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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  Very quiet, a surprisingly good ride & value - 2015 Buick Verano
  By GregR - August 5 - 9:00 pm

  6,500 on the odometer now and I have to comment how impressed I am with this car. We would have never bought a Buick, but after riding in one, before you buy something else you need to take this for a ride. Easy to get in and out of, comfortable seats, large trunk, lifetime 30MPG per the OnStar app, no issues at all, well laid out interior, nice fit and finish, and the engine and transmission work well together. We have the LEather group and the keyless ignition is awesome. This car is loaded with safety features, and when you compare to other models, and the price, you can no go wrong. Lane assist, forward facing camera, all the airbags, blind spot monitoring, self-dim rear mirror - all for an affordable price. I drive an Acura, a Jeep, Honda Civic, and another GM product, and this car is THE quietest of all of them. Reliability well wait and see, but so far not a single warranty claim. Were in for our first oil change in about 2 weeks, complements of Buick. Someone posted there is no back seat room. Im 64" and I dont need the front seat all the way back to be comfortable, and yes, someone can still sit behind me when Im driving. Sure, I can push the seat all the way back, but its not needed. This is no large 4-door sedan, so for the size car were talking about, the interior room is impressive. Dont pass this model up. You will be surprised as we were. (Exterior color is the upgraded White Pearl, with two-tone brown interior).

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  under 50k shouldnt have this many problems2 - 2011 Buick LaCrosse
  By pat walsh - July 29 - 8:46 am

  bought with less than 10k on the clock. Wife loved the looks and ride. She traded an 06 Caddy and thought the ride was every bit as good. around 35k what sounded like tire noise developed. turns out (after buying tires) the noise MAY be hub bearings. About the same time the engine started stalling right off idle. thought it was the dreaded "throttle plate coking up" that seems engineered into every GM weve bought since 1996. Still not found that problem. I had tried to convince her to look at Nissans. Shes finally listening. GM should have a 60k bumper to bumper warranty, or start building cars that have fewer problems than a 1970 Fiat.

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  Horrible car - 1999 Buick Regal
  By Connie - July 29 - 5:30 am

  I bought this car when it had 55,000 miles I finally had to junk it at 130,000 miles I had to put at least $8,000 into it, What a lemon.

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  New 2015 FWD - 2015 Buick Encore
  By Jeff - July 28 - 3:06 pm

  Where to start? Been Toyota people for decades. Buick brought us back to GM. Certainly not built here nor does it have a majority of American made parts. Point is the Buick dealership wanted our business and had a smart, sharp looking vehicle to offer us. A week in to it and my wife and I both love it. Plenty of space for the two of us, empty nesters, and plenty of pep to get us around town and so far to where ever we want to go. Looks, feels and drives like something that will last us for years to come. At our age we driven alot of new cars. This does not feel cheap. On par with more expensive vehicles weve owned. And alot of features youd look for in higher end cars and SUVs. I have no reason to suggest not buying or leasing a Buick Encore.

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  Amazing... - 2015 Buick Enclave
  By M. King - July 27 - 9:18 pm

  This car exceeded my expectations. It is so comfortable and quiet and did I mention comfortable. Excellent safety features with great care and consideration on the part of Buick to successfully produce a true luxury SUV.

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  GREAT AUTOMOBILE - 2015 Buick Verano
  By howard - July 27 - 8:13 am

  I am 64", i have plenty of leg room. Beautiful riding car. Easy to read all the different things on the dashboard.plenty of trunk space. It is a very large trunk. Has the rar back up camera. Very helpful.

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  Jury is still out - 2015 Buick Regal
  By Mike Trainor - July 24 - 2:54 pm

