Lucerne Sales for June 2006

[Ghost Dog]

The Question that no one is considering, in the long term discussion. Without a Radical improvement in Fuel Economy. Or A Radical reduction in fuel costs. Four years from now, will there even be a fullsize market worth talking about?

[razoredge]

The Question that no one is considering, in the long term discussion. Without a Radical improvement in Fuel Economy. Or A Radical reduction in fuel costs. Four years from now, will there even be a fullsize market worth talking about?

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Id say thats a grand slam for Ghost Dog. GM's biggest future problem is that Toyota is ready for market with the hybrids and GM is still sound asleep. The Lexus hybrid got rave reviews from Tommy Kendal. There isnt even one planned for Buick that I have heard.

I also wonder when these people will figure out that power to weight ratio is another answer..........................gonna be kinda hard with all the gadgets that seem to be must haves these days.

[razoredge]

Noting YOUR heavy sarcasm.....here's MY list of getting a seal of approval for Lucerne....(noting some are easier than others...)

*  Bring back the "Premium American Motorcars" tagline

*  Make Lucerne RWD

*  Std 3.6L VVT HF V6, Opt. 291hp 4.6L northstar from DTS "high-performance" version.

*  Get rid of bench seat/column shifter configuration - even in base CX.

*  Bring CX and CXL suspension and steering tuning on a par with CXS.  Tire/wheel differences can account for the different models.  CXS can remain exclusive with magnetic shocks.  (Note...even CXS has a comfy ride...it's not like I'm asking it to be BMW-stiff.)

*  Add features we've all asked for....(xenons, articulating headrests, power t/t, auto up and down on all four windows, etc.)

*  Some more DTS-level dash material instead of the hard plastic.

Other than that, it's great.  I have no problem with styling....inside or out.

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*Tagline/tagline, they will come and then they will go........irrelevent

*RWD...........cant be done today sorry but it will always be there for you to pick at

*engines are comming, like I said "noise for noise sake"

*Seats both are available, right on the dealer lot, so irrelevent its rediculous but once again "noise for noise sake"..........I wonder how many of the some 50,000 sold had the split bench?

*I already stated my peace on GM's suspensions in this "premium" car segment and I actually have first hand ownership experience. Magnetic shocks can zero in on the N pole and make a B line............Ill take adjustable coil overs for the sport version, substance over baffling BS would be prefered. Trying to make money or justify different models by changing wheels and tires sizes sounds like a disaster. Like whose gonna cough up an extre 5 grand for polished 18's & appropriate tire ? Or is the CXS supposed to be selling for 30,000 now ?

*Zenons should be outlawed, as best my short memory serves me, low beams have been low for a reason, the only reason I have problems seeing at night usually stem from the idiot in the newfangled car with ultra brights just blinded me...........smile and say cheeze everyone.....

articulated headrests...............ya gotta be kiddin me.................how in the hell did I ever survive so long without WETF they are?

power tilt tele is very nice but in a 26,000 base model?

not sure whats entailed in the auto window system but if it weighs another 100 lb's it be another good thing to outlaw, considering todays current energy issues and that high fat diet todays cars seem to be on.

* GM used to use the best of fabrics before they began trying to be more Japanese

So all these other "Premium" brands your always tootin, do they have a $26000 model? DO I think GM should....................NO not from the "base" models I looked at but as I said long before, who ever is doing the shoppin for that seat material needs to be fired, should have been fired 7 years ago from what I have seen of LeSabres/Regals/Centurys.

Are all these other premium brands outselling the Lucerne ? or must we exclude "split bench models" because they shouldnt exist ? + exclude "fleet" models because we want to hand yet more sales over to the Asains. Wont be long anyhow before our government vehicals are all Asain. All rentals/ all Asain.........

"oh, what a wonderful world"

Lucerne is selling well so quit the already !

[The O.C.]

*Tagline/tagline, they will come and then they will go........irrelevent

*RWD...........cant be done today sorry but it will always be there for you to pick at

*engines are comming, like I said "noise for noise sake"

*Seats    both are available, right on the dealer lot, so irrelevent its rediculous but once again "noise for noise sake"..........I wonder how many of the some 50,000 sold had the split bench?

