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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  Love it so much im trading it in!! - 2012 Buick Verano
  By matheson1977 - October 8 - 10:37 am

  Bought my Verano last year and now have 21,000 trouble free miles on it. I planed to keep it at least 8 yrs, that is until i found out about the turbo model for 2013..... Im just a sucker for more power!

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  Is a keeper. - 1996 Buick LeSabre
  By juanosanti - September 20 - 8:53 pm

  Ive had this car over 3 years now and I love it. I got the car with 70,000 miles, now it has 101,000. I just had to change the O2 sensor. Its not a looker but sure is a champion.

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  Best of the best - 2010 Buick LaCrosse
  By andrew_s1 - September 11 - 7:11 pm

  I am in my mid-20s and find this to be one great looking car! I have driven BMWs & Cadillacs before and the Lacrosse is way ahead of the competition. The Styling is great inside and out and very comfortable.

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  Definitely worth the money. - 2012 Buick Verano
  By newcarnow4 - September 2 - 10:17 pm

  I have to say I was very much on the fence with this car. It was get a Toyota or go back to Buick. Ive had two other Buicks in my lifetime. After researching on Edmunds and test driving I went with the Verano. So far I have been very pleased. This is an incredibly nice ride and the options you get for the money paid are amazing. Now the gas mileage seems average and the back room seat could be bigger, but this really is a lot of luxury for the price and I am happy in the end I got it. If you are undecided give it a test drive. Smooth ride and handling, adequate power, lots of bells and whistles put me over the top.

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  Great car for the money - 2012 Buick Verano
  By fredh1 - August 31 - 2:34 pm

  Ive owned it for 6 mos. After I bought it, I learned that this is the best selling car in CHINA. So, GMs built likely a million of these things by now and I think theyve got it down. No problems whatsoever so far, rare for a first year model. Likes: VERY quiet smooth autostick tranny fast enough for any legal driving GREAT handling (tires on this small car are same size as my former 300C Special) OnStar (they do Everything!) fold down rear seats: comfort/interior appearance. Best integration of tech systems of all current Buick models. Dislikes: Short legroom reat seats (but OK in a pinch for 4 adults) needs full power on both front seats cheap looking ext. fender seams.

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  Best car ever made! - 1992 Buick LeSabre
  By porcelinasoma - August 25 - 12:21 pm

  I bought this car nine years ago for $500 with about 130,000 miles on it. It was an awesome deal for reliability and I seriously got my moneys worth out of it. It had some problems due to age and my lack of money to keep it maintained as well as I should have. The radiator system began losing freeze plugs one after the other, and it had a cracked intake manifold, so I was constantly filling the radiator. With better maintenance, I would have had fewer issues. The car is tons of fun to drive and handled better than any car I have ever driven in my life. This cars body is so strong that I drove it home safely after a tree fell directly on top of it in a storm, and it ran like a charm.

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  Love it so far! - 2008 Buick LaCrosse
  By spinmytires - August 7 - 2:16 pm

  I just bought an 08 LaCrosse Super, and so far, I love it. It is roomy, and the heated seats feel great after a long day at work. I like how it isnt over the top with gizmos and gadgets on the dash, but has enough to make me feel I am getting what I paid for. The ride is smooth, and it isnt jumpy when accelerating. I like the shorter stopping distances. I have seen a lot of reviews elsewhere that seem to think this is a sports car. No, this is a luxury sedan. Im not in my 80s Im in my 20s, and enjoy all of the comfort, and all of the horsepower. I dont intend on using this car to run the Daytona 500, so, who cares about RWD vs FWD? Its big, comfy and should be great in snow

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  Love My New Car - 2012 Buick Enclave
  By bigbird77429 - August 3 - 5:57 pm

  I purchased this car after 4 years of research on crossovers and SUVs. It was worth all the time and energy. This vehicle is easy to drive, loaded with extras, very comfortable and doesnt drive like an SUV at all. With the rear camera and parking assist, there are no worries backing out of my driveway or parking spots. The A/C cools rapidly in our very hot summers with very high humidity. It has a very tight turning radius and when this is combined with the variable speed steering - she is a breeze to manuever. I have received so many compliments when people see my new vehicle that I have lost count. I have fully enjoyed the first 6 weeks and look forward to many years of enjoyment.

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  Couldnt Be Happier - 2012 Buick Regal
  By kmw8770 - July 30 - 7:15 pm

  First new vehicle. I have been watching this vehicle from the point it was in the prototype stage, and when they entered production I knew I had to get one. White Diamond, 6-Manual, 20s, Brembos, LED/HID Headlamps, Intellilink System, Sunroof. Car is loaded. Has an unbelievable amount of power for a 2.0L and the six speed manual makes it a joy to drive. Not to mention the car handles incredibly and even with the 20s and low profile tires it rides very smooth. Personally I have had a slew of GM cars and those manufactured in Oshawa, ON Canada have always had the nicest paint and most solid build quality this Regal certainly holds up to that standard. Love this car. Take it for a test!

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  Surprised by Buick! - 2011 Buick Regal
  By dap0922 - July 30 - 3:38 pm

  I didnt seek out a Buick when I started my search mainly based on the memories of the Buicks that my grandpa drove. Those were respectable cars at the time, but I was not interested in driving a "big boat". As a young professional, Buick seemed dated. I was looking for 3 things, 1)good gas mileage , 2) comfortable and high tech interior, 3) "head-turning" exterior styling - all at an good price of course. After looking at other cars for a few months, I came across the Regal. I hesitated at the thought of buying a Buick, but was blown away at the "reimagined" Brand. I was impressed at the styling and handling. This definitely isnt my grandpas Buick!