2010 Buick Lucerne

According to Kelley Blue Book, the "sleek roofline" is enhanced by the "distinctively-shaped rear pillar," and the design of the wheel wells presents a "muscular stance." Chrome portholes are a classic Buick styling cue, which Cars.com notes are "machined and set high in each front fender." The number of portholes is also a hints as toat what's under the hood-Cars.com points out that V-6 models "have three portholes on each side, while V-8 sedans get four."

Autoblog doesn't care for the Super's unique grille, noting that it "looks like a beak," due to the low-slung point at the grille's bottom, and that it "takes away from the Lucerne's otherwise classy styling." Car and Driver finds the whole design stodgy, arguing that "the wedgy shape seems familiar and tired, a repeat of a '90s Camry; only the big-eye look in front saves it from being a complete cliché."

Inside, the Super builds on the 2010 Buick Lucerne's restrained yet premium interior design with real walnut accents, additional leather elements, French stitching on the dash, suede door panel inserts and seat trim, and upgraded floor mats.

"Fresh and appealingly minimal," is how Car and Driver describes the Buick Lucerne's interior, and findsdeems the Super "very luxurious," notingciting the "leather-finished dashboard and a heated wood steering wheel" in particular. Automobile agrees, praising the 2010 Buick Lucerne interior's "quiet taste and subtle style."

Edmunds finds the Lucerne's interior "handsome and cleanly styled," and welcomes the "simple, friendly controls." Autoblog points out the Super's " leather-wrapped upper instrument panel with French-seam stitching, unique finish on the instrument panel center stack, leather seats with perforated suede fabric inserts for the outboard seating positions, and suede door trim inserts," as particular treats.

The V-6 provides "only adequate around-town power," says ConsumerGuide, though the V-8 in the Super is "noticeably stronger, particularly in highway merging and passing power." They go on to point out that neither engine "matches the rival Chryslser 300's V-6 and V-8 engines for outright muscle." The four-speed automatic, archaic in comparison to modern six-speed units, shifts "smoothly enough," according to Edmunds, but the "widely spaced gear ratios hurt both performance and mileage." ConsumerGuide only notes the "smooth shifting" nature of the gearbox.

The 2010 Buick Lucerne is no sports sedan, but Kelley Blue Book finds the "standard car allows relatively spirited driving (more aggressive than its buyers will likely attempt)." EPA-rated at 16 mpg city and 25 mpg highway in V-6 trim, or 15 mpg city and 22 mpg highway for the V-8 Super, the Lucerne isn't a hog, but it's not particularly efficient either. Edmunds notes that "real-world fuel economy often falls well below the 20-mpg mark." It's worth pointing out that while this is true of in-town driving, the Lucerne does better on the open road.

The Super also adds magnetic ride control technology, which employs magneto-rheological shocks that automatically adjust to minimize body roll while delivering cushy ride. Large aluminum-alloy wheels and all-season tires boost traction and handling in most conditions, without compromising ride quality.

Autoblog praises the magnetic ride control system, noting it provides "a refined, premium ride that simultaneously enables crisp, responsive handling." Edmunds finds that without the advanced suspension, "handling is mediocre on the softly tuned Lucerne CX and CXL models, which exhibit considerable body roll during cornering."

Both the CX and CXL can also be configured with six-passenger seating via a front bench seat.

According to Cars.com, "seating for either five or six occupants is available," depending on the style of front seat. However, ConsumerGuide points outremarks, however, that "Three-across travel is complicated by an uneven floor and cushion shape." Edmunds disagrees, finding that with both five- and six-seat options, "room is abundant in any position," though they note that "seat comfort is only average."

Storage space is good, but not without its quirks. Consumer Guide notes that the Lucerne's "[trunk] lid hinges intrude into the cargo area," and that the "small rear-seat pass-through" doesn't serve as an adequate replacement for folding rear seats. In the cabin, they go on to find storage space to be "subpar," mostly due to "a small glovebox and door map pockets." Cars.com states that "the trunk holds 17 cubic feet of cargo," a solid figure for the segment.

Fit and finish aren't quite up to European standards, but buyers interested in a classically- styled car likely won't mind. CXL, CXL Premium, and Super models feature standard leather upholstery, while the CX comes standard with cloth seating.

ConsumerGuide finds that whilesays, "Cabin materials are mostly of high quality," but also remark thatsome of the interior's "lightweight plastic panels seem out of place given Lucerne's pricing." The Lucerne Super makes up for the shortcomings with "a leather-covered dashtop and upgraded trim more befitting the car's near-luxury status." Edmunds also notes a "few low-grade plastic pieces thrown into the mix, and fit and finish needs improvement."

Quietness is a strong suit of the 2010 Buick Lucerne. Consumer Guide says the Lucerne models it reviewed "were impressively quiet," and Autoblog reports that all Buick Lucerne models feature "an exclusive engineering process called QuietTuning to reduce, block and absorb noise from entering the interior."

Optional upgrades can help improve the situation, however. Cars.com points out the Lucerne's "Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist and an electronic stability system" as examples, while noting that "six airbags are standard in all Buick Lucernes, including side-impact and side curtain airbags," plus "all-disc antilock brakes."

The higher-tech features such as lane departure warning and blind-spot detection are only "mildly useful," says AutoWeek, whose reviewers go on toalso note that "unlike the lane-departure system offered by Infiniti, the one Buick uses is not nearly as intrusive."

Two available options packages up the features even further:. tThe Comfort & Convenience package adds dual-zone air conditioning, a Universal Home Remote, trunk cargo convenience net, Bluetooth phone connectivity, 16-inch steel spare wheel and tire (for CX and CXL models), or a 17-inch compact aluminum spare wheel and tire for the Super; the Driver Confidence package adds a number of safety and convenience features, including an anti-theft alarm system, a remote vehicle starter system, Rear Parking Assist, and GM's StabiliTrak stability control system with brake assist.

Edmunds notes that while the Buick Lacrosse has "greater availability of features" than the Park Avenue that preceded it, but it's not in a league with more modern alternatives. Out of the Lucerne lineup, however, Kelley Blue Book says the "V8-powered Super would be our choice for its full complement of features."