starter, a theft-deterrent system, dual-zone automatic climate control, a universal home remote, a cargo net, and Bluetooth are standard. Outside, the Super sports its own unique grille, front and rear fascias, extended rocker panels, and integrated dual exhaust tips.

Conclusions

Safety features on all models include six airbags: A dual-stage driver's front airbag and a dual-depth front-passenger airbag, front-seat side-impact airbags, and full-coverage side-curtain airbags. The front seatbelts come with pretensioners to enhance the effectiveness of the airbags. Traction control, anti-lock brakes, and a tire pressure monitor are standard on all models. OnStar comes standard and includes the first year of Safe and Sound service; OnStar operators will dispatch rescue crews if your airbag deploys and you don't respond to calls, a great feature for you and the rest of your family. Overall, The Buick Lucerne is a highly competent sedan with smooth, clean lines and driving manners to match. Underway, it's smooth and quiet, with precise steering and a chassis that handles winding roads with grace and security. Inside, it's elegant, comfortable and easy to operate. It's a very luxurious car, and at a price that represents a commendable value. For more on this model, visit the official Buick Lucerne site.

Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com