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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  Fun to drive - 2006 Buick Rainier
  By JAMES ZUNIGA - May 8 - 9:46 pm

  Fun to drive. Very smooth riding and quiet. Comfortable seats. Easy to park. Lots of power for an inline 6. Has lots of extras that are optional on other vehicles. The navigation is simple and handy.

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  New - Used - Rendezvous - 2005 Buick Rendezvous
  By Doug Curtis - May 7 - 5:55 pm

  My wife refused to drive a minivan and I did not want to pay for the gas of a traditional SUV. That leaves a crossover. We wanted to trade our Saab for either a Lexus, Acura, or BMW, but when we looked at the Rendezvous we were hooked. We got a great deal on a year old GM exec CXL AWD with everything on it but the Nav and upgraded engine. It rides better than all the other vehicles we drove, and talk about quite. Only down side is the engine performance. If you really want to get on it, the base engine wont cooperate, but it more than suffices for normal driving. I am getting a combined 23-24 mpg on 87 gas. No complaints there.

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  Finally a family SUV - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By tonyjosie - April 26 - 2:00 am

  I read the rating from the editor and they complain about it not being the best as a van, car or SUV, so I was skeptical. After test driving it and buying one I am confident we have made the right choice for the family. I dont want a car and defiantely not another van, yet the gas mileage on a powerful SUV is terrible. This SUV fits all five of us with room to spare and has all the luxuries of a fancy SUV, yet at half the cost with better gas mileage. Ride is smooth and fun, so dont be fooled, go test drive it. OH, Negotiate the price plus get 0% interest, cant beat that. (2004 Rendevouz)

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  more of an honest review - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By ARTHUR24 - April 26 - 2:00 am

  excellent vehicle. more features than you could imagine. most reviewer are critical of this truck. I would like as the owner not leaser of 3 new trucks in the last 10 years to give more honest reviews, not just their opinion. most reviewer prefer honda or toyota to anything. I can tell you this is an excellent vehicle. it is not perfect but neither is rx330 or mdx.

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  A truly nice & capable vehicle - 2006 Buick Rendezvous
  By marktv - April 22 - 8:16 pm

  I shopped around for months until I found what suited myself and the family best. I cannot see why Honda and Toyota are priced so much more. The Buick rides nice, looks nice, appears well built, and Im averaging 24 mpg city/hwy. Sure, it has things that can annoy the owner. What vehicle doesnt? But, they are too minor to mention. Consumer reports called the interior cheap, but I found the Toyota Sienna had a much more cheap feel. I think CR really has an anti GM bias. The Rendezvous doesnt do anything excellent, but for me it does everything very well I bought a prior rental with 9850 miles and saved thousands. GM still has a problem with depreciation.

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  Regal LS - 1999 Buick Regal
  By BuickBoy - April 20 - 12:09 pm

  Ive always like this car. Then, I read the reviews and I was convinced. My only regret is that I didnt get a GS. Rising fuel prices scared me as 93 octane is recommended, but probably would have been worth it. I was able to find a "GS looking" Regal LS with 16 inch wheels, leather, and gran touring package. Purchased with 38K miles and have put on about 10K. Only oil changes were needed thus far. Car feels tight and engine is strong. True, as others have stated, the gas mileage around town could be better. I would highly recommend this car.

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  Car of my dreams - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By donaj - April 19 - 10:00 am

  We test drove all the mini and midsized suvs before discovering Rendezvous. What a great surprise when we finally drove it. We did not want 3 seats, so were delighted to have the choice and all the goodies that are standard blew us away. I couldnt believe there was an affordable SUV that rides like a luxury sedan, get great mileage and looks as good as anything on the road.

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  2006 Buick Ranier - 2006 Buick Rainier
  By m buckenmayer - April 16 - 10:09 pm

  I love this mid size SUV. I drove over 20 other SUVs before deciding on purchasing the Ranier. It has plenty of pep, even with a 6 cy engine. The interior is the most comfortable of all SUVs I test drove. I am very tall and need a long seat, the Japanese SUVs were too short seated to give me proper leg or hip support. The ride is quiet, quiet, quiet. I love the XM/CD/ radio/nav system. Also there is lots of room as I easily can haul 5 golfers and their golf bags. I chose leather interior and it is very comfortable and very classy. The only thing I would change would be more storage space in the middle console.

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  Nothing beats a Buick! - 1996 Buick Regal
  By Silver - April 16 - 7:31 am

  This car is great.. it handles and drives quite nicely. Performance is adequate and styling is nice. I have owned mine for 4 years and it now has 95K miles on it and have had no major problems other then routine maintenance. The car has ice cold air and is fantastic on gas with the 3.1 engine. You can get some real good deals on these so if you are on a tight budget, look around as you can find a good deal on one of these and still own a GOOD quality American made car.

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  Buick Rendezvous - 2003 Buick Rendezvous
  By Christopher Ordner - April 15 - 4:59 pm

  Get great gas mileage and perfect features for my family of six. I have owned my Rendezvous for five months and not found one thing to complain about when it comes to its functionality. No comfort complaints either. As a matter of fact, since I have purchased my Rendezvous I have seen six new Rendezvous owners around my neighborhood.