Overview & Reviews

Owned by General Motors, Buick is one of this country's oldest brands, with a rich tradition of innovation that dates back more than a century. Though long known for catering to retirement-age customers with its full-size sedans, the automaker's lineup now includes SUVs and sport sedans designed to bring younger buyers into the showrooms of Buick dealers.

The company was founded in 1903 by David Dunbar Buick, a Scottish industrialist. He built his first car in 1904; called the Model B, it had a two-cylinder engine with an advanced-for-its-time overhead-valve cylinder head design. In 1907, Buick unveiled its first four-cylinder production car, dubbed the Model D. The following year, the Flint, Michigan-based Buick Motor Company was bought by William C. Durant as part of a new company called General Motors. By 1914, all Buicks were built with six-cylinder engines and purchased primarily by upper-class professionals, thus earning the nickname "doctor's cars."

The manufacturer proved itself a trailblazer in the early 1920s when it introduced four-wheel brakes. This technology had been seen before on custom-built cars, but Buick was the first to figure out how to successfully apply it to mass-produced vehicles. Eight-cylinder Buick cars emerged in the 1930s and became immensely popular; these advanced engines received steady improvements for several years. The '30s also saw Buick's introduction of the industry's first rear turn signal to use a flasher.

Models such as the Estate Wagon and the ever-popular Roadmaster kept Buicks happily ensconced in driveways all across the nation in the 1940s. In 1948, Buick introduced Dynaflow, the first torque converter-type automatic transmission offered in U.S. passenger cars. The 1950s and 1960s witnessed Buick continuing to zoom ahead of the curve; it was among the first to offer vehicles with power brakes and steering, and 12-volt electrical systems. The marque was also behind the introduction of the first American V6 passenger car engine and introduced the Riviera personal luxury coupe in the early '60s.

On the whole, though, Buick had made its name as a manufacturer of stately land yachts such as the Electra 225. To meet the changing times, the automaker downsized its full- and midsize models during the 1970s and began offering compact and midsize sedans for the 1980s. During the latter period and into the '90s, Buick changed things up by introducing the Regal Grand National muscle car and Reatta luxury coupe and convertible. But its core product continued to be luxury sedans aimed at an older audience.

Today, Buick specializes in sedans and crossover SUVs and is modifying its philosophy in the hopes of attracting younger buyers. Luxury and class are still common themes, but newer models have European influences in their handling and ride dynamics. As such, many modern Buicks, such as the compact Verano sedan provide a more entertaining drive and more contemporary styling than people might expect from this "old" nameplate.

User Reviews:

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  Keeps Getting Beter - 2005 Buick LeSabre
  By Twosadime - November 28 - 3:33 pm

  My first Buick was a used 93 Buick Park Avenue. Until I bought my 2004 Lesabre Limited in April I didnt think the 93 PA could be beat but it has been. The 2004 Lesabre Limited is the best car I have ever owned. Everybody who rides in it raves about its comfort,good looks and feeling of security. In light of all this the purchase price I feel is very fair. Another job well done by the folks at Buick.

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  Survived a tornado - 1994 Buick LeSabre
  By fireman mike - November 17 - 12:44 am

  Purchased in March of 03 from a private party with 35,000 miles on it. It now has 65,000 on it. With a family of 5, we purchased this to run our errands and into school (live on a acreage) and to keep miles off our SUV. Having put over 30,000 miles on it in a year and a half, I would rate this car as very dependable and economical. Quiet ride with plenty of power for a 6 cyl. and a roomy interior with a good size trunk for groceries, etc. Nothing fancy on the inside. All the safety features and power options that make life simpler. Just recently the mode buttons of the HVAC system have begun to act erratic. This vehicle survived the May tornadoes, when my house did not!

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  Buick Terraza - 2005 Buick Terraza
  By Joe G - November 14 - 5:46 pm

  Buick,s Terraza is basically a re- packaged Olds Silouette.although they boosted horse power by 15 It translates to an almost unnoticable power increase. The ride is firmer and markedly quieter.The instrumentation shows nicer than that of the Olds,with new chrome added,which by the way is much in abundance throughout the vehiclethe over head "rail"system for storage and dvd is done well the dvd screen is 1 inch smaller than Oldsand must be loaded at the screen a set back for those with children to small to do it themselves,the split fold down rear seat is a good additionas is the opt of XM radio ,navagation system not available at this time.new nose is stylish but still dosent pass for SUV

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  Buick Verano great car - 2013 Buick Verano
  By Brent Davis - November 11 - 3:07 am

