2006 Buick Lucerne

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The wife crashed Yaris and now we need another vehicle. Seeing as how we have a 3 month old baby and daycare will be coming soon I dont want to spend a ton of money. My wife's coworker has a 2006 Buick Lucerne with 27k miles on it. They want $6k. Seems like a good deal. I dont know squat about Buick or Gm. I have never owned one. Is there anything I need to look out for? It has the 3.8 V6 FWD. Thanks
 
Seems like a good deal to me. 27k miles is nothing. The 3.8L is a reliable engine and the 4T65E can be stout if taken care of. I would drop the tranny pan, replace the filter and make sure you install the new magnets per GM TSB 08-07-30-040C, and refill with the ATF of your choice. I have Maxlife in my 4T65E now and it's working well.
 
KBB lists private party value of $3K-$5K for 120K miles which seems way high to me. But with 27K miles, $6K seems quite reasonable. For that price though I'd ensure the tires have been changed once and no other major work is needed (AC, brakes, suspension, emissions, etc.).

I just finished used car shopping for full sized sedans in the 2000-2009 range and for what I was looking for the best deal I ran across was a 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis with 44K miles at $4800 on Craig's List. Most similar cars to that were priced in the $5500-$6500 range and not selling very quickly. At $4800 that car will sell. Another seller had a 2000 Grand Marquis with 25K miles and wanted $5750...on original 18 yr old tires! I told them that car wouldn't likely sell at anything over $5000 with tires being needed.

Drive the best deal you can on that Lucerne. Asking prices rarely are the final price unless the seller was clueless, did no research, and just tossed out a low price on it. But the sweet spot for low mileage used cars is something like you just found in the $4K-$6K range for 25K-50K miles. Lots of miles left in that car. Though I'd be more comfortable at the $5000-5500 range for that car unless it's an immaculate, one owner cream puff needing nothing...not even tires.

$5300-$7400 is the KBB PP Value range for the low miles. So $6K is comfortably in there. Trade in value approx $4400.
 
I only bought one car from a co-worker...a 1990's Buick for $1200...it was for my son. What a bad deal that was. They said it needed nothing and that it was kept up since their daughter drove it to college. What bunk. I ended up putting $800 in ball joints and other front suspension parts to get it road worthy. For the ultimate slap in the face my son blew the engine 6 months later by driving it on the highway with the red engine warning light lit up (is that bad? lol). Add another $2000. Then within a year totaled out on front end damage when it slid down a hill in a snow storm. Even worse, he didn't have collision on it because his agent told him it wasn't worth the extra payment. I don't buy cars from co-workers any more. Seen nothing but grief. And if the car doesn't work out, you'll look at that co-worker differently for as long as they work with you.

Considering I worked with the co-worker quite closely, it just wasn't right they dumped that car on me. I worked an hour from home so it wasn't easy to take it to my mechanic either. So I can certainly fault them for the $800 in repairs. They said it was fully checked out by their mechanic. After more time with that guy, it did turn out he was rather the shyster type.
 
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
I only bought one car from a co-worker...a 1990's Buick for $1200...it was for my son. What a bad deal that was. ...... Seen nothing but grief. And if the car doesn't work out, you'll look at that co-worker differently for as long as they work with you.
Dude, you can't blame the co-worker. Not a bad deal, as you said there was an accident later on and it was driven with the oil pressure or overheating dashboard warning on. OK, the ball joint thing you could blame on the co-worker I guess, although that's par for the course on about any used car (hint: Its not a new car.).

This Lucerne here has one of the best engines of its era. Probably short-tripped a lot, so run 2 or 3 short 2,000 mile oil changes on it, and then use Valvoline MaxLife 5w30 in it from then on at OLM intervals. Could be a good deal at $6k if it runs great and isn't damaged much.
Plus, people who drive Buicks don't tend to thrash them like sports cars.
 
I havent looked at it yet but I do know it needs tires. I am sure it will need a full round of fluid changes too.I can do that.
 
My friend has one. The engine and transmission design has a very solid reputation. The rest of the car is not bad either. One known weak point is the plastic coolant elbows. Replace them before they break. This is simple to do while the coolant is out.

You know the tires are bad, also look for rusted brake rotors, which commonly result from infrequent use. Stuff like this is a negotiating point to lower the price.
 
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For someone who typically only owns used cars that are 10-15 yrs old, age is not an issue. It comes down to condition, maintenance, and how it was driven. I consider a 2006 with low miles and well kept to be fairly new....only 12 yrs old. If anything, having less electronics than today's cars makes it less likely to have a failure...and less costly to repair them. My 1999 Camaro with 19K miles hasn't had a single electronic issue in its life. Other than tires being replaced, and an AC leak resulting in a new compressor being need, and changing fluids, there's been nothing else done to it. I don't expect major repairs any time during my ownership as it heads towards 25-30 yrs old.

Just do a thorough inspection of the car. At 25K miles only AC, fluids, and suspension parts should be of real concern. Front brakes could be well worn too. Ball joints can fail as early as 25K miles. I had to have ball joints replaced as soon as I bought my 2002 Lincoln back in 2009 (had 24K miles). Since it was picked up during inspection...the seller paid for them along with a new windshield that had wind noise leaking through it.

Understand that KBB and NADA understate the value of lower miles...and they got worse the lower the miles go. From 120K miles to 25K miles they are only adding around $2,000. That's an absurdly low premium. So in reality, these kinds of cars are way under priced per "book" value....good thing for dealers though...not so good for sellers. And dealers are happy to accept the low trade in values, and sell them for top-top dollar retail. They sell quicker too. The 2001 Lincoln I just bought had a book trade in value of $1500. I happily paid $3400 for it. Other sellers were at $4750-$7500 for similar mileage and condition.

