Buick Lucerne vs Nissan Maxima 02/11/2011
When General Motors was suffering from financial difficulties, it was forced to cut some of the less profitable marquees in its lineup, and this eventually led to the death of brands like Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer. However, Buick, one of the oldest car companies in existence, was able to persevere, and now heads into the future with a revitalized lineup and the full support of its parent company.
To put Buick to the test, we compared the company's Lucerne sedan with a similarly-priced Nissan Maxima in order to determine which was the better value. The Lucerne starts out in front, as its $29,730 price tag makes it $1,100 cheaper than the $30,830 Maxima. GM also offers a superior 5 year/100,000 mile warranty, while Nissan offers the same length but fewer miles at 60,000.
Under the hood is a bit disappointing for the Lucerne, as its V6 only produces 227 horsepower and 237 lb-ft of torque compared to the Maxima's 290 hp and 261 lb-ft. However, the Lucerne can use E85 FlexFuel, making it a solid choice for those living in areas where such resources are available.
Inside, the Lucerne features OnStar, an iPod hookup and satellite radio, all features that the Maxima does not have. The Nissan does sport dual-climate control and Bluetooth connectivity, although these are both options on the Lucerne.
In the end, we don't think the Maxima offers enough of a performance boost to justify a more than $1,000 price difference, making the Lucerne the better buy.