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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  Cool compact Car - 2014 Buick Verano
  By Lane Benda - July 11 - 4:15 pm

  Good looking car for old or young. Great inside, really looks good. Nice quite ride. Good road handling. Poor MPG, but not all that bad. My av. has been getting better with more use. Large trunk for a compact car. Have 5,000 plus on car. no problems. Info ctr. is great, all new safety features are great also. I really like this car.

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  A deceptive piece of junk - 2002 Buick LeSabre
  By stevemay71 - May 30 - 6:49 pm

  They ride nice, they are quiet - when things dont rattle and stuff begins to rattle after only 65K miles. The dashboard, the glove compartment etc. 3800 Series II reliable engine? Not true. Head gasket replaced, 3 out of 4 motor mounts shot, mass air flow sensor dead, ignition coil (cyl 1+4) dead - all between 65K and 75K miles. Sunroof seal began to leak into the trunk. Heated driver seat broken. Several bulbs in the dash and steering wheel broken. Headrest cover broken. Maybe car is nice when its new but it does not hold up. Age or mileage gets to these suckers. If youre considering one, have it checked out very very thoroughly - then LOWBALL the heck on the price.

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  Do Not Buy - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By zp1151 - May 27 - 9:44 am

  Having owned this car and model for over 3 years now, I have seen some things that scare the living crap out of me when driving this car now. The car seems to be slowly falling apart and breaking piece by piece. The AWD Disabled light comes on at least 4-7 times monthly which is indicating that the cars wheel bearing has been broken so the wheels could potentially lock up at any given moment while driving. The air conditioning vents have been leaking gas fumes into my car even though I have taken it to get fixed many times for that reason. So many things are wrong with this car so dont bother buying one and save your money for a Non Buick automobile.

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  Compact fun for an SUV - 2015 Buick Encore
  By out_to_help - May 26 - 5:57 pm

  Recently leased (May 2015) for my wife who wanted a smaller car after having driven large SUVs for past 10 years. With kids now in their later teens and no need for large car but with seating up higher, the Encore was selected. The ride performance from the smaller turbo is better than most pro reviews in that their expectations for 0 to 60 are only satisfied when buying an eight cylinder Camaro or that ilk of car. The comfort and quietness make this a great ride. The luxury features with the saddle leather and roof make it seem a lot bigger than it is. Before believing the Mazdas, VWs or Toyotas are in the same class as the Encore, make sure you test drive it first. It will grow on you!

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  Buick Encore is an excellent vehicle - 2015 Buick Encore
  By soulmanencore - May 24 - 6:12 pm

  We purchased a 2013 Buick Encore Leather FWD in June 2013 and have 17,000 miles on it. It provides excellent gas mileage, comfort for long trips and versatile utilizing the fold down seats to haul all types of items. I highly recommend the Encore for empty nesters or someone who has no more than 2 children. I have found the Encore to perform well in all situations we have encountered. It handles the mountains of West Virginia, the heat and humidity of Florida and the narrow winding roads of Pennsylvania. The high ground clearance makes it especially good for driving in snow. I would, and did buy Encore again.

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  Do not overlook - 2015 Buick Verano
  By michaeldaytona - May 12 - 11:22 pm

  Car is 4 clyr. awesome gas mileage came with all the features and safety features even heated steering wheel. Care has all the lane and departure and safety features you could need, very helpful on the interstate.

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  Outstanding vehicle so far! - 2015 Buick Encore
  By madmaxooohhh - April 21 - 8:36 am

  Wife loves the comfort, smooth ride, ergonomic interior, and utility of this surprise from Buick! Replaced a BMW X3 that started to get expensive to maintain, so we bought a new Buick.

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  Leaks & more... - 2013 Buick Encore
  By Brian Alley - April 17 - 11:10 am

  After 27,000 miles was loving this car then bam a maintenance nightmare. 3 recalls (seat belt issues & parking brake cable) a oil pan leak & a vibration/buzz that turned into an exhaust system failure that required an all new system. While they were fixing these problems they found a coolant leak & are now replacing the water pump. Disappointing as I was crazy about this ride...Im asking for an extended warranty as this is looking like a lemon?

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  Love this car! - 2014 Buick Encore
  By suydam - April 14 - 9:24 pm

  I bought this car 2 months ago and we are both liking it more and more every day. I love a small car thats quiet and it has a high quality interior. Reviews about its lack of power are misleading. It has plenty of pep with the turbo and it actually gets better gas mileage than I thought it would. A joy to park in small spaces and I like the high seating position. For a small vehicle it feels quite roomy inside. It also handles well. We ar e empty nesters with 2 dogs and this is the perfect second vehicle for us.

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  First car Ive owned that I Love - 1998 Buick LeSabre
  By cluchs8 - April 12 - 11:59 am

  I bought my car with 140k miles and fixed brake lines (400) and valve cover gasket (150)leaks. The serpentine belt has started to squeak, but it doesnt matter, because the factory stereo is incredible for a 98. I love the ride, Its supple yet competent, more so than I expected from a boat. The torque and passing power is actually pretty impressive for the HP output. It wafts from 40-75 like its nothing, and with cruise on at 60 i get 29 mpg. I get about 17-20 in the city,and its awesome on snow w/ all seasons. I feel safer in it than i do my 2010 dodge ram. brakes dont really cut it, you have to pay attention, sudden stops arent its favorite.I named mine Victor.Best grand i ever spent