Cananopie

Strange

2-24-2005 It might as well be from 2-24-1935 Dates are a key issue with news articles. Old articles don't bring much to the table.

The time that looks like was put in to it is good too. Usually the Buick vehicle sites aren't very comprehensive, but this one definitely is. I feel like it's some place people will actually go to look up things about the vehicle which isn't something I'd do with the regular Buick site, theres other places that give the information better.

I think the e-mail was just saying that they recorded your problem and if there were a lot of the same problems then it is worthy of a recall. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the problem with your Lucerne reflects a problem with all Lucernes... But isn't this covered under warranty? Do they agree there's a problem? Is a recall really the only way it can get fixed? I think the GM guy was just making sure you weren't starting a rumor about an unnecessary recall. Don't get so upset- that guy doesn't have the job to fix your car, your dealer does.

Man, the office car expert only knows fancy technological names that don't improve the car almost at all compared to the pushrod V6 3.8. It has stuck around this long for a reason and many car owners swear by it. It still gives competitive gas mileage and is probably the most reliable engine ever made. It's been REFINED over 40 years, it's not the same engine it was when it was invented. I have the 3.8 Series II in my Regal and it is enough power and is very quick still. The series III thats in the LaCrosse is even more refined, and quicker on the pickup than the Series II. If you really let the "car office expert" tell you what is good (even though wouldn't have known better otherwise) then its what he'd buy, not you. You will not get a more reliable engine than the 3.8 and that's a fact... and with the mileage you have on your Century it is looking like that is what you should be considering, not the fancy names your coworker is telling you that hardly do anything different anyway.

Exactly, even if they're part of the BPG lineup they're not the exact same company. People see Pontiacs different than Buicks and Buick just needs an exciting car again. No matter which way you cut it FWD sedans can only be SO exciting. A FWD coupe or a RWD Sedan or (my hope) a RWD coupe (a luxury RWD coupe in the Buick pricerange is something GM is lacking anyway) this will get people seeing the Lucerne and LaCrosse in a different light.

I agree, at least one more car. A car that gets peoples attention. You make one flagship car, and I mean a real flagship car (like the REST of GM has) then people will notice Buick again so long as they don't mess it up and sit second to another GM car or any car for that matter.

And as I'm sure you've noticed with this thread even BUICK is having a hard time finding a Lucerne with the "accessory" spoiler attached too... so what exactly is your point? Don't be a hater.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Seeing that I own an 2000 Regal LSE (and have similar feelings about the Regal dynasty) and my mother owns a 2005 LaCrosse CXL which I drive regularly I can agree with your review. I also remember the first time I drove the LaCrosse and then got back in to my Regal and noticed a bit of disappointment at the refinement of my Regal compared to the LaCrosse. The LaCrosse really is a step ahead of the Regal in every way but one... The Regal has a more aggressive and sporty look to it and I think that is necessary in at least ONE Buick so as to keep the heritage of sport alive a little bit. But apparently this'll be remedied with the LaCrosse Ultra so I'll wait for that to see. I'm not saying the LaCrosse should look like the Regal, I just like my Buick to look a little more masculine than the very delicate looking LaCrosse.

Did you even ask them a question? By the sounds of it you were telling them to put a picture on their site, and rightly so, it only makes sense. What question couldn't she answer? How to obtain a picture of Lucerne with a spoiler? That sounds pretty basic for any car company to do. That's disappointing.

I think that says a lot about the 3.8 still. This is the only article that addresses the fact that this engine has been some people's lifestyle for years. The 3.8 is the reason why many people BUY GM. That is a very weighty thing to state. I'm glad he did. I'm also glad one of the articles mentions the 300's base engine is less powerful than the Lucernes. People are only concerned with how powerful the Avalon is. I also agree with whatever reviewer exclaimed the Avalons big advantage is the fuel economy. That's a fact and with the gas prices how they are GM needs to improve on this fast.

Don't be so quick. Check out the Wash Post and NYTimes review on the other thread. They're some of the greatest reviews of the Lucerne yet!

Isn't it purely opinion then? There isn't a fact list of what vehicles look best with spoilers. Spoilers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and the Lucerne one is nothing crazy looking, it's just to give a little bit more flavor to the rear. It doesn't jut out a foot over the trunk or anything. It's a very sophisticated and proper spoiler for the vehicle it's on.

Haha, the butt picture was a good one. I think Buick is the one car company that has trumped the idea that tail lights can reach across the back of the car most, if not all of the way. I think Buick dropping this trait to look more like its competitors will only hurt Buick in the end. There are a million ways you can design long tail lights as Buick has done for a long time... and just like the incessant vertical grille I think it's okay to deviate from the "typical" Buick fashion on occasion. My example I used before was the last gen Regal grille was not a waterfall/vertical grille and that was good to see Buick deviate from that style. Buick shouldn't be afraid to do something different. The last gen Riviera grille is another good example. So tail lights that don't stretch all the way across are okay in my book, but not if you're going to drop it from the whole lineup. That was a unique look and somebody else will pick it up and Buick will race back to it like when Maserati used portholes and then people aren't going to give Buick the credit. I agree with Fly that the LaCrosse tail lamps are at least a bit more unique than the Lucerne. VW has that tail light styling and Buick shouldn't have taken it as nice as it does look it makes Buick lose styling credibility which they are suffering from enough already.

