2006 Buick Lucerne CXL

Reading over that headline might make you think this is a car which will stand the test of time. You know, one for the ages. And I’m not saying it won’t—or that it will, for that matter. What I’m saying is that you don’t have to be a stereotypical Buick driver to consider the Lucerne.

What, you may ask, is a stereotypical Buick driver? Someone who’d moved up the General Motors ownership ladder as his/her proverbial ships came in. You know, someone whose first car was a Chevy, then on to Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and finally, if you were lucky, Cadillac. That just ain’t so anymore. First off, there’s way more competition out there. And secondly, the Oldsmobile Division has been pushing up daisies for a couple of years now.

This supposed ownership ladder also usually meant that by the time you’d arrived at your Buick or Cadillac dealership you were of the white-haired variety. That too has changed as Cadillac has jazzed up its lineup to appeal more to the affluent import buyer, and Buick, first with its Rendezvous crossover vehicle and now with the Lucerne, is attempting to lower its buyer’s median age out of retirement age and back into the working years. Both divisions realized there’s a finite number of people who fondly remember the 1940s as “the good old days,” and are attempting to pull their (and their customer’s) proverbial one foot out of the grave.

Looking at the Lucerne, you can’t help but think Buick is on the right track. Park one next to its predecessors, the LeSabre and the Park Avenue, and you know they are. The Lucerne’s an iPod while the older cars are your grandmother’s hi-fi. Oh, the LeSabre and the Park Avenue certainly had their plusses: comfortable, solid, built like tanks. But the Lucerne is much more modern looking; the styling is edgier, yet it’s still comfortable and solid.

It’s just not land-yacht comfort that older Buick customers are used to. Some of them will need to be convinced that this is better. Subjectively speaking, of course.

The Lucerne comes in three trim levels: CX, CXL and CXS. All models come with Buick’s QuietTuning, which reduces or tunes out much of the unwanted road and powertrain noise; six standard airbags and four-wheel ABS. The CX is the entry-level Lucerne and comes with cloth seats, 16-inch wheels, AM/FM/CD with six speakers and a/c with rear seat outlets. The CXL adds a bunch of comfort and convenience items, including leather, dual-zone automatic a/c, RainSense wipers, six-way power driver and front passenger seats and a bit firmer suspension. The top line CXS comes with the Northstar V-8, an even firmer, sportier suspension and a whole mess of other neat stuff befitting its position at the top of the Lucerne heap.

Driving my CXL from Keyser Buick shows that the Flintsters didn’t spend all of those years building the “poor man’s Cadillac” without learning a thing or two about what a quiet, luxury car should feel like. It’s roomy enough for me and my six-foot frame to stretch out in both the front and rear seats. (It should be noted here that the CX and the CXL are available with a front bench seat which makes them fit for six passengers.) All controls are easy to both reach and figure out. The standard 3.8-liter V-6 moves the Lucerne along at a good pace, and the transmission shifts smoothly.

Like I mentioned earlier, this isn’t the land yacht which many current Buick owners are used to—wallowing over Thruway expansion strips like the Santa Maria at sea. The Lucerne’s ride is an excellent mix which gives you a feel for the road yet doesn’t let you feel the road.

I hope that makes sense. If it doesn’t, call me. Or find out for yourself. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the CX starts at $25,990. For more info, visit www.buick.com.