  At only 700 miles, it is hard to judge a brand new car. So take that into consideration as you read this. And, it will be helpful to know that I was NOT shopping Buicks - at all - before I bought this. In fact, I wasnt shopping ANY car that had an MSRP more than $30K, and this Regal GS was stickered at nearly $41K. So what happened here? I had been driving a 2012 Hyundai Elantra Limited and wanted a car with more HP & torque, better handling and more tech features. First looked at the new Elantras - nope. Looked at Mazda 3s - nope. Cruze, nope. Mustang... well, not more than $30K so that was out of the question anyway. Not interested in anything Toyota had, nor Honda for that matter. Wife mentions Buick one day. BUICK??? Oh... yeah... the Verano! So, I decided on July 4 to shop them, not really expecting the dealer to be open. They were. Before I knew it, I was test driving a Regal T premium, but didnt like the interior. Saavy sales rep finds a GS out back and convinces me to drive it. Sure, why not drive a freakin $40,000 car!!! Anyway, to sum it up, I bought the thing. Not that day, but later next week. So, enough on how I got into this car, heres my summary review: Overall: 4 stars because 3 wasnt enough and theres no 3-1/2. It IS a NICE car, but some things are missing. Performance: I dont have a great basis for comparison. Last "fast car" I drove was 74 Chevelle SS with a 454 v8. But... the Regal does move and moves quickly - once you get past the turbo lag. The acceleration and power curve are quite nice after that. At slower speeds, 25 - 35 say, it can hardly get out of its own way unless you put your foot into it. Steering and road holding I think I very good - feels solid, good feedback. BMW drivers might find it dull and lumbering, but for me, it is more than adequate and would not fear driving this car 120 mph. Especially because the Brembo brakes are confidence inspiring. What kinda sucks is the tranny when you shift on your own. Im still learning where this car needs to be on the rpms, but it is SO quiet, and quick, that I didnt realize I was up to almost 4000 rpms and still in second. She didnt like that very much. in more normal driving, ahem, I found while the shifts are smooth, theres no audible feedback from the engine. keep your eye on the rpm guage!! but... see... you need your eyes on the road and your ears on the engine. other than that, shifts fine and you can toss this car around pretty well. but shes heavy. this, of course, coming from being used to a featherweight Elantra. just driving as an automatic, shifts are smooth and about where you would expect, and want, them to be, even under heavy acceleration. Comfort-Interior -- For the money, shes quite comfortable. Seats are firm(er) in the GS model which has an upgraded seat and leather package, but they fit me well. The car fits me well in fact. Im 60" and about 180 lbs. The front is a bit narrow, but I still have plenty of elbow and hip room. Seats provide thigh support right where I need it. Headroom, even with the sunroof, is fine, plenty of clearance. Someone at 250 might not fit as well. Controls are all relatively well-laid out, similar in some ways to the Elantra, so im not having any issues in finding where things are, and everything is within easy reach. except two things..... Nitpick alert! One negative about the interior design is where the window controls and outside mirror control are. In the Elantra, resting my elbow on the door grip in a comfortable spot at my side, my fingers fell right onto those, with only a slight reach forward to the mirror control. In the Regal, I have to bring my hand back almost a full hand-length and LOOK as to which button do I have, front window or back window? I also find quite annoying where the door grip is. The interior features a nice swooshy grab bar in fake metal. its okay to use when closing the door. but when opening it, the grip is a bit far forward, making an already heavy door even heavier because youre pushing it open too far forward. and heres the gotchya - there is no grip in the elbow rest part of the door, no place for your hand. Cheap, GM, very cheap. As noted, this car is quiet. In fact, Ive never been in a quieter car save for a fun little drive in an 80s vintage Rolls Royce. But also noted, thats a negative when it comes to hearing the engine, or exhaust. Visibility is mostly okay, but out the back and over the shoulder are tougher. The B pillar is pretty wide... youll quickly learn to use, and appreciate, the blind spot warning in the mirrors. Rear is smallish and narrow, but hardly an obstacle. The Mazda 3 hatchback was much, much worse. As to instrumentation, well, theres a learning curve there, but its all there if you want it, including oil temp and pressure, friction bubble (wha???), and a whole mess of other stuff. Not the easiest to use and could stand a bit more ability to customize, but I find it complete, easy to read. ###

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  premium hmmm....? - 2015 Buick Encore
  By Margo Ritter - July 24 - 12:59 pm

  There is no in car garage door opener, so you have to carry one. Infotainment GPS too confusing with way, way too many options and menus to try and remember how to use. Over 36 teeny tiny icons to try and see to mark your map, how many does a person need? Just looking for one with a red plus for doctors office, a small house, a tree, a gas pump, so many useless ones. No remote for the rear hatch when you hands are full, why did they do away with that? No grab handle on the passenger front column to take a hold of when getting in and out, just a stupid little handle over your head. Who reaches over their head to get in or out? Also gone is the grab handle from the passenger door to take a hold of to close door. We went from a beautiful Enclave to a smaller Buick. Didnt need the big size any more. Hoping that it was basically the same, just smaller. Not so and theres more road noise. Just wish they had looked at the Enclave and kept all the good features.

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  Fantastic Driver with some Shortcomings - 2012 Buick Regal
  By Josh - July 22 - 10:35 am

  I purchased this car over a year ago to replace a 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid that had recently surpassed 100,000 miles. I wanted something that would be fun to drive and that had a manual transmission. This car checked (most of) the boxes for my needs, after a year with it, however, this will be my last GM for a while. The good: The turbocharged motor and manual transmission combination is great! Clutch and shifts are smooth and engage easily. The torque band is very wide and pulls the Regal up to (and over) legal highway speeds, quickly and quietly. The interior is quiet and comfortable around town and on long trips. The bad: Trying to use/figure out the buttons on the steering wheel/center console/touch screen is miserable and very confusing. Voice recognition only works for certain functions, much worse than the SYNC in my previous car. No rear-view camera, on a vehicle at this price point trying to compete with entry-level luxury cars, a rear-view camera should be standard. The graphics for the navigation are acceptable, at best. QUALITY (or lack thereof) - my car has been in the shop 6 times in the past year for small repairs, blower motor on the climate control randomly cuts out, 4 rear light bulbs (no access panels in trunk, have to remove carpet surrounding the trunk to replace), sun visor mirror cover shattered apart, and grommets holding the floor mats to the floor sprung apart. The plastics on the interior feel cheap and look cheaper. The lack of storage space for front seat occupants is disappointing. Buick has done a fantastic job with the styling and the performance aspect of this car. It looks and drives fantastic, now if there was more focus placed upon quality and interior components, Id be fully satisfied. Im glad I purchased the Regal, but Im ready to get into something else.

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  Buicks Version of the Opel Insigna - 2015 Buick Regal
  By Jeff - July 12 - 8:09 pm

  This is a GM large European sports sedan it rides stiff and controlled like a Euro sedan should. I dont sit in the back, but it looks cramped. This is a way better car than my 2006 SAAB 2.0LT 6M. Larger, heavier and has a much higher level interior quality. Overall a very well balanced car for the $ refined and pretty fast. Twin Scroll turbo and 6 speed auto are well matched can feel the gears in smooth shifts. My opinion GM still makes the best automatics.