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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  Dissapointed - 2006 Buick Terraza
  By G.F. Dicob - November 21 - 9:19 am

  Very poor interior design. Accelerator pedal is very uncomfortable and places a strain on foot. Seat adjustment for six foot driver is insufficient. Storage space in between front seats is non-existent. With cup holder up unable to get into storage space. Only one power outlet in front area. Unable to use phone charger and GPS at same time. Need hand grip on passenger side to hold onto when entering or exiting. Many other deficiencies but at this time unable to list due to time restraints. Way too much wind and road noise. Extreme amount of rattles. Dealer unable to locate and fix them. Return visits to dealer too frequent to attempt a fix. The CD player had to be removed and sent back.

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  WarrantyExpires... so does this car - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By DisgruntledBuickRez - November 15 - 10:00 am

  Was a great car until the warranty expired.... Summary of our ownership experience between 36000 and 47359 miles: * Left Front Wheel Bearing $400 * Right Front Wheel Bearing $400 * Condenser for Air Conditioning $820 (hard to believe but true) * Fuel Pump (died on the road) $400 (estimated; theyre working on it now... And I still have 3 1/2 years of payments left. This feels ugly. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR WITHOUT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I have only read a few of these reviews and there are others with many of the same problems. Buick acknowledges the AC Condenser and wheel bearings are "known problems" meaning lots of failures, but wont hel

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  94 Skylark GS CP - 1994 Buick Skylark
  By 88TurboI - September 26 - 8:56 am

  Extremely poor quality of materials. Interior is falling apart. Half-shafts were broken before 50000 miles, as well as a motor mount. Car should be taken out in the pasture and burned.

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  Not a good option - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By Denise - September 25 - 7:45 am

  Lets just say this vehicle has been in the shop more than it has been out. Right now it has a major mechanical problem and it has less than 100,000 miles. The Chevrolet dealership is baffled as to what the problem is. This problem affects the headlights and brakelights, so this is a major safety concern to me. They basically just turn off along with everything else in the dash while your driving.

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  Disgusted with this vehicle. - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Eldon Lindsey - September 11 - 7:03 pm

  This vehicle has a long list of items that do not work as they should. The left side mirror insists on moving to where you cannot use it. The DIC says I get 13.8 MPG, my check says I get 10.2, 10.3, 13.0, 13.1. It locks itself if you do not take the key out. I found a cable hanging loose under the car. The sunroof would not close until I repaired it. I have not been able to get "Mr. Goodwrench to repair anything on this car. The drivers seat races forward when I unlock the car, before I can get in. And they are more problems with this car, the Lucerne CXS. I currently have a commplaint filed with BBB.

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  Disgusted with the vehicle - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Eldon Lindsey - August 28 - 10:40 pm

  I have discovered a multiple of defects in the mechanics of this vehicle. Prominent is the left side mirror moves to unusable positions. Mechanics have refused to repair the defect after bringing it to them about 10 times. Also, the sunroof would not close. I had to repair it. I found a cable loose under the car the second day I owned it. Gas mileage has registered as low as 10.2 MPG, while the DIC says 13.8 consistently. The doors sometimes lock on their own when the vehicle is setting still, unattended. And there are more.

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  Junk - 2006 Buick Rainier
  By w gotwals - August 22 - 8:03 am

  1197 total miles and the car would not start. Complete electrical shut down. It"s been out of service for 3 days now attempting to be fixed. Cant GM do a little better job

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  Really disappointed - 2006 Buick Rainier
  By Norman - August 18 - 11:16 am

  We should have taken a longer test drive and done more homework. The seats are extremely uncomfortable. Tried to trade it in after a month, but already no trade-in value. The dealer obviously didnt want it back!

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  Disappointed - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By Rivi - July 31 - 4:38 am

  My wife and I got this car as a lease. She drives it mostly. We had to get out of the lease early. We traded her in for a Toyota and dont look back at the Buick anymore. We noticed as time went on, she seems to loose power. She no longer feels strong anymore. I dont think that 245 horses is strong enough for the weight of this vehicle. She handles the bumps terribly, feels like shes gonna break apart on me. Gas guage is on the frits and the dealer cant find anything wrong with her. One day, we have gas and the next, we dont. Her turn radius is lousy. Its a shame, becuase we love all the toys that the Ultra comes with.

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  3G5DA03E33S51199 - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By THOMAS STOKES - July 21 - 2:00 am

  NEEDED BRAKES 4 TIMES,STILL ISNT FIXED,TRANSMISSION SLIPS,OVERHEATS ALL THE TIME,NO ENGINE POWER,10 MILES TO THE GALLON,TRACION CONTROL LOCKS UP,ALMOST KILLED ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! VERY POOR VIEWING OUT THE REAR SIDES AND REAR AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN