Christian Wardlaw’s 2006 Buick Lucerne Driving Impressions:
I can see why Buick buyers will think the Lucerne CXS is a rocking good time, but I didn’t enjoy driving it much. This Northstar 4.6-liter V8 sounds great and offers decent grunt, but the four-speed automatic transmission leaves the car a bit flat-footed when accelerating from a standstill. And while the transmission does shift smoothly, it sometimes doesn’t downshift as quickly as I’d like – sometimes it doesn’t downshift at all. Also, I find the shift lever hard to pull into third gear for engine braking on hills or to better maintain my speed in traffic. The big Buick redeemed itself when the time came to stop. The Lucerne’s brake pedal feels terrific underfoot, allows for fine tuning of pressure on the pads, is responsive, and offers just the right amount of travel. I didn’t tax the binders much, so I cannot comment about fade, but during several panic stops the Lucerne’s four-wheel-disc setup provided rapid, sure-footed braking.

As for handling, I drove the Lucerne on a twisty mountain road with 20-mph “hairpins” dumbed down for American driving skills, and managed to hustle around them at double the speed limit. The Lucerne is nose heavy, but doesn’t feel it unless you really get the wheel cranked over. I was surprised by how well this big Buick hunkered down, gripped, and zoomed around a curve. In fact, I’ll bet most buyers will be pleasantly surprised by its “fun to drive” factor – especially if they’re Buick lifers. The magnetically assisted steering tugs and waggles just a bit in mid-speed sweepers as it bids to return to center, and offers little feel for the road, but is boosted at near perfect levels and is responsive given the Lucerne’s mission in life. The turning circle is huge – bordering on ridiculous. I kept misjudging when parking, though if I owned the car I suppose I’d get used to that. But U-turns in this baby require plenty of space.

One downside to letting the good times roll: the tires howl at the littlest provocation, perhaps signifying to the driver what the CXS’s magnetic ride control suspension is able to mask – going fast in the Lucerne is lots of work. I was surprised to find that the magnetic ride control suspension is a mixed bag on this Buick. I love the setup on the Cadillac DTS, I like it well enough on the Corvette, but here it’s half a dozen of one, six of the other. The Lucerne suffers head toss thanks to excessive lateral body motions, but jounce and rebound are extremely well controlled. The Lucerne’s ride is smooth on blacktop, but get it onto the grooved and sectioned concrete of L.A.’s freeways, and the Lucerne feels busy under your butt.

Ron Perry’s 2006 Buick Lucerne Driving Impressions:
Sometimes we form impressions about things before we have the first-hand experience to do so. For me, that was the case with the 2006 Buick Lucerne. After my drive I discovered some of the things I predetermined, like the handling, were spot on. However, the Buick Lucerne did change a couple of my preconceived notions.

I knew going into this drive that the handling wasn’t going to be stellar, and it wasn’t. The Lucerne floats and the steering is way too light. Engaging the shifter felt sloppy and it was catching on every shift into reverse. Getting the seat controls to work properly was difficult and I never really found a position that felt right. I was surprised, however, with the available power on tap. The V8 in our test car would get up and go when asked to but there was a lot of engine growl transferred into the cabin on hard acceleration.

Also on the positive side of the ledger, the brake pedal feel gave me the information I needed to make confident stops. Though floaty, the ride was smooth and quiet and the Lucerne had good low-end torque that made driving the in traffic enjoyable. The fuel economy computer never went below 18 mpg even while I was giving the V8 a good workout and rode around 21 mpg for most of my drive. Though the Buick Lucerne didn’t blow me away, I ended my drive with a much better impression than I went into it with.

Thom Blackett’s 2006 Buick Lucerne Driving Impressions
They say accepting your problem is the first step toward healing. So, here it is – my name is Thom, and I like driving the 2006 Buick Lucerne CXS. I’ve indulged myself twice over the past year, once at the initial press launch and then again while we had this example in the shop. Sure, I tell everyone that it’s just a press car, not my car, and I point to the manufacturer’s license plate, suggesting that the only reason I’m piloting a Buick is because it’s part of my job. Lies, all lies.

The thing is, I like driving the Lucerne, but only when it’s a CXS. With that badge comes a V8 engine stuffed under the hood and Magnasteer and Magnaride systems that add a pinch of sport to the overall experience. Without any of the above, you’ve got a V6-powered rental special with driving excitement equivalent to a 1983 Oldsmobile Delta 88. However, the Lucerne CXS’s 275-horsepower motor supplies plenty of oomph for a good-sized family sedan, and offers a subdued but pleasant exhaust note reminding you that all eight cylinders are working. And the four-speed automatic transmission, despite being outdated and simple, does an admirable job of linking the engine to the front wheels without an abundance of torque-steer. Magnasteer and Magnaride setups ensure that the Buick Lucerne performs as well in corners as it does in a straight line, providing an increasing amount of steering feedback and suspension firmness as speeds and road conditions necessitate. To be sure, there’s still a healthy serving of that floaty feel and slightly disconnected steering feel associated with Buicks, though each has been largely minimized.