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| Six airbags, including a dual stage airbag for the driver and an industry-first application of GM's exclusive dual-depth front passenger airbag, keep occupants safe. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
A standard 16-inch alloy wheel and tire package should optimize comfort without any significant performance loss over larger 17-inch rims and rubber, and when it comes time for replacement cost much less. That said, 17- and 18-inch aluminum wheels are available.
Maintaining
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| Buick constantly rates extremely high on J.D. Power's Initial Quality rating and Vehicle Dependability Study. (Photo: General Motors of Canada) |
The new Buick will be built at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center, which incidentally achieved the Silver Plant Quality Award for North/South America in the 2004 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study. On another note, Buick constantly rates extremely high on J.D. Power's vehicle testing, coming in fifth out of thirty-seven nameplates for Initial Quality, and second out of thirty-seven rivals in the Vehicle Dependability Study.
Is it the Lexus fighter that GM's been promising? From a styling standpoint it should do quite well, but whether or not it's interior materials quality, fit and finish, and overall feel will match the premium brand's entry-level front-wheel drive model remains to be seen, being that production models haven't yet surfaced - they should be arriving in Buick dealers next month. One thing is for sure, price sensitive luxury shoppers might just sit up and take notice when made aware that the Lucerne 's starting MSRP is $8,905 below that of the 2006 Lexus ES. And the ES doesn't offer V8-power.