I know Paulie. I think you misread my double-negative. I said "Buick hasn't had tail lights that didn't stretch..." In short I meant "Buick has only had tail lights that stretch all the way (or most of the way) across for decades." The LeSabre, Regal, Century, Park Avenue, Riviera, Roadmaster, Reatta, Electra, and all their generations for at least the last 2 decades ALL have those kinds of tail lights. Not just the ones you mentioned- but all of them. My point of that entry is that these new Lucerne tail lights are completely unjustified to look like that and are actually a rip-off of the VW.

There is no defending the Lucerne tail lamps from the VW. Buick hasn't had tail lights that didn't stretch all the way (or most of the way) across the back end in decades. This is not a Buick trait nor is it possible to defend it styling from the VW. The VW was obviously out first and Buick didn't make a mistake or make them similar by chance. Though it looks good it does lack uniqueness. The front is Buick-y and unique however and doesn't look anymore like the Sable than the chance that they share certain design cues both by heritage.

Thank you. I'm glad somebody here is using judgement not based on a thumbnail picture.

That's true. That's a big problem with having such high quality. Being the guinea pig on a new idea could ultimately hurt Buick reputation. However I think Buick does need to be the grand-opener of some big things so Buick can have a better reputation with some of the media as being more innovative and not a write-off.

Thanks Paulie. More pics are in the members rides section if you care to view.

What is similar besides the placement of the headlights and the general shape of the grille, a circular emblem, and vertical bars? Mercury and Buick BOTH use vertical bars and BOTH use circular emblems. The bumper isn't near the same, the fog lamps and such are nowhere near the same, the bodies look completely different and by the time you get to the back end its apparently "more like Acura" but I'm sure we can draw little comparisons between an Acura and a Sable. WHAT are you guys so insistant upon that is there that isn't in every car with a similar grille style? See my example on previous page and if you can successfully say where the Lucerne/Sable are similar and the Avalon/Altima aren't, then I can find this point you're trying to make valid.

This is my Regal Paulie, it has a Spoiler. Before any of you complain anymore that spoilers don't belong on Buicks get your priorities straight. Spoilers only belong on RWD FAST vehicles to be functional and even then it needs to be a really fast car to be even that useful. Every other kind of car the spoiler is simply for cosmetics. So I'm not sure what brands spoilers are "acceptable" for but they do add something to any car considering it's only cosmetic. The Regal has a sporty history and was just as fast as the Grand Prix with the GS. Buick's have had a very sporty history sporting one of the most powerful and quickest muscle cars of the muscle car era and of course the Grand National is still revered. Even the Regal GS can go very fast, ask Dean on this forum, he owns one. But even a spoiler on fullsize car like the Lucerne is good because it's simply another cosmetic piece, like on all vehicles. It's not a "functional" spoiler, but chances are neither is the spoiler on 95% of all cars. I like mine on the Regal because there is no question what it is when looking at it from the back. You can't even mistake it for a Century which is important since they share similar styles. I've always felt the spoiler has done a lot for appearance on my Regal and it deserves to be there as much as the Grand Prix or any other vehicle that has similar HP. Buick is NOT for old people. Buick is a respectable brand and makes respectable cars, that doesn't mean they have to be boring.

Boo Tuxedo Blue is better than Cocoa.

Well I think the main points that make the Lucerne/Sable similar are the headlights and the grille. The body certainly has no similarities to the Sable and the back ends of the two vehicles are completely different worlds. Taking a thumbnail picture of the Lucerne you can easily squint your way in to seeing what you want. Yes the Lucerne has verticle bars on the grille as does the Sable. And the grilles have similar (yet obviously different) shape. Again, looking at thumbnail pictures you can start to see a similarity between any two cars. You look at the pictures I provided you see the difference in the bumper, the definite difference in grilles, and the Sable and the Lucerne lights are in SIMILAR places but they are headlights, so forgive them for placing them in a similar spot. As for the cut and design of the headlights, they are different than the Sable in an obvious manner and the Lucerne headlights really do look jewel-like and cuts to the side of the car where the Sable just stays mostly to the front. The Avalon and the Altima?? 2 horizontal bars going across with the symbol right in the center. Closer than the Sable and Lucerne design AND an even more similar grille shape than the Lucerne and Sable design! They are the same shape, the Avalon just takes the shape and makes it a little wider. But same exact shape. And the lights? Almost identical. They're placed in a similar spot and they are even designed to look similar. Obviously the body takes on a different design than the Altima, but so does the Lucerne to the Sable. The body of the Lucerne and the body of the Sable look nothing alike. The Sable is long and wide. The Lucerne is tall and sleek. I don't see where this astonishing similarity comes in aside from the grille and the lights. And then I don't see how the Avalon/Altima is any different than that.

Can we not play this game? All cars share similarities. Obviously vertical bars on the grille, a circular logo, the same color, and headlights placed ROUGHLY in the same spot does it for guys. But as we know pictures can be deceiving sometimes. Also if there is one domestic company that is seriously in trouble it is Mercury. The Sable had one of the highest depreciation values, there is nothing Mercury brings to the table that anybody in the automotive industry wants, especially with the Sable. The Lucerne is its own unique design. With these pictures you can definitely see they have completely different shapes where as the other picture of the Lucerne was a lame stock photo looking nothing like it does in person. Also, we can play this game with any car company. The brand new amazing Avalon??? Old Nissan Altima... You can make the same exact criticism with these two cars. The grille and the lights are similar (obviously not the same and just as different of cars as the Lucerne and the Sable) but any criticism you give to the Lucerne about looking like a Sable you can give the exact same criticism to the Avalon looking like an old Altima.