The DTS rides on a VERY similar platform and NOBODY complains about it. The Deville and DTS consistantly are RAVED about because of their smooth driving truely luxurious ride. They aren't sport sedans, something that may be lost on this crowd, but they perform their job VERY nicely. To show a little about the now replaced Deville I read a review about the then a Deville with the DTS package and they said one very memorable thing, "NO FWD car should be this fast and luxurious to drive. And yet this one is, it is a true Caddliac." Shows you that even if it doesn't appeal to you and it is a few years old the "1995" dated chassis still has a few years left up its sleeves.[/QUOTE]

I have no idea about the Lucerne's chassis, so I'm not saying this is necessarily the case, but I know some people consider the Lincoln Towncar to be a luxurious and smooth ride. To me it feels like a waterbed with a wet noodle for a frame. Not good at ALL. Take something like an LS430, S-class, Q45, or whatever else and they have very rigid chassis with relatively responsive dynamics, yet they still maintain a very smooth and quiet ride.

I guess in the end they both give you what is perceived as a smooth ride, but the more complex setups do so without as much compromise in terms of solidity, response, rebound, etc.

Again, I'm just talking about the towncar as an example of why smooth ride does not always necessarily mean it's a up to date chassis.

 

Threxx would you be at all interested in a floaty highway car with a butter smooth ride that makes you feel separated from the road? No didn't think so. These are not the car for you: DTS, Lucerne, Lincoln Towncar, Avalon. What you would be looking for would be a sport sedan: STS, 5 series, 7 series, Lincoln LS, S type Jag or Mercedes, M45, GS430 or something similar. Basically the car won't feel right to you because it wasn't made for you. If you are outside of the target audience then the car probably won't appeal to you because the target audience is looking for other things than you are.

 

speaking of the ol' Buick 3.8 T's, why doesnt GM actually do something different and make a new GN

Now that would be hot

 

I doubt man Buick owners will find fault with the 4.6L Northstar--even if its slowe then the 5.3L W bodies. But at the same time----the 3800 is a joke!

Should be 3.6L HF as base.

 

very good response!

A more apt question is: Do you think the Lucerne will be a breakthru FOR ITS TARGET AUDIENCE????


The problem here, as I see it --- some on this site are judging a car as if the car were intended for them.......by the remarks I see looking back over the past couple of years, it seems to me that this car is targeted for NO ONE on this site.......

What, indeed are the motivators for the Lucerne buyer? Safety? Dependability? Quality? Fuel Economy? Quiet and Smooth ride?

or..........

is it tire burning acceleration? or perhaps able to pull 1G in the supermarket parking lot?

Stop and think for a moment.......

As to the 3800 V6.......this engine will be history very shortly. It will be replaced. But look at the history....won many many many awards....and while you and I don't care for it, perhaps the buyer of the car...who has already had the engine, is fine with it.

I'm not speaking for the owners.......and neither should you.

Playing devil's advocate.......why would we want to target the entire GM portfolio at you? I think that's part of GM's problem in the past....too many entries chasing the same buyers.

But hey, what do I know?

 

I think you're taking the "the Lucerne isn't targeted at you, Threxx" thing a bit too far. Can you still tell me what makes this car competetive for the price in its market? To me it seems to not only be one of the highest priced cars in its segment, but it's lacking on the tech spec side of things, too.

 

Sorry Red, but I have to disagree here. It's a good car for its target audience, but then again, so was the LeSabre. Why even redesign Buicks if GM is only going after people who like traditional Buicks?

I thought the goal with every new Buick is to expand the brand's target audience, seeing as its current one is rather rapidly driving off into the sunset. What about this car would attract anyone who does not already like Buicks? Again I'd point out that the better packaged Olds Aurora failed to attract import buyers four years ago.

There's no doubt that the Lucerne will be efficient, smooth, safe, and reliable; however, these adjectives describe many vehicles on the market today. Most of these vehicles have more modern transmissions and engines, ride on newer, stiffer platforms, and offer more in the way of features.

Now don't get me wrong, I could care less about whether the base engine is a 3800. It's an efficient, reliable, and powerful engine. As you correctly pointed out though, I'm not the target audience. The target audience - the people who buy Accords with gold packages and entry level Lexus's - look down on old tech. And while these people might not be taking the Lucerne autocrossing (something I would like to see though ), they will likely notice that the old G-body neither feels as controlled nor isolates the road as well as say, a Ford Five Hundred.

I am very impressed with GM's efforts as of late, but their direction with Buick really has me scratching my head.

 

 

With Oldsmobile gone, Buick has to carry the Mud-Lux banner alone and that's where this car is targeted. However, in order to grow sales Buick needs to snag some buyers from Lexus, Infinity, etc.. and that is where the future RWD Buick will come into play.

As for the the next Grand National ? It's sitting on the Pontiac lot with a Grand Prix GXP badge on it and if Pontiac is going to be the performance division, that's where it belongs.

 

Emoticons are the cheap way of arguing. All the disagreement with none of the substance.

Yeah the Lucerne has Magnaride and an available northstar - that's good, but I guess at that price point you'd really hope to get something extra.

 

Let's remember Buick's demographic here, folks... it's one of the oldest, if not THE oldest, in the industry.

Super-tech engines, Navigation sysems, BMW-like super-confusing dial controls, etc.... these folks have little to no interest in them.

Yes, Buick would benefit from lowering it's average buyers age, but that doesn't mean they should ingore the group of people who ARE interested in Buick.

 

I don't think Buick really appeals to anyone who isn't a senior citizen looking to lease or buy a car for the long haul. I seriously can't name one person under 60 that owns or has owned a Buick (GN not included).

 

How about some of the highest reliability cars currently made? How about a GREAT interior with with fuel mileage of a much smaller car? And looking at what the target demographic is and who it can attract: lower insurance than other marques of the same level.

 

Let's remember what happens to old people. Buick cannot survive on this demographic. It's absolutely fine to target older people, but they could easily have done that while grabbing for new customers.

 

I agree to a point.

Of course, the car isn't even out yet, and many people are already saying it won't appeal to anyone under 80.

That's jumping the gun a little bit. LaCrosse is selling better than a lot of people here thought it would too.

Also, GM already has full size sedans to appeal to younger, sophisticated buyers: Cadillac STS, even the DTS to a degree. Granted they are a bit higher priced...

Regardless, this is where that RWD "Halo sedan" would fit for Buick that I talked about over a Velite-like car in the other thread talking about how to get a Velite-like car to market as fast as possible.