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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  Dependability plus - 1997 Buick Century
  By Bignorm - April 25 - 8:18 am

  Owned this car for 10 years and still looks and drives great. Had to replace intake gasket and ABS module, $1,000 repairs a couple of years ago. Put on aftermarket wheels 6 yrs ago and Reggata II tires. Just had the car detailed. The cloth seats had picked up a couple cups of coffee. I had the seats pulled for thorough cleaning, pulled the carpet and cleaned, tefloned the outside. I like the good seating and do not like leather. The car looks and runs like new, looking to run it at least 2 more years. Consistant 20mpg back and forth to work in city traffic.

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  Look at the little things - 1998 Buick Century
  By bigdogdriver01 - April 21 - 9:28 am

  My Buick has 102,000 miles on it and it runs great. The engine is tough but its the small stuff like the seats not holding out well, the chrome trim on the front bumber has aleady come off the car and a trim piece on the roof is rolling up. I think in the future when I want a long lasting car Ill stay away from GM.

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  Great Car - 2000 Buick Century
  By TorchOfGod - April 10 - 3:39 am

  We have owned two Buick Centuries back to back. First, we owned a regular 2000 Century, then after 140,000 or so miles on it, we sold it. Then we purchased my mother in laws 2000 Century Limited with only 30,000 miles on it. I am on a 300 mile trip currently with 31 mpg. The standard Century got better mileage, about 34-36 mpg, with a tornado type vortex added. And I liked it best too, not as many frills.

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  bad car - 1994 Buick Century
  By reneetori - April 4 - 12:31 pm

  We bought it used for $2600.00 in 2007 and it had 6200. Miles on it. The transmission was replaced 2xs! And the gas mileage was really bad. I have always had used cars and this was by far the worst. We had other problems here but to many to mention.

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  Best car I ever had! - 1991 Buick Century
  By R Peters - March 25 - 8:21 pm

  When I needed to buy a car in a hurry, a mechanic friend recommended this car which was being sold by the owners estate. In over ten years of driving, it cost less than $1000 in repairs. When the car died in an accident, the motor and transmission were still excellent with over 350000kms (about 220000 miles) on the odometer. It made several trips through the Canadian Rockies and BC mountains towing my 14ft fibreglass trailer without a problem. In over forty years of driving this was the best car I owned for perfomance, reliability and value.

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  Good deal - 2002 Buick Century
  By cardy - March 25 - 4:14 pm

  Good dependable get to work car. Driven mostly on the highway. Have averaged about 27 mpg. GM should be forced to recall the intake manifold gasket which blows about every 85 to 100,00 miles. Had to replace it twice

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  2005 Buick Century Special Edition - 2005 Buick Century
  By George from KC. - March 17 - 3:05 pm

  This car has been an excellent performing car. The Special Edition Package sets it off. The leather interior, dual automatic temperature controls, and chrome wheels are great and generally found only in more expensive automobiles. Never a reliability problem. Mileage runs 23- 25 city and 30-32 highway. May not do quite that well with an ethanol mix, but still close.

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  Poorly Built, GM deserves its troubles - 2001 Buick Century
  By Publlius Publico - February 27 - 9:54 pm

  We Bought this car because of a previous good experience with a 1997 model. This car is a disaster. This car belongs to a grandma that has it serviced regularly at her local Firestone.THis car rarely get up over 45 mph, It drives to the local stores and back. It had a Catastrophic Transmission failure at 33,000 miles costing 2,500 dollars. The cruise control never worked. too many rattles in the dash board and instrument panel to list. And no at 38,000 miles leaking head / manifold gaskets losing coolant with no warning lights going of due to low coolant level. The low washer fluid light works though!

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  Great bang for your buck - 1993 Buick Century
  By Conny - February 10 - 8:50 am

  In 1997, I bought a 1993 Buick Century with 160,000. miles for 2500 dollars. In 2004, the car had 253,000 miles. The six cylinder engine enabled me to buy a cheap high mileage vehicle, drive it for 7 years and put 93,000 additional miles on it. Like the consumer reviews state, the car does have so-so brakes. I must always keep 3 car lengths behind the car in front of me to allow for adequate braking. However the so-so brakes slowed me down and may have contributed to the longevity of my 1993 Buick Century Custom. The trim inside and outside the car does have a tendency to fall off, but who cares about trim. My passenger-side windshield wipers and power windows failed at about 200,000 miles.

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  Stans Report - 1997 Buick Century
  By Stan - January 24 - 8:39 pm

  This car has been very reliable, and very economical to operate. I now have 62284 original miles on it. I buy new ones when I reach 60000....This car delivers 35, yes 35 miles per gallon on the highway--really hard for me to believe also. It is in pristine condition. A good wash job is all that is needed to put her back on the showroom floor. The ride is very smooth, as it must be that special something Buick has done with its suspension.