caddycruiser

Actually, at least in these two circumstances, the first said it was an overcast day and no more than 70 deg. out, and the second didn't note temperature, just saying it was a normal day, traveling at 55mph down the road. Luckily, the first had the shade shut and it was easier to clean up all the glass fragments, but since the other person had the shade open and the glass went all over both the interior and its occupants, it took the dealer 3 tries to successfully clean all the pieces out, finally having to completely disassemble the interior to do so, since every time they'd reach to do something like adjust the seat, they'd get a hand cut again. Now that apparently doesn't happen, but with vibration from driving, they still find new clumps of glass that has fallen out of random crevices or blown from the vents. OH, and while the second was able to get Cadillac to cover the expensive repair, the first, so far, has just been forced to split the $4,800 replacement costs with his insurance company--while taking legal action against Cadillac and GM to be compensated.

I'm a member on another board focused just on Caddy's, and a person there just had this problem recently--it now verified, by both him and the people from GM that nothing fell on it, but some kind of stress in the body and/or manufacturing defect in the sunroof glass itself caused it to "pop" while driving down the road--thankfully, though, all the glass fragments fell onto the shade that happened to be closed. He's filed with the NHTSA, so he's probably one of the registered "complaints", but there certainly are others. Another one on the same board was driving with the shade open and the same open road situation when it exploded, showering glass all over him, his wife, and the kids, and giving them each several cuts--another NHTSA filer. Furthermore, his dealer apparently told him that it was the second "shattering" case they've had in. You have to remember, no matter how much brainpower and technology went into designing the system, it's still the largest glass paneled roof available today, and there's bound to be some problems that crop up over real-world driving.

And a direct comparison, model to model, of an '05 vs. and '06:

Yep, here's some more "real-world" ones: '06 Sandstone Maxx LT: The FINALLY body-colored side strips on the base models look much better, as do the new steering wheel and chrome pieces.

Nope, not released yet. I'm imagining the difference between models will be VERY much like the Equinox--the LS is essentially identical to the LT and with the same wheels, just with black mirrors and door handles. This will be the same on the interior, with the only real differences maybe being two different cloth materials and then a trim that is either woodgrain or silver, depending on the interior color you get.

Interesting point, and I forget what the actual reasoning was behind having the mid-size SUV's and trucks based on 2 different platforms, other than the fact that Isuzu was heavily into development of the truck.

Back to the Lucerne! http://www.cheersandgears.com/public/style_emoticons//AH-HA_wink.gif

I'm telling you, there was a strange difference in the feel between the '99 Intrigue 3.8 and the '99 LeSabre 3.8--the LeSabre, somehow, seeming lighter and faster. A lot is probably due to the marshmallow feel of the Buick to begin with, so it just seems looser and easier rolling than the taut Intrigue. But, at the same time, the Buick also seemed to have more effectively spaced gear ratios too. Don't get me wrong, the Intrigue is no slouch, and you certainly can do fairly quick launches in the car--it just still seems a bit slow, to me, overall. Wouldn't keep me away from buying one, however--since the first time I rode and drove in "granny's" '99 Olds, I loved the thing, and even liked it better in some aspects than the '00 Chrysler 300M we had at one time. Taking that into consideration, a used Intrigue, most likely a '99 preferably with the newer 3.5L, has moved into the top spot of my "Cars to consider" list when buying time comes late next spring/early summer.

EXCELLENT point, and all the more reason to show how Buick, among other brands, really need to go out on their own and stop trying to emulate what everyone else is doing. In all honesty, I've never driven a 3.8L S/C or a Northstar, just a few regular 3.8L's. ACTUALLY, now that I think of it, there were two others with that motor I tooled around in--a '98 Olds LSS and a '99 Buick LeSabre Custom, both cars of clients that I do detailing work for occasionally. STRANGELY, from all of my experiences, the one that had the strongest, seat of the pants, feel was the '99 LeSabre--that thing just flies, and I never could figure out how or why, since it's just a regular LTD model with the base suspension and base axle ratio. Had someone following me last time I was going to drop at off at the owners house and I even accidentally chirped the tires and lost them in the dust without really trying. Also strangely, the Intrigue would have to be the one that seemed to dog the most and feel the slowest when up to speed--again, WEIRD, because it should be the sportiest of all. I think I REALLY need to go drive a S/C model, anything....