*I already stated my peace on GM's suspensions in this "premium" car segment and I actually have first hand ownership experience. Magnetic shocks can zero in on the N pole and make a B line............Ill take adjustable coil overs for the sport version, substance over baffling BS would be prefered. Trying to make money or justify different models by changing wheels and tires sizes sounds like a disaster. Like whose gonna cough up an extre 5 grand for polished 18's & appropriate tire ? Or is the CXS supposed to be selling for 30,000 now ?

*Zenons should be outlawed, as best my short memory serves me, low beams have been low for a reason, the only reason I have problems seeing at night usually stem from the idiot in the newfangled car with ultra brights just blinded me...........smile and say cheeze everyone.....

articulated headrests...............ya gotta be kiddin me.................how in the hell did I ever survive so long without WETF they are?

power tilt tele is very nice but in a 26,000 base model?

not sure whats entailed in the auto window system but if it weighs another 100 lb's it be another good thing to outlaw, considering todays current energy issues and that high fat diet todays cars seem to be on.

* GM used to use the best of fabrics before they began trying to be more Japanese

So all these other "Premium" brands your always tootin, do they have a $26000 model? DO I think GM should....................NO not from the "base" models I looked at but as I said long before, who ever is doing the shoppin for that seat material needs to be fired, should have been fired 7 years ago from what I have seen of LeSabres/Regals/Centurys.

Are all these other premium brands outselling the Lucerne ? or must we exclude "split bench models" because they shouldnt exist ? + exclude "fleet" models because we want to hand yet more sales over to the Asains. Wont be long anyhow before our government vehicals are all Asain. All rentals/ all Asain.........

"oh, what a wonderful world"

Lucerne is selling well so quit the  already !

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Taglines irrelevant? WhatEVER....."The Ultimate Driving Machine" certainly hasn't been irrelevant to BMW.....and Cadillac was known for a LONG time as "The Standard of the World."

Engines are coming? Do YOU know something I don't know? So far, I haven't heard any confirmation of any engine plans for Lucerne other than the current offerings...?

You wonder how many Lucernes are sold with bench seats? You make the assumption it's very few....so MY point exactly. Why offer it?

You also TOTALLY missed my point about the suspension tuning.

As far as your ranting about the features.....uh.....these are things that people appreciate and the competition if offering....en masse....if you don't or can't realize that, then I'm sorry....?

There's NOTHING "Japanese" about the seat fabric Buick is using on base CX Lucernes.

Oh....and about all our "government vehicles being Asian?" Sorry to tell you my friend....that time is ALREADY here. Washington D.C. has an overwhelming majority of import cars just like other east coast cities and California.

[Flybrian]

Regarding the features, things like power tilt-telescope steering wheels and articulating headrests already exist on other cars within the GM lineup. My Olds was designed in 1994 and has three-position articulating headrests.

[razoredge]

I said "tagline is irrelvent" because they change every year "they come and they go" so what EVER

3800 plant is going to close down...........sad but true

I made no "assumptions" about the seats, did you ? I am seriously wondering how many were bought with the split bench, that would indicate to some degree desirability

I miss no point about suspension tuning, Im pretty sure we are in agreement about excessively soft GM suspensions, I would however prefer substance over baffling BS when it comes to upgraded suspension. I dont want some magnetic shock, I want adjustable coilovers.

No rant about features just stateing the facts, myself and the vast majority of the population is sick and tired of being blinded by on comming traffic, its just the children and "enthousiasts" that feel they need to drive by spotlight - screw everybody else. Articulated headrests are nothing but sales gimicks, as far as I know you are not supposed to drive with your head laid back resting, I mean my head never touches a headrest, I just dont see the point. Ya see what escapes you is the Japs will always be right there leading the way in sales gimicks, they have cheap labor, cheap materials and no matter what they throw out there the world is full of people like yourself that will fawn over that which you dont need or use. Simply thriving on sales gimmicks, going and looking at all products and choosing what has the most numbers on the dial. Then showing up at the party "mine has more than your does" Im proud to be a loyal American and not a materialistic snob. Whats next? everycar is going to have to have 5 TV's............bought from the Japs no less ? I truely believe our government needs to step in on this baffling bull$h! and stop it in its tracks, such an age of excesses at the same time as an age of shortage and supposed environmental awareness. That is my view point, as well as a valid point.

