Buick is a name commonly associated with classic American motoring, whose mid-century heyday set the blueprint for the brand’s character. It will not come as a surprise, then, that in the early 2000s, Buick was responsible for building a model with two characteristics that were rapidly becoming much less common in the automotive world: a V8 engine and a front bench seat.
The slightly obscure sedan that combined these two features was the Lucerne, which was on the market for only six years. Let’s take a closer look at this big four-door and what you need to know if you decide to own this piece of Buick history.
The Buick Lucerne: A Little-Known Luxury Sedan
Front 3/4 profile of the 2006 – 2011 Buick LucerneBuick
The Lucerne is not one of the most famous names in Buick’s history, but it deserves to get a moment in the spotlight thanks to a unique combination of features. Named after a city in Switzerland, the Lucerne was released for the 2006 model year. The full-size sedan was built on an updated version of General Motors’ “G” platform, which it shared with one other model, the Cadillac DTS. The design represented Buick’s strengths as a brand: traditional, classy luxury and an emphasis on comfort on every journey.
The model’s standard engine option was a 3.8-liter V6 producing 197 hp, which was upgraded to a 227-hp 3.9-liter unit in 2009. However, the more interesting engine on offer was the optional 4.6-liter Northstar V8. The Lucerne started out offering a member of the Northstar engine family called the LD8, which produced 275 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. However, in 2008, this was replaced with the Northstar L37, which was slightly more powerful at 292 hp but produced less torque at 288 lb-ft. All engine options were paired with a four-speed automatic transmission.
Rear profile of the 2006 – 2011 Buick LucerneBuick
Inside the cabin, the Lucerne puts passenger comfort front and center, with ample room and plenty of luxury features. All trim levels offered dual-zone climate control and power-adjustable front seats. However, going up a few trim levels added extra features such as heated and ventilated seats and leather upholstery.
One of the most interesting features offered on the Lucerne was the optional front bench seat, a callback to past decades of American motoring. This option created room for one extra passenger, although their journey may not be quite as comfortable. In cars fitted with a bench seat, the gear selector was mounted higher to create space for an additional passenger. Although it is possible to have the bench seat in a V8-powered Lucerne, the high-end Super trim did not offer this option.
Of course, due to the car’s age, the technological features are minimal by modern standards. There’s a six-speaker stereo and CD player in all trims, while some higher trim levels upgrade the sound system to a more premium Harman Kardon unit.
The Lucerne’s Reliability And Used Pricing
Front 3/4 profile of the 2006 – 2011 Buick LucerneBuick
The number of complaints fluctuated throughout Lucerne’s lifespan, but declined sharply in its last two model years. Although a drop in the overall number of vehicles sold is partially responsible for this, the number of complaints per unit sold also declined, suggesting that some reliability issues may have been mitigated in the model’s final years.
The first model year, 2006, is also the one with the highest number of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration complaints: 330. This number fell to 164 in 2007, then rose to 218 in 2008, before declining steadily over the following three years. In 2009, there were 128 complaints, 2010 had 54, and 2011 had just 49. The biggest sources of complaints were the bodywork and paint, the engine, the electrical systems, the wheels, and the fuel system.
The front seats of the 2006 – 2011 Buick LucerneBuick
Over the course of its life, the model was affected by a few recalls. The first two model years were the worst on that front, with four recalls; this number dropped to three in 2008 and to two for 2009, 2010, and 2011. The recalls were related to issues with the ignition, windshield wipers, power steering, and sunroof.
If you have decided that a V8-powered Buick Lucerne might be the next addition to your garage, there are a variety of price points for you to choose from. Looking at the price range for the 2011 model, the cheapest examples start at around $7,000, while the most expensive go up to around $13,000. The V8 version of the Lucerne is only slightly more expensive than the model’s V6-powered trims, for which used prices today start around $5,000 and go up to around $11,000.
How To Find One
Bring A Trailer
Getting a six-seat Buick Lucerne required selecting the 40/20/40 front bench seat option from the factory, a $295 upgrade available exclusively on the entry-level CX and mid-tier CXL trims. Top-tier CXS and Super models could not be ordered this way, as they came standard with fixed center consoles and bucket seating.
Choosing the bench seat automatically shifted the gear selector from the floor up to the steering column, opening up floor space for a third front passenger. The middle seat featured a versatile fold-down armrest with built-in cupholders, allowing it to function as a standard center console until extra seating capacity was needed. If you are searching for a six-passenger Lucerne on the pre-owned market today, the fastest visual cue is a column shifter rather than a console-mounted gear selector.
The Lucerne’s Closest Sibling: The Cadillac DTS
Front 3/4 profile of the 2006 – 2011 Cadillac DTSCadillac
The Lucerne was built on the same platform and the same assembly lines as another model in the General Motors family, the Cadillac DTS. The DTS was also available for the same model years as the Lucerne, between 2006 and 2011. Its name was an abbreviation of “DeVille Touring Sedan”; the model had been introduced as a successor to the iconic Cadillac DeVille, which had a lifespan of nearly half a century and was discontinued in 2005.
The DTS’ design was fairly different to that of the Lucerne, with taller, more squared-off headlights and narrow vertical taillights. The grille was also different, with Cadillac’s signature five-sided shape. However, both cars conveyed the same image: classic, timeless luxury, with iconic design cues passed down from earlier generations of models.
Rear 3/4 profile of the 2006 – 2011 Cadillac DTSCadillac
In mechanical terms, the DTS shared its only engine option (the 4.6-liter Northstar V8) and its only transmission option (a four-speed automatic) with the Lucerne. Unlike in the Buick, no V6-powered versions of the model were available. The DTS’ overall reliability was also good: its last model year, 2011, achieved a JD Power Quality and Reliability Score of 83/100.
The Cadillac also shared the Lucerne’s unique seating configuration options: it offered seating for five occupants as standard. However, the front bench seat, which increased capacity to six, was available as an option. The interior provided ample space for both passengers and cargo, with easy entry and exit thanks to the cabin layout and doors. Leather upholstery and wood trim were offered on the entry-level trim, while upper trims came with more elaborate trim options and perforated leather. While all models offered a radio and CD player, upper trims offered features such as a sunroof, heated and cooled seats, and a navigation system.
The Lucerne’s Demise And Its Replacement: The Second-Gen LaCrosse
A silver 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist on a beachside cliffBuick
After the Lucerne was discontinued in 2011, it was replaced in the Buick lineup by the second-generation LaCrosse, a mid-size sedan first introduced in 2005. The second-gen model had hit the market in 2010, just before the Lucerne’s discontinuation.
The new Lacrosse had a more sweeping, dynamic design compared to the Lucerne, with a new grille shape and headlights with a pointed edge. While it offered a wide range of inline-four and V6 engines, there was no V8 on offer in the lineup. All engine options were paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.
Sideview of the 2012 Buick LaCrosseBuick
Aside from the absence of the Northstar V8, the other key difference from the Lucerne was the disappearance of the front bench seat, which was not offered as an option on the second-gen LaCrosse. As a result, the model only had capacity for a maximum of five occupants.
The LaCrosse remained on the market much longer than the Lucerne, and although it left the US market in 2019, it is still in production today in overseas markets such as China. The second-gen model ended in 2016 and was followed by two more; the fourth and current one was introduced in 2023 and is exclusively offered with an inline-four engine.
Sources: Buick, JD Power, NHTSA