No, really, I swear on it. At least a year or two ago, when the image of certain GM brands was in the auto news, there was a whole topic on how, in Buick's attempt to move up a class and be beside the likes of Lexus, that they realized they needed more "image", part of that being highly refined, and often upsized engines that were exceedingly powerful WITHOUT the need for such things as superchargers. The point being, brands like Lexus and BMW ALWAYS have stuck to naturally-aspirated powerplants, just focusing on making them highly powerful and refined. Yes, that's partly true. For a very long time, Buick has been associated with the forced induction V6, whether that be turbo- or super-charged. BUT, and just like I explained above, it really was an image that they wanted to move away from--going from having stealthy cars like the Regal GS that looked rather humdrum but could smoke lots of other cars, to having bolder, flashier cars, with more chrome, more leather, more wood, more refinement, etc., etc., and WITHOUT the forced induction anymore. The Lacrosse (3.8L S/C to 3.6L OHC), to some extent, and now moreso the Lucerne (3.8L S/C to 4.8L V8 OHC), are perfect examples of this. I'm NOT making it up, as if I had the time to find some of them, I'd dig up the articles where this was mentioned or discussed in detail and post them.

Wow, such an honest, to the point take on that comparison :lol:

EXACTLY, and the main reason why Buick ditched the S/C motor--not the same classy image as a refined, sophisticated V8.

Whoops....boy am I just confused about the Avalon B) I could have swore it had 280hp, unless that changed with the new measurement system. Either way, it's a pretty damn fast and economical powerplant.

Hah, sorry, got my descriptive words going a bit weird. Changed it now. Either way, it's one of the strongest points of the car. The 3.8L will do mighty fine for lower end Lucerne's for quite some time....then again, will the 3.8L EVER die? Probably not for quite some time, especially given the strangely lower MPG ratings of the theoretical replacement, the 3.9L.

Very good point. The fact that the Toyota has a silky smooth and very efficient V6 that makes more power to begin with than even the upgrade V8 in the Buick will be quite an embarrasment, but Buick had to work with what they could get. Sad, but true. Still seems like it will be an awesome car, but the powertrain will still be a sore spot, even if it's just from the "on paper" specs.

We will, without a doubt. I showed my mother those first clear pics of the '07 Tahoe a few months ago, and she loved it. Right now has a Suburban because of my brother and I(when I'm not at college...), the two dogs, and all our stuff couldn't fit in anything smaller. With all the improvements, it's almost a guarantee that her replacement in years to come will be another, maybe even a Tahoe if she doesn't need as much space then. GM truck and SUV buyers are a VERY loyal crowd, believe me http://www.cheersandgears.com/public/style_emoticons//AH-HA_wink.gif Also agree on the Diesel thing--I loved driving my friend's new '05 Jetta TDI, and when asked, my mother said "Yeah, I'd drive a diesel too, as long as I could get it in a car I liked and it was quiet". They're great engines, regardless of car brand, but a higher volume, very refined diesel would be IMMENSELY popular if offered in these 'utes.

Well, because most people use trucks and SUV's as "cars" today, very few have a need or desire to get the off-road/redneck look that big treads and small wheels give, IMO, and would much rather just have larger and often shinier wheels to match the large size of their big truck. To most people, myself included, when the wheels are too small, they can make the truck look really top heavy or like it's riding around on donut spares. Don't fret too much, if you're not big on the whole large, flashy wheels thing--17's are standard on most of the models, so the overall look won't be that different from today's trucks.

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There's NO way they'd ever have used the 3.8L S/C in a car like the Lucerne, since its main mission, whether they admit it or not, is to replace the LeSabre, a car that has done very well for years with the regular 3.8L. Furthermore, the S/C motor has almost always been the choice for the higher end models, not things like base LeSabre's, and though still great, it is a higher maintenance engine in comparison to the regular 3.8L, at least after some miles have passed. That's also kind of what the point of the 4.6L was and is for, since just like it moved in to replace the 3.8L S/C in the Bonneville, it's here taking over the place of what the S/C engine used to be in Park Avenue Ultra's. Also, based on something I think I remember reading some time ago, Buick, especially, wanted to get away from Supercharged/Turbocharged V6's, and instead go with the more upscale image of generally higher output and naturally aspirated V6's and V8's. Could it use some more power? Absolutely. But, like I said earlier, if they get the gearing and the transmission programming right, the 3.8L certainly won't be a slug, and most of the people buying them could car less how old the block is or what the official hp rating is. Any idea of what the % model spread might be on this car? I would assume, based on past sales of the LeSabre/Park Avenue, that the majority of Lucerne's ordered and sold will be CX's with 1 or 2 options, just like current LeSabre Custom's, but what about the CXS? The other oddity will be the CXL, kind of in an odd spot between nicely equipped and REALLY well equipped, but also offering the engines from both ends. Right now, with the Lacrosse, I hardly ever see a single CXS model, in comparison to the glut of base CX's and moderately loaded CXL's.