Ensure you get all 3 keys and 2 Fobs. If not, you could pay $125-$300 to get spares. Buick may or may not be still making keys for a 2006. That means going to see an automotive locksmith or hardware store that does this.
 
$6K is high retail in my area, per nadaguides.com. $4150 is clean trade, so you probably need to make an offer somewhere between those numbers. There is one on a lot in St Louis listing for $8500, with 59K miles on it. Obviously a big difference in pricing schemes.
 
Inspect the car thoroughly even with a friend/car parson or mechanic. If it looks good, get it. Maybe even offer le$$!...without slapping them in the face with too low of an offer.

Also, look up the price on a reputable site(Kelley Blue Book/Edmunds.com/Consumer Reports). Who knows, they may be asking too high.
 
Great powertrain and nice car. If it's been garage kept and super clean, I'd give $6k for it.
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Inspect the car thoroughly even with a friend/car parson or mechanic. If it looks good, get it. Maybe even offer le$$!...without slapping them in the face with too low of an offer.

Also, look up the price on a reputable site(Kelley Blue Book/Edmunds.com/Consumer Reports). Who knows, they may be asking too high.


Nothing displays less tact than trying to talk down a already good deal coming from someone you know, They are clearly selling it for less than it is worth. Do not look a gift horse in the mouth, especially from a co-worker who you cannot easily ignore. That's a fair price, and you can ensure lack of good faith in the future by trying to nickle and dime them.

BITOG dream car right here, low mileage GM 3.8 in a Buick body. All the old fogies on here will be extremely jealous of you.
 
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
I only bought one car from a co-worker...a 1990's Buick for $1200...it was for my son. What a bad deal that was. They said it needed nothing and that it was kept up since their daughter drove it to college. What bunk. I ended up putting $800 in ball joints and other front suspension parts to get it road worthy. For the ultimate slap in the face my son blew the engine 6 months later by driving it on the highway with the red engine warning light lit up (is that bad? lol). Add another $2000. Then within a year totaled out on front end damage when it slid down a hill in a snow storm. Even worse, he didn't have collision on it because his agent told him it wasn't worth the extra payment. I don't buy cars from co-workers any more. Seen nothing but grief. And if the car doesn't work out, you'll look at that co-worker differently for as long as they work with you.

Considering I worked with the co-worker quite closely, it just wasn't right they dumped that car on me. I worked an hour from home so it wasn't easy to take it to my mechanic either. So I can certainly fault them for the $800 in repairs. They said it was fully checked out by their mechanic. After more time with that guy, it did turn out he was rather the shyster type.


I once sold a customer a 2000 Ford Focus with 180k. I bought it cheap and fixed a bad coil and it ran great. A few months after he bought it it dropped a valve and destroyed the motor.
 
Originally Posted By: Zee09
The age is the issue, not the mileage.


Don't agree. Low mileage trumps age.
smile.gif
 
Older models are hard for dealers to sell because the finance companies they use almost all have a hard limit on the age of the car. They wouldn't consider writing a loan for a 12 year old model regardless of miles. So age does trump miles when it comes to book value.
 
Originally Posted By: mk378
Older models are hard for dealers to sell because the finance companies they use almost all have a hard limit on the age of the car. They wouldn't consider writing a loan for a 12 year old model regardless of miles. So age does trump miles when it comes to book value.


Not for cash buyers, which has always been the case for me. And there are enough cash buyers out there to gobble up all these cream puffs quickly...while the other 95% of dreamer priced cars sit unsold until months later when reality kicks in for the sellers. Hey, this Buick Lucerne could be hiding a major problem or two. Who knows if $6K is a great price before you go and see it. 90% of the cars advertised are over-priced. Just because someone is a co-worker doesn't mean they should get more money for the same car. Check the market out for the best Lucernes across the country.

Here's a nice value in my area that just popped up - grandma's 20K mile mint and loaded 2001 Lincoln Towncar needing nothing for $5900. I'd be all over that if I just didn't by a Lincoln. The last 24K mile Lincoln I bought was $9,000 back in 2009. Even better deal at $6K today imo.

Lincoln Town Car Ulimate 20K miles $5900 Clifton, NJ

Completed Lucerne listings on Ebay

Sold listings on Ebay

There was a 2011 Lucerne on Ebay with 40K miles bid up to $6900. Seller had a list/BIN price around $11K. Might have scared off real bidders. In any event at $6900 this would be a far better deal than a 2006 with less miles. Ebay sold listings give a pretty good idea what private party sales are bringing.
 
Originally Posted By: mk378
My friend has one. The engine and transmission design has a very solid reputation. The rest of the car is not bad either. One known weak point is the plastic coolant elbows. Replace them before they break. This is simple to do while the coolant is out.

You know the tires are bad, also look for rusted brake rotors, which commonly result from infrequent use. Stuff like this is a negotiating point to lower the price.


Last June we bought a 2006 Buick Lacrosse 3.8l for $ 6250 out the door . Discovered the coolant elbow issue , so I changed them for metal elbows , akk heater hoses & all radiator hoses , plus thermostat . Added 1 gallon of new 100% Dexcool . Services fluids , filters , oil / filter change .

The car had 37,000 and change on the odometer . Very happy with the deal ( good tires , brakes , suspension , A/C , transmission , engine , interior & exterior ) .

Unless something is obviously wrong with the Lucerne , I would styart counting out the $$$ .
 
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