2011 Buick Lucerne

The 2011 Buick Lucerne may be the last one of the Buick Lucerne models as General Motors steers away from producing the model and gearing up the efforts to build a replacement. This not withstanding, the 2011 Buick Lucerne has made a comeback with a V-6 or V-8 engine in addition to a few other upgrades.

The Lucerne is a concretive of the old luxury American style emphasizing a classic style in the interior and exterior details. It is a large front wheel-drive sedan with an attractive exterior dotting chrome accents. Sometimes it has polished alloy wheels. The interiors spot neat stitches on the leather seats with a walnut trim and a suede door panel trimming in more plush versions.

The Lucerne is available in four sedans. The CX, CXL and CXL Premium sedans use a 3.9 liter V-6, 272 horsepower engine. The fourth is the Lucerne Super which has a 4.6 liter Northstar V-8 with 292 horsepower.  The V-6 and V-8 engines are characteristic of ample low torque, high fuel economy and allowable acceleration.

The Lucerne Super has a magnetic ride control which uses magneto rheological shocks which adjust automatically to control body roll giving a cozy ride. It has excellent steering with a lot of body roll and absorbs bumps pretty well as the case should be for a domestic sedan.

The specialties found in a Lucerne interior are a quiet cabin with large seats. The dated-looking Lucerne has larger interior space than more expensive Japanese Sedans and has more space in the trunk and the cabin. The CX model boasts of a bench seating of flat and wide seats both at the front and the back which is not available in any other car.

Standards feature in the Lucerne include a dual front, anti-lock brakes, side and curtain airbags and traction control. The 2011 models have a standard stability control. The Lucerne is rated at only 3 stars in the federal crash testing failing in the side impact tests. Only the two Lucerne models on the upper-end have blind-spot obstacle sensors and lane departure warning systems.

High-tech features of great interest in the Lucerne are a standard AM/FM/MP3 stereo system with an option for a USB port, a touch screen navigation packaged with a 280-watt,9-speaker Harman Kordon audio system which can be optioned for an intermediate 6-disc CD changer and a standard  satellite radio. A sunroof, remote start, Bluetooth and parking sensors are optional.

There are two additional packaged options that hype the Lucerne further. The Driver Confidence package brings additional features for safety and convenience: a remote vehicle starter system, an anti-theft alarm system, rear parking assist and the GM’s stability control consisting of a brake assist.  The Comfort and Convenience package has a dual-zone air conditioning, a trunk with a cargo convenience net, a Universal Home Remote and Bluetooth, a tire and 16-inch steel spare wheel for the CX and CXL or a tire and a 17-inch spare wheel for the Lucerne Super.