My brother was given one as a loaner after taking our Mom's car to the dealership (the dealer didn't have any non-SUV loaners). He drove me around in it for a couple of hours on some errands. The following is a list of my impressions from the passenger's seat combined with his from behind the wheel (I couldn't drive it because my name wasn't on the rental).
This was a 2010 model with the 3.9L V6 and about 18k miles.
- Engine was what you'd expect: quiet, smooth, able to get you onto the highway without too much trouble, and that's about it. Acceleration was totally unimpressive.
- Transmission shifted nicely.
- Brakes were fantastic for a car like this. A little grabby but mostly appropriate for around-town use, with a good amount of bite in a panic stop.
- Handling was very good for such a large, softly sprung car. Decent steering, good grip, and surprisingly little body roll.
- Throttle kick-downs caused torque steer at normal-person speeds on the highway. Slight, but inexcusable for an upscale car.
- Ride quality was mostly good, with the one tiny exception that some bumps caused a disconcerting rattling noise and vibration (like a much milder version of a city bus).
- Dashboard was a joke. Instruments looked like they came from a 10 year-old econobox. Faux wood trim looked like it came from the dollar store. LCD info display was straight out of the 70s.
- The steering column could be made to flex visibly by tugging on the steering wheel.
Dynamically, this car seems to be a big step forward for Buick -- which is to say it is now par for the course in this market segment, rather than woefully inadequate. The real shame is that the interior constantly reminded us of the cars that made people stop taking GM seriously. Overall, the car was a great effort, but it has absolutely nothing on its foreign rivals, which seem vastly more complete and comprehensively engineered.
I can see the price being enticing compared to, say, a Lexus, but I can't imagine paying Lucerne money only to be greeted every morning by an interior that is at least 15 years behind its competition. I'd rather pay a bit less for a car that doesn't even pretend to be upscale. At least that way I'd feel like I was being honest with myself.
This was a 2010 model with the 3.9L V6 and about 18k miles.
- Engine was what you'd expect: quiet, smooth, able to get you onto the highway without too much trouble, and that's about it. Acceleration was totally unimpressive.
- Transmission shifted nicely.
- Brakes were fantastic for a car like this. A little grabby but mostly appropriate for around-town use, with a good amount of bite in a panic stop.
- Handling was very good for such a large, softly sprung car. Decent steering, good grip, and surprisingly little body roll.
- Throttle kick-downs caused torque steer at normal-person speeds on the highway. Slight, but inexcusable for an upscale car.
- Ride quality was mostly good, with the one tiny exception that some bumps caused a disconcerting rattling noise and vibration (like a much milder version of a city bus).
- Dashboard was a joke. Instruments looked like they came from a 10 year-old econobox. Faux wood trim looked like it came from the dollar store. LCD info display was straight out of the 70s.
- The steering column could be made to flex visibly by tugging on the steering wheel.
Dynamically, this car seems to be a big step forward for Buick -- which is to say it is now par for the course in this market segment, rather than woefully inadequate. The real shame is that the interior constantly reminded us of the cars that made people stop taking GM seriously. Overall, the car was a great effort, but it has absolutely nothing on its foreign rivals, which seem vastly more complete and comprehensively engineered.
I can see the price being enticing compared to, say, a Lexus, but I can't imagine paying Lucerne money only to be greeted every morning by an interior that is at least 15 years behind its competition. I'd rather pay a bit less for a car that doesn't even pretend to be upscale. At least that way I'd feel like I was being honest with myself.
