Best family car overall 2009 Honda Accord *Est. $20905
Best budget family car 2009 Hyundai Sonata *Est. $18700
"Fun to drive" family sedan 2009 Mazda6 *Est. $18550
Large family car 2009 Toyota Avalon *Est. $27845

See All Family Cars

2009 Buick Lucerne

*Est. $29,265 to $40,205

Reviewed April 2009

Unusually smooth and quiet
Available front bench seat
Good reliability
Luxury features
Long powertrain warranty

Unimpressive fuel economy
Soft handling
Middling safety ratings
Outdated four-speed auto transmission
Pricier than some better rivals
Rear seat doesn't fold

Our Analysis

Buick loyalists will probably be pleased with the 2009 Buick Lucerne, reviews say -- but most experts can name several full-size sedans (both foreign and domestic) that are better choices. The Buick Lucerne is a traditional big American sedan -- one of the few that still offers a front bench seat. "Old-school luxury cruising at its finest," Car and Driver calls the Lucerne, but "unlikely to appeal to anyone under 50 years old."

Its most compelling features are its extremely smooth ride and silent cabin, reviews say. The Buick Lucerne caters to its clientele with easy-to-use controls and standard amenities like a leather-wrapped steering wheel and satellite radio. Owners report that the Buick Lucerne has been reliable, and it carries a longer warranty than many full-size family sedans: four years/50,000 miles basic and five years/100,000 miles powertrain. Kelley Blue Book calls it "one of the best full-size American cars of any brand" and notes that the Lucerne's target audience might appreciate its light steering.

But Edmunds.com says handling -- at least on the V-6 version of the Buick Lucerne -- "just doesn't measure up to that of more modern competitors. The Buick's floaty, lazy responses make for a strange, out-of-step handling feel." Like some other sources, Edmunds.com complains that the Lucerne's wide turning circle makes it hard to park. Other quibbles range from minor to major. More than one tester wishes the Lucerne's rear seat folded to increase trunk space. The Buick Lucerne's safety is adequate, reviews say, but other full-size sedans -- including the top-rated Toyota Avalon (*est. $27,845 to $35,185) -- get better crash-test scores.

Some experts call the Lucerne's four-speed automatic transmission outdated, saying it hinders performance and fuel economy, while others think it's fine. Reviewers say the Lucerne's base 227-horsepower, 3.9-liter V-6 engine is more refined than the slightly smaller engine found in the Lucerne's midsize sibling, the Buick LaCrosse (*est. $25,640 to $33,805). The base Lucerne delivers 20 mpg in mixed driving (17 city/26 highway) -- again, a few miles per gallon less than class leaders like the Toyota Avalon.

The base 3.9-liter engine comes in the entry-level Buick Lucerne CX (*est. $29,265) and the step-up model, the Lucerne CXL (*est. $32,520), which adds heated leather seats and other options. The Lucerne Super (*est. $40,205) comes with a brawny 292-horsepower, 4.6-liter Northstar V-8 that testers say pumps up acceleration at the expense of fuel economy (15 mpg city/22 highway/18 combined). The Super offers better handling than the lesser Lucernes, too, says ConsumerGuide.com, but it's "still short of being sporty."

Besides the critically-acclaimed Avalon, Edmunds.com urges Lucerne shoppers to opt instead for the powerful Chrysler 300 (*est. $26,665 to $44,160), thrifty Hyundai Azera (*est. $24,970 to $28,920), the very safe Mercury Sable (*est. $25,120 to $31,230) or its twin, the Ford Taurus (*est. $25,170 to $37,170). All of these full-size sedans get better overall marks in reviews than the Lucerne does, and "low pricing on the Azera, Sable and Taurus makes these cars a much better value as well," Edmunds.com says.

We found balanced, expert reviews for the Buick Lucerne at Consumer Reports, Edmunds.com, ConsumerGuide.com, Kelley Blue Book and Car and Driver. Each of these is briefer than the last, with Car and Driver offering only a short-but-pithy capsule review. J.D. Power and Associates' dependability ratings are helpful, as are official fuel economy and safety ratings.

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Our Sources

1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe

Consumer Report's experts subject the Buick Lucerne to their usual battery of tests, posting the results in chart format so readers can easily see how it stacks up against other cars. Especially valuable are Consumer Reports' independent fuel-economy tests and reliability ratings.

Review: Buick Lucerne, Editors of ConsumerReports.org

2. Edmunds.com

Edmunds.com editors evaluate the Buick Lucerne's safety, interior design and driving experience. They note that buyers partial to domestic brands will probably find the Lucerne satisfactory, but there are better choices.

Review: 2009 Buick Lucerne Review, Editors of Edmunds.com

3. ConsumerGuide.com

ConsumerGuide.com tests nearly every car and truck, then ranks each one against a class average. The Buick Lucerne's ratings are about average for the large-car class, but testers note many of the same concerns with subpar handling reported in other reviews.

Review: 2009 Buick Lucerne: Road Test, Editors of ConsumerGuide.com

4. Kelley Blue Book

Kelley Blue Book editors here praise the Buick Lucerne as roomy, comfortable, good-looking and plush. However, although they say it may draw some youngish middle-aged buyers, they don't expect the Lucerne to lure anyone younger than that to the Buick brand.

Review: 2009 Buick Lucerne Review, Editors of Kelley Blue Book

5. Car and Driver Details/Subscribe

Car and Driver offers only a brief Buyer's Guide capsule review for the Buick Lucerne. The review neatly summarizes the family sedan's assets and shortcomings. Editors also produce a numerical ranking; the Lucerne earns a very low score of one out of 10 for enthusiast appeal, and a middling five out of 10 for consumer appeal.

Review: 2009 Buick Lucerne, Editors of Car and Driver

6. SaferCars.gov

The Buick Lucerne earns perfect five-star frontal crash and rollover ratings in government tests, but only four stars for side crash protection. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rates most cars at this website.

Review: 5-Star Safety Ratings, Editors of SaferCar.gov

7. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

The Buick Lucerne doesn't rise to the level of Top Safety Pick here. It performs well in frontal crash tests, but its side crash protection is just "acceptable." IIHS had not conducted rear crash tests on the Lucerne when we checked.

Review: Large Family Cars, Editors of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

8. FuelEconomy.gov

The Environmental Protection Agency lists fuel-economy estimates for both the V-6 and V-8 versions of the Buick Lucerne in this chart, alongside estimates for many other large cars. A quick glance shows that neither Lucerne variant is among the most fuel efficient in this class.

Review: 2009 Large Cars, Editors of FuelEconomy.gov

9. J.D. Power and Associates

The Buick Lucerne rates "among the best" large cars in this dependability survey, second only to the Mercury Grand Marquis. The scores are based on 2009 feedback from owners who bought their cars in 2006. This chart ranks the Buick Lucerne alongside 11 other large cars, although some of the models are now discontinued. You can click on the ratings tab to see how each car fares in other J.D. Power and Associates categories, such as initial quality.

Review: 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study -- Large Car, Editors of J.D. Power and Associates