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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  Death of a Faithful Friend - 1995 Buick Century
  By Melody - August 2 - 1:11 pm

  First I agree with one reviewer on the warped rotors. Both front window motors went out about the same time a few years ago as well as having an expensive electrical problem that caused major havic but after a the dealership fixed it ran like a charm. Now, its all over. Too expensive to put anymore into her with intake valves needing replaces and a cracked head gasket. Now I have water in my oil. Time for another car. 1 great years! Orig. miles 105,000 not a traveler.

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  General Motors Volvo? - 1994 Buick Century
  By Angelo - June 22 - 2:39 pm

  In my opinion, the early to mid 90s versions of the Buick Century and Oldsmbobile Ciera are the closest thing to a Volvo that any domestic manufacturer has ever produced. These cars were rarely redesigned---but instead, they "evolved" with improvements to the engine/drivetrain, interior and safety features. They were internationally mid sized, 4 star safety rated and generally solid, reliable, understated transportation. Auto writers criticized GM for keeping the same basic design for so many years, but isnt this how Saab, Volvo and other European car makers approach things? The Century is a practical size, reasonably economical and with the 3100 V-6, plenty powerful for most driving.

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  Solid, dependable car - 2003 Buick Century
  By pf miller - June 10 - 6:07 am

  I traded in my 1999 Buick Century custom for this 2003 in 2004 ( 22000 miles on this one ...lease car ). Had to replace the rack and pinion in 06. A bit disappointing, but I love this car. Gives a great ride, plus good gas mileage.

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  Best kept secret on the road. - 2004 Buick Century
  By dschultz - June 4 - 1:44 pm

  I used this car for as comuter car. I have 100k on the car now, never missed a beat. One set of tires and front brakes is all I have done. Way quieter than a Camry and 30+ mpg. It is the best car I have ever owned. Would highly recommend the Buick to anyone who wants miles of trouble free service and great gas mileage for a larger car.

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  Power Window Failures! - 2000 Buick Century
  By sjenn - June 2 - 10:54 am

  Have had to replace power window motors three times at an average cost of almost $400 a shot. I could go without the motor except that the windows do not stay up. I have almost 280,000 miles, but this is not a mileage issue. I feel that the other problems with the car have been typical for the mileage, although I had to get a transmission replacement kit at 92,000 miles. Interestingly, the replacement kit has worked twice as long as the original transmission. If not for the window problem, I have had a pretty good exoerience with the car.

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  Awesome car for the price! - 1998 Buick Century
  By jessica - May 15 - 10:11 pm

  I purchased this car with 75,000 miles on it. Since then I have put 43k on it myself, and now have 118k miles on it. The only things I have done to this car so far is brakes and oil changes. This car has never broken down on me! Which means a lot because I have driven some lemons and had constant problems in the past. I have never had any mechanical issues except the heater-- at 115k it would only blow on high. The gas mileage isnt the greatest for it being a car, but other than that, very smooth ride, exceptionally reliable, the car looks brand new and I only paid $4,000 for it used. Well worth the value!

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  Good First Time Car - 1991 Buick Century
  By Schmidty - May 11 - 1:01 am

  I bought this car as my first (and so far only) car my sophomore year of high school. Bought at $600 and since then have put on new tires, starter, water pump and only one major repair over $100. Have only put about 9,000 mile son it, and I just creeped over 103,000 about 2 weeks ago. Its been a great car, gets me where I need it, the air still works beautifully, and it has some pick-up too with the 3.3 V6 automatic. Im in the process of doing a mileage test but I usually only fill up every 2-3 weeks depending on how much I drive around. Well built car for a first ride.

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  Underrated auto - 2004 Buick Century
  By nekosan - May 10 - 7:08 pm

  This the second Buick Century Ive owned, the first I drove over 75 thousand miles without a single bit of trouble. In fact, I never even had to replace the brake shows in that time. And I drove it across the U.S. and back 5 times. It is a quiet, smooth riding vehicle that does what a family sedan should do, and it never received the praise it should have from a public besotted with wanna-be racing-car sedans.

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  Ol Betsy is still reliable! - 1992 Buick Century
  By Tim - May 9 - 2:03 pm

  Bought this car from a friend for $700, and over 50,000 miles later I think Ive got my moneys worth. The only think Ive replaced is a tire. There are no cupholders, the one that is standard will break. My cruise control was out when I brought it but for only city driving it doesnt bother me. Externally, its not much to look at, some rust spots, but internally this thing runs amazing. I expect it will last another 30k miles easily. Great first car for anybody.

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  Dependability with nice style - 2002 Buick Century
  By mimi - May 1 - 2:48 pm

  Dependable car for the money. Drives like a sports car. Good passing car, also has nice style and integrity.