30th Apr 2014, 17:35

Mine was not supercharged, and the 3.8 averaged around 3-4 MPG better on my daily commute than the 3.9. The car only had about 5,000 miles when I traded it, so it may have improved some over time. I think I will like the DTS (at least better than any modern car). While I did not think the Lucerne ride was anything exceptionally special, I think it rides as good as any other big car currently on the market, and just as good if not better than my current SUV. Plus like I said, I like the styling a lot better and it has more luxury features than the Lucerne. I just miss having a larger sedan with a bench seat and column shifter. What can I say, I am traditional.

16th May 2014, 13:50

IMO you have to have a personal bias and recall your old car inaccurately. The Lucerne does offer 99% of the features the PA Ultra does. The only one I can think of is the HUD; rain sense wipers are offered on this car. If you do the research, it seems strange you would buy the DTS, as the Lucerne is well known for having a "more traditional" ride, while the DTS is more responsive.

17th May 2014, 17:09

On top of that, the Northstar engine used in the DTS is a bad motor. Overheat it once and you are in trouble.

I love Cadillacs, but steered clear of them due to that motor. 1994-1999 DeVilles were nice looking, and the last generation Eldo was beautiful. My 1993 DeVille had the pushrod 4.9, which was reliable.

As far as the Park Avenue; it looks more like a traditional Buick compared to the Lucerne.

18th May 2014, 17:21

There is quite a bit of inaccurate information in the last few comments.

First of all, yes my 2005 and even my 1999 Park Avenue (non-Ultra, but loaded) did have some nice features that were not available on the Lucerne CXL in 2011. I should know, I bought and owned both cars.

The Lucerne was not available with a compass in the rear view mirror (except the Super model), the climate control did not display the outside temp., there were no rain sensing wipers, etc. They were admittedly little things, but those are the things that make the difference from a luxury car and a basic sedan. And before you jump all over me telling me the Lucerne does have a compass and outside temp display, I am well aware of that, but it was all crammed in a small space on the instrument cluster. I liked having it much better in separate locations, and the DTS utilized this set-up.

Secondly the Northstar engine does not have the overheating/head gasket warping issue after 2004, so since the DTS came out in 2006, that is a moot point.

Lastly, the DTS and the Lucerne utilized the same 2 suspension designs. Of course, since I prefer the traditional smooth ride, I would steer clear of models with the magnetic ride control suspension, which correct me if I am wrong, were only used on the Platinum models on the DTS.

19th May 2014, 09:00

The head bolt issue was corrected after 2004, but if you overheat you can still easily blow the head gasket.

Also I never compared the option list between the PA and Lucerne.

Be a little more accurate on whose comment number you reply to.

19th May 2014, 17:49

Where an item is, is your own preference, that's a subjective point (still has all the options, not a basic sedan). There are rain sense wipers, I should know, I have them as I did on my Park Avenue Ultra + my LeSabre. As I have personally driven both cars, I found the Lucerne to be quieter while the DTS was slightly more attached to the road. If you go on the Cadillac forums, you will learn the average person finds the Lucerne more "traditional". If it has the same suspension set up, why would you say you think the DTS will be better?

As I have said before, I owned a Ultra, and yes the 3800 is nice, however the interior noise and interior fit and finish on the Lucerne are way ahead.

20th May 2014, 17:41

Sir, the rainsense wipers were NOT available on a 2011 Buick Lucerne unless that option was available on the Super model unbeknownst to me. I believe this option was deleted after 2009 for reasons unknown to me. I purchased a loaded Lucerne CXL brand new in May 2011, and I really wanted that option since I had it on my Park Avenues and liked it a lot. I did my research too, and it was not available from the factory.

2nd Dec 2014, 10:53

I am the original reviewer. I still have no issues with the car, other than the awful tires it came with from the factory that didn't even last two years.

As well there was a piece of trim on the passenger's door that was loose after owning the car for a month or so. The dealership fixed this under warranty. However I recently was detailing my car (my wife drives the Lucerne, while I drive my Roadmaster in the summer and a Rainier in the winter), and found that instead of getting a new trim piece, they used 2 sided tape, which sticks out in a couple of places. This repair was done very poorly by the dealership and I am thoroughly not impressed with their workmanship. The MSRP on mine was over 40,000 CND. I don't think very many entry luxury car owners would be happy with this type of work.

My issue is with the dealer and I'm very displeased. Recently I contacted them to have my scheduled maintenance done. This has been done through them since day one, so when the GM adviser told me I had missed quite a bit of recommended maintenance and my warranty was void, I was very upset. Long story short, after contacting GM and GM contacting the dealer, it was discovered the rep had seen the Buick Lucerne and decided that I needed to follow the maintenance for a Silverado HD. I knew something was wrong when she told me I missed changing the fluid in my transfer case and diffs. However when I asked her to check to make sure she was looking at the right vehicle, she gave me a lecture on how I need to follow my scheduled maintenance.

I like the car, but have been very disappointed with the dealership. I may seriously go Lincoln next; the GM dealer in my area has proven to be very poor.