Now that I've seen the full options/standards sheet, the colors, the wheels, the power, etc., I too agree that this will be an awesome car--the size and solidity of the outgoing LeSabre, but finally matched with style, a high quality interior, and lots of cool features. Even without seeing one in person, I'd put it at the top of my list if looking for a relatively large, refined, luxury sedan under $40k http://www.cheersandgears.com/public/style_emoticons//AH-HA_wink.gif This car seems SO, SO much nicer than the Lacrosse could ever dream of being.

The 3.8L that was in the '02 LeSabre rental we had for a month was very quiet, smooth, and had a transmission that shifted flawlessly. At lower speeds, it was kinda punchy, but up at normal speed, it was a dog and pretty much died off, making for a few strained highway merging situations. This was with a base car, and therefore, the base axle. Similarly, my grandmother has a '99 Intrigue GX 3.8L that was built before they made the switch over to the 3.5L. It too has the punchy low speed torque feel and is very nice around town, but, like the Buick, it seems strained when the terrain gets hilly or you have to pass. Perfect example is one quite steep hill heading out of the town where she lives--at first, the car seems to be moving well. Start up the incline and it dogs so much, that I've had to push the pedal deep into the floor, wait a few seconds, and then, MAYBE, get a transmission kick down and a little more juice. For being so sprightly around town, it kinda scared me the first time I went for a longer drive in it and watched the speedometer needle sink back more and more, as the pedal went deeper and deeper. Problem-wise, they've also had a pretty good oil leak from the pan 3 times now, the last being a while ago before the warranty ran out, and it seems to be holding. Overall, I still think it's a good motor, and REALLY does sip gas. If they have the gearing and shift points calibrated right (something that seems to make a HUGE difference with this motor) in the Lucerne, the majority of V6 model buyers will be quite satisfied, just as they have been for years with LeSabre's, etc. On the other hand, there still should be something newer, lighter, much more powerful, AND still gas sipping to replace it. Think the 3.5L Toyota has in the new Avalon--regardless of whether or not you like the car's design, the engine is magnificent, smooth, silky, strong, AND very easy on gas, no to mention certain added "details" like a much nicer exhaust/running sound and perfect transmission shift points.

Actually, after looking over the ordering guide for this car, seems VERY nice. For example, there will be NO hubcaps (finally), but rather the base model will use one of the current LeSabre upgrade wheels. Also, there are LOTS of exterior paint colors to choose from, more than, I think, I've ever seen on a GM car, plus a new interior shade called "Tuxedo Blue/Shale", which I'm assuming is some kind of combination deep navy blue and lighter cashmere color--very European-like. Here's the wheels: 16" Machined Face Aluminum (standard CX) 17" Premium Painted Aluminum (standard CXL) 17" Chrome Plated Aluminum (optional CXL) 18" Premium Painted Aluminum (standard CXS) 18" Chrome Plated Aluminum (optional CXS) And the rest of the option/color book stuff (To get the full print book, click Print Book, Print Model, then Print): '06 Lucerne Options/Colors

GOOD NEWS! "...will ultimately as we build capacities on those transmissions, it will migrate to the whole line" -Lutz explaining, in a podcast from today, how a few speculated here, that once production of the 6-spd gets up to speed, it WILL be put in every model. Good, but too bad once again, GM powertrain wasn't ready at the same speed of the rest of the car.

GOOD NEWS! "...will ultimately as we build capacities on those transmissions, it will migrate to the whole line" -Lutz explaining, how a few speculated here, that once production of the 6-spd gets up to speed, it WILL be put in every model. Just too bad it's another case of GM powertrain use always being ready fully one year LATER than a new vehicle design. Kind of like my '93 Fleetwood Brougham which was a completely redesigned car that year, but didn't get its new engine until '93. Same with the Intrigue having the 3.8L for the first year and a half because the 3.5L wasn't ready, the CSV's only having the 3.5L until the 3.9L option was ready, etc., etc.

True. The LeSabre has always been a strong seller. I just hope the "name game" doesn't screw this car initially, like it did with the G6. Lucerne sounds fresher and cooler in my opinion, but I think with the Buick lots being devoid of LeSabres and stocked with new Lucernes instead, it won't take long at all for the typical blue hair buyer to make the switch. For example, for the longest time after the Lacrosse was introduced, I only ever saw ONE within 20 miles of my house, and it was the same one--a silver blue CXS. Stayed that way for some time, but now, especially after the discounts, they're everywhere--and the local lot seems to have experienced a "switch", being out of Lacrosse's, but full of Century and Regal trade-ins.