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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  Big Al - 2000 Buick LeSabre
  By Al H - September 12 - 2:17 pm

  Bought this car at 1 year old with 30K miles on it. Great car. Still have it and love it. Except had to replace all 4 power window lifts, 3 under the warranty (thank goodness). Bad design. Understand newer models have a design change to fix the problem. Nice features and good ride/handling. Plenty pep. Also had a spark coil and motor mount failure at about 50K miles. But car looks great (still) and runs great. Gets about 22 mpg around town and about 26 on highway travel Would definitely consider buying another one.

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  IM LOVING IT - 1994 Buick LeSabre
  By brandon 25 - September 11 - 4:48 pm

  I bought this car for one thousand dollars Ive had it of nine months no problem at all I gotta say one of the best cars Ive ever driven I wish I would of knew how good this car was before I bought my Ford in 2005 I never would of bought it. Driving my Buick is like driving on clouds.

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  Great car.....efficient - 1990 Buick LeSabre
  By Rudiger - September 10 - 8:22 pm

  I bought this car to replace my malibu and save some money. Man, Im glad I did. This car is great! I recently drove it about a 1000 miles on a trip. With the trunk loaded with suitcases and what not and the backseat loaded with stuff I still got 30-32 MPG on the highway going 70 MPH! Thats good for a 20 year old car. The ride is smooth, comfortable and its quite in the inside. This is quite and efficient machine. I had a problem with it stalling. I replaced plugs, wires, fuel filter, ignition module and coil and turns out it was the computer. An easy $40 fix. Now it runs like a champ. Im glad I did all that. It only adds to the efficiency.

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  Loving it so far - 2009 Buick Enclave
  By LI Driver - September 10 - 12:39 pm

  After 4 minivans, I had to have a vehicle that offered more comfort and style, but still offered a roomy third row for my teen/tween-aged kids. But I did not want anything as big (and costly) as a Sequoia. The Enclave fits the bill perfectly. It is roomy and comfortable to ride in. So far, performance has been great. I read the criticism about the transmission being slow to downshift, but I havent noticed anything significant. MPG was another concern, but on a recent trip, I got over 21 mpg (obviously highway). For a vehicle this size, I cant complain. If you are looking for a crossover that combines lots of room with style and comfort, check out the Enclave.

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  Great car for the whole family - 2010 Buick Enclave
  By GC - September 9 - 11:38 pm

  We really love our new Buick Enclave. It is a really comfortable and quiet ride. The DVD player with Wireless headphones is great. We can listen to music while the kids are watching a movie. The inside of this SUV is almost as roomy as a minivan. The Kids can actually stand up in the back. There is still room for storage in the trunk with the third row seats up.

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  No Bells or Whistles - 1997 Buick Century
  By ScottieG - September 9 - 8:48 pm

  I bought this Buick against my style requirements out of cost and necessity. I have not a single complaint about this car from 35000 to 159000mi. It was not attractive but more than functional. I sold it to my sister to buy a Maxima and miss that Century in every way other than styling and pick up. Excellent, comfortable transportation that owed me nothing.

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  Buy American...Toy/Honda are vanilla. - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By snoop - September 9 - 10:40 am

  Toyota and Honda are not the best in this market. I looked at the Lexus and the Accura and they did not provide the same number of benefits to justify their added costs. I really like the styling of the Buick much better than its competitors. As far as the power is concerned. It is more than enough. It is a crossover vehicle not a sprint car. If you hate minivans, but want enough room for your family with all the modern creature comforts like xenon lights, nav, 2 dvds, xm leather, 2 sunroofs, in a really solid vehicle. I feel the Buick is the best choice. I am only 40 something, I didnt think I would ever own a Buick. Friends, neighbors cant believe how nice this car is!

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  A TRUE AMERICAN VEHICLE - 2003 Buick Rendezvous
  By American - September 9 - 10:00 am

  I chose the Buick because it is an American made automobile and I want to contribute to my fellow Americans, help our economy and keep the money on our soil. As an extra bonus, I also bought a better automobile. It has a bigger engine than the others, better looking, was less expensive, much roomier, has a better ride, is safer, is more luxurious and has better gas milage than most other vehicles in its class. I have had it for several days, only paid 20K plus, have already received many complements, am really enjoying the vehicle and am very happy with my decision to buy another GM product.

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  Best Reason To Drive American-Made - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Mark - September 8 - 7:32 pm

  I have 25000 miles on my enclave and havent had any major issues with my vehicle. On the highway at 50-55 mph I have easily gotten 30 mpg or better with the cruise on. At 60-65 mph with the cruise on I get about 29 mph. The on-star service eliminates my need for a navigation unit. I fill my tank every 9 days. The sunroof problem was easily fixed in one visit and I have had no more leaks. It turned heads the same day I purchased it and folk continue to drive up beside me and ask about it along with expressing how much they want one. Stick with the routine maintenance and chances are your buick will be on the road for a long time.

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  Nice Car - 2007 Buick LaCrosse
  By Bob - September 8 - 7:08 pm

  I leased this car back in 07 and have not had one problem. My dealer ran a computer search for the CXS in the color and options I wanted. For me it fits my needs perfectly, love the remote start, sport tuned suspension(FE3), 3.6 dohc engine is excellent and still gets good gas mileage.