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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  Auto Trans - 1998 Buick Century
  By Desert Storm - July 6 - 2:00 am

  Bought Veh. new....at approx. 84000 miles had trouble with the trans. While in overdrive slight bucking when going up steep grades. Was told "tourq converter" needed replacing. Other than that I loved the veh. Just purchased a new 2002.

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  Valuation of Buick Regal - 2003 Buick Century
  By Leslie - July 6 - 2:00 am

  Easy to control, original battery life was 7 year! Smooth riding, comfortable seats and good A/C!

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  1998 Century - 1998 Buick Century
  By DC2002 - June 12 - 2:00 am

  This is a great vehicle that offers reliability, comfort and good build. I just bring the car in for regular maintenance and I find the repairs to be far less expensive than my previous foreign car... Infinity M-30. Great stereo, ABS braking system and nice interior.

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  Good Reliable car - 2000 Buick Century
  By INcarguy - June 12 - 2:00 am

  Good car. Never going to give you any major problems. Buick hasnt changed this style in years, had plenty of time to perfect it. Car is very comfortable, great for long trips and gets good mileage for its size. The V6 responds well and is always reliable.

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  Bought new, great car! - 1998 Buick Century
  By BobO - June 11 - 2:00 am

  Love the car. Very, very comfortable seats, smooth ride. Great on long trips. Only problem so far, after 4 yrs/30,000 mi. -- after two years the comfort control display began to fade - replaced under warranty. Would certainly consider buying again.

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  Comfortable middle size car - 2002 Buick Century
  By mianfei - June 4 - 2:00 am

  very roomy, easy to handle, stable, quite, especially on highway. a lot of features at such a low price.

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  Great Rental Car - 2002 Buick Century
  By edavis - June 2 - 2:00 am

  Rented this car for 12 days and drove all over Washington, Oregon, and Montanas winding mountain roads at the typical traffic speeds. Very good handling touring car. Good comfort. We own a beloved LeSabre and were favorably impressed with the Century.

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  GREAT CAR - 1999 Buick Century
  By DJAY4 - June 1 - 2:00 am

  LOVE CAR...NOTHING MAJOR WRONG SINCE I GOT THE CAR..JUST LITTLE THINGS LIKE THE HORN STOPPED WORKING. OTHERWISE GREAT WORKING CAR.AFTER I DROVE IT 20,000 MILES BRAKES WERE LOW.

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  high quality excellent value - 2002 Buick Century
  By warren p - June 1 - 2:00 am

  purchased the 2002 in february to replace a 2000 century purchased new in feb. 2000. I planned to keep the 2000 a long time but my son needed a newer car so we sold him the 2000 and replaced it with an identical 2002. The 2000 had 34000 trouble free miles. My wife loves the car. Its comfortable on long trips (3 to 8 hours) you arrive relaxed and not worn out.

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  1996 Buick Century - 1996 Buick Century
  By RKS - May 31 - 2:00 am

  Replaced warped brake rotor to fix brake surging. Intake manifold gasket leaked coolant into crankcase. Interior design is clumsy and not well thought out. Paint finish on hood has rust pits that developed under paint.