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Walkaround
There is no mistaking the Lucerne for anything but a Buick. The Lucerne has a handsome appearance with a good stance thanks to its long wheelbase and wide track. The classic Buick waterfall grill blends in well with the large integrated headlamps. The side profile, with its steeply raked windshield, is reminiscent of several recently introduced European sedans such as the VW Passat and Audi A6. The rear of the Lucerne features a high trunk line with nicely integrated tail lamps.
Chrome trim is kept to a minimum. The only stylistic link to Buicks of old is the row of small portholes on each of the front fenders. They are also the only clue to what's under the hood: the V6-powered Lucerne gets three portholes on each side while V8-powered models get four on each side. Flashback to the Fifties, when more powerful Buicks had more holes. But they didn't serve any real function then, and still do not today. Still, we like them.
Two new exterior colors, Light Quartz Metallic and Gold Mist Metallic, are available for '07.
The Buick Lucerne is built on the same mechanical platform as the Cadillac DTS, which was also all-new for 2006. Now in its second year of production, deemed the sweet spot for some buyers, the Lucerne benefits from the newest techniques for building a quiet luxury car.
These include hydroformed frame rails for a stiffer body and use of laminated steel with plenty of sound deadening material placed in strategic locations. Buick engineers shaped the outside of the door mirrors to lessen wind noise. Laboratory test results show that the Lucerne is quieter than a Lexus ES 330. This was also evident in a back-to-back driving comparison.
Interior Features
Much like the exterior, the Lucerne's interior is cleanly designed with just enough touches of wood and chrome trim to make it luxurious without being opulent. The dashboard is fairly traditional in design with a smallish instrument pod containing three round gauges in front of the steering wheel.
The center stack is located high up for easy access, and contains large knobs for operating the climate control and audio system.
Standard on all '07 Buicks is OnStar with Turn-by-Turn service, which allows customers to talk to a live advisor, who in turn 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.
And a touch-screen navigation system that can display a map is also available.
Buyers who want seating for six can order a traditional front bench seat. Most people instead opt for bucket seats, which 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 long wheelbase also allows for a wider-opening rear door with almost no intrusion from the wheel well, making it easy to get in and out of the car.
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