The Buick Lucerne is a smooth but spirited car. The ride quality is excellent, thanks to its long wheelbase and stiff body structure. In back-to-back driving along a stretch of less-than-perfect road, we found the Lucerne's ride quality comparable to that of the benchmark Toyota Avalon. Lucerne rides a bit firmer than past Buicks, but it's still plenty smooth.

The steering is precise and responsive, and the suspension is well controlled, even at high speeds along not always smooth roads. After driving several different Lucerne models over the course of several hours, winding among the vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley just north of Santa Barbara, California, we found that all handled with aplomb, exhibiting no wallowing or causing any untoward moments. A rigid chassis is the key to balancing sharp handling with a smooth ride, and Lucerne really delivers.

The high-powered Super comes with Magnetic Ride Control, which we've found improved handling a bit, though the differences were not dramatic. Magnetic Ride Control is an adaptive damping system designed to enhance overall ride performance. With Magnetic Ride Control, the shock absorbers are filled with a synthetic fluid in which magnetically charged particles are suspended. By applying electric current to the particles, a computer continuously adjusts the fluid's viscosity according to varying road surfaces and driving styles. The system, which first appeared on the sporty Cadillac XLR, and then the Corvette, delivers a quicker response than earlier adaptive-damping setups that continuously adjusted the shock absorbers' main valves.

Powering the new Super is a unique version of the 4.6-liter Northstar V8, rated 292 horsepower at 6300 rpm, and 288 pound-feet of torque at 4500 rpm. The Lucerne Super V8 is EPA-rated at 15/22 mpg City/Highway.

The CXL Special Edition offers a slightly less tuned version of the same engine, developing 275 horsepower at 6000 rpm, but 295 pound-feet of torque at 4400. Torque is the force you feel when accelerating from an intersection or up a hill. So even though it has less horsepower, the higher torque of the CXL Special Edition with the V8 might be more responsive in everyday driving. We've found the Lucerne performs well with this engine. The CXL Special Edition with the V8 is rated 15/23 mpg.

The V6 performed well in the CXL. With the lighter V6, the Lucerne seemed more agile on twisty roads. The front end felt a bit lighter. The V6 models also suffer less from torque steer, a slight tugging felt through the steering wheel when turning and accelerating at the same time. The V6 costs less and gets better fuel economy. The Lucerne CXL with its V6 is rated as a Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV). The V6 is EPA-rated at 16/25 mpg City/Highway.

Both V8 engines come with GM's electronically controlled Hydra-Matic 4T80 four-speed automatic transaxle, where the V6s use the lighter-duty 4T65 four-speed. All Lucerne engines feature electronic throttle control.

The new Side Blind Zone Alert system uses radar sensors on both sides of the vehicle (mounted behind the rear fascia) to scan a 150-degree field of view within a 3.5-meter range. Alternating radar beams sweep the adjacent traffic lanes to detect approaching cars. Vehicles entering one of seven zones identified by the system will illuminate an LED symbol in the outside rearview mirror. The system ignores stationary objects, such as fire hydrants or parked cars.

The Lane Departure Warning uses a camera, mounted near the inside rearview mirror, to identify traffic lane markings and provide audible alerts if the Lucerne should appear to be wandering from its appointed path.

© 2008 NewCarTestDrive.com