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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  10 Years and Going Strong - 1998 Buick Century
  By mstoys18 - September 13 - 11:03 pm

  10 years with no major repairs, just the typical maintenence. It is very reliable. About 21 miles to the gallon overall. I do mostly city driving from one football or baseball field to the next. It seats 6 in a pinch. It is extremely comfortable for long trips. Only replaced the cup holder since I owned it.

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  Love This Car - 2001 Buick Century
  By RM - August 30 - 11:23 pm

  Bought this car used from my father with 51,000 miles. I now have 78,000. I havent had any of the transmission problems that some have had, and my father didnt either. The car is very comfortable, has a nice sound system, is very solid, (no rattles), and awesome gas mileage. I average 25 city, and my best highway is 32 mpg! My only complaint is that it is equipped with OnStar that is no longer available. I wish GM would have come up with a solution for some kind of adapter so I could still have the security. It has adequate power for my needs. If you want more, look into the Buick Regal in the same years as this model was produced. Would recommend this car to anyone.

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  American Tough - 1999 Buick Century
  By Jason - August 30 - 5:16 pm

  This was a great little car for an on the go family. Very basic, not a lot of frills. Can fit 3 carseats in the back. We were in a head on collision with a BMW. We won. The amount of body damage we sustained was minimal compared to the other car. Real metal hoods make a difference. Before the wreck, power items were a problem, i.e. windows, mirrors.

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  Extremely reliable car - 2003 Buick Century
  By Marvins Buick - August 24 - 6:43 pm

  Im a young college student who got my 2003 Buick Century as a graduation gift. I fell in love with the cars simplicity and the effortless way it drives. The butter knife smooth transmission and quiet engine make for one incredible ride. I now have over 100,000 miles on my Century and aside from having to replace a fuel injector,it has given me no problems whatsoever. I am very disappointed that general motors stopped making this car in 2005. I now have my eyes set on purchasing a Buick Lacrosse which I hope proves to be as good of a car as the Buick Century. Overall the Century offers premium luxury at an affordable price. I would buy a Buick over a Lexus or Mercedes any day.

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  A/C problems - 1997 Buick Century
  By Brad - August 19 - 11:01 pm

  Ive owned a Century for 4 years. A year after purchasing it, through the present day, Ive spend more than $1K trying to fix the A/C for good. I need A/C, because I live in south TX. Other than that, the car has been good to me. It glides over any surface of road like you were driving on clouds. It gets decent gas mileage for a 3.1 V6. The low fuel light likes to come on when there is still more than 6 gallons of gas in the tank.

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  Love This Car - 2003 Buick Century
  By Scott C. - August 19 - 10:52 pm

  I agree with some comments about the air vents. I hate how they only rotate on one axis. I had my Buick for almost 3 years now, and I havent done anything to it except changing the tires, brakes, and oil. This car has never let me down! Id recommend it to anyone.

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  Great Car - 2000 Buick Century
  By Richard - August 18 - 2:22 pm

  I bought the car with 56,000 miles in 2005. Its 2008 now and Ive put over 70,000 more on it. Drove from Venice Beach to Cleveland, Ohio and back flawlessly 4 times now have never broke down and only had to put minimal wear and tear mantainence like brakes and tires. After 3 years and 70,000 miles never had any break downs or mechanical failures. This car was made in Canada so it was built to higher standards. I only payed $7000 for it and have already gotten my moneys worth. Excellent in the snow especially with the flawless ABS and traction control. If youre looking for a reliable car with great gas mileage, 30 mpg, look for a Century built in Canada not Mexico

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  Got my first car for free - 1992 Buick Century
  By Eric - August 13 - 12:59 am

  After turning 16, I picked this car up from my uncle for free, and he didnt think that it would last for more than a couple months. I ended up ditching it last week for a four-wheel drive, but I hated to abandon the Buick. After replacing the starter and sending unit, I never never had to perform much other maintenance. I ran it up to 200000 miles on the original engine and transmission, still going strong. Some lucky kid picked it up from me for 300 bucks, he got a deal, but I needed money. I probably should have changed the shocks, seeing as though my Uncle hauled wood with it. Highly recommended "first" car.

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  Indestructible tank - 2004 Buick Century
  By Mike - August 6 - 8:48 am

  I needed a cheap car a few years ago and put a lot of miles on vehicles. Love my Lexus but not going to put 30 or 40 k a year on it. So bought a 2004 with 40k and dry rotted tires, put new tires on the beast and drove it for 6 yrs, a couple of minor repairs and regular tires and maintenance for another 220,000 miles. It still runs strong and looks ok. Damned tank! Love it.

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  The oldie but goodie - 1992 Buick Century
  By mikey - August 4 - 3:25 pm

  I purchased a 1992 Century form along side the road from a little elder lady in 2007. It had 76,000 miles on it, I was like what a find. It had the opitinal 3.3liter v6 though that was a smart choice in my book. I had the car for about 4 months. I then turned the car over to my mother she loves the thing. It made the road trip to PA from South Carolina in 10hrs at aprox. 85 miles an hour the whole way never missed a beat the whole way. You should have seen the looks you get when you pass the BMWs on the interstate. Over all she has gotten it to 116,000 miles no probs. Great for $900