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:

• 

  FOUR +YEARS OF USE - 1999 Buick Century
  By betty lou becker - January 10 - 2:00 am

  VERY COMFORTABLE AND SMOOTH RIDE VERY GOOD GAS MILAGE AS HIGH AS 33MPG ON THE HIGHWAY AND AS LOW AS 24MPG MIXED DRIVING CONDITIONS.CHOOSEN FOR ABILITY TO ACCOMDATE 6 PASSENGERS IN WHEN NEEDED THE CAR IS QUITE AND RESPONSIVE WHEN NEEDING EXTRA POWER

• 

  2002 Century Custom SE - 2002 Buick Century
  By joewill - January 8 - 2:00 am

  My first good impressions of this car have gradually degraded to disillusionment. I still like the good performance for such a small economical engine but the noise gets irritating sometimes. Not just the roar of the accelerating engine, but the whine of the drivetrain when slowing down. The smooth ride on well maintained main roads changes to choppy, bouncy and ungainly on secondary roads and the suspension bottoms out with alarming thuds on potholes. My Corolla did better. A/C vents dont adjust upward enough to remove a layer of hot air at forehead level.

• 

  Best American-made Car - 2002 Buick Century
  By Centuryforlife - December 31 - 2:00 am

  I rented the Century for a multistate trip and found it to be excellent in every regard. The power was great, handling was adequate and the features were well appointed. Ive never driven in such a comfortable and smooth-riding car in my life! I recommended it highly to anyone considering a car purchase!

• 

  Great Car - Highly underated - 2000 Buick Century
  By mikeAZ - December 30 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Buick Century in 2/00 and, as a 40-somethings person with Lexus tastes and driving style, I was scratching my head the day after I bought this car instead. What did I do? I just bought a "Buick"! I have to say, now that my 3 year leas is up, Im going to miss this car. The leather interior, soft but powerful ride (especially up hills), and reliability as good as my last two Camrys took us on several long road trips where we kept marvelling about how this car kept selling us. We never got tired of this car or riding in it. Great job GM!

• 

  I loved this car - 1990 Buick Century
  By juliette - December 26 - 2:00 am

  I had this car for 6 years, and I had very little problems with it, but the key is to keep up with the oil changes, and so on. It is a cheap costing car that gets you from A to B with about a problem. If you do not car about the lack of frills, then this car is for you.

• 

  97 Lesabre - 1997 Buick Century
  By Bill - December 20 - 2:00 am

  Very dependable car. I have had no expence other than normal maintenance, gas, oil changes, tires. It gives a very comfortable ride, It keeps its appearance well. I plan to keep this car several more years. Power and performance is every good. Nice car for family or mature person. Probably would not appeal to teens.

• 

  Bland, boring and vanilla - 2003 Buick Century
  By steeplejack - December 13 - 2:00 am

  I think the title says it all! Yeah, small glovebox, too high trunk loading, yada yada. But with a 23k sticker, this is my granfathers buick and it is boring.

• 

  BUICKS ARE THE BEST - 1998 Buick Century
  By AMERICAN MADE - December 4 - 2:00 am

  BUICK IS AN EXCELLENT MANUFACTURER OF AUTOMOBILES. I AM GLAD BUICK BUILT THE RENDEVOUS BECAUSE I WANT TO BUY AN SUV NEXT. I WILL ALWAYS BUY BUICK. THE RELIABILITY IS SECOND TO NONE. AND THE COST OF A BUICK IS LESS THAN ANY OTHER AUTOMOBILE IN COMPETITION. FOREIGN CARS ARE GOOD, BUICKS ARE BETTER!!!

• 

  A Damn Good Car - 1995 Buick Century
  By Dan Z - November 25 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car from my grandfathers estate for my wife. Its all loaded up with leather and such. This car is great! Its rides very well, gets great mileage is an excellant daily driver. My grandfather drove as you would expect from an elderly person. Not fast, well maintained and not many miles. The average per year for the time he owned it was under 5K. There is a tiny bit of rust starting in the wheel wells because it sat for long periods of time and the exhaust had to be replaced for the same reason. I feel the body will fall off this car before the engine dies..

• 

  Evaluation of the Buick Century 2002 - 2000 Buick Century
  By Ray Pinto - November 13 - 2:00 am

  The car is quiet and smooth. The seats are roomy and very comfortable. The seat adjustments are very good so you can drive comfortably. I find the heating system to be a little slow in warming up. I like the radio controls on the steering wheel so you dont have to take your eyes off the road. We took it on a 2000 mile trip and enjoyed the ride very much.