Boston.com's view

So here’s the hole story.

When the folks at Buick were ready to launch their latest attempt to lower the average age of a loyal customer base that is ripening faster than blue cheese in the sun, they decided to look to the past to find the future.

The result: It designed the new Lucerne with four holes on each front quarter panel, rimmed in chrome. Back in the day (circa Buick mid-1950s) they were called VentiPorts and were considered a sign of moving on up.

But in 2006, let’s just call them ports. They do the trick, transforming, at least from the side, a sedan that could have been mistaken for any number of foreign cars, but not for a Buick.

The holes say Buick. And they are joined by a low nose, raked windshield, and humped rear deck.

That’s about all that is distinctive about the exterior. Inside, however, it’s another story: a graceful, sculpted, well-appointed interior that hasn’t been seen in a GM product since, well, the latest line of Cadillacs or the Saab 9-7X SUV.

Two-toned leather and soft-touch surfaces — tan and light saddle — were tightly stitched in the test car, the CXS model. It covered seats, door panels, and dash. Faux wood was tastefully done in broad swaths, while subtle slices of chrome helped set off dashboard appointments.

Interior space was moderate, with good legroom up front (although I’m not tall and I still felt a bit pressed by the low roof over the driver’s seat). Also, the sweep of the windshield pillars seemed to intrude on side vision in cornering or pulling out onto some roadways from a stop sign.

Rear legroom was adequate, but can’t compete with cars such as the Ford Five Hundred. Headroom in back was ample.

Seats, front and rear, were broad and firm, with great leg and torso support. And you can have a bench seat, too — an option some buyers still seek (probably those who remember the days of the VentiPorts).

The Lucerne is built on the same platform as the new Cadillac DTS and is powered by the same Northstar V-8 engine that delivers 275 horsepower. The transmission is a four-speed automatic that downshifts nicely when accelerating, yet gets a bit jerky on upshifts. It has a manual option that felt clunky.

I didn’t know about the DTS connection when I first climbed aboard, but I immediately recognized the feel. It had a slight tug to the right in heavy acceleration, as is common to front-wheel drive, and a lightness of steering at highway speeds. It did seem to ride a bit softer than the DTS, with noticeable driver seat lift and drop over highway rises, and some front-back-front weight roll in braking/acceleration combinations.

That said, acceleration was quick and sure, and though I could not feel the full pull of a claimed 290 lb.-ft. of torque, the straight-ahead thrust of its horsepower was sufficient. And it was accompanied during acceleration by the deep burble of exhaust that Buick, no doubt, wants drivers to hear. It was about the only sound to intrude on what is otherwise a very quiet ride.

Buick gets kudos for the standard safety equipment it offers on the CXS: front and rear side-curtain air bags and stability control. It doesn’t deserve praise for selling, on the test model at $595 extra, a ”Driver Confidence Package.”

We can’t be confident without it? The package: remote starting, theft deterrent, and rear parking assist devices.

Other extra goodies that helped increase the test car’s base price to over $38,000 from about $35,000 included 18-inch chrome-plated wheels ($650), heated and cooled front seats ($500), special paint ($495), and a heated windshield washer fluid system ($100).

The Lucerne we tested will be shopped against some pretty spiffy competition, some of it less expensive but just as good. You could save a few thousand by dropping to the CXL model, but also take a tumble to less than 200 horsepower. Somehow, that just doesn’t say Buick.

And yet, this is the best Buick I’ve driven in years.

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2006 Buick Lucerne CXS

THE BASICS

Base price/as tested: $35,265/$38,330

Fuel economy: 19.2 m.p.g in Globe testing

Annual fuel cost: $1,603 (at $2.367 per gallon, midgrade, 13,000 miles per year)

THE EARLY LINE

Buick’s built a nice one, but will younger consumers not aware of the brand notice?

THE SPECIFICS

Drivetrain: Front-wheel drive

Seating: Five/six occupants

Horsepower: 275

Torque: 290 lb.-ft.

Overall length: 203.2 inches

Wheelbase: 115.6 inches

Height: 58.0 inches

Width: 73.8 inches

Curb weight: 4,000 pounds

THE SKINNY

Nice touch: Easy to read and use knobs and buttons that control climate and sound at center dash. Plenty big, simple in function.

Annoyance: Cheap black plastic that surrounds the above. Why, with such an otherwise fine interior on a $38,000 car, does Buick scrimp here?

Watch for: Reports six months from now on how many Lucernes are sold and the age of the average buyer.

Royal Ford can be reached at ford@globe.com.