I'm just about to start a new job, hurray! It's a sales job and will involve me driving quite a bit to meet clients as well as take them to lunch, dinner, etc. The company will pay me the IRS reimbursement rate for all miles. Obviously, I'd rather not use my 35 year old 450SEL for all of this. I get 15 mpg...on the highway!

To the point, I'm looking at getting (and financing) a Buick Lucerne. I like big, comfortable cars. I had a Park Ave. for about 5 or 6 years and have very little trouble with the car minus being banged up at various times which was not the car's fault. Does anyone here own a Lucerne or are you familiar with the car? I'm most interested in any known problems with the car, etc. I know it doesn't handle like a BMW but it's definitely comfortable, good looking (in my opinion), moderately fuel efficient, hopefully reliable (?), and comes with a great stereo ready for mp3's. I'd buy an 06 or 07, btw. I appreciate any insight.

Best Regards,

David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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Have the company provide a car, and they can deduct the IRS deductible rate themselves, if it's such a great opportunity, is my best advice.

Never, ever, ever finance or lease a car. And, never, ever, ever provide your employer with a car - as you seem to want to do..... I'd pass on the job IIWY. They sound chincy (cheap) to me.

Buicks are fine cars, all things considered.

I think that's what my mom is driving at the moment, but I'm not sure of the model. I don't know much about their reliability, she buys these mid-size buicks about avery 4 years and trades them for a new one when they hit 100K miles. It seems like a nice enough car. She must like them, she's owned 5 or 6 in a row.

If I recall correctly, 2006-2008 they were still using the 3.8 V6, which is as durable as the 616-617 series of Mercedes engines. The best of the best.

Only time will tell if the newer generation are as good. If it were me I'd be shopping for a 2006-2008 though. Actually, I wouldn't even bother with a Lucerne, they're not cheap enough yet. This would be better:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1999-Buick-Park-Avenue-Ultra-Low-Miles-Heated-Seats-/110635871260?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item19c2696c1c

Buick is my second favorite brand, followed by Jeep. I currently own a '94 Buick Roadmaster Estate with the LT1.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Buicks tend to be "comfortable" to the point of making me feel sick on longer drives IMHO. Their handling/suspension is like riding on a piece of foam.

I don't know if I'd go so far to equate the 3.8 V6 in the same league as a 616/617.....if you drove a 3.8 the same way you can drive a 617 for 300k.....it'd die an early death. Its an above average quality gas motor, especially for an american car....but thats as far as I'd go. Power output is remarkably low in stock form considering the size of the engine.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Its a rolling living room and I love it:

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Why do I see at least one (usually multiple) at auction every week North of 200,000? The highest I've seen is 290,000, and most of these cars I'm looking at are 10 years newer than these 80s Mercedes. There only failing is the plastic intakes, but those are easy to replace.

I do not see this with Ford's 3.8, nor the GM 3.1 or, of course, anything with Chrysler.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

I had a Buick Century for two weeks once about 13 years ago - a rental car. Loved it. I put 2K miles on it doing part of my territory. No problems at all driving it. Smooth as glass.

My Brother the 'doctor' had a Buick Regal with leather interior, bucket seats about 7 years ago. We went to a Walgreens in the dead of cold winter in Omaha, NE in it - the 'heated seat' heated the center of your back up and down. Ha! As contrasted with my MB's heated 'all over' seats, it made me laugh.

I think MB seats heat up faster, but that's probably because GM cars have alot more padding.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Buick (to me) has always had the most attractive looking front bucket leather seats of almost any car.

Anything modern and Buick is pretty good. Other than intake manifold gaskets the 3.8 is bullet proof, more so than any motor MB has put out. Feed it cheap oil when you feel like it and it will run over 200k without complaint.

Fuel economy should be quite good since GM overdrives the heck out of their cars. I'd expect close to 30 on the highway.

For your type of use Buick makes a lot of sense, you can probably roll over 200k with the original transmission and very basic maintenance. Although most people don't do anything to them and they still run fine.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I love Buicks, especially the Park Avenue. Yes, I see more old geezers in them than any other car. But, because old geezers like them, they usually sell for CASH.

I have 270k miles on my Park Ave. It's been banged up so much, though, that it isn't worth fixing. I really is a good engine / transmission combo, though if I'm honest, I'm thinking I'd probably go for the V8 in the Lucerne. My thinking is that from what I've read the 3.8 is pretty doggish so in a couple years I'd have a hard time giving it away. Plus, I don't think I'd have to pay much more for the V8. I'm going to try and forgo the navigation system since in a couple years it will be useless as it becomes outdated. Then, I'll just have a big computer screen in the middle of the car that probably will have failed. Perhaps I just don't trust GM to do that great of a job designing something as complicated as an integrated navigation, stereo, and climate control system. Am I just being pessimistic to assume that the whole unit could very well fail in the not-too-distant future?

Thanks for your pointers. Skid Row, many small companies with a sales force don't supply cars to their reps. I know a lot of pharma companies do.

Best Regards,

David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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if i remember correctly the lucerne is a rebadged park ave.they quit building parks in 04 lucerne started in 05

Yes, the Lucerne replaces the Park Ave and Lesabre; however, this was done in 06 (the first year of the Lucerne) while the Park Ave went until 05.

Best Regards,

David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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