Overview & Reviews

The Buick Century is a nameplate that was produced for almost half a century. It first appeared in 1936 and ran for six years, then reappeared for four more in 1954. Both of these generations were known for having shorter bodies with V8 engines to create a performance-oriented Buick -- a descriptor that would apply to the reborn Century in 1973. As with so many cars of its time, though, fuel economy regulations and the gas shortage turned the next Buick Century into a tamer, downsized car. For the next 27 years, it would follow along this path, providing affordable, comfortable but not particularly interesting transportation for millions of Americans.

Most Recent Buick Century

The most recent Buick Century was produced from 1997-2005 in a midsize sedan body style only. Like its predecessor, it shared its platform and engine with several other General Motors vehicles, but this Century differed more in terms of styling. Its chief exterior designer said at the time of its introduction, "We purposely avoided anything that could be considered trendy" for a long shelf life. Mission accomplished, as this Century roamed the Earth for nine years in not-so-trendy anonymity.

There was only one engine offered, a 3.1-liter V6 that sent power to the front wheels. This engine initially produced 160 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque, but was upgraded to 175 hp and 195 lb-ft in 2000.

For most of its life, this Century was offered in Custom and Limited trim levels. Both came standard with six-passenger capacity, keyless entry, full power accessories and dual-zone climate control. Items like cruise control, leather upholstery, a sunroof and a power driver seat were early options on both trim levels, and later became standard on the Limited in the 2000s. To commemorate the turn of the actual century, Buick offered a Special Edition package that included a monochrome exterior and special badges.

In terms of safety, items like antilock brakes, traction control, a tire-pressure monitor, front side airbags, OnStar and an integrated child safety seat switched from being standard, optional and not available at various points through the Century's nine-year run. Make sure to examine a used example carefully to be certain that it has the safety equipment you are looking for.

A used Buick Century from this generation is a comfortable car with a very good reliability record, but it has a floaty suspension, unresponsive handling and so-so brakes. In general, most other midsize sedans are a better choice. Even related GM vehicles from Oldsmobile and Pontiac provide better driving dynamics.

Past Buick Century models

The previous Buick Century was made from 1982-'96, with a significant midlife refreshening in 1989. This was an extremely successful car, selling more than 2 million units during its lifespan. It was available in sedan, wagon and coupe body styles, the latter of which was dropped after 1993. Trim levels included Custom, Limited and Special, depending on body style and year. The sedan and coupe were capable of seating six, while the wagon had optional eight-seat capacity with a rear-facing and foldable third-row bench. The wagon could also be had with a forever-classy exterior wood grain vinyl appliqué.

By the time the 1990s rolled around, the Century's standard engine was a 2.5-liter inline-4 making 110 hp and 135 lb-ft of torque. Although horsepower didn't change, the base engine was replaced in 1992 with a 2.2-liter unit that actually lost 5 lb-ft of torque. It was later upgraded to 120 hp in 1994. Most Centurys had the optional V6 that made 160 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque. (This engine was standard on the 1996 wagon.) A three-speed automatic transmission was standard, with a four-speed auto optional. A driver airbag and antilock brakes were added as standard equipment in 1994.

So what do we think of this generation of Buick Century? Well, pretty much the same as we did in its final year. "In many states, this design is just a decade away from antique car status. Buick's aging Century has been in production since 1982 and looks like it. Regular updates have barely kept it competitive, and the Century is definitely ready for the crusher. It's slotted smack in the middle of the average American's budget; however, we'd rather spend our money on something whose expiration date wasn't rapidly approaching." More than a decade later, that's still dead-on -- although no state has recognized the Century as an antique car. We can't be right every time.

User Reviews:

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  Not exactly a cream puff - 1990 Buick Century
  By grandmaCar - July 28 - 7:50 pm

  I inherited this car from my Grandmother back in 2001. When I received it, it had 30,000 original miles. I was thinking great, "Great, I should be able to get 70,000 miles on this car without too much trouble." Boy was I wrong. I just sold it for 500 bucks, with 80,000 on the odometer. I just got sick of it after putting over $2000 maintenance dollars into it over past four years. Components just kept on breaking, like the AC parts, the radiator, a brake caliper siezed due to a poor brake hoses, the exhaust rusted, the transmission required a $300 repair, water pump, alternator, battery, crank angle sensor, ignition control module...the list goes on.

