I'm looking for a car for my son to drive back and fourth to school. I haven't fully decided yet if I'm just going to let him use my Camry and I'll buy me a "beater" or get him something of his own. I'm finding it very difficult to find an older civic/corolla in decent shape with out a million miles on it. I see a lot of cheap Chevy Cruzes but I don't want to deal with that ticking time bomb of an engine. Same thing with the Ford Focus, they either had the transmission replaced already or they are fixing to need to. I stumbled across a super clean, low mile 09 Buick Lucerne with the 3.9 that I'm considering getting. I know the 08's and earlier came with the 3.8 that seem to be pretty bullet proof but I can't seem to really find any info on the 3.9's. Anyone have any insights on this model or things to look out for? This particular example only has 70k miles on it.
2009 Buick Lucerne 3.9
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I would want to see the car, but this seems to me like a great choice. I think that 3.9 is okay...
The 3.9 is a version of the High Value aka Low value engine, itself an evolution of the 3.1/3.4
I think it has AFM cylinder deactivation and might even share LIM gasket issues with the predecessor engines too
Here are some good cars in your area:
2004 Echo
2006 Scion XA
2004 Vibe
2009 Yaris
2007 Fit
2013 Spark - NOT A CVT
The first year Spark has a 4-speed automatic. The CVT came in 2014.
I think it has AFM cylinder deactivation and might even share LIM gasket issues with the predecessor engines too
Here are some good cars in your area:
2004 Echo
2006 Scion XA
2004 Vibe
2009 Yaris
2007 Fit
2013 Spark - NOT A CVT
The first year Spark has a 4-speed automatic. The CVT came in 2014.
That 3.9 was used in Police spec Impalas, so it can't be too bad.
Go for it, it cant be tremendous money... Any Crown Victoria's left out there?
I already have a crown vic. Prob gonna lookin to sell it here shortly.
Re read your first post. The Crown Vic that you already own is the answer.
The 3.9's are as rock solid as any other 60 degree V6. The big plus on the 3.5/3.9 is that they have a dry intake setup, unlike earlier engines.
That being said, I've replaced plenty of coolant crossover gaskets on 3.5/3.9's. It's not quite as fiddly as LIM gaskets, but it's close. The huge selling point of a V6 in a G-body car is the absolutely massive amount of room to work under the hood.
Personally, I'd prefer a Lucerne Super with the 4.6.
That being said, I've replaced plenty of coolant crossover gaskets on 3.5/3.9's. It's not quite as fiddly as LIM gaskets, but it's close. The huge selling point of a V6 in a G-body car is the absolutely massive amount of room to work under the hood.
Personally, I'd prefer a Lucerne Super with the 4.6.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
I considered a few of these some years ago when shopping for cars for my kids. Like you say, the 3.8 get all the praise, the 3.9 tend to get a solid mehh.. Some things are a bit odd on the Lucerne, like you have to go up through the front fender liners to access the headlamp bulbs. I believe the book way tells you to remove the whole front fascia/bumper to get at them.
I’ve had it for 2 years and it’s modified to the point where it’s not really daily drivable anymore, at least not for my commute. I have a 130mi round trip drive to work. I still drive it around I just don’t like taking it to work.
You'd rather have the Northstar? Don't they have lots of problems? And does that big DOHC V8 really fit under the hood? Working on that looks impossible
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According to RockAuto it does have standard roller lifters, but it does have VVT.I think it has AFM cylinder deactivation and might even share LIM gasket issues with the predecessor engines too
Used Bolt or Volt, use the tax credit while you can!
Some people don't mind paying to play, myself included.You'd rather have the Northstar? Don't they have lots of problems? And does that big DOHC V8 really fit under the hood? Working on that looks impossible
You'd rather have the Northstar? Don't they have lots of problems? And does that big DOHC V8 really fit under the hood? Working on that looks impossible
N* problems are 90% poor maintenance and 10% bad design. By the time the Lucerne got it, almost all the issues were worked out.
There's nothing overly difficult about working on a N*, unless you're afraid of them. Plus, the 4T80e is basically bulletproof.... same can't be said for the 4T60e.
Look for a ford fusion base model there pretty cheap and reliable
Our kids shared a 3.8L hand-me-down Lucerne. It was a solid vehicle, though it did suffer intake manifold repeated leaks, and generally leaked every fluid you put in it. It had a lot of features and most of them did hold up, but being more complicated it did have more niggling issues. Stay on top of the fluids, great car.