  The Buick Verano is one of GM’s more affordable luxury cars with a base price of $20,000. This Buick attracts a lot of younger people that want luxury car features at an affordable price. The Verano is a sporty car, but also a great family vehicle. The upgraded package can includes leather heated seats, a 9 speaker Bose audio system, heated steering wheel, electric seats, rear backup camera and a push to start ignition. While the basic package is well-received, the upgrades are worth the extra money. These upgrades can bring the price to over $25,000. The 2013 Buick Verano comes with two different engine sizes. The base engine is a 4 cylinder 2.4 L able to produce 180 horsepower at 6,700 RPM’s. For a sportier feel the upgraded engine is a 4 cylinder 2.0 L with a turbo for and extra boost of 250 horsepower at 5,300 RPM’s. With a base engine, I noticed that you barley have to hit the gas for the engine to get up in speed. The Verano only comes with a 6 speed automatic transmission that shifts very smoothly through gears. Even know you might think the smaller the engine the better gas mileage, this isn’t true. Buick has put an eco-friendly engine in the Verano. Both models come with a fuel tank capacity size of 15.6 gallons. The fuel economy is rated at 21 miles per gallon in the city and 30 to 32 miles per gallon on the highway. I drive 30 miles round trip 6 days out of the week and have noticed excellent gas mileage. Safety and security features are another great aspect of this car. The Buick Verano includes a driver and passenger airbags. There are also rear side-impact airbags and overhead airbags, for a total of 10, that make passengers feel safe in case of an accident or if the car was to roll over. Other people may wonder if the Verano is secure in weather related conditions. I would say yes, because it is equipped with traction control, ABS brakes and break assist. The Verano is front wheel drive which helps in snow because the weight of the engine is in the front pushing the tires down to grip the surface. In a crash test, the Verano tested 5 out of 5 stars for its excellent safety features. The car also comes with security features such as a panic alarm, 4 door locks and immobilizer which will prevent the wrong key from going in the ignition to keep thieves away from stealing the vehicle. Safety, security and high tech features are why I would suggest a Buick Verano to anyone that is looking for a reliable car to get them to point A and B and back. The only con I had with this car is its limited backseat room which is not that big of a problem. Overall I would rate the 2013 Buick Verano an 8 out of 10 stars.

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  Rayonier - 2005 Buick Rainier
  By bruceslade - November 10 - 4:19 pm

  It is a sweet ride. My wifes car.. she loves it for its handling, ease to enter & exit (especially for aging parents)and appearance. Navigation system was a must for her traveling. We had no intention of getting XM radio, once we tried it we never turned it off.

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  Rented it for a week - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By voodoou - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I liked the vehicle except for ONE thing. The lift gate. I have a DUrango and when I want to close the tailgate, I just barely push it down and its own weight will close it tight. However, the Rendezvous has some kind of funky slow down and probably 8 out of 10 times I closed the tail gate, I had to reopen it and slam it closed. Pain in the bum.

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  Best Car I ever had - 1994 Buick LeSabre
  By TerryK - November 3 - 2:00 am

  Sure, the Lesabre may not be the coolest car or the sportiest, but it has never let me down. The ride is unbelievably comfortable, the seats in these older cars are much more comfortable than Buicks new seats. The 3800 engines are bulletproof, and is probaly the main reason I had went with this car, owning several other GM 3800s.

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  GOOD QUALITY BUT SAFETY SHORTCOMING - 2005 Buick LeSabre
  By Pepsie - October 23 - 2:00 am

  AGAIN THEY MADE A VERY RELIABLE CAR. THERE ARE TWO COMPLAINTS: 1. SAFETY WISE THE DASHBOARD REFLECTS VERY NOTICEABLY ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD ON A SUNNY DAY. THIS CAUSE FATIQUE AND STRAIN ON THE DRIVER. 2. A MINOR THING BUT WORTH NOTING: THE GAS CAP IS VERY HARD TO REMOVE ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN. LEAVING IT LOOSER CAUSES THE LIGHT ON THE DASH TO SAY "HAVE ENGINE SERVICED" THOUGH THERE IS NOTHING SERIOUS WRONG.

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  Great SUV - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By Mickey Frosty - October 14 - 2:00 am

  Had it only for 2 weeks but loving it so far. Luxuries are plentiful - ON Star is good though it is picky on foreign accents.

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  Regal Buick 2004 - 2004 Buick Regal
  By cheyrfox - October 9 - 2:00 am

  Great automobile. Value packaged. Quality American craftsmanship via Canada. This is a nice ride with very good handling and ergonomics.