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  Incredibly reliable. I love this car. - 1993 Buick Century
  By Liz W. - July 23 - 4:52 pm

  This was my first car. I inherited it from my grandfather in 1998 with only 26K miles on it. I drove it from North Carolina to Los Angeles, drove it in L.A. traffic for years, drove to Denver and back, to San Francisco and back countless times, and to Arizona where we lived in the mountains for three years. Now that the car is 12 years old and has 136K miles on it, it has a few minor cosmetic issues, but still runs beautifully. I recently drove it cross country again and it did exactly as it was asked the entire trip. This car has never let me down, never failed to start on the first try (except once when I needed to replace the fuel pump), and overall has been wonderful. Highly recommended.

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  I love Buick - 2005 Buick Century
  By Linda Taylor - July 22 - 5:13 pm

  This is a perfect car for me. I love the styling, and colour. ( I chose bronze/mist). I also feel that North Americans are not supporting our country and fellow citizens (workers of General Motors) by not buying from the original car makers of our country. Performance is all that I could want or expect. I drive the highways quite a lot and when I need the power and pick up to pass on a two lane highway it is always there. Buick is the car for this all-Canadian gal! So far, it has been all that was promised.

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  93 3.3L Century Custom - 1993 Buick Century
  By Rachel - July 20 - 12:13 am

  Have had this car for quite a while. The 3.3L has probably been its saving grace. Now at nearly 13 years old, its still going. Original motor and transmission at almost 270k miles. No real major repairs save the harmonic balancer pulley and the heater core. It has enjoyed eating alternators in the past 5 or so years-- 3, I believe. And the cruise control stopped working, but would require a new computer and simply would not be worth it at this point. All in all a great car, especially considering how long weve had it and how many miles its traveled. Will only hope the next car I purchase will be as reliable.

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  Too many problems! - 2000 Buick Century
  By Century 2000 - June 9 - 6:14 pm

  This car has a lot of problems. On top of that, the dealership in my area has difficulty fixing them. It seems GM cant repair its own cars! Example: this car has had three alignments and the steering wheel remains crooked -- even when the road is flat. Road crown exaggerates it quite a bit. The transmission was serviced for a TSB regarding hard shifting/shuddering gears. The transmission still has problems with harsh shifts and chugging motions at times, even interstate speeds somewhat disconcerting. This car has developed a lot of creaks and rattles. The rear door panels are loose and vibrate noticeably. My next car will be more reliable -- like a ten year old Kia Sephia.

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  Love my Buick - 2005 Buick Century
  By Marjorie Hays - June 1 - 12:53 pm

  We have had many Buick vehicles and they are one fine car. Do not require a lot of maintance. Have been told that they ride nicer than a Cadillac. Will keep buying Buicks every time.

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  Buick-2004 Century - 2005 Buick Century
  By Marina - May 26 - 3:29 pm

  I love my 2004 Century. Its stylish looking, drives great, gas mileage on long trips is great!!! I city drive alot and the gas mileage is not that bad!

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  A very dependable automobile. - 2000 Buick Century
  By Mr. A. Tobin - May 20 - 11:37 pm

  We purchased this vechile because we had always wanted to own a Buick. We were not disappointed. Excellent fuel economy and comfort at a very resonable price. The only blemish with this car is the fact that the tires(all four) have been replaced four different times due to excessive cracking and abnormal wear. We were not impressed with the General Tire Company.

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  2002 Buick Centruy - 2002 Buick Century
  By coffee412 - May 15 - 4:41 am

  One of the best cars I have driven in a while. I first drove this car as a rental on a 800 mile trip to the east coast and thru the blue mountains. I was quite impressed with the handling and ride comfort that I bought one. The ride is very comfortable. The layout of the dash/interior is good. Mileage is good also. I now have 115K miles on it and it still does a good job. Only repairs to car were to replace windshield wiper motor and then catalytic converter. Not bad.

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  Grandpa likes gGandmas car - 1996 Buick Century
  By russ - May 14 - 5:41 pm

  Oned it for 9 yrs,no major problems,yet little plastic things like to break off like the slide buttons on the radio or the knob on the front seat adjust or the plastic handle on the emergency brake. B after nine years of use that can be expected...still runs good and that is the most important part