There is everything Japanese that GM is doing while building cars these day, copy the Japs, that is how our interiors became one piece vacumn molded plastic in the first place. Ive looked inside those old Japs cars during many used car buying searches. Take apart the interior of a eary H/C body. Theres more pieces in that than today average Japanese car. Buick and Olds were using high quality, extremely durable, non staining velour material, todays material looks like dress socks...........whimpy ! Reminds me of the frail cloth used in the 50's & 60's.

Government vehicals - here in upstate NY they are still domestics, I realize we upstaters dont rate as real "east coasters" But anyhow you should note my post said " Wont be long anyhow before our government vehicals are all Asain." But its you that misses the point, ya'll act like GM should refuse "fleet" sales.....................oh yea, that would be really bright

Its simple B U I C K Lucerne is doing well and Im one real GM owner/enthousiast thats proud of it.

Now if only that whatchamacallit..................saturin would just get the hell out of the way

[trinacriabob]

Boys, stop!

Buckets or Bench w/ column shift: have you looked at the overall shape/contours of the seating in this car? It sucks. The contours, angles and bolstering should be a little more uptown given that this is currently the premium Buick.

Sorry, I too am a 3800 as a base-line defender. A bullet-proof powerplant combined with Buick quality are a good match. How many mid-80s FWD PAs and LeSabres (obviously 3800 equipped) do you still see running around? Many!

However, I do agree that "Premium American Motorcars" aptly desribes what Buick is and should aspire to, followed only by the much older tag line "Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?"

[CaMIRO]

August 2006 sales

• Chrysler 300 - 11,703 (and 95,475 year-to-date)

• Buick Lucerne - 10,822 (and 67,928 year-to-date)

• Dodge Charger - 10,461 (and 77,540 year-to-date)

• Nissan Maxima - 8,814 (and 48,609 year-to-date)

• Lexus ES350 - 7,973 (and 48,365 year-to-date - includes ES330)

• Toyota Avalon - 6,747 (and 58,540 year-to-date)

• Acura TL - 6,339 (and 48,940 year-to-date)

• Ford Five Hundred – 6,046 (and 62,028 year-to-date)

• Ford Crown Victoria - 5,091 (and 46,642 year-to-date)

• Mercury Grand Marquis - 4,036 (and 43,383 year-to-date)

• Hyundai Azera - 2,090 (and 18,577 year-to-date)

• Mercury Montego – 1,728 (and 16,244 year-to-date)

To answer the inevitable corollary, GM points out that retail deliveries of the Lucerne for August 2006 were 9,021.

Edited September 2, 2006 by CaMIRO

[Farkas]

• Buick Lucerne - 10,822 (and 67,928 year-to-date)

So, they fleeted 1801 or 16% [if my math is right, feel free to correct me]

That really is not that bad, but I would like to see it around the 8% - 12% range.

Still, good news for the Lucerne being #2 in monthly sales and selling about 62% better than the Avalon.

:]

[GMman]

Those number, even with fleet sales taken out, still handily brush the toyotason avalon aside. Nice work Buick.

Just think what the next generation RWD Lucerne is going to do to that competition....

Now for the japanese loving spanks to come up with some reason the numbers aren't valid or something.....

[Farkas]

If anybody has access to the retail v. fleet breakdown on all those cars, I'd love the link to the website or just the numbers would be good also :]

I would like to compare their fleet sales, and see who is "least likely to be seen at Avis".

[VenSeattle]

If anybody has access to the retail v. fleet breakdown on all those cars, I'd love the link to the website or just the numbers would be good also :]

I would like to compare their fleet sales, and see who is "least likely to be seen at Avis".

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See this topic.

Who's the Rental Queen Now?

By Brian Dreggors for Cheersandgears.com

Don’t believe me? Check out the numbers here…

2006 Midyear Car Registrations

2006 Midyear Truck, Van, and SUV Registrations

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[Tennesseestorm]

Were the numbers for the Impala available as well?

Finally got to the July 10th edition of automotive news, which has the sales stats for June, and realized that Lucerne looks to have outsold the segment, depending how you define it.  Too bad GM didn't hype that more.

Lucerne - 10,690

Charger - 9710

300 - 9140

Five Hundred - 9089

Avalon - 6680

Azera - 2778

Montego - 1880

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[Tailfin61]

Were the numbers for the Impala available as well?

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Impala was 30,716!