Buick’s largest car adds an optional navigation system for 2007. Lucerne shares its basic architecture and V8 engine with the Cadillac DTS. CX and CXL V6 models have a 197-hp V6. CXL V8 and the top-line CXS have a 275-hp V8. A 4-speed automatic is the sole transmission. Lucernes come with front bucket seats and a center console for five-passenger seating. CX and CXL models seat six with an available front bench. Front side airbags, curtain side airbags, ABS, and OnStar assistance are standard. An antiskid system is standard on CXS, optional on CXL V8. Exclusive to CXS is GM’s automatic-adjusting Magnetic Ride Control suspension. Leather upholstery is standard on CXLs and CXS, unavailable on CX. Available features include remote engine start and heated and cooled front seats. A navigation system is newly optional on CXL and CXS.

The Buick Lucerne is the brand’s flagship sedan. Its clean lines are suggestive of fine European imports yet maintain Buick traditions. Inside, Lucerne is elegant, comfortable and easy. Underway, it’s smooth and quiet; but with precise steering and a chassis that handles winding roads with aplomb. we find the Lucerne to be a plush, highly competent full-size sedan at a compelling price. The Lucerne CXS is certainly the most enjoyable of the new Buicks to drive, thanks to its powerful V8 engine and Magnetic Ride Control, an adaptive sports suspension developed for the Corvette. Yet we might opt for the Lucerne CXL V6, a very enjoyable car to drive, with agile handling and plenty of performance. The V6-powered Lucerne CXL is positioned to compete against the Toyota Avalon and Lexus ES 330, while the V8-powered CXS aspires to the Lexus GS and Infiniti M luxury sedans.

Lucerne is about three inches longer than LeSabre and is built on a wheelbase that is also three inches longer. The `01 model had a 3.8-literV6 that developed 205 hp. That compares with the 275 ponies available in the Lucerne’s “Northstar” 4.6-liter V8. Both are coupled to a four-speed automatic transmission.

Built at the same General Motors factory that makes the Cadillac DTS, the Lucerne shares the Caddy’s 115.6-inch wheelbase (though overall length is 4 inches shorter). The top trim level, the CXS, comes with a 275-horsepower Northstar V8. The other two trims, base CX and leather-lined CXL, have the proven 3.8-liter, 197-horse V6 as standard, with the Northstar available as an option on the CXL. The Lucerne CXS also features GM’s Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) suspension. Able to adjust shocks’ damping within milliseconds, MRC allows a traditionally Buick-plush ride for normal driving while sportier driving will firm things up to minimize body sway in the corners.

Over the years, the `01 LeSabre has averages nearly 21 mpg in all types of driving, with a maximum of nearly 32 mpg on the highway. The Lucerne, on the other hand, averaged 18.2 mpg overall and barely reached the claimed 25 mpg on the highway.

2007 Buick Lucerne Models:
2007 Buick Lucerne CX
2007 Buick Lucerne CXL V6
2007 Buick Lucerne CXL V8
2007 Buick Lucerne CXS