I had thought abotu getting a pretty loaded up Lacrosse, but decided to wait until the Lucerne became available to see what its pricing is like.

The Buick website has started showing base pricing for the Lucerne. The lowest one is 26,900, he middle is 28,900 and the top is 35,990. Those are pretty nicely equipped without starting to add options.

A loaded up Lacrosse is about 30,000 or so. For the top model loaded up. The middle model loaded up is around 27,000.

For my money, I would take the big cruiser, base or middle model with some options and have a much nicer and larger car than I would have had with the Lacrosse.

I thought Buick would have had higher pricing on the Lucerne. I'm glad I waited.

I think at those prices, if you can gt the public interested, it can be a hit.

 

Yeah, it's actually a nice looking car. Wouldn't mind trading my 05' GP into that (for a Company Vehicle). Doubt my boss will do that though, LOL. Much more elegant thats for sure.

I think the 3.8L is ok, nothing spectacular.

What suprised me is the availability of the Northstar 4.6L V8 in the top model. That's freaking AWESOME!!!

Although, makes you wonder - what will seperate Buick/Cadillac???????

Is Caddy going to go even MORE UPSCALE and Buick going for more of what Caddy used to be.

IE: Buick 30-50k Cars

Caddy: 50k+ Cars???

 

The Lucerne in person is way prettier than pictures show it. I checked one out in person and sat in it, looked it over everywhere. It is a NICE car. Inside, and out, it is very nice.

 

Chrome,

I was actually worried that you would be forced to get the CXS (topline) model to get the Northstar. But, thankfully, you can get the Northstar in the CXL (midlevel) model at about $30k (about 5 or 6 grand less than the CXS).

 

Meh, its ok. Threxx will probably love me for saying this, but I would go with a new Avalon if I was in the market for a soulless couch on wheels.

 

Well, it does offer more fuel economy from its high power V6 (its only engine) than the ~same power but more torquey (and way better sounding!) Northstar. Other than that, though... :blah: I think the Buick is prettier, inside and out. Both Buick and Toyota are known for building reliable cars. Soulless? Perhaps...but of these two, I'd venture that the Buick ( ) has a little more "soul"...

 

IMO, nothing sounds like a Northstar. Nothing. My best friend has a '94 Eldorado as a daily driver. We were just detailing it last night, then went for a spin. That engine purrs. Its beautiful.

I have a very difficult decision coming. I'm going to hopefully be leaving the dealership in the next 6 months or so. People know I've sung the praises of the GXP until I've been blue in the face. But frankly, the more I ride in and drive this Eldorado, I love it. I'm reminded of all the V8 Auroras I sold that are now completely DIRT CHEAP, and are great cars. I can buy right now from our lot an '02 Aurora with 25k on it for $14,900, completely loaded. How the hell do you beat that???

So my decision is whether I still get my beloved GXP brand new, or wait 12-18 months and give my GP to Ashleigh, sell her Grand Am, and look for either an '01-'02 Eldorado, '01-'03 Aurora 4.0, or maybe even a Bonnie GXP. Gorgeous interiors in the first two, and an awful one in the Bonnie. But that Northstar is intoxicating.

If the Lucerne is as pretty as the Auroras were in person, could I actually love a Buick? We'll see

Decisions, decisions I need to leave the dealership soon. I owned one car before I started there 5 years ago. Now, I've owned 5 cars in 5 years (still have 2 of them) I'm honestly shocked how much I love the Northstar, and that Eldorado for that matter...

 

Jason, if you like the Northstar (and I do too), wait until you drive an XLR-V or STS-V with the dual mode mufflers, like the new Z06 has. I've briefly driven an early XLR-V. When you are on it at lower rpm, the Northstar sounds sweet, like it always has. IIRC, there is a bit of whine letting you know it is supercharged, but nothing obtrusive at all. What I remember most, though, was the way the sound changes when the tach swings past ~3500-4000 rpm and the muffler valves open up. Holy crap, it gets deeper, louder, and meaner, but still refined and matching the character of the car. Absolutely intoxicating. Just awesome.

 

If I can find a Caddy dealer willing to let a 25 year old in either a white and orange Camaro or a Grand Prix with bling even SIT in a V series, I'll see if I can nab the key long enough to hear it

Maybe I need to borrow my dad's '05 TrailBlazer LT for an afternoon so I look like I have more $$ than I do You know, with all the Firebirds we had in '02 and all the GTO's we've had in '04 and '05, I've always been cool about letting younger people who clearly couldn't afford the cars (based on what they pulled up in) start up one and drive it around the lot. But I doubt a Caddy dealer with a $70k STS or a $90k XLR will be so accomodating

With that said, my dream is now an XLR-V. I already loved the base one...the V must be insane!!!

 

Well, it's good that Caddy's lineup has 2 cars now. Next, they just need to dump at least one of the two SUVs and the minivan and get another car or two.

 

I assume you meant Buick's lineup.

 

I most certainly did...long day at work

 

Yeah I definitely like the way they look. Needs a 6-speed auto, not a 4-speed. More updated chassis unless they did update the old Aurora chassis quite a bit and didn't tell anybody?

3.8 does NOT belong in a 'brand new' design car making its debut into the near luxury category. The Northstar is nice but from the performance stats I've read thus far it will not outperform the 3.5L V6 Avalon - they'll run about even, which just seems to not say much too exciting about the Northstar V8.

Interior doesn't look very modern, either, though I'm sure it's well built.

The main thing I like about this car is the exterior looks. Buick hit the nail on the head with the looks of this car in the near lux category.

 

Not really bad.
My top line Park Ave was stickered @ $34,943, in 1995.

 

FWIW the "Ultra" (top of the line model) Park Ave stickered under 32,000... so I guess there were some options that added 3 grand to the sticker?

Buick doesn't have the option pricing on their but the $36,000 model still doesn't have quite a few features like sunroof, park assist, heated washer fluid, navigation, content theft alarm, remote starter, etc.

I'd bet the farm that adding the above will get the price over 40 grand easy... if not we're talking riiiiiight under. Add destination and tax and it'll push it a good ways past.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that's a nice long features list but there are a LOT of other cars I might want to look at in the 40k dollar price range before settling for the Lucerne. This car could be very competetive in the high 20s and even low 30s group depending on the audience in question, but I'm not so sure about 